Part 19

Pilate asked, What do you want me to do to Him whom ye call the King of the Jews? They cried out, Crucify Him. Then Pilate said to them, Why, what evil has He done? And they cried out the more, Crucify Him.

And so Pilate, to content the people, released Barabbas to them. After he had Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified. The soldiers led Him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they called together the whole troop. They clothed Him with purple, platted a crown of thorns, and put it around His head. They saluted Him, Hail, King of the Jews! They smote Him on the head with a reed, spit on Him, and bowing their knees, worshipped Him.

After they mocked Him, they took off the purple cloth and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to be crucified. They compelled a man named Simon, a Cyrenian and the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was passing by on his way out of the country, to bear His cross.

They took Him to the place called Golgotha, the place of a skull. They gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink but He received it not. When they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots for what every man should take.

It was the third hour when they crucified Him. The superscription of His accusation was written and hung over Him: The King of the Jews. Along with Him they crucified two thieves; one on His right hand, and the other on His left. The scripture was fulfilled: And He was numbered with the transgressors.

Those who passed by railed at Him. They said, Ah, thou that destroys the temple and builds it up again in three days, save thyself and come down from the cross. The chief priests along with the scribes said among themselves, He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross that we may see and believe. Those who were crucified with Him reviled Him. And, when the sixth hour came, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

At the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? Some of those who stood by, when they heard this, said, Behold, He calls Elias. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, gave it to Him to drink. They said, Let Him alone. Let us see whether Elias will come to take Him down. Then Jesus cried with a loud voice and took His last breath.

The veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to bottom. And, when the centurion who stood near Him saw this, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

There were also women looking on from afar; among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and Joses, and Salome (who also, when He was in Galilee, followed Him and ministered to Him), and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

When evening came, because it was the preparation day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counsellor, who also waited for the kingdom of God, went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus. Pilate marvelled that He was already dead. He called the centurion to him to find out how long He had been dead. When he learned it from the centurion, he released the body. Joseph brought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. He laid Him in a sepulchre hewn out of rock, and rolled a stone across the entrance. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where He was laid.

16 When the sabbath was past, very early in the morning the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, went to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. With them they brought sweet spices that they might anoint Him. They said among themselves, Who shall roll the stone away from the door of the sepulchre for us? Then, when they looked, they saw that the large stone was rolled away.

Entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment. They were frightened. But he said, Be not afraid. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee. There ye shall see Him, just as He told you. They went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed. They said nothing to any one because they were afraid.

Then Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils. She went and told those who had been with Him as they mourned and wept. When they had heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.

Then He appeared, in another form, to two of them as they walked in the country. These two went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

Afterward He appeared to the eleven as they sat at supper. He upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He was risen.

Then He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that does not believe shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents. And, if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

So then after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere; the Lord working with them and confirming the word with these signs.

Amen.

-----

The Gospel of Luke

1. Forasmuch as many eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have set forth and delivered to us a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of these things from the very beginning, to write to you, most excellent Theophilus, in order that thou might know the certainty of the things thou has been instructed.

In the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. They had no child because Elisabeth was barren. They were both well up in years.

According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot, while he executed his duty before God, was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. The multitude gathered outside to pray during the time of incense.

There appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. When Zacharias saw him, he was troubled and fell down in fear. But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard. Thy wife, Elisabeth, shall bear thee a son and thou shall name him John. You shall have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth. He shall be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall not drink wine or strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

He shall turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God. He shall go in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this? I am an old man, and my wife an old woman. The angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and am sent to speak to thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. Behold, thou shall be dumb and unable to speak until the day these things are performed because thou believe not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season.

The people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

It came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his official duties were accomplished, he went home. His wife, Elisabeth, conceived, and hid herself for five months. She said, Thus has the Lord now done for me that which takes away my reproach among others.