1.
When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
2.
And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
3.
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4.
Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
5.
And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6.
And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
God, Deuteronomy 23:18, had forbidden to bring the price of a whore, or a dog, into the temple; this they had interpreted of all filthy gain: upon which they thus determine, that it was not lawful for them to put the money they had given Judas, for so sordid a service as that of betraying his Master, into the chest, or place which they had, where they kept the monies given for the repairs of the temple; and in this they were right enough, perhaps, but in this they showed themselves stupidly blind hypocrites, that they saw not it was much less lawful for them, who had hired him to this sordid action, to be employed in the service of the temple, for, Isaiah 52:11, those that bear the vessels of the Lord ought to be holy. Thus, to justify our Saviour’s words, they strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
7.
And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
8.
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
9.
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;
10.
And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.
11.
And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
Mark hath the same, Mark 15:2; so hath Luke, Luke 23:3. John relates it more distinctly, John 18:29-32; Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
The other evangelists seem to have given us the story of this our Saviour’s first appearance before Pilate summarily. John seems to have given us it more orderly and particularly. It is the course of all judicatures to require the accusers to speak first. Pilate therefore asketh what accusation they had brought against him. Their answer was very malapert, If he had not been a malefactor, &c. What was this to the purpose? Suppose him never so great a malefactor, must it not appear he is so before a judge condemns him? These accusers (as it seemeth) were of the same mind that the papists are, that the civil magistrate is to be executioner to the church; and when the ecclesiastical power hath condemned a man for heresy or blasphemy, the civil magistrate hath nothing to do, but without his own hearing the cause to put the person to death. But they met with a more equal judge, though he were a heathen. Say ye so, saith he, Take him, then, and judge him according to your law. This he either speaks as deriding them, and scorning what they would have put him upon; or else not thinking he had deserved any thing worthy of death, knowing they might without him scourge him, or inflict some lighter punishments. They reply, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. It is very questionable in what sense they spake this. Those that affirm that the power of judging and determining in capital causes was before this time taken from the Jews, must affirm that Stephen was put to death in a popular tumult, for he was after this stoned to death by the Jews, Acts 7:59; which is not probable, considering what we read of him, Acts 6:13,Acts 6:15, called before the council, and witnesses used against him, and have no record of any notice the civil magistrate took of the fact as a disorder. I therefore rather think their meaning was, This is with us a feast day, on which it is not lawful for us to put any to death without thy consent. Or, it is not lawful for us to put any to death for any civil cause, for saying he is our king; for it is manifest by the question which Pilate first put to him upon his second coming into the hall, mentioned John 18:33, in which all the other three evangelists agree, that they had charged him with saying, that he was the King of the Jews; to which all that he replied, which is recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, is, Thou sayest it. I am not bound to accuse myself; who witnesses this against me? But John saith that our Saviour said, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Our Saviour, by this answer to Pilate’s question, seems to vindicate his right not to be condemned without witness, which, if others had told Pilate this, they were bound to have produced. Pilate tells him, he had it not of himself, he was no Jew, but they were those of his own nation who had delivered him to him; and therefore asketh him what he had done. Then our Saviour openeth himself, not denying that he was the King of the Jews, but telling him he was no king of this world; his kingdom was a spiritual kingdom, and he might know what King he was by his retinue, and those who took his part; for if he had laid claim to any secular kingdom, he should have had some appearing to take his part, and to fight for him to deliver him from his enemies, but he saw he had none. Pilate laying hold of his words, replies, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? Our Saviour still useth prudence, and keeps himself upon a close guard. It had been dangerous for him directly to have owned himself a king. He therefore only tells Pilate, that he said he was a king, and that he came into the world to bear testimony to the truth; and further adds, that every one who was of the truth did hear his voice. This poses Pilate, who had no notion of that truth which Christ spake of; he goes out as it were deriding him, saying, What is truth? Presently he goeth out to the Jews, Matthew 27:38, and tells them he found in him no fault at all, and offers to release him; but this we shall meet with in our evangelist by and by: the passages hereto mentioned are only related by John; excepting only the question,
Art thou the King of the Jews? and our Saviour’s answer,
Thou sayest it, which is reported by all.
12.
And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13.
Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
14.
And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
15.
Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
16.
And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
17.
Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18.
For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
19.
When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
20.
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21.
The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22.
Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23.
And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24.
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25.
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26.
Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
27.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28.
And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29.
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30.
And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31.
And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32.
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
33.
And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
34.
They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
35.
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
36.
And sitting down they watched him there;
37.
And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38.
Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39.
And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40.
And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41.
Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42.
He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43.
He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
44.
The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
45.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
47.
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
48.
And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
49.
The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
50.
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52.
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53.
And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54.
Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
55.
And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
56.
Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.
57.
When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
58.
He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59.
And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60.
And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61.
And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
62.
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63.
Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64.
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65.
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66.
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.