**The Trial, Crucifixion, and Death of Jesus**
The morning sun rose over Jerusalem, casting long shadows across the city. The air was thick with tension, for the chief priests and elders of the people had conspired to put Jesus to death. They had bound Him and led Him away to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, for they lacked the authority to execute anyone under Roman rule.
As Jesus stood before Pilate, His face bore the marks of a sleepless night. His hands were bound, yet His demeanor was calm, His eyes filled with a quiet resolve. Pilate, a man accustomed to the clamor of political intrigue, studied Jesus with a mixture of curiosity and unease.
“Are You the King of the Jews?” Pilate asked, his voice echoing in the courtyard.
Jesus replied, “You have said so.”
The chief priests and elders, standing nearby, began to accuse Him vehemently. “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee even to this place!”
Pilate, hearing that Jesus was from Galilee, saw an opportunity to shift the burden of judgment. He sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, who happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. Herod, eager to see Jesus perform a miracle, questioned Him at length. But Jesus remained silent, refusing to entertain Herod’s curiosity. Disappointed and frustrated, Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus, dressing Him in a splendid robe before sending Him back to Pilate.
When Jesus returned, Pilate addressed the crowd that had gathered. “You brought this Man to me as one who stirs up the people. But after examining Him, I find no fault in Him deserving of death. Neither did Herod, for he sent Him back to us. Therefore, I will punish Him and release Him.”
But the crowd, stirred up by the chief priests and elders, began to shout, “Away with this Man! Release to us Barabbas!” Barabbas was a notorious prisoner, a rebel and a murderer. Pilate, seeking to appease the crowd, asked, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
“Barabbas!” they cried.
Pilate, perplexed and increasingly uneasy, asked, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”
The crowd roared, “Crucify Him!”
Pilate, sensing the injustice of the situation, washed his hands before the crowd and declared, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood. See to it yourselves.”
The people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
Pilate, yielding to the pressure, released Barabbas and handed Jesus over to be crucified. The soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, where they stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet robe. They twisted together a crown of thorns and pressed it onto His head, mocking Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him and struck Him repeatedly, their laughter echoing through the halls.
When they had finished mocking Him, they led Him away to Golgotha, the Place of the Skull. Along the way, they compelled a man named Simon of Cyrene to carry the crossbeam for Jesus, for the weight of the cross and the toll of His suffering had become too great for Him to bear alone.
At Golgotha, they nailed His hands and feet to the cross and raised Him between two criminals. Above His head, they placed a sign that read, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” The chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. If He is the King of Israel, let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.”
Even the criminals crucified beside Him joined in the mockery. But as the hours passed, one of them rebuked the other, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he turned to Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
Jesus, His voice weak but filled with compassion, replied, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”
From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness fell over the land. Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Some of the bystanders, misunderstanding His words, thought He was calling for Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.”
Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit.
At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. Tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After His resurrection, they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city, appearing to many.
When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were also there, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
As evening approached, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate ordered it to be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. He rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and departed.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sat opposite the tomb, weeping and mourning the loss of their beloved Teacher.
The chief priests and Pharisees, remembering that Jesus had said He would rise after three days, went to Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while He was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore, order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples go and steal Him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’”
Pilate, weary of their schemes, replied, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and sealed the stone and set a guard.
And so, the tomb was sealed, and the world waited, unaware of the glory that was to come.
