October 24

Matthew 26:57 — 28:20
 (words in gray are deemed interpolations)
 

57 Those who took Jesus into custody led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the older men were gathered together. 58 But Peter kept following him at a good distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and, after going inside, he was sitting with the house attendants to see the outcome.

59 Meantime the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin were looking for false witness against Jesus in order to put him to death, 60 but they found none, although many false witnesses came forward. Later on two came forward 61 and said: “This man said, ‘I am able to throw down the temple of God and build it up in three days.’” 62 With that the high priest stood up and said to him: “Have you no answer? What is it these are testifying against you?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. So the high priest said to him: “By the living God I put you under oath to tell us whether you are the Christ the Son of God!” 64 Jesus said to him: “You yourself said [it]. Yet I say to YOU men, From henceforth YOU will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest ripped his outer garments, saying: “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? See! Now YOU have heard the blasphemy. 66 What is YOUR opinion?” They returned answer: “He is liable to death.” 67 Then they spit into his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him in the face, 68 saying: “Prophesy to us, you Christ. Who is it that struck you?”

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard; and a servant girl came up to him, saying: “You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean!” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying: “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 After he had gone out to the gatehouse, another girl noticed him and said to those there: “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.” 72 And again he denied it, with an oath: “I do not know the man!” 73 After a little while those standing around came up and said to Peter: “Certainly you also are one of them, for, in fact, your dialect gives you away.” 74 Then he started to curse and swear: “I do not know the man!” And immediately a cock crowed. 75 And Peter called to mind the saying Jesus spoke, namely: “Before a cock crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

27 When it had become morning, all the chief priests and the older men of the people held a consultation against Jesus so as to put him to death. 2 And, after binding him, they led him off and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

3 Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing he had been condemned, felt remorse and turned the thirty silver pieces back to the chief priests and older men, 4 saying: “I sinned when I betrayed righteous blood.” They said: “What is that to us? You must see to that!” 5 So he threw the silver pieces into the temple and withdrew, and went off and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said: “It is not lawful to drop them into the sacred treasury, because they are the price of blood.” 7 After consulting together, they bought with them the potter’s field to bury strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called “Field of Blood” to this very day. 9 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying: “And they took the thirty silver pieces, the price upon the man that was priced, the one on whom some of the sons of Israel set a price, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, according to what Jehovah had commanded me.”

11 Jesus now stood before the governor; and the governor put the question to him: “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied: “You yourself say [it].” 12 But, while he was being accused by the chief priests and older men, he made no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him: “Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?” 14 Yet he did not answer him, no, not a word, so that the governor wondered very much.

15 Now from festival to festival it was the custom of the governor to release a prisoner to the crowd, the one they wanted. 16 Just at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Hence when they were gathered together Pilate said to them: “Which one do YOU want me to release to YOU, Barabbas or Jesus the so-called Christ?” 18 For he was aware that out of envy they had handed him over. 19 Moreover, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent out to him, saying: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I suffered a lot today in a dream because of him.” 20 But the chief priests and the older men persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, but to have Jesus destroyed. 21 Now in responding the governor said to them: “Which of the two do YOU want me to release to YOU?” They said: “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them: “What, then, shall I do with Jesus the so-called Christ?” They all said: “Let him be impaled!” 23 He said: “Why, what bad thing did he do?” Still they kept crying out all the more: “Let him be impaled!”

24 Seeing that it did no good but, rather, an uproar was arising, Pilate took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying: “I am innocent of the blood of this [man]. YOU yourselves must see to it.” 25 At that all the people said in answer: “His blood come upon us and upon our children.” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed him over to be impaled.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s palace and gathered the whole body of troops together to him. 28 And disrobing him, they draped him with a scarlet cloak, 29 and they braided a crown out of thorns and put it on his head and a reed in his right hand. And, kneeling before him, they made fun of him, saying: “Good day, you King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit upon him and took the reed and began hitting him upon his head. 31 Finally, when they had made fun of him, they took the cloak off and put his outer garments upon him and led him off for impaling.

32 As they were going out they found a native of Cyrene named Simon. This man they impressed into service to lift up his torture stake. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Skull Place, 34 they gave him wine mixed with gall to drink; but, after tasting it, he refused to drink. 35 When they had impaled him they distributed his outer garments by casting lots, 36 and, as they sat, they watched over him there. 37 Also, they posted above his head the charge against him, in writing: “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.”

38 Then two robbers were impaled with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 So the passersby began speaking abusively of him, wagging their heads 40 and saying: “O you would-be thrower-down of the temple and builder of it in three days, save yourself! If you are a son of God, come down off the torture stake!” 41 In like manner also the chief priests with the scribes and older men began making fun of him and saying: 42 “Others he saved; himself he cannot save! He is King of Israel; let him now come down off the torture stake and we will believe on him. 43 He has put his trust in God; let Him now rescue him if He wants him, for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’” 44 In the same way even the robbers that were impaled together with him began reproaching him.

45 From the sixth hour on a darkness fell over all the land, until the ninth hour. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus called out with a loud voice, saying: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 At hearing this, some of those standing there began to say: “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And immediately one of them ran and took a sponge and soaked it with sour wine and put it on a reed and went giving him a drink. 49 But the rest of them said: “Let him be! Let us see whether Elijah comes to save him.” [[Another man took a spear and pierced his side, and blood and water came out.]] 50 Again Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and yielded up [his] spirit.

51 And, look! the curtain of the sanctuary was rent in two, from top to bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rock-masses were split. 52 And the memorial tombs were opened and many bodies of the holy ones that had fallen asleep were raised up, 53 (and persons, coming out from among the memorial tombs after his being raised up, entered into the holy city,) and they became visible to many people. 54 But the army officer and those with him watching over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things happening, grew very much afraid, saying: “Certainly this was God’s Son.”

55 Moreover, many women were there viewing from a distance, who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee to minister to him; 56 among whom was Mary Magdalene, also Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

57 Now as it was late in the afternoon, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who had also himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went up to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded it to be given over. 59 And Joseph took the body, wrapped it up in clean fine linen, 60 and laid it in his new memorial tomb, which he had quarried in the rock-mass. And, after rolling a big stone to the door of the memorial tomb, he left. 61 But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary continued there, sitting before the grave.

62 The next day, which was after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together before Pilate, 63 saying: “Sir, we have called to mind that that impostor said while yet alive, ‘After three days I am to be raised up.’ 64 Therefore command the grave to be made secure until the third day, that his disciples may never come and steal him and say to the people, ‘He was raised up from the dead!’ and this last imposture will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them: “YOU have a guard. Go make it as secure as YOU know how.” 66 So they went and made the grave secure by sealing the stone and having the guard.

28 After the sabbath, when it was growing light on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to view the grave.

2 And, notice! a great earthquake had taken place; for Jehovah’s angel had descended from heaven and approached and rolled away the stone, and was sitting on it. 3 His outward appearance was as lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 Yes, for fear of him the watchmen trembled and became as dead men.

5 But the angel in answer said to the women: “Do not YOU be fearful, for I know YOU are looking for Jesus who was impaled. 6 He is not here, for he was raised up, as he said. Come, see the place where he was lying. 7 And go quickly and tell his disciples that he was raised up from the dead, and, look! he is going ahead of YOU into Galilee; there YOU will see him. Look! I have told YOU.”

8 So, quickly leaving the memorial tomb, with fear and great joy, they ran to report to his disciples. 9 And, look! Jesus met them and said: “Good day!” They approached and caught him by his feet and did obeisance to him. 10 Then Jesus said to them: “Have no fear! Go, report to my brothers, that they may go off into Galilee; and there they will see me.”

11 While they were on their way, look! some of the guard went into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 And after these had gathered together with the older men and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient number of silver pieces to the soldiers 13 and said: “Say, ‘His disciples came in the night and stole him while we were sleeping.’ 14 And if this gets to the governor’s ears, we will persuade [him] and will set YOU free from worry.” 15 So they took the silver pieces and did as they were instructed; and this saying has been spread abroad among the Jews up to this very day.

16 However, the eleven disciples went into Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had arranged for them, 17 and when they saw him they did obeisance, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded YOU. And, look! I am with YOU all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”