The Harmonized Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Part 17

 

Chapter 17

 

It was the third hour as they led JESUS away and they took hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him that he might bear it after JESUS. A great multitude of the people followed Him and women who also mourned and lamented for Him. JESUS turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, weep for yourselves and for your children. Indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren wombs that never bore and breasts which never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For if they do these things in the green wood what will be done in the dry?”

 

There were two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.  When they had come to the place called Calvary also called Golgotha which is translated Place of a Skull they crucified Him and the two criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. So the scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was numbered with the transgressors.” They gave Him wine mixed with myrrh to drink but He did not take it. Then JESUS said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” Those who passed by blasphemed Him wagging their heads and saying “Aha! You who would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days save Yourself and come down from the cross!” Likewise the chief priests and the scribes mocked among themselves saying, “He saved others He cannot save Himself. Let the CHRIST the King of Israel descend now from the cross that we may see and believe.”

 

The people stood looking on and even the rulers with them sneered saying, “He saved others let Him save Himself if He is the CHRIST the chosen of GOD.” The soldiers mocked Him coming and offering Him sour wine and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews save Yourself.”

 

Pilate wrote a title and had it put on the cross that said:

JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then many of the Jews read this title for the place where JESUS was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ rather, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

 

The soldiers when they had crucified JESUS took His garments and made four parts, one part for each soldier and also His tunic which was without seam woven from the top in one piece. They said among themselves, “Let us not tear it but cast lots for it to see who gets it,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says, “They divided My garments among them and for My clothing they cast lots.”

 

Then one of the criminals who were crucified blasphemed JESUS saying, “If You are the CHRIST save Yourself and us.” The other rebuked him saying, “Do you not even fear GOD seeing you are under the same condemnation? We justly, for we receive the results of our deeds but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to JESUS, “LORD remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” JESUS said to him, “Truly I say today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

 

There stood by the cross of JESUS His mother and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene, Solame and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. When JESUS saw His mother and His disciple John, whom He loved, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to John, “Behold your mother!” and from that hour John took her to his own home.

 

When the sixth hour had come there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour JESUS cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My GOD, My GOD, why have You forsaken Me?” Some of those who stood by when they heard JESUS said, “Look He is calling for Elijah!” Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine put it on a reed and offered it to Him to drink saying, “Let Him alone let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.” Then JESUS cried out with a loud voice, “It is finished Father into Your hands I commit My Spirit” having said this He breathed His last.

 

Then the earth quaked and the rocks were split, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom and the graves of many of the saints who had fallen asleep were opened and they came out of the graves after His resurrection, going into the holy city they appeared to many.

 

So when the centurion and those with him who were guarding JESUS saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly saying, “Truly this was the Son of GOD!”

 

Because it was the Preparation Day, so that the bodies should not remain on the cross during the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high holy day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who were crucified with Him. When they came to JESUS and saw that He was already dead they did not break His legs. One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear and immediately blood and water came out and John who has seen this has testified and his testimony is true and he knows that he is telling the truth so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

 

When evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the Kingdom of GOD, taking courage went in to Pilate and asked for the body of JESUS. Pilate marveled that He was already dead and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. So when he found out from the centurion he granted the body to Joseph. Nicodemus, who at first came to JESUS by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of JESUS and bound it in strips of linen with the spices as was the custom of the Jews to bury. In the place where He was crucified there was a garden and in the garden Joseph had a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So they laid JESUS in the tomb then they rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb and departed. The women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after and they observed the tomb and where His body was laid. Then they went home and prepared spices and fragrant oils and they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

 

On the next day, which was the high holy Sabbath, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together and went to Pilate saying, “Sir we remember while He was still alive how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard go your way make it as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.