Read the Gospels in 40 Days

Jesus Faces Pilate

15 As^(A) soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders,^(B) scribes,^(C) and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests^(D) tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.^(E)

² So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king^(F) of the Jews?”^(G)

He answered him, “You say so.”

³ And the chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ Pilate^(H) questioned him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many things they are accusing you of!” ⁵ But Jesus still did not answer, and so Pilate was amazed.

Jesus or Barabbas

⁶ At^(I) the festival^(J) Pilate^(K) used to release for the people a prisoner whom they requested. ⁷ There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder^(L) during the rebellion.^{(M) 8} The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom. ⁹ Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the king^(N) of the Jews^(O) for you?” ¹⁰ For he knew it was because of envy^(P) that the chief priests had handed him over. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead. ¹² Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the king of the Jews?”

¹³ Again they shouted, “Crucify him!”

¹⁴ Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

Mocked by the Military

¹⁶ The^(Q) soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence^(R)) and called the whole company together. ¹⁷ They dressed him in a purple^(S) robe, twisted together a crown^(T) of thorns, and put it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute him, “Hail,^(U) king^(V) of the Jews!” ¹⁹ They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees,^(W) they were paying him homage. ²⁰ After they had mocked^(X) him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him.

Crucified Between Two Criminals

They led him out to crucify him. ²¹ They^(Y) forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus’s cross.^(Z) He was Simon of Cyrene,^(AA) the father of Alexander and Rufus.^(AB)

²² They^(AC) brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull^(AD)). ²³ They tried to give him wine^(AE) mixed with myrrh,^(AF) but he did not take it.

²⁴ Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots^(AG) for them to decide what each would get. ²⁵ Now it was nine in the morning^[a] when they crucified him. ²⁶ The inscription of the charge written against him was: The King^(AH) of the Jews.^{(AI) 27} They^(AJ) crucified two criminals^[b](AK) with him, one on his right and one on his left.^[c]

²⁹ Those^(AL) who passed by were yelling insults^(AM) at^[d] him, shaking their heads,^(AN) and saying, “Ha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,^{(AO) 30} save yourself by coming down from the cross!”^{(AP) 31} In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes^(AQ) were mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! ³² Let the Messiah,^(AR) the King^(AS) of Israel,^(AT) come down now from the cross,^(AU) so that we may see and believe.”^(AV) Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.

The Death of Jesus

³³ When^(AW) it was noon,^[e] darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.^{[f](AX) 34} And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”^[g](AY)

³⁵ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “See, he’s calling for Elijah.”

³⁶ Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a stick, offered him a drink,^(AZ) and said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

³⁷ Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸ Then the curtain^(BA) of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ When the centurion, who was standing opposite him, saw the way he^[h] breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” ^[i](BB)

⁴⁰ There^(BC) were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene,^(BD) Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ In Galilee^(BE) these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem.^(BF)

The Burial of Jesus

⁴² When^(BG) it was already evening, because it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward^(BH) to the kingdom of God,^(BI) came and boldly went to Pilate^(BJ) and asked for Jesus’s body.^{(BK) 44} Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had already died. ⁴⁵ When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph. ⁴⁶ After he bought some linen cloth, Joseph took him down and wrapped him in the linen. Then he laid him in a tomb^(BL) cut out of the rock and rolled a stone^(BM) against the entrance to the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene^(BN) and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid.

Resurrection Morning

16 When^(BO) the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene,^(BP) Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him. ² Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week,^(BQ) they went to the tomb^(BR) at sunrise. ³ They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” ⁴ Looking up, they noticed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away.

⁵ When^(BS) they entered the tomb,^(BT) they saw a young man^(BU) dressed^(BV) in a white^(BW) robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed. ⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,^(BX) who was crucified. He has risen!^(BY) He is not here. See the place where they put him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter,^(BZ) ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee;^(CA) you will see him there just as he told you.’”

⁸ They went out and ran from the tomb,^(CB) because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone,^(CC) since they were afraid.

[Some of the earliest mss conclude with 16:8.]^[j]

The Longer Ending of Mark: Appearances of the Risen Lord

[⁹ Early^(CD) on the first day of the week,^(CE) after he had risen,^(CF) he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,^(CG) out of whom he had driven seven demons.^{(CH) 10} She went and reported to those who had been with him, as they were mourning and weeping. ¹¹ Yet, when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.^(CI)

¹² After this, he appeared^(CJ) in a different form to two of them walking on their way into the country.^{(CK) 13} And they went and reported it to the rest, who did not believe them either.

The Great Commission

¹⁴ Later he appeared to the Eleven^(CL) themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he had risen.^{(CM) 15} Then^(CN) he said to them, “Go into all the world^(CO) and preach the gospel to all creation.^{(CP) 16} Whoever believes^(CQ) and is baptized will be saved,^(CR) but whoever does not believe will be condemned.^{(CS) 17} And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;^{[k] 18} they will pick up snakes; ^[l](CT) if they should drink anything deadly, it will not harm^(CU) them; they will lay hands on^(CV) the sick, and they will get well.”

The Ascension

¹⁹ So the Lord Jesus, after speaking to them,^(CW) was taken up into heaven^(CX) and sat down at the right hand^(CY) of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the accompanying signs.]