Study Desk

The one who is on his housetop must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house,

and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak.

It is like a man away on a journey, who left his house and gave his slaves authority—to each one his work—and to the doorkeeper he gave orders that he should be on the alert.

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining for a meal, a woman came holding an alabaster flask of very costly perfumed oil of genuine nard. After breaking the alabaster flask, she poured it out on his head.

And on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare, so that you can eat the Passover?"

And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him,

And they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."

But a certain one of the bystanders, drawing his sword, struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

And a certain young man was following him, clothed only in a linen cloth on his naked body. And they attempted to seize him,

And the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?

And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him with their fists, and to say to him "Prophesy!" And the officers received him with slaps in the face.

And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him, and they led him out so that they could crucify him.

And they forced a certain man who was passing by, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), who was coming from the country, to carry his cross.

And they crucified him and divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots for them to see who should take what.

And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross!" In the same way also the chief priests, along with the scribes, were mocking him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he is not able to save himself! Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe! Even those who were crucified with him were reviling him. And when the sixth hour came, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?") And some of the bystanders, when they heard it, said, "Behold, he is summoning Elijah!" And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Leave him alone! Let us see if Elijah is coming to take him down." But Jesus uttered a loud cry and expired. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion who was standing opposite him saw that he expired like this, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!" And there were also women observing from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and Joses, and Salome, who used to follow him and serve him when he was in Galilee, and many other women who went up with him to Jerusalem. And when it was already evening, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the council who was also himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came acting courageously and went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate was surprised that he was already dead, and summoning the centurion, asked him whether he had died already. And when he learned of it from the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And after purchasing a linen cloth and taking him down, he wrapped him in the linen cloth and placed him in a tomb that had been cut from the rock. And he rolled a stone over the entrance of the tomb. Now Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was placed.

Jesus Taken to Pilate And as soon as morning came, after formulating a plan, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes and the whole Sanhedrin, tied up Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" And he answered him and said, "You say so." And the chief priests began to accuse him of many things. So Pilate asked him again, saying, "Do you not answer anything? See how many charges they are bringing against you!" But Jesus did not answer anything further, so that Pilate was astonished. Now at each feast he customarily released for them one prisoner whom they requested. And the one named Barabbas was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder in the rebellion. And the crowd came up and began to ask him to do as he customarily did for them. So Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?" (For he realized that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) But the chief priests incited the crowd so that he would release for them Barabbas instead. So Pilate answered and said to them again, "Then what do you want me to do with the one whom you call the king of the Jews?" And they shouted again, "Crucify him!" And Pilate said to them, "Why? What evil has he done?" But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!" So Pilate, because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas. And after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over so that he could be crucified. So the soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor's residence) and called together the whole cohort. And they put a purple cloak on him, and after weaving a crown of thorns they placed it on him. And they began to greet him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they repeatedly struck him on the head with a reed, and were spitting on him, and they knelt down and did obeisance to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him, and they led him out so that they could crucify him. And they forced a certain man who was passing by, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), who was coming from the country, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place Golgotha (which is translated "Place of a Skull"). And they attempted to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots for them to see who should take what. Now it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him was written, "The king of the Jews." And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.

But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you."

And it happened that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John.

And you will experience joy and exultation, and many will rejoice at his birth.