Jesus is Crucified

Title ideas:Jesus died on a cross.Is Jesus God’s Son [the Messiah]?

Even though the Roman governor knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong, yet he ordered his soldiers to kill Jesus by nailing him to a wooden cross. He did this because he wanted to appease [please] some Jewish religious chiefs, and so that the people would not cause a riot.

The soldiers made Jesus carry a heavy, wooden beam [big lumber, a part of the cross] as they led him away.

Because they had beaten him so badly, Jesus fell under the heavy beam. So, the soldiers made another man carry the beam.

At about 09 hours [9 o’clock in the morning], they came to a place called The Skull [Head bone]. There they nailed Jesus’ hands [wrists / arms] to the wooden cross beam, and his feet [heals] to a wooden post. Then they lifted the post upright.

[As Jesus hung on the cross] They heard Jesus say, “My Father [God]! Please, forgive these men, for [because] they do not know what they are doing!”

Some of the soldiers gambled [threw dice] to see which one of them would win Jesus’ clothes.

They fastened atop the wooden cross a sign. Pilate [the Governor] had written on the sign, “This is Jesus, the Jews’ King.”

They also nailed two criminals on wooden crosses, one on Jesus’ right side, the other [criminal] on Jesus’ left side.

People who passed by that place insulted Jesus, saying, “You said you would destroy the temple and build it again in three days! Ha! Save yourself! Come down from your cross!”

Religious chiefs and teachers mocked [laughed] at him, saying, “He saved [healed] other people, but he cannot save himself! If he is our King, then he must come down from his cross. Then we will believe in him!”

One of the criminals on a cross beside Jesus [also] insulted him, saying, “If you are our King [Messiah], then save yourself, and save us too!”

But the other criminal rebuked [said to] the first one, “You should fear [respect] God, because they are punishing you for wrong actions you have done! But Jesus has done nothing wrong!”

Then he said, “Jesus! Please, remember [save] me, when you come [back] to be King!”

Jesus replied to him, “This is true. Today, you will be with me in the place [in Heaven] that God has made for us.”

At about midday [noon], something in the sky hid the sun, making the whole country [land] become dark.

At about 15 hours [3 o’clock in the afternoon], Jesus shouted out [reciting a psalm / bible verse]: “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?”

Later, Jesus said, “I’m thirsty.” A soldier put some wine on a cloth [sponge] and put it to Jesus’ mouth, and Jesus tasted it.

Then Jesus shouted, “My work is done! Father! I send my spirit [soul / breath /life] to you!” So, he bowed his head, he sent his spirit to God, and he died.

At the same time, [two kilometers away,] inside the Jewish temple, the tall [huge] curtain was torn [by God] into two halves [pieces], from its top to its bottom. [This very big curtain covered/hid/separated the holiest room where the special gold box/container representing God’s presence/glory was located. God himself tore this curtain to show that the way was now open to his presence for anyone who depended on Jesus’ sacrifice/death.]

Then the earth began to tremble. Big rocks split apart, and burial tombs [graves] opened up. [People who worshipped God who had died came back to life, and many other people saw them alive.]

After the Roman soldier captain [officer] saw all these things happen, he said, “This man really was God’s Son [divine / Messiah]!” The other people left that place, feeling strong grief [regret].

Because the Passover feast would start at sunset, some people asked Pilate to take away the wooden crosses. So, he order some soldiers, “Go break the legs of those men on crosses, so that they die quickly. Then take them down.”

So the soldiers broke the legs of the two criminals. But they saw that Jesus was already dead, so they did not break his legs. To be sure [that he was dead], one soldier thrust a spear into Jesus’ heart, and blood flowed out.

Many of Jesus men and women friends watched all of these actions happen. Some of them wrote these things on [papyrus] paper, so that we know they are true and may believe that Jesus is God’s Son [the Messiah], and have eternal life [live forever].