Good Friday 2023 Scriptures

Jesus’s First Three Hours on the Cross

Then they crucified Him, [and] Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

Now it was the third hour. And the people stood looking on. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic.

Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be.”

And they divided His garments and cast lots for them to determine what every man should take, that the Scripture might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Therefore the soldiers did these things. Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.

Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And they put up over His head the inscription of the accusation written against Him: THIS IS 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.

Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and the other on His left, and Jesus in the center. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes and elders, sneered, saying, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.

If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said to Jesus, “ Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!”

And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

Jesus’ Final Three Hours on the Cross

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, the sun was darkened [and] there was darkness over all the land.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “Look, this Man is calling for Elijah!”

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”

Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there. Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed [of] hyssop, and put it to His mouth and offered it to Him to drink.

The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him [and] take Him down.”

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’”

Having said this, and bowing His head, He breathed His last and yielded up His spirit.

Jesus Body Removed from the Cross

Therefore, when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, [in order] that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high 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 was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

And he who has seen 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.”

And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”