Good Friday

Mark 15

15 And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

² And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto them, Thou sayest it.
³ And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
⁴ And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
⁵ But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
⁶ Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
⁷ And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
⁸ And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
⁹ But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
¹⁰ For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
¹¹ But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
¹² And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
¹³ And they cried out again, Crucify him.
¹⁴ Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
¹⁵ And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
¹⁶ And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
¹⁷ And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
¹⁸ And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
¹⁹ And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
²¹ And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
²² And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.
²³ And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
²⁴ And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
²⁵ And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
²⁶ And the superscription of his accusation was written over, The King Of The Jews.
²⁷ And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
²⁸ And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
²⁹ And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
³⁰ Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
³¹ Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
³² Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
³³ And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
³⁵ And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
³⁶ And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
³⁷ And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
³⁸ And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
³⁹ And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.



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A remarkable number of people who regard themselves as educated have never read a single book of the Bible. Abraham Lincoln's entire education was based on three books: the Bible (King James, of course), Euclid's Geometry, and the collected works of Shakespeare. Ernest Hemingway noisily recommended to all aspiring writers that they read and re-read the King James Bible. (Here is an excellent, brief description of the stylistic impact of the King James Bible.)

Give yourself a treat and at least read Genesis. Then you will probably want to read Exodus. Then Ecclessiastes, Proverbs, and Job. And of course, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These passages are so central to Western civilization that you will probably seem familiar to you in some way, and in other ways they will seem strange and new.