They now led Jesus out of the city to a place called Golgotha, to
crucify Him. And He bore the cross Himself. Many weeping women followed
Him, and Jesus turned to them and said: Weep not for me; but weep for
yourselves and for your children!
Over the cross was written: JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS. It was
about nine o’clock in the forenoon when they crucified Him. Two robbers
were also crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left side.
While Jesus was hanging on the cross He said: (1) Father, forgive them;
for they know not what they do!--At the cross stood the mother of Jesus,
and the disciple that Jesus loved. Jesus said: (2) Woman, behold thy
Son! And to the disciple He said: Behold thy mother! And from that hour
the disciple took her unto himself.--The soldiers and the priests mocked
Him. And one of the robbers said: If thou art Christ, save Thyself and
us! The other robber said: We suffer what we have deserved, but this Man
hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus: Lord, remember me when
Thou comest into Thy kingdom! To him Jesus said: (3) Verily, today thou
shalt be with me in Paradise!--From twelve o’clock there was darkness
over the whole earth, until three o’clock, when Jesus cried with a loud
voice: (4) My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?--And after that He
cried: (5) I thirst! One of them ran and filled a sponge with vinegar
and gave Him to drink.--Thereupon He said: (6) It is finished!--And
again He cried with a loud voice: (7) Father, into Thy hands I commend
my spirit! And having said this, He bowed His head and gave up the
ghost.
And the earth did quake, and the rocks were rent, and the tombs were
opened, and the veil between the Holy and the Holy of Holies in the
temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
That the bodies might be taken down from the crosses before the Sabbath,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken. The soldiers
therefore came and broke the legs of the two robbers; but when they came
to Jesus, they saw that He was dead already, therefore they broke not
His legs; but to make sure one of the soldiers pierced His side with a
spear, and there came out blood and water. (All the Gospels.)