Is. 53

53:1 Who would have believed what we just heard?

When was the Lord’s power revealed through him?

2He sprouted up like a twig before God,

like a root out of parched soil;

he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention,

no special appearance that we should want to follow him.

3He was despised and rejected by people,

one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;

people hid their faces from him;

he was despised, and we considered him insignificant.

4But he lifted up our illnesses,

he carried our pain;

even though we thought he was being punished,

attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done.

5He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds,

crushed because of our sins;

he endured punishment that made us well;

because of his wounds we have been healed.

6All of us had wandered off like sheep;

each of us had strayed off on his own path,

but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him.

7He was treated harshly and afflicted,

but he did not even open his mouth.

Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,

like a sheep silent before her shearers,

he did not even open his mouth.

8He was led away after an unjust trial—

but who even cared?

Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living;

because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded.

9They intended to bury him with criminals,

but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb

because he had committed no violent deeds,

nor had he spoken deceitfully.

10Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,

once restitution is made,

he will see descendants and enjoy long life,

and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.

11Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,

he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done.

“My servant will acquit many,

for he carried their sins.

12So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes,

he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful,

because he willingly submitted to death

and was numbered with the rebels,

when he lifted up the sin of many

and intervened on behalf of the rebels.”

(NET Bible)

Ps. 22

22:1 For the music director, according to the tune “Morning Doe”; a psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

I groan in prayer, but help seems far away.

2My God, I cry out during the day,

but you do not answer,

and during the night my prayers do not let up.

3You are holy;

you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel.

4In you our ancestors trusted;

they trusted in you and you rescued them.

5To you they cried out, and they were saved;

in you they trusted and they were not disappointed.

6But I am a worm, not a man;

people insult me and despise me.

7All who see me taunt me;

they mock me and shake their heads.

8They say,

“Commit yourself to the Lord!

Let the Lord rescue him!

Let the Lord deliver him, for he delights in him.”

9Yes, you are the one who brought me out from the womb

and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.

10I have been dependent on you since birth;

from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11Do not remain far away from me,

for trouble is near and I have no one to help me.

12Many bulls surround me;

powerful bulls of Bashan hem me in.

13They open their mouths to devour me

like a roaring lion that rips its prey.

14My strength drains away like water;

all my bones are dislocated.

My heart is like wax;

it melts away inside me.

15The roof of my mouth is as dry as a piece of pottery;

my tongue sticks to my gums.

You set me in the dust of death.

16Yes, wild dogs surround me—

a gang of evil men crowd around me;

like a lion they pin my hands and feet.

17I can count all my bones;

my enemies are gloating over me in triumph.

18They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;

they are rolling dice for my garments.

19But you, O Lord, do not remain far away.

You are my source of strength. Hurry and help me!

20Deliver me from the sword.

Save my life from the claws of the wild dogs.

21Rescue me from the mouth of the lion

and from the horns of the wild oxen.

You have answered me.

22I will declare your name to my countrymen.

In the middle of the assembly I will praise you.

23You loyal followers of the Lord, praise him.

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him.

All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him.

24For he did not despise or detest the suffering of the oppressed.

He did not ignore him;

when he cried out to him, he responded.

25You are the reason I offer praise in the great assembly;

I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers.

26Let the oppressed eat and be filled.

Let those who seek his help praise the Lord.

May you live forever!

27Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him.

Let all the nations worship you.

28For the Lord is king

and rules over the nations.

29All the thriving people of the earth will join the celebration and worship;

all those who are descending into the grave will bow before him,

including those who cannot preserve their lives.

30A whole generation will serve him;

they will tell the next generation about the Lord.

31They will come and tell about his saving deeds;

they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished.

(NET Bible)

Heb. 4:14–16, 5:7–9

4:14 Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. 16Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.

5:7 During his earthly life Christ offered both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his devotion. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered. 9And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, (NET Bible)

John 18:1–19:42

18:1 When he had said these things, Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley. There was an orchard there, and he and his disciples went into it. 2(Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, knew the place too, because Jesus had met there many times with his disciples.) 3So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees. They came to the orchard with lanterns and torches and weapons.

4Then Jesus, because he knew everything that was going to happen to him, came and asked them, “Who are you looking for?” 5They replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He told them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.) 6So when Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they retreated and fell to the ground. 7Then Jesus asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9He said this to fulfill the word he had spoken, “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.”

10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear. (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.) 11But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

12Then the squad of soldiers with their commanding officer and the officers of the Jewish leaders arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13They brought him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14(Now it was Caiaphas who had advised the Jewish leaders that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.)

15Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas. (Now the other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.) 16But Peter was left standing outside by the door. So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door, and brought Peter inside. 17The girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You’re not one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” He replied, “I am not.” 18(Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, warming themselves because it was cold. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.)

19While this was happening, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20Jesus replied, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I always taught in the synagogues and in the temple courts, where all the Jewish people assemble together. I have said nothing in secret. 21Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. They know what I said.” 22When Jesus had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck him on the face and said, “Is that the way you answer the high priest?” 23Jesus replied, “If I have said something wrong, confirm what is wrong. But if I spoke correctly, why strike me?” 24Then Annas sent him, still tied up, to Caiaphas the high priest.

25Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing in the courtyard warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” Peter denied it: “I am not!” 26One of the high priest’s slaves, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the orchard with him?” 27Then Peter denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

28Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence. (Now it was very early morning.) They did not go into the governor’s residence so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal. 29So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30They replied, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.”

31Pilate told them, “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him according to your own law!” The Jewish leaders replied, “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” 32(This happened to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated what kind of death he was going to die.)

33So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34Jesus replied, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others told you about me?” 35Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

36Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 38Pilate asked, “What is truth?”

When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders and announced, “I find no basis for an accusation against him. 39But it is your custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” 40Then they shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely. 2The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. 3They came up to him again and again and said, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly in the face.

4Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation against him.” 5So Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Look, here is the man!” 6When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said, “You take him and crucify him! Certainly I find no reason for an accusation against him!” 7The Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die because he claimed to be the Son of God!”

8When Pilate heard what they said, he was more afraid than ever, 9and he went back into the governor’s residence and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10So Pilate said, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority to release you and to crucify you?” 11Jesus replied, “You would have no authority over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”

12From this point on, Pilate tried to release him. But the Jewish leaders shouted out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Everyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar!” 13When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat in the place called “The Stone Pavement” (Gabbatha in Aramaic). 14(Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover, about noon.) Pilate said to the Jewish leaders, “Look, here is your king!”

15Then they shouted out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your king?” The high priests replied, “We have no king except Caesar!” 16Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, 17and carrying his own cross he went out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” (called in Aramaic Golgotha). 18There they crucified him along with two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle. 19Pilate also had a notice written and fastened to the cross, which read: “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” 20Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem read this notice because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. 21Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews.’” 22Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

23Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, and the tunic remained. (Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.) 24So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice to see who will get it.” This took place to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.” So the soldiers did these things.

25Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, look, here is your son!” 27He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time the disciple took her into his own home.

28After this Jesus, realizing that by this time everything was completed, said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty!” 29A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop and lifted it to his mouth. 30When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31Then because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was an especially important one), the Jewish leaders asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified with Jesus, first the one and then the other. 33But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out immediately. 35And the person who saw it has testified (and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth), so that you also may believe. 36For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” 37And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

38After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. 39Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus at night, accompanied Joseph, carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about 75 pounds. 40Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, in strips of linen cloth according to Jewish burial customs. 41Now at the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb where no one had yet been buried. 42And so, because it was the Jewish day of preparation and the tomb was nearby, they placed Jesus’ body there.

(NET Bible)