The whole company of them rose up and brought ‘ISA1 before Pilate. 2They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is AL-MASIH2, a king.”
3Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
‘ISA answered him, “So you say.”
4Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place.” 6But when Pilate heard Galilee mentioned, he asked if the man was a Galilean. 7When he found out that he was in Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.
8Now when Herod saw ‘ISA, he was very glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle done by him. 9He questioned him with many words, but he gave no answers. 10The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him. 11Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate. 12Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before that they were enemies with each other.
13Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and see, I have examined him before you, and found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him. 15Neither has Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him. 16I will therefore chastise him and release him.”
17Now he had to release one prisoner to them at the feast. 18But they all cried out together, saying, “Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!”—19one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for murder.
20Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release ‘ISA, 21but they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
22He said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.” 23But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed. 24Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done. 25He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered ‘ISA up to their will.
26When they led him away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it after ‘ISA. 27A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him. 28But ‘ISA, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’
30Then they will begin to tell the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and tell the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 3
31For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?”
32There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death. 33When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34‘ISA said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots. 4
35The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is AL-MASIH of God, his chosen one!”
36The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, 37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
38An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are AL-MASIH, save yourself and us!”
40But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42He said to ‘ISA, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43‘ISA said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
44It was now about the sixth hour5, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour6. 45The sun was darkened, and the veil of the Temple was torn in two. 46‘ISA, crying with a loud voice, said,
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” 7
Having said this, he breathed his last.
47When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” 48All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts. 49All his acquaintances, and the women who followed with him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50Behold, a man named Yusuf, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man 51(he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God: 52this man went to Pilate, and asked for ‘ISA’s body. 53He took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid. 54It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near. 55The women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid. 56They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
- 23:1 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 23:2 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them pointed ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
- 23:30 Quoting the Taurat, Hosea 10:8 which says: “The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle will come up on their altars. They will tell the mountains, ‘Cover us!’ and the hills, ‘Fall on us!‘” ↩︎
- 23:34 This fulfills the prophecy of Zabur 22:18 which says: “They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.” ↩︎
- 23:44 Time was counted from sunrise, so the sixth hour was about noon. ↩︎
- 23:44 ninth hour, that is, 3:00 PM. ↩︎
- 23:46 Quoting the Zabur 31:5 which says: “Into your hands I commit my spirit.
You redeem me, YAHWEH, God of truth.” ↩︎