Daily Gospel Plan

¹Then the entire assembly of them set out and brought Him before Pilate.

²And they began to bring charges against Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

³Now Pilate asked Him, saying, “So You are the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”

⁴But Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no grounds for charges in the case of this man.”

⁵But they kept on insisting, saying, “He is stirring up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee, as far as this place!”

⁶Now when Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.

⁷And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, since he also was in Jerusalem at this time.

⁸Now Herod was overjoyed when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him.

⁹And he questioned Him at some length; but He offered him no answer at all.

¹⁰Now the chief priests and the scribes stood there, vehemently charging Him.

¹¹And Herod, together with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, dressing Him in a brightly shining robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.

¹²And so Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for previously, they had been enemies toward each other.

¹³Now Pilate summoned to himself the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,

¹⁴and he said to them, “You brought this man to me on the ground that he is inciting the people to revolt; and behold, after examining Him before you, I have found no basis at all in the case of this man for the charges which you are bringing against Him.

¹⁵No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him.

¹⁶Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”

¹⁷[Now he was obligated to release to them at the feast one prisoner.]

¹⁸But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas!”

¹⁹(He was one who had been thrown into prison for a revolt that took place in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰But Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again,

²¹but they kept on crying out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”

²²And he said to them a third time, “Why, what has this man done wrong? I have found in His case no grounds for a sentence of death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”

²³But they were insistent, with loud voices, demanding that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.

²⁴And so Pilate decided to have their demand carried out.

²⁵And he released the man for whom they were asking, who had been thrown into prison for a revolt and murder; but he handed Jesus over to their will.

²⁶And when they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, as he was coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.

²⁷Now following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and grieving for Him.

²⁸But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

²⁹For behold, days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are those who cannot bear, and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have not nursed.’

³⁰Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, ‘FALL ON US,’ AND TO THE HILLS, ‘COVER US.’

³¹For if they do these thingswhen the tree is green, what will happenwhen it is dry?”

³²Now two others, who were criminals, were also being led away to be put to death with Him.

³³And when they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.

³⁴[But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”] And they cast lots, dividing His garments among themselves.

³⁵And the people stood by, watching. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”

³⁶The soldiers also ridiculed Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine,

³⁷and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”

³⁸Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

³⁹One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”

⁴⁰But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

⁴¹And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

⁴²And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

⁴³And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the entire land until the ninth hour,

⁴⁵because the sun stopped shining; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.

⁴⁶And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I ENTRUST MY SPIRIT.” And having said this, He died.

⁴⁷Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “This man was in fact innocent.”

⁴⁸And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, after watching what had happened, began to return home, beating their chests.

⁴⁹And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.

⁵⁰And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man

⁵¹(he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God—

⁵²this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

⁵³And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.

⁵⁴It was a preparation day, and a Sabbath was about to begin.

⁵⁵Now the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was laid.

⁵⁶And then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

¹But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.

²And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

³but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

⁴While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in gleaming clothing;

⁵and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why are you seeking the living One among the dead?

⁶He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,

⁷saying that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise from the dead.”

⁸And they remembered His words,

⁹and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.

¹⁰Now these women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.

¹¹But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe the women.

¹²Nevertheless, Peter got up and ran to the tomb; and when he stooped and looked in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

¹³And behold, on that very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem.

¹⁴And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.

¹⁵While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.

¹⁶But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.

¹⁷And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they came to a stop, looking sad.

¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You possibly the only one living near Jerusalem who does not know about the things that happened here in these days?”

¹⁹And He said to them, “What sort of things?” And they said to Him, “Those about Jesus the Nazarene, who proved to be a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,

²⁰and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him.

²¹But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

²²But also some women among us left us bewildered. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,

²³and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive.

²⁴And so some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”

²⁵And then He said to them, “You foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

²⁶Was it not necessary for theChrist to suffer these things and to come into His glory?”

²⁷Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures.

²⁸And they approached the village where they were going, and He gave the impression that He was going farther.

²⁹And so they strongly urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.

³⁰And it came about, when He had reclined at the table with them, that He took the bread and blessed it, and He broke it and began giving it to them.

³¹And then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

³²They said to one another, “Were our hearts not burning within us when He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

³³And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them,

³⁴saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon!”

³⁵They began to relate their experiences on the road, and how He was recognized by them at the breaking of the bread.

³⁶Now while they were telling these things, Jesus Himself suddenly stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be to you.”

³⁷But they were startled and frightened, and thought that they were looking at a spirit.

³⁸And He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why are doubts arising in yourhearts?

³⁹See My hands and My feet, thatit is I Myself; touch Me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you plainly see that I have.”

⁴⁰And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

⁴¹While they still could not believe it because of their joy and astonishment, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

⁴²They served Him a piece of broiled fish;

⁴³and He took it and ate it in front of them.

⁴⁴Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all the things that are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

⁴⁵Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

⁴⁶and He said to them, “So it is written, that theChrist would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

⁴⁷and that repentancefor forgiveness of sins would be proclaimedin His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

⁵⁰And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

⁵¹While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

⁵²And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

⁵³and were continually in the temple praising God.