Luke 23:44-24:12

Contemporary English Version

The Death of Jesus

(Matthew 27.45-56; Mark 15.33-41; John 19.28-30)

⁴⁴ Around noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until the middle of the afternoon. ^45 (A) The sun stopped shining, and the curtain in the temple^[a] split down the middle. ^46 (B) Jesus shouted, “Father, I put myself in your hands!” Then he died.

⁴⁷ When the Roman officer saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Jesus must really have been a good man!”

⁴⁸ A crowd had gathered to see the terrible sight. Then after they had seen it, they felt brokenhearted and went home. ^49 (C) All of Jesus' close friends and the women who had come with him from Galilee stood at a distance and watched.

Jesus Is Buried

(Matthew 27.57-61; Mark 15.42-47; John 19.38-42)

^50-51 There was a man named Joseph, who was from Arimathea in Judea. Joseph was a good and honest man, and he was eager for God's kingdom to come. He was also a member of the council, but he did not agree with what they had decided.

⁵² Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. ⁵³ He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in fine cloth. Then he put it in a tomb that had been cut out of solid rock and had never been used. ⁵⁴ It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin.^[b]

⁵⁵ The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and watched how Jesus' body was placed in the tomb. ^56 (D) Then they went to prepare some sweet-smelling spices for his burial. But on the Sabbath they rested, as the Law of Moses commands.

Jesus Is Alive

(Matthew 28.1-10; Mark 16.1-8; John 20.1-10)

24 Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared. ² When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, ³ they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord^[c] Jesus, ⁴ and they did not know what to think.

Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. ⁵ The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? ^6 (E) Jesus isn't here! He has been raised from death. Remember that while he was still in Galilee, he told you, ⁷ ‘The Son of Man will be handed over to sinners who will nail him to a cross. But three days later he will rise to life.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered what Jesus had said.

^9-10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some other women were the ones who had gone to the tomb. When they returned, they told the eleven apostles and the others what had happened. ¹¹ The apostles thought it was all nonsense, and they would not believe.

¹² But Peter ran to the tomb. And when he stooped down and looked in, he saw only the burial clothes. Then he returned, wondering what had happened.^[d]