Mark 15:22-32
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
The Crucifixion. 22 (A)They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull). 23 They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 [a](B)Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning[b] when they crucified him. 26 [c]The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left.(C) [28 ][d] 29 [e]Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,(D) “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself by coming down from the cross.” 31 Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him.(E)
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- 15:24 See notes on Mt 27:35 and Jn 19:23–25a.
- 15:25 It was nine o’clock in the morning: literally, “the third hour,” thus between 9 a.m. and 12 noon. Cf. Mk 15:33, 34, 42 for Mark’s chronological sequence, which may reflect liturgical or catechetical considerations rather than the precise historical sequence of events; contrast the different chronologies in the other gospels, especially Jn 19:14.
- 15:26 The inscription…the King of the Jews: the political reason for the death penalty falsely charged by the enemies of Jesus. See further the notes on Mt 27:37 and Jn 19:19.
- 15:28 This verse, “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘And he was counted among the wicked,’” is omitted in the earliest and best manuscripts. It contains a citation from Is 53:12 and was probably introduced from Lk 22:37.
- 15:29 See note on Mt 27:39–40.
Luke 23:32-38
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
32 Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed.
The Crucifixion.(A) 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.(B) 34 [Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”][a] They divided his garments by casting lots.(C) 35 The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said,(D) “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God.”(E) 36 Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine(F) 37 they called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.”
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John 19:17-19
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
17 (A)and carrying the cross himself[a] he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. 19 [b]Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”
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- 19:17 Carrying the cross himself: a different picture from that of the synoptics, especially Lk 23:26, where Simon of Cyrene is made to carry the cross, walking behind Jesus. In John’s theology, Jesus remained in complete control and master of his destiny (cf. Jn 10:18). Place of the Skull: the Latin word for skull is Calvaria; hence “Calvary.” Golgotha is actually an Aramaic rather than a Hebrew word.
- 19:19 The inscription differs with slightly different words in each of the four gospels. John’s form is fullest and gives the equivalent of the Latin INRI = Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum. Only John mentions its polyglot character (Jn 19:20) and Pilate’s role in keeping the title unchanged (Jn 19:21–22).
Matthew 27:23-24
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
23 But he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Let him be crucified!” 24 [a](A)When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves.”
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- 27:24–25 Peculiar to Matthew. Took water…blood: cf. Dt 21:1–8, the handwashing prescribed in the case of a murder when the killer is unknown. The elders of the city nearest to where the corpse is found must wash their hands, declaring, “Our hands did not shed this blood.” Look to it yourselves: cf. Mt 27:4. The whole people: Matthew sees in those who speak these words the entire people (Greek laos) of Israel. His blood…and upon our children: cf. Jer 26:15. The responsibility for Jesus’ death is accepted by the nation that was God’s special possession (Ex 19:5), his own people (Hos 2:25), and they thereby lose that high privilege; see Mt 21:43 and the note on that verse. The controversy between Matthew’s church and Pharisaic Judaism about which was the true people of God is reflected here. As the Second Vatican Council has pointed out, guilt for Jesus’ death is not attributable to all the Jews of his time or to any Jews of later times.
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