AS THEY LED JESUS TO HIS EXECUTION, they arrested a bystander named Simon of Cyrene, who had just come into town. They forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

By this time a huge crowd had started to follow the procession headed to the place of execution. In that crowd were women sobbing, wailing, and mourning.

…Forced into the procession were two criminals sentenced to die with Jesus. When they got to the place called Skull, they crucified him with the criminals—one criminal on his right side and the other on his left.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” The executioners gambled to see who would get his clothing.

People stood by the cross, watching. Some of the Jewish leaders ridiculed him. They said, “He saved other people. Let him go ahead and save himself if he really is the Chosen One—the Messiah sent by God.”

Soldiers made fun of him, too. They offered him some old wine that had turned to vinegar. They told him, “If you’re the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

There was a sign above Jesus that read “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals hanging beside him kept insulting him. The man said, “Are you the Messiah or are you not the Messiah? If you are, save yourself and us.”

The other criminal scolded him, “Just like this man, you’re sentenced to die. You have no fear of God? We’re getting what we deserve. But this man did nothing wrong.”

Then he turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you get to your kingdom.”

Jesus told him, “What I’m telling you is the absolute truth. Today you will be with me in paradise.”

It was about noon when everything went dark. Darkness covered the whole area for about three hours, until about 3 o’clock.

Sunlight was eclipsed. The curtain in the Temple ripped right down the middle.

Jesus screamed out loud, “Father, my spirit is in your hands now.” After he said that, he took his last breath.

Luke 23:26-56 Casual English Bible

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Videos about the crucifixion of Jesus

WHAT ROMANS SAID ABOUT CRUCIFIXION

Almost one million people have watched this unusual video about what Romans had to say about not only crucifixion, but about the crucifixion of Jesus.

DEATH OF JESUS

This nine-minute video is a short spin-off of the longer, more wrenching video TWO DEATHS.

TWO DEATHS

This is emotionally tough to watch, especially if you have lost a loved one. It runs 24 minutes. But the analytical data on YouTube confirms what many have told me: Once you start watching, it’s hard to stop. So be careful when you pick your location.

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