Matthew 27:39-54

Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads and said, “So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? Then save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders made fun of him. “He saved others,” they said. “But he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross! Then we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. He’s the one who said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” In the same way the rebels who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him. From noon until three o’clock, the whole land was covered with darkness. About three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, “ Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? ” This means “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” Some of those standing there heard Jesus cry out. They said, “He’s calling for Elijah.” Right away one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar and put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” After Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he died. At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split. Tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs. After Jesus was raised from the dead, they went into the holy city. There they appeared to many people. The Roman commander and those guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified. They exclaimed, “He was surely the Son of God!”