Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Isaiah 50:4-7 (JB)

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

I did not cover my face against insult and I know I will not be ashamed.

The Lord has given me

a disciple’s tongue.

So that I may know how to reply to the wearied

he provides me with speech.

Each morning he wakes me to hear,

to listen like a disciple.

The Lord has opened my ear.

For my part, I made no resistance,

neither did I turn away.

I offered my back to those who struck me,

my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;

I did not cover my face

against insult and spittle.

The Lord comes to my help,

so that I am untouched by the insults.

So, too, I set my face like flint;

I know I shall not be shamed.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Isaiah 50:4-7 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah

The servant of the Lord said:

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher,

that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.

Morning by morning he wakens-

wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.

“The Lord God has opened my ear,

and I was not rebellious,

I did not turn backward.

“I gave my back to those who struck me,

and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;

I did not hide my face

from insult and spitting.

“The Lord God helps me;

therefore I have not been disgraced;

therefore I have set my face like flint,

and I know that I shall not be put to shame.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 21:8-9, 17-20, 23-24 (JB)

R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

All who see me deride me.

They curl their lips, they toss their heads.

‘He trusted in the Lord, let him save him;

let him release him if this is his friend.’ R.

Many dogs have surrounded me,

a band of the wicked beset me.

They tear holes in my hands and my feet.

I can count every one of my bones. R.

They divide my clothing among them.

They cast lots for my robe.

O Lord, do not leave me alone,

my strength, make haste to help me! R.

I will tell of your name to my brethren

and praise you where they are assembled.

‘You who fear the Lord give him praise;

all sons of Jacob, give him glory.

Revere him, Israel’s sons.’ R.

Philippians 2:6-11 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians

He humbled himself to become like us and God raised him on high.

His state was divine,

yet Christ Jesus did not cling

to his equality with God

but emptied himself

to assume the condition of a slave,

and became as men are,

and being as all men are,

he was humbler yet,

even to accepting death,

death on a cross.

But God raised him high

and gave him the name

which is above all other names

so that all beings

in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,

should bend the knee at the name of Jesus

and that every tongue should acclaim

Jesus Christ as Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Philippians 2:6-11 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death,

even death on a cross.

Therefore God highly exalted him

and gave him the name that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Philippians 2:8-9 (JB)

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless glory!

Christ became obedient for us even to death,

dying on the cross.

Therefore God raised him on high

and gave him a name above all other names.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless glory!

Matthew 26:14 — 27:66 (JB)

The passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

( N. Narrator, J. Jesus, O. Other single speaker, C. Crowd or more than one other speaker.)

N       One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said:

O       What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?

N       They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment he looked for an opportunity to betray him.

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say,

C       Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the passover?

N       He replied:

J        Go to so-and-so in the city and say to him, ‘The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples’.

N       The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover. When the evening came he was at table with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating he said:

J        I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.

N       They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn,

C       Not I, Lord, surely?

N       He answered:

J        Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!

N       Judas, who was to betray him, asked in his turn,

O       Not I, Rabbi, surely?

N       Jesus answered:

J        They are your own words.

N       Now as they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples and said:

J        Take it and eat; this is my body.

N       Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them saying:

J        Drink all of you from this, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. From now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father.

N       After psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them,

J        You will all lose faith in me this night, for the scripture says: I shall strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after my resurrection I shall go before you to Galilee.

N       At this, Peter said:

O       Though all lose faith in you, I will never lose faith.

N       Jesus answered him,

J        I tell you solemnly, this very night, before the cock crows, you will have disowned me three times.

N       Peter said to him,

O       Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.

N       And all the disciples said the same.

Then Jesus came with them to a small estate called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples,

J        Stay here while I go over there to pray.

N       He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him. And sadness came over him, and great distress. Then he said to them:

J        My soul is sorrowful to the point of death. Wait here and keep awake with me.

N       And going on a little further he fell on his face and prayed:

J        My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it.

N       He came back to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter:

J        So you had not the strength to keep awake with me one hour? You should be awake, and praying not to be put to the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

N       Again, a second time, he went away and prayed:

J        My father, if this cup cannot pass by without my drinking it, your will be done!

N       And he came again back and found them sleeping, their eyes were so heavy. Leaving them there, he went away again and prayed for the third time, repeating the same words. Then he came back to the disciples and said to them,

J        You can sleep on now and take your rest. Now the hour has come when the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up! Let us go! My betrayer is already close at hand.

N       He was still speaking when Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared, and with him a large number of men armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. Now the traitor had arranged a sign with them. He had said:

O       ‘The one I kiss, he is the man. Take him in charge.’

N       So he went straight up to Jesus and said:

O       Greetings, Rabbi,

N       and kissed him. Jesus said to him,

J        My friend, do what you are here for.

N       Then they came forward, seized Jesus and took him in charge. At that, one of the followers of Jesus grasped his sword and drew it; he struck out at the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. Jesus then said:

J        Put your sword back, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father who would promptly send more than twelve legions of angels to my defence? But then, how would the scriptures be fulfilled that say this is the way it must be?

N       It was at this time that Jesus said to the crowds:

J        Am I a brigand, that you had to set out to capture me with swords and clubs? I sat teaching in the Temple day after day and you never laid hands on me.

N       Now all this happened to fulfil the prophecies in scripture. Then all the disciples deserted him and ran away.

The men who had arrested Jesus led him off to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. Peter followed him at a distance, and when he reached the high priest’s palace, he went in and sat down with the attendants to see what the end would be.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus, however false, on which they might pass the death-sentence. But they could not find any, though several lying witnesses came forward. Eventually two stepped forward and made a statement,

O       This man said: ‘I have power to destroy the Temple of God and in three days build it up’,

N       The high priest then stood up and said to him:

O       Have you no answer to that? What is this evidence these men are bringing against you?

N       But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him:

O       I put you on oath by the living God to tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.

N       Jesus answered:

J        The words are your own. Moreover, I tell you that from this time onward you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.

N       At this, the high priest tore his clothes and said:

O       He has blasphemed. What need of witnesses have we now? There! You have just heard the blasphemy. What is your opinion?

N       They answered:

C       He deserves to die.

N       Then they spat in his face and hit him with their fists; others said as they struck him:

C       Play the prophet, Christ! Who hit you then?

N       Meanwhile Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came up to him and said:

O       You too were with Jesus the Galilean.

N       But he denied it in front of them all, saying:

O       I do not know what you are talking about.

N       When he went out to the gateway another servant-girl saw him and said to the people there:

O       This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.

N       And again, with an oath, he denied it,

O       I do not know the man.

N       A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter:

C       You are one of them for sure! Why, your accent gives you away.

N       Then he started calling down curses on himself and swearing:

O       I do not know the man.

N       At that moment the cock crew, and Peter remembered what Jesus had said, ‘Before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people met in council to bring about the death of Jesus. They had him bound, and led him away to hand him over to Pilate, the governor. When he found that Jesus had been condemned, Judas his betrayer was filled with remorse and took the thirty pieces of silver back to the chief priests and elders, saying:

O       I have sinned. I have betrayed innocent blood.

N       They replied:

C       What is that to us? That is your concern.

N       And flinging down the silver pieces in the sanctuary he made off, and went and hanged himself. The chief priests picked up the silver pieces and said:

C       It is against the Law to put this into the treasury; it is blood money.

N       So they discussed the matter and bought the potter’s field with it as a graveyard for foreigners, and this is why the field is called the Field of Blood today. The words of the prophet Jeremiah were then fulfilled: And they took the thirty silver pieces, the sum at which the precious One was priced by children of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, just as the Lord directed me.

Jesus, then, was brought before the governor, and the governor put to him this question:

O       Are you the king of the Jews?

N       Jesus replied:

J        It is you who say it.

N       But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders he refused to answer at all. Pilate then said to him:

O       Do you not hear how many charges they have brought against you?

N       But to the governor’s complete amazement, he offered no reply to any of the charges.

At festival time it was the governor’s practice to release a prisoner for the people, anyone they chose. Now there was at that time a notorious prisoner whose name was Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate said to them,

O       Which do you want me to release for you: Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?

N       For Pilate knew it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. Now as he was seated in the chair of judgement, his wife sent him a message,

O       Have nothing to do with that man; I have been upset all day by a dream I had about him.

N       The chief priests and the elders, however, had persuaded the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus. So when the governor spoke and asked them:

O       Which of the two do you want me to release for you?

N       They said:

C       Barabbas.

N       Pilate said to them:

O       What am I to do with Jesus who is called Christ?

N       They all said:

C       Let him be crucified!

N       Pilate asked:

O       Why? What harm has he done?

N       But they shouted all the louder,

C       Let him be crucified!

N       Then Pilate saw that he was making no impression, that in fact a riot was imminent. So he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd and said:

O       I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your concern.

N       And the people, to a man, shouted back:

C       His blood be on us and on our children!

N       Then he released Barabbas for them. He ordered Jesus to be first scourged and then handed over to be crucified.

The governor’s soldiers took Jesus with them into the Praetorium and collected the whole cohort round him. Then they stripped him and made him wear a scarlet cloak, and having twisted some thorns into a crown they put this on his head and placed a reed in his right hand. To make fun of him they knelt to him saying:

C       Hail, king of the Jews!

N       And they spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head with it. And when they had finished making fun of him, they took off the cloak and dressed him in his own clothes and led him away to crucify him.

On their way out, they came across a man from Cyrene, Simon by name, and enlisted him to carry his cross. When they had reached a place called Golgotha, that is, the place of the skull, they gave him wine to drink. When they had finished crucifying him they shared out his clothing by casting lots, and then sat down and stayed there keeping guard over him. Above his head was placed the charge against him; it read: ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews’. At the same time two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.

The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and said:

C       So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save yourself! If you are God’s son, come down from the cross!

N       The chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him in the same way, saying:

C       He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He put his trust in God; now let God rescue him if he wants him. For he did say, ‘I am the son of God’.

N       Even the robbers who were crucified with him taunted him in the same way.

From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice:

J        Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?

N       That is: ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ When some of those who stood there heard this, they said:

C       The man is calling on Elijah,

N       and one of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it him to drink. The rest of them said:

C       Wait! See if Elijah will come to save him.

N       But Jesus, again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.

All kneel and pause a moment.

N       At that, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked; the rocks were split; the tombs opened and the bodies of many holy men rose from the dead, and these, after his resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to a number of people,

Meanwhile the centurion, together with the others guarding Jesus, had seen the earthquake and all that was taking place, and they were terrified and said:

C       In truth this was a son of God.

N       And many women were there, watching from a distance, the same women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and looked after him. Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

When it was evening, there came a rich man of Arimathaea called Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate thereupon ordered it to be handed over. So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean shroud and put it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a large stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away. Now Mary of Magdala and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulchre.

Next day, that is, when Preparation Day was over, the chief priests and the Pharisees went in a body to Pilate and said to him,

C       Your Excellency, we recall that this imposter said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I shall rise again’. Therefore give the order to have the sepulchre kept secure until the third day, for fear his disciples come and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead’. This last piece of fraud would be worse than what went before.

N       Pilate said to them:

O       You may have your guards. Go and make all as secure as you know how.

N       So they went and made the sepulchre secure, putting seals on the stone and mounting a guard.

Matthew 27:11-54 (JB)

The passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, the governor, and the governor put to him this question, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Jesus replied, ‘It is you who say it.’ But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders he refused to answer at all. Pilate then said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many charges they have brought against you?’ But to the governor’s complete amazement, he offered no reply to any of the charges.

At festival time it was the governor’s practice to release a prisoner for the people, anyone they chose. Now there was at that time a notorious prisoner whose name was Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Which do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For Pilate knew it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over.

Now as he was seated in the chair of judgment, his wife sent him a message, ‘Have nothing to do with that man; I have been upset all day by a dream I had about him.’

The chief priests and the elders, however, had persuaded the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus. So when the governor spoke and asked them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ they said ‘Barabbas’. ‘But in that case,’ Pilate said to them ‘what am I to do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ ‘Why?’ he asked ‘What harm has he done?’ But they shouted all the louder, ‘Let him be crucified!’ Then Pilate saw that he was making no impression, that in fact a riot was imminent. So he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd and said, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your concern.’ And the people, to a man, shouted back, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ Then he released Barabbas for them. He ordered Jesus to be first scourged and then handed over to be crucified.

The governor’s soldiers took Jesus with them into the Praetorium and collected the whole cohort round him. Then they stripped hit and made him wear a scarlet cloak, and having twisted some thorns into a crown they put this on his head and placed a reed in his right hand. To make fun of him they knelt to him saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ And they spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head with it. And when they had finished making fun of him, they took off the cloak and dressed him in his own clothes and led him away to crucify him.

On their way out, they came across a man from Cyrene, Simon by name, and enlisted him to carry his cross. When they had reached a place called Golgotha, that is, the place of the skull, they gave him wine to drink mixed with gall, which he tasted but refused to drink. When they had finished crucifying him they shared out his clothing by casting lots, and then sat down and stayed there keeping guard over him.

Above his head was placed the charge against him: it read: ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’ At the same time two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.

The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and said ‘So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save yourself! If you are God’s son, come down from the cross!’ The chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him in the same way. ‘He saved others,’ they said ‘he cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He put his trust in God; now let God rescue him if he wants him. For he did say, “I am the son of God.”‘ Even the robbers who were crucified with him taunted him in the same way.

From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani!’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me!’ When some of those who stood there heard this, they said, ‘The man is calling on Elijah,’ and one of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegar and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink. ‘Wait!’ said the rest of them ‘and see if Elijah will come to save him.’ But Jesus again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.

All kneel and pause a moment.

At that, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked; the rocks were split; the tombs opened and the bodies of many holy men rose from the dead, and these, after his resurrection , came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to a number of people. Meanwhile the centurion, together with the others guarding Jesus, had seen the earthquake and all that was taking place, and they were terrified and said, ‘In truth this was a son of God.’

Matthew 26:14 — 27:66 (NRSV)

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

One of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,

went to the chief priests and said,

“What will you give me if I betray him to you?”

They paid him thirty pieces of silver.

And from that moment

he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread

the disciples came to Jesus, saying,

“Where do you want us to make the preparations

for you to eat the Passover?”

He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him,

‘The Teacher says, My time is near;

I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”

So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them,

and they prepared the Passover meal.

When it was evening,

he took his place with the twelve;

and while they were eating, he said,

‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

And they became greatly distressed

and began to say to him one after another,

“Surely not I, Lord?”

He answered,

‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me

will betray me.

The Son of Man goes as it is written of him,

but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!

It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”

Judas, who betrayed him, said,

“Surely not I, Rabbi?”

He replied, “You have said so.”

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread,

and after blessing it he broke it,

gave it to the disciples, and said,

“Take, eat; this is my body.”

Then he took a cup,

and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying,

“Drink from it, all of you;

for this is my blood of the covenant,

which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

I tell you,

I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine

until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s

kingdom.”

When they had sung the hymn,

they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Then Jesus said to them,

“You will all become deserters because of me this night;

for it is written,

‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

But after I am raised up,

I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

Peter said to him,

“Though all become deserters because of you,

I will never desert you.”

Jesus said to him,

‘Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows,

you will deny me three times.”

Peter said to him,

“Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.”

And so said all the disciples.

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane;

and he said to his disciples,

“Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,

and began to be grieved and agitated.

Then he said to them,

“I am deeply grieved, even to death;

remain here, and stay awake with me.”

And going a little farther,

he threw himself on the ground and prayed,

“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me;

yet not what I want, but what you want.”

Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping;

and he said to Peter,

“So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?

Stay awake and pray

that you may not come into the time of trial;

for the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again he went away for the second time and prayed,

“My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it,

your will be done.”

Again he came and found them sleeping,

for their eyes were heavy.

So leaving them again,

he went away and prayed for the third time,

saying the same words.

Then he came to the disciples and said to them,

“Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?

See, the hour is at hand,

and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Get up, let us be going.

See, my betrayer is at hand.”

While he was still speaking,

Judas, one of the twelve, arrived;

with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs,

from the chief priests and the elders of the people.

Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying,

“The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.”

At once he came up to Jesus and said,

“Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

Jesus said to him,

“Friend, do what you are here to do.”

Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.

Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword,

drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest,

cutting off his ear.

Then Jesus said to him,

“Put your sword back into its place;

for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father,

and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?

But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled,

which say it must happen in this way?”

At that hour Jesus said to the crowds,

“Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me

as though I were a bandit?

Day after day I sat in the temple teaching,

and you did not arrest me.

But all this has taken place

so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.”

Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Those who had arrested Jesus

took him to Caiaphas the high priest,

in whose house the scribes and the elders had gathered.

But Peter was following him at a distance,

as far as the courtyard of the high priest;

and going inside, he sat with the guards

in order to see how this would end.

Now the chief priests and the whole council

were looking for false testimony against Jesus

so that they might put him to death,

but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward.

At last two came forward and said,

“This fellow said,

‘I am able to destroy the temple of God

and to build it in three days.'”

The high priest stood up and said,

“Have you no answer?

What is it that they testify’ against you?”

But Jesus was silent.

Then the high priest said to him,

“I put you under oath before the living God,

tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

Jesus said to him,

“You have said so.

But I tell you,

from now on you will see the Son of Man

seated at the right hand of Power

and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said,

“He has blasphemed!

Why do we still need witnesses?

You have now heard his blasphemy.

What is your verdict?”

They answered, “He deserves death.”

Then they spat in his face and struck him;

and some slapped him,

saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah!

Who is it that struck you?”

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.

A servant girl came to him and said,

“You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”

But he denied it before all of them, saying,

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

When he went out to the porch,

another servant girl saw him,

and she said to the bystanders,

“This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

Again he denied it with an oath,

“I do not know the man.”

After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter,

“Certainly you are also one of them,

for your accent betrays you.”

Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath,

“I do not know the man!”

At that moment the cock crowed.

Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said:

“Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”

And he went out and wept bitterly.

When morning came,

all the chief priests and the elders of the people

conferred together against Jesus

in order to bring about his death.

They bound him, led him away,

and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned,

he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver

to the chief priests and the elders.

He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

But they said, “What is that to us?

See to it yourself.”

Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed;

and he went and hanged himself.

But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said,

“It is not lawful to put them into the treasury,

since they are blood money.”

After conferring together,

they used them to buy the potter’s field

as a place to bury foreigners.

For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

Then was fulfilled

what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah,

“And they took the thirty pieces of silver,

the price of the one on whom a price had been set,

on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price,

and they gave them for the potter’s field,

as the Lord commanded me.”

Now Jesus stood before the governor;

and the governor asked him,

“are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus said, “You say so.”

But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,

he did not answer.

Then Pilate said to him,

“Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?”

But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge,

so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now at the festival

the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd,

anyone they wanted.

At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.

So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them,

“Whom do you want me to release for you,

Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

For he realized that it was out of jealousy

that they had handed him over.

While he was sitting on the judgment seat,

his wife sent word to him,

“Have nothing to do with that innocent man,

for today I have suffered a great deal

because of a dream about him.”

Now the chief priests and the elders

persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas

and to have Jesus killed.

The governor again said to them,

“Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”

And they said, “Barabbas.”

Pilate said to them,

“Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

All of them said, “Let him be crucified!”

Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?”

But they shouted all the more,

“Let him be crucified”

So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing,

but rather that a riot was beginning,

he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying,

“I am innocent of this man’s blood;

see to it yourselves.”

So he released Barabbas for them;

and after flogging Jesus,

he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor

took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,

and they gathered the whole cohort around him.

They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,

and after twisting some thorns into a crown,

they put it on his head.

They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him

and mocked him, saying,

“Hail, King of the Jews!”

They spat on him,

and took the reed and struck him on the head.

After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe

and put his own clothes on him.

Then they led him away to crucify him.

As they went out,

they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon;

they compelled this man to carry his cross.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha

(which means Place of a Skull),

they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall;

but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.

And when they had crucified him,

they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots;

then they sat down there and kept watch over him.

Over his head they put the charge against him, which read,

“This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Then two bandits were crucified with him,

one on his right and one on his left.

Those who passed by derided him,

shaking their heads and saying,

“You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,

save yourself!

If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

In the same way the chief priests also,

along with the scribes and elders,

were mocking him, saying,

“He saved others; he cannot save himself.

He is the King of Israel;

let him come down from the cross now,

and we will believe in him.

He trusts in God;

let God deliver him now, if he wants to;

for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.'”

The bandits who were crucified with him

also taunted him in the same way.

From noon on, darkness came over the whole land

until three in the afternoon.

And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice,

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”

that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

When some of the bystanders heard it, they said,

“This man is calling for Elijah.”

At once one of them ran and got a sponge,

filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick,

and gave it to him to drink.

But the others said,

“Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”

Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice

and breathed his last.

All may kneel for a period of silence.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two,

from top to bottom.

The earth shook, and the rocks were split.

The tombs also were opened,

and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.

After his resurrection they came out of the tombs

and entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Now when the centurion and those with him,

who were keeping watch over Jesus,

saw the earthquake and what took place,

they were terrified and said,

“Truly this man was God’s Son!”

Many women were also there, looking on from a distance;

they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him.

Among them were Mary Magdalene,

and Mary the mother of James and Joseph,

and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

When it was evening,

there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph,

who was also a disciple of Jesus.

He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus;

then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.

So Joseph took the body

and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth

and laid it in his own new tomb,

which he had hewn in the rock.

He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there,

sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation,

the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said,

“Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive,

‘After three days I will rise again.’

Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day;

otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away,

and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’

and the last deception would be worse than the first.”

Pilate said to them,

“You have a guard of soldiers;

go, make it as secure as you can.”

So they went with the guard

and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Matthew 27:11-54 (NRSV)

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

Now Jesus stood before the governor;

and the governor asked him,

“are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus said, “You say so.”

But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,

he did not answer.

Then Pilate said to him,

“Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?”

But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge,

so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now at the festival

the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd,

anyone they wanted.

At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.

So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them,

“Whom do you want me to release for you,

Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

For he realized that it was out of jealousy

that they had handed him over.

While he was sitting on the judgment seat,

his wife sent word to him,

“Have nothing to do with that innocent man,

for today I have suffered a great deal

because of a dream about him.”

Now the chief priests and the elders

persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas

and to have Jesus killed.

The governor again said to them,

“Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”

And they said, “Barabbas.”

Pilate said to them,

“Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

All of them said, “Let him be crucified!”

Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?”

But they shouted all the more,

“Let him be crucified”

So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing,

but rather that a riot was beginning,

he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying,

“I am innocent of this man’s blood;

see to it yourselves.”

So he released Barabbas for them;

and after flogging Jesus,

he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor

took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,

and they gathered the whole cohort around him.

They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,

and after twisting some thorns into a crown,

they put it on his head.

They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him

and mocked him, saying,

“Hail, King of the Jews!”

They spat on him,

and took the reed and struck him on the head.

After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe

and put his own clothes on him.

Then they led him away to crucify him.

As they went out,

they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon;

they compelled this man to carry his cross.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha

(which means Place of a Skull),

they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall;

but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.

And when they had crucified him,

they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots;

then they sat down there and kept watch over him.

Over his head they put the charge against him, which read,

“This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Then two bandits were crucified with him,

one on his right and one on his left.

Those who passed by derided him,

shaking their heads and saying,

“You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,

save yourself!

If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

In the same way the chief priests also,

along with the scribes and elders,

were mocking him, saying,

“He saved others; he cannot save himself.

He is the King of Israel;

let him come down from the cross now,

and we will believe in him.

He trusts in God;

let God deliver him now, if he wants to;

for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.'”

The bandits who were crucified with him

also taunted him in the same way.

From noon on, darkness came over the whole land

until three in the afternoon.

And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice,

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”

that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

When some of the bystanders heard it, they said,

“This man is calling for Elijah.”

At once one of them ran and got a sponge,

filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick,

and gave it to him to drink.

But the others said,

“Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”

Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice

and breathed his last.

All may kneel for a period of silence.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two,

from top to bottom.

The earth shook, and the rocks were split.

The tombs also were opened,

and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.

After his resurrection they came out of the tombs

and entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Now when the centurion and those with him,

who were keeping watch over Jesus,

saw the earthquake and what took place,

they were terrified and said,

“Truly this man was God’s Son!”