Matthew 27:11-54 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 27:11-54 on biblegateway.com
Verse 11Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so." Verse 12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Verse 13Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?" Verse 14But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Verse 15Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. Verse 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. Verse 17So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" Verse 18For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. Verse 19While 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." Verse 20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. Verse 21The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." Verse 22Pilate said to them, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" All of them said, "Let him be crucified!" Verse 23Then he asked, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!" Verse 24So 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." Verse 25Then the people as a whole answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"
Verse 26So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. Verse 27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. Verse 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, Verse 29and 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!" Verse 30They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. Verse 31After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. Verse 32As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.
Verse 33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), Verse 34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. Verse 35And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; Verse 36then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Verse 37Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." Verse 38Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Verse 39Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads Verse 40and 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." Verse 41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, Verse 42"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. Verse 43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, 'I am God's Son.'" Verse 44The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way. Verse 45From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. Verse 46And 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?" Verse 47When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah." Verse 48At 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. Verse 49But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him."
Verse 50Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. Verse 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. Verse 52The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. Verse 53After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Verse 54Now 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!"
Devotion
Christ, to you be glory. Holy Week begins with the Passion according to St. Matthew. Heinrich Schütz set it in 1666 for Dresden's Lenten observance. His final chorus was a meditative summary with a long history of Christian use in various forms. The ancient Latin Laus tibi, Christe ("Praise to you, Christ") was turned into German as part of a medieval hymn and then shaped into the last stanza of the 16th century chorale Schütz used. The concluding Greek ("Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy") reaches back to the New Testament. Here is a form of the hymn for meditation.
Prayer
Christ, to you be glory, for you gave your breath on the cross, to suffer for us a bitter death and live with God Creator for all time to come. Help us weary sinners to your blessed home.
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.