[Jesus] said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” Luke 22:15,16
Don’t you love a good meal? Maybe it’s a birthday, anniversary, or holiday spent with people you love. Or it’s a special place—a favorite restaurant or a new one that comes highly recommended. Maybe it’s the one favorite meal that you never get tired of.
On the night before Jesus died, he enjoyed a meal with his friends. It wasn’t just any meal. It was the Passover meal, a special feast carefully prepared, served, and shared by the Jewish people every year.
The Passover was festive not just because it was celebrated with family. The Passover celebrated how God rescued the Jewish people from slavery and brought them to the Promised Land. Maybe best of all, it pictured a rescue still to come—a rescue that Jesus came to accomplish.
As Jesus sat down to that meal that night, he knew what would soon happen. He knew his body would hang on a cross and die. His blood would pour out of wounds that would be inflicted on him. He knew he would give his life for the sins of the world.
But knowing this didn’t sour the experience that night. It made Jesus look forward to it even more. The lamb killed and eaten in the Passover meal would foreshadow the way Jesus would be sacrificed to free us from our sins and bring us to the Promised Land of heaven, a sacrifice he was eager to make for you and me.
Jesus still longs to eat with us. When we hear his Word, he satisfies our hunger with his mercy and love. In Holy Communion, Jesus miraculously gives his body and blood with the bread and wine to remind us of his sacrifice and assure us of his forgiveness. With these gifts, he feeds our souls until we feast with him in heaven.
Prayer:
Jesus, you eagerly desired my salvation. Satisfy my soul with your Word. Amen.
M: In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Prayer
M: Let us pray.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires are known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by your Holy Spirit, that we may love you and praise your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
Choir Go To Dark Gethsemane
Maundy Thursday Gospel Luke 22:7–20 (listed below)
M: The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Hymn 659 Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Savior, v.1-4
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; German version, Martin Luther, 1483–1546, abr.; John Hus, c. 1369–1415
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Testament Dated Maundy Thursday” (readings listed below)
Hymn 659 Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Savior, v.5-8
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; German version, Martin Luther, 1483–1546, abr.; John Hus, c. 1369–1415
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
M: Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C: the maker of heaven and earth.
M: Let us confess our sins to God and ask for his forgiveness.
C: Almighty God, merciful Father, I confess to you that I have not loved you with all my heart. In what I have done and left undone, I have pursued my ways instead of your ways.
I have not loved others as you command. For this I deserve your punishment now and forever. I am sorry for my sins. I repent of them. I beg for your mercy.
Silence for reflection
M: Forgive us for the sake of Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for us.
C: Cleanse me from my sins. Release me from my guilt. Grant me your Holy Spirit to amend my sinful life.
M: Jesus says to his people, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven.” Do you believe this?
C: Yes, I believe.
M: In the name and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins.
C: Amen.
Exhortation
M: Our Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven us, has reconciled us to God, and has promised us the power to forgive and love one another. Relying on his promise, therefore, be reconciled with one another.
C: Brothers and sisters, may the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, in our words, and in our actions.
Prayer
M: Let us pray.
God, our Father, by the sacrifice of your Son you reconciled the world to yourself. We thank you for the precious gift of forgiveness. Refresh us with the joy of our salvation, that we may walk in the way of peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Renew our minds and wills, that daily we may speak your word of peace; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
Hymn 661 Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord
Text: tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–1866, alt.; Latin, 7th cent., abr.
Text: Public domain
Words of Institution
Distribution and Hymn 663 Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness
Text: Johann Franck, 1618–1677, abr.
Prayer
M: Abide with us, Lord, for it is evening and the day is almost over. Abide with us and with your whole Church. Abide with us in the evening of the day, in the evening of life, in the evening of the world. Abide with us in your grace and goodness, in your holy Word and sacrament, in your comfort and blessing. Abide with us when we are overcome by the night of sorrow and fear, by the night of doubt and affliction, by the night of bitter death. Abide with us and with all your people in time and in eternity.
7Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” 9“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked. 10He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” 13They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Sermon Readings
Isaiah 53:12
12Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Matthew 26:26-29
26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
1 Corinthians 10:15-17, 11:26-29
15I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.
He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. Isaiah 42:2,3
We are in the middle of a week that the church calls “Holy Week.” This week, we hear about and reflect on the events of the final week before Jesus died. The Bible tells us more about the events of this week than about any other week of Jesus’ life.
It is perhaps noteworthy then that it seems there is nothing written about Wednesday of Holy Week. Some label this day “Silent Wednesday.”
Though the silence stands out in contrast to the other details of this week, it doesn’t stand out from how Jesus often operates. It’s not that Jesus never raises his voice, but often, he chooses gentle silence and tender conversations.
This is especially the case with the bruised and broken. When we are broken by our inadequacies and bruised by our insecurities, Jesus speaks words of gentle, unconditional love. When the struggles of life leave us worn and weary, Jesus promises his strength and pledges never to leave us. When our guilt leaves us feeling crushed and hopeless, Jesus assures us that he forgives us completely and makes us new.
And when our trust in Jesus is hanging on by a thread, Jesus doesn’t shame us or disown us. Instead, he points us to his cross and tenderly says, “There I kept my promise to you. There I died for you. There I opened paradise for you. I love you, and I’m not going to let you go.”
How fitting it is that Jesus, who entered Jerusalem in humility to go to the cross and die for us, now comes humbly and gently in the words of the Bible to comfort and encourage us, to heal our hearts and restore our hope. That’s where you will find him. Don’t seek him in the flashy or spectacular. Don’t look for him in the alarming or attention-getting.
Look for him and listen to him in the Bible. There you’ll find just the gentle Savior you need, one who patiently forgives, consistently cares, and never fails you in your time of need.
Prayer:
Jesus, gentle Savior, thank you for dealing gently and lovingly with me in my weakness. Amen.
At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10,11
That day was a glimpse at a hidden reality. Jesus’ true identity was hidden. While he lived in this world, he looked like anybody else. He ate and drank. He walked, worked, and slept.
There were hints that there might be more to Jesus. Because of the way he taught with such confidence and authority. The miraculous ways he helped people. The loving, gentle way he spoke to and cared for people. But overall, Jesus still looked like just a man to many.
That day, something looked different, though, if not about Jesus, then about how people reacted to him. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. And his friends and followers acted as if it were a presidential motorcade or a parade for a king returning from battle. They were shouting his praises and waving palm branches like their country’s flag. There was pomp and circumstance. And crowds of people joined in the celebration along the road. They were treating him like a king.
Even though Jesus seemed majestic that day on his donkey, it was later that week when his greatest and most praiseworthy work as Lord and King would happen in unthinkable humility—hidden from sight. He would bleed and die in weakness and shame to battle death and destroy sin’s curse.
Because he did, he rose from the dead and rules in heaven, where we and all who see him now by faith will see him in glory and praise our Lord and King.
Prayer:
Jesus, move my heart to acknowledge and praise you as Lord now and always. Amen.
Christ Jesus . . . being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing. Philippians 2:5-7
We live in a culture obsessed with me. From little on, children are taught to believe in themselves. Embrace who you are. Celebrate the things that make you unique and different. As a phrase growing in popularity puts it, “You do you!”
God made each of us unique. And blending in with the crowds, doing what everyone else is doing, isn’t always wise. But is self-pride really the answer? Tragically, in this world of self, more and more people come up empty when they seek worth and value in just being who they are.
Jesus, however, had every reason to “do you.” He was the perfect Son of God. He had no flaws to be ashamed of. But what did he do? He made himself nothing. Not because he wasn’t happy with who he was, but because he wasn’t happy with who we were and what the future held for us.
Without Jesus, our self-focused ways could only end in self-destruction. But Jesus came down from heaven to serve us in humility. He set aside his rights as the Son of God to give us the right to be children of God. He made himself nothing to make you something.
Jesus rode the road of humility and suffering to give you hope—hope that is not based on what anyone else thinks of you or what you think of yourself, but hope that is based on how Jesus sees you and what Jesus was willing to do for you.
Jesus saw every flaw and failure in you that no one should be proud of, and he humbled himself to endure its shame for you. Jesus was judged, not by self-righteous hypocrites, but by a holy God. Because Jesus took our place, the same God judges us worthy of love, worthy of life, worthy of heaven. What he thinks of us is worth more than what anyone else says.
Find your worth, meaning, and hope in him. And then “do you” as a redeemed and forgiven child of God.
Prayer:
Jesus, you became nothing for me. Help me find my hope and worth in you. Amen.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; . . . And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5,6,8
In the state house at Albany, New York, there is a small artifact that tells a big story. It’s a letter written by President Abraham Lincoln. The letter grants a full pardon to a soldier found guilty of desertion. The soldier’s name is Roswell McIntyre. The letter is dated October 4, 1864.
As you read the letter, you can’t help but notice some additional scribbling on the lower left of the page. It’s this additional scribbling that completes the story. This extra note on the letter is dated 1865. It reads, “Taken from the body of R. McIntyre at the battle of Five Forks, Virginia.”
That’s the story of Roswell McIntyre. He was a man guilty of desertion. But instead of disgrace and punishment, he received a full pardon from his president. He was so grateful for that pardon that he carried it with him for the rest of the war. It kept him going. It empowered him to stand and fight. It empowered him to remain a faithful soldier to the end.
It’s no accident that the Bible compares our lives as Christians to those of soldiers. The spiritual dangers are great. The temptation to desert our Lord can be fierce. And, truth be told, you and I must confess that there have been many times we have run away from following the Lord’s will for our lives. For such desertion, you and I deserve God’s abandonment.
But because of Jesus, we have received a full pardon instead. Because of the cross, our failures are washed away. Through faith in him, we are forgiven and not condemned.
Keep that pardon with you. Pull it out and read it every day. Remember who you are in your Savior. It will keep you going. It will keep you faithful to the moment he takes you home.
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, in you I stand completely forgiven. Empower me to fight the good fight. Empower me to be faithful to the end. Amen.
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13,14
It was 1936, and the career of an obscure racehorse seemed over. Seabiscuit had had his shot at the big time, but all his efforts had been disappointments. Perhaps he was destined for failure. He was small in stature and walked with a gimp; he didn’t even look like a racehorse. By the end, his owner was simply using Seabiscuit as a training horse—making him lose in order to bolster the confidence of other horses.
It was then that Seabiscuit crossed paths with a mysterious trainer by the name of Tom Smith. Somehow Tom was able to get Seabiscuit to forget all his failures and rediscover the joy of running. So much so that Seabiscuit went on to become one of the most successful racehorses in the 20th Century.
Don’t you wish you could do that? Don’t you wish you could somehow forget all the sinful failures of your past and focus your future on something that fills you with joy and purpose?
That’s why Jesus came. His blood has washed away the guilt of your past. That means you can truly forget what is behind you. And that same blood has secured your present and your future. That means that you can now focus on the pure joy of living for him.
After all, the past does not determine your future. Jesus does.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, so often I have allowed the sinful failures of my past to rule over my present. Forgive me. Empower me to see that, in you, my sinful past is gone. Fill me again with the joy of giving my future to you. Amen.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13,14
It seems like, every few years, another movie comes out about time travel. We love these movies because we all wish we could go back and change our past. We all have regrets and guilt from things we’ve done or left undone. The problem is: ruminating on the past keeps us from living the Christian life in the present. It’s like a sprinter who keeps looking back instead of running to the finish line.
The apostle Paul was tempted to look back. In the past, he persecuted Christians even to the point of death. He thought it was God’s will to destroy Christianity. But then God called him not only to believe in Jesus but to be the lead missionary to bring the good news about Jesus to the ends of the earth. With such an important mission, he couldn’t waste time obsessing about his past.
So, he wrote: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14).
Paul would not let his shame and guilt from the past stop him from doing the ministry in the present. Jesus had overcome his past through his death and resurrection. God wanted him to run the race God had set out for him.
Even if someone invented the time machine, you wouldn’t need it. God has forgiven your past. Now he wants you to focus on what’s ahead. Keep taking hold of the love and acceptance you have in Christ, and live out the calling that God has given you.
Prayer:
Lord God, you have forgiven my past. Lead me to keep my eyes fixed on following you in the future and the heavenly home you are preparing for me. Amen.
Sermon:Hymn 411:5, “Ride On, Jesus, in humility, in glory”
LESSONS
LUKE 19:28-40Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
LUKE PASSION 1
Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the
Passover, was approaching, 2and the chief priests and
the teachers of the law were looking for some way to
get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.
3Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the
Twelve. 4And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. 7Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” 9“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked. 10He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” 13They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
LUKE PASSION 2
24A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” 35Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. 36He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me.
Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.” 38The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied. 39Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
40On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
LUKE PASSION 3
47While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 51But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. 52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.” 54Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” 57But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. 58A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. 59About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62And he went outside and wept bitterly. 63The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65And they said many other insulting things to him.
LUKE PASSION 4
66At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67“If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” 70They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” 71Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” 1Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” 3So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 4Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” 5But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.” 6On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
LUKE PASSION 5
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” 18But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” 23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. 26As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ 31For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” 32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.
LUKE PASSION 6
33When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews. 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 44It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. 47The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. 50Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
