Book of Common Prayer

6 What shall we say then? Shall we keep on doing wrong things so that God will be more kind to us?

² No, surely not! We died to our wrong ways and no longer live in them.

³ All of us have been baptised in water. This means we are joined to Christ Jesus. We were baptised into his death. Do you know that?

⁴ We were buried when he was buried because we were baptised into his death. Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father. So we also must live a new life.

⁵ Have we shared with Christ and died as he died? Then we shall share with him by rising from death as he arose.

⁶ We know this is true. The old person we used to be was nailed to the cross with him, so that our bodies which do wrong things would die. Then we will no longer be like slaves to the wrong things we used to do.

⁷ Anyone who has died no longer does wrong things.

⁸ If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

⁹ We know that Christ was raised from death and will not die again. Death has no power over him any more.

¹⁰ He died. And he died once for all time, so that people would stop their wrong ways. But now he lives. And he lives for God.

¹¹ So you also must think you are dead, and stop your wrong ways. And you must think you are living for God along with Christ Jesus our Lord.

21 Jesus and his disciples came near to Jerusalem. They came to the village of Bethphage by the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead.

² He said to them, `Go into the village in front of you. As soon as you go in, you will find a donkey for riding, and her young one. They are tied there. Untie them and bring them to me.

³ If anyone says anything to you, tell him, "The Lord needs them. He will send them back soon." '

⁴ This happened, and what the prophet of God said long ago, came true.

⁵ He said, `Tell the people of Zion: See, your king is coming to you. He is not proud. He rides a donkey. It is a young animal.'

⁶ The disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do.

⁷ They brought the donkey and her young one. They put their coats on them. Then Jesus got on to ride.

⁸ Many people spread their coats on the road. Others cut leaves from the palm trees and put them on the road.

⁹ People in front of him and people behind him shouted, `Praise the Son of David! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise him in heaven!'

¹⁰ When Jesus came into Jerusalem, all the people there were very excited. They said, `Who is this?'

¹¹ The people who were with Jesus said, `This is Jesus from the town of Nazareth in Galilee. He is a prophet.'