Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁶ This is the testament that I will make unto them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and in their mind I will write them, ¹⁷ and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.

¹⁸ Now where there is remission of these things, there is no more offering for sin.

¹⁹ Seeing, brethren, that by the means of the blood of Jesus we may be bold to enter into that holy place, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he has prepared for us through the veil (that is to say, by his flesh), ²¹ and seeing also that we have a high priest who is ruler over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart, in full faith, sprinkled in our hearts from an evil conscience, and washed in our bodies with pure water. ²³ And let us keep the profession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider one another, to encourage to love and to good works. ²⁵ And let us not forsake the fellowship that we have among ourselves, as the manner of some is, but let us exhort one another, and that so much the more because you see that the day draws near.

Christ is our high priest and seat of grace, and surpasses the high priests of the old law.

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has entered into heaven (I mean Jesus, the Son of God), let us hold fast our profession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities, but one who was in all points tempted like we are, but yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore go boldly to the seat of grace, so that we may receive mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

⁷ He, in the days of his flesh, did offer up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him from death, and was also heard, because of his godliness. ⁸ And though he was God’s Son, yet he learned obedience by those things that he suffered, ⁹ and was made perfect, and the author of eternal salvation for all who obey him,

Christ is betrayed. The words of his mouth smite the officers to the ground. Peter strikes off Malchus’ ear. Jesus is brought before Annas, Caiaphas, and Pilate.

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a garden into which he entered with his disciples. ² Judas who betrayed him also knew the place, for Jesus often resorted there with his disciples. ³ Judas then, after he had received a band of men, and officers of the high priests and Pharisees, went there with lanterns and firebrands and weapons.

⁴ Then Jesus, knowing all things that would come on him, went forth and said to them, Whom do you seek? ⁵ They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he.

Judas who betrayed him also stood with them. ⁶ But as soon as Jesus had said to them, I am he, they went backwards and fell to the ground. ⁷ And he asked them again, Whom do you seek? They said, Jesus of Nazareth. ⁸ Jesus answered, I said to you, I am he. If you seek me, let these go their way. ⁹ This was to fulfil the saying that he had spoken: Of those whom you gave me, I have not lost one.

¹⁰ Simon Peter had a sword, and drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. ¹¹ Then Jesus said to Peter, Put up your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink of the cup which my Father has given me?

¹² Then the company of men and the captain and the officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound him, ¹³ and led him away to Annas first. For he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that same year. ¹⁴ Caiaphas was the one who gave counsel to the Jews that it was good that one man should die for the people.

¹⁵ And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. That disciple was known to the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. ¹⁶ But Peter stood at the door outside.

Then that other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the maid that kept the door, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷ Then the maid that kept the door said to Peter, Are you not one of this man’s disciples? He said, I am not. ¹⁸ The servants and the officers were standing there, and had made a fire of coals, for it was cold and they were warming themselves. Peter also stood among them and warmed himself.

¹⁹ The high priest asked Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. ²⁰ Jesus answered him, I spoke openly in the world. I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple where all the Jews come together, and in secret I have said nothing. ²¹ Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard me what I said to them. They can tell what I said.

²² When he had thus spoken, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus on the face, saying, Is this how you answer the high priest?

²³ Jesus answered him, If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness of the wrong. If I have spoken well, why do you hit me?

²⁴ And Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest.

²⁵ Simon Peter was standing and warming himself, and they said to him, Are you not also one of his disciples? He denied it and said, I am not. ²⁶ One of the servants of the high priest (a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off) said to him, Did I not see you in the garden with him?

²⁷ Peter denied it again; and immediately, the cock crew.

²⁸ Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the hall of judgment. It was the morning, and they themselves did not go into the judgment hall lest they should be defiled, but so that they could eat the Passover lamb.

²⁹ Pilate then went out to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this man? ³⁰ They answered and said to him, If he were not an evil-doer, we would not have delivered him to you.

³¹ Then Pilate said to them, You take him and judge him according to your own law.

Then the Jews said to him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. ³² This was to fulfil the words of Jesus, which he spoke signifying how he would die.

³³ Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus and said to him, Are you the king of the Jews? ³⁴ Jesus answered, Do you say that of yourself, or did others tell you this about me?

³⁵ Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and high priests have delivered you to me. What have you done?

³⁶ Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would surely fight so that I would not be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.

  ³⁷ Pilate said to him, Are you a king then?

Jesus answered, You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I came into the world: that I should bear witness to the truth. And all who are of the truth hear my voice.

³⁸ Pilate said to him, What is truth?

And when he had said that, Pilate went out again to the Jews and said to them, I find in him no fault at all. ³⁹ You have a custom that I should set one prisoner free to you at Passover. Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?

⁴⁰ Then they all cried out again, saying, Not him, but Barabbas!

Now that Barabbas was a robber.

Christ is crucified. He commits his mother to John’s care, sheds his blood, and is buried.

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. ² And the soldiers wound a crown of thorns and put it on his head. And they put on him a purple garment, ³ and said, Hail, King of the Jews! And they struck him on the face.

⁴ Pilate went forth again and said to the people, Look, I am bringing him out to you so that you may know that I find no fault in him. ⁵ Then Jesus came forth wearing the crown of thorns and the robe of purple. And Pilate said to them, Behold the man!

⁶ When the high priests and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, You take him and crucify him, for I find no fault in him. ⁷ The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

⁸ When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid, ⁹ and went again into the judgment hall and said to Jesus, Where are you from? But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ Then Pilate said to him, Will you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have the power to crucify you, and have the power to set you free?

¹¹ Jesus answered, You could have no power at all against me unless it were given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me to you is more in sin.

¹² And from then on Pilate sought means to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying, If you let him go, you are not Caesar’s friend! For whoever makes himself a king, is against Caesar.

¹³ When Pilate heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth and sat down to give sentence in a place called The Pavement, but in the Hebrew tongue, Gabbatha. ¹⁴ It was the day before the Sabbath that falls in the Passover feast, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, Behold your king! ¹⁵ They cried, Away with him, away with him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your king? The high priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

¹⁶ Then Pilate delivered him to them, to be crucified.

¹⁷ And they took Jesus and led him away. And he bore his cross, and went out to a place called the Place of Dead Men’s Skulls, which is named in Hebrew, Golgotha. ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and two others with him, one on either side, and Jesus in the middle. ¹⁹ And Pilate wrote his title and put it on the cross. The writing was, jesus of nazareth, king of the jews. ²⁰ Many of the Jews read this title, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

²¹ Then the high priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write King of the Jews, but that he said, I am King of the Jews. ²² Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.

²³ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat. The coat was without seam, woven throughout, ²⁴ and they said to one another, Let us not tear it, but cast lots who should have it. This was to fulfil the scripture that says: They parted my garments among them, and for my coat did cast lots. ²⁵ And the soldiers did such things indeed.

Then there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister Mary, the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by, he said to his mother, Woman, behold your son. ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, Behold your mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her for his own.

²⁸ After that, when Jesus perceived that all things were performed, so that the scripture would be fulfilled, he said, I thirst! ²⁹ There was standing nearby a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and wound it about with hyssop, and put it to his mouth. ³⁰ As soon as Jesus had received of the vinegar, he said, It is finished! And he bowed his head and gave up the spirit.

³¹ The Jews then, because it was the day before the Sabbath, in order that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day (for that Sabbath day was a high day), requested Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken down. ³² Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other that was crucified with Jesus. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ But one of the soldiers thrust him in the side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water.

³⁵ And he who saw it has borne witness, and his testimony is true. And he knows that he speaks the truth, so that you may believe also. ³⁶ These things were done so that the scripture would be fulfilled: Not one of his bones shall be broken. ³⁷ And again another scripture says: They shall look on him whom they pierced.

³⁸ After that, Joseph of Arimathea (who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews) asked Pilate if he could take down the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave him permission.

³⁹ And Nicodemus came also, who at the beginning had gone to Jesus by night, and brought myrrh and aloes mingled together, about a hundred pound weight. ⁴⁰ Then they took the body of Jesus and wound it in linen cloths with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. ⁴¹ And in the place where Jesus was crucified was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre, in which no man had ever been laid. ⁴² There they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Sabbath eve. For the sepulchre was near at hand.