Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
28 When Jesus had said this, he went on ahead of them towards Jerusalem.
29 He came near Bethphage and Bethany by the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then he sent two of his disciples ahead.
30 He said, `Go into the village in front of you. As soon as you go in, you will find an animal tied up. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it and bring it to me.
31 If anyone asks you, "Why are you untying it?" tell him, "The Lord needs it." '
32 They went and found it just as Jesus had said.
33 When they were untying the animal, the men who owned it asked them, `Why are you untying the animal?'
34 They said, `The Lord needs it.'
35 They brought it to Jesus and laid their coats on it. Then they put Jesus on it.
36 As he was riding along, people spread their coats on the road.
37 He came near the top of the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then all the people who believed in him began to be happy. They sang out loudly, and praised God in a loud voice for all the big works they had seen.
38 They said, `God bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven where God is praised!'
39 Some of the Pharisees who were among the people said to Jesus, `Teacher, tell your disciples to stop saying that.'
40 Jesus answered, `I tell you, if they do not speak like this the stones will call out.'
5 Think the same way Jesus Christ thought.
6 He was in every way like God. Yet he did not think that being equal to God was something he must hold on to.
7 He gave this up and became a servant. He was born a baby.
8 And when he was a man, he was humble. He was even willing to die, yes, to die on a cross.
9 That is why God has made him very great. God has given him a name above every name.
10 Everyone in heaven, everyone on earth, and everyone under the earth will kneel before the name of Jesus.
11 Everyone will admit that Jesus Christ is Lord. They will praise God the Father for this.
14 When it was time to eat, he sat down at the table and the apostles sat down with him.
15 He said to them, `I have wanted very much to eat this Passover Feast with you before my troubles come.
16 I tell you this. I will not eat it again until the great feast in the kingdom of God.'
17 He took the cup and thanked God. He said, `Take this. All of you drink from this.
18 I tell you this. I will not drink from the fruit of the vine again until the kingdom of God comes.'
19 He took some bread. He thanked God for it and broke it. He gave it to the disciples and said, `This is my body, which is given for you. When you do this, then remember me.'
20 In the same way he took the cup after they had eaten. He said, `This cup is the new agreement made by my blood. It is given for you.
21 `There is a man who will give me over to my enemies. His hand is here at the table with me.
22 The Son of Man will go on as it was planned for him. But the man who gives him over will have trouble!'
23 The disciples began to ask each other, `Which of us will do this?'
24 They started to quarrel among themselves about which of them was the greatest person.
25 Jesus said to them, `The kings of countries make their people obey them. Those who rule give themselves a good name.
26 But it must not be so among you. The one who is greatest among you must be like the most unimportant. And the leader must be like one who helps others.
27 Which man is greater, the man who sits at the table or the man who helps him? Is it not the man who sits at the table? But I am like the man who helps you.
28 `You have stayed with me through my troubles.
29 My Father made me a ruler, and now I make you rulers.
30 You will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. You will sit on chief chairs or thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.'
31 `Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has asked to have all of you. He wants to shake you like grain with the cleaning fan.
32 But I have talked to God about you, Simon, so that you will keep on believing in me. And when you come back, then help your brothers to be strong.'
33 Simon said, `Lord, I will go with you, even to prison or to die.'
34 Jesus said, `I tell you this, Peter. This very day, before the cock calls, you will say three times that you do not know me.'
35 Jesus said to them, `When I sent you out to the towns, I told you not to carry a money bag, or a bag, or shoes. Did you ever need anything at that time?' They said, `No.'
36 He said, `But this time, anyone who has money should take it and his bag too. Anyone who has no sword should sell his coat and buy one.
37 `The holy writings say, "He was counted as one of the bad people." And I tell you, that means me. And the things that are written about me must happen to me.'
38 The disciples said, `Look, Lord, here are two swords.' And he answered, `That is enough.'
39 Then Jesus went out of the room and went to the hill called the Mount of Olives where he often went. His disciples went with him.
40 He said to them, `Talk with God so that you will not do wrong.'
41 He went away from them about as far as a person can throw a stone. Then he kneeled down to talk with God.
42 He said, `Father, if you will, take this cup away from me. But do not do what I want but what you want.'
43 Then an angel came to him from heaven and helped to make him strong.
44 His heart was troubled very much. So he talked with God more than before. His sweat was like big drops of blood falling on the ground.
45 He stopped talking with God and got up. He went to his disciples and found them sleeping because they were sad.
46 He said to them, `Why are you sleeping? Get up. Talk with God so that you will not do wrong.'
47 As Jesus was saying this, many men came. One of the twelve disciples, named Judas, was leading the people. He came near Jesus to kiss him.
48 Jesus said to him, `Judas, will you give over the Son of Man to his enemies with a kiss?'
49 The disciples around Jesus saw what was going to happen. They said, `Lord, shall we fight with our swords?'
50 One of them hit the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 Jesus said, `Just let me do this.' And he touched the man's ear and healed him.
52 The chief priests, the captains of the temple, and the leaders of the people had come to catch Jesus. He said to them, `Have you come to take me with swords and sticks, the way you catch a man who steals?
53 I was with you every day in the temple. You did not try to catch me then. But this is your time now, the time of the power of darkness.'
54 The men caught Jesus and took him away to the high priest's house. Peter followed them far behind.
55 They made a fire in the yard and sat around it. Peter sat down with them.
56 A woman saw Peter sitting by the fire. She looked at him and said, `This man was with him also.'
57 But Peter said, `Woman, I do not know him.'
58 After a while, another person saw him and said, `You are one of them also.' But Peter said, `Man, I am not.'
59 About an hour later another person said, `Surely this man was with him. He comes from Galilee.'
60 Peter said, `Man, I do not know what you are talking about.' And right then, while he was talking, the cock called.
61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said to him, `Before the cock calls in the morning, you will say three times that you do not know me.'
62 Peter went out and cried very much.
63 The men who guarded Jesus made fun of him and beat him.
64 They tied something over his eyes. Then they hit him in the face and said, `Tell us if you know who hit you!'
65 And they said many other wrong things to him.
66 In the morning the leaders of the people, the chief priests and scribes met together. They took Jesus to their court.
67 They said, `If you are the Christ, tell us.' Jesus said, `If I tell you, you will not believe.
68 And if I ask you anything, you will not answer.
69 From this time on the Son of Man will sit beside God who has all power.'
70 They all said, `Then are you the Son of God?" He said, `Yes, I am.'
71 They said, `We do not need any more proof against him. We ourselves have heard what he said.'
23 Then all the people got up and took Jesus to Pilate.
2 They began to make a complaint against him. They said, `This man is leading our people to do wrong. He says we should not pay taxes to Caesar. He says that he is Christ, a King.'
3 Then Pilate asked Jesus, `Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, `Yes, I am.'
4 Pilate said to the chief priests and to the people, `I find nothing wrong in this man.'
5 But they said all the more, `He troubles the people by his teaching. He has been teaching people in all the country of Judea. He began in Galilee and has come as far as this city.'
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked, `Is this man from Galilee?'
7 When he knew that he came from Herod's country, he sent him to Herod. Herod was in Jerusalem at that time.
8 He was glad to see Jesus. He had heard about him. And he had wanted to see him for a long time. He was hoping that he would see Jesus do a big work.
9 He asked Jesus many questions. But Jesus did not answer him.
10 The chief priests and the scribes stood near. They brought strong complaints against him.
11 Then Herod and his soldiers laughed at Jesus and made fun of him. He dressed him up in very fine clothes and sent him back to Pilate.
12 Herod and Pilate became friends that day. Before that, they had hated each other.
13 Pilate then called the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people.
14 He said to them, `You brought this man to me. You said he is leading your people to do wrong. I have asked questions here in front of you. I have found nothing wrong in this man.
15 Herod did the same. He sent him back to us. This man has done nothing for which he should die.
16 So I will beat him and let him go.'
17 At the feast Pilate always let one man go free.
18 But they all shouted, `Kill this man! Let Barabbas go free for us!'
19 (Barabbas had been put in prison because he led some people who had been fighting in the city. He had killed a man.)
20 Pilate talked to the people again. He wanted to let Jesus go free.
21 But they shouted, `Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!"
22 Pilate said to them the third time, `Why, what wrong thing has he done? I have not found any wrong thing for which he should die. So I will beat him and let him go.'
23 But they shouted all the more loudly, saying, `Nail him to a cross!' And Pilate gave in to their shouting.
24 So he said they could have it their way.
25 He let the other man go free. (He was the one who had been put in prison because he fought and had killed a man. He was the one the people asked Pilate to let go free.) And Pilate did to Jesus what they wanted him to do.
26 They took Jesus away. On the way, they caught a man who was coming in from the farms. His name was Simon. He was born in the country of Cyrene. They made him walk behind Jesus and carry his cross.
27 Many people followed him. Women cried and were sorry for him.
28 But Jesus turned to them and said, `Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for me. But cry for yourselves and for your children.
29 The time will come when people will say, "Happy are the women who have no children or who have never had a child."
30 Then people will begin to say to the big hills, "Fall on us." They will say to the small hills, "Hide us."
31 If this is what people do when the wood is new, what will they do when it is old?'
32 Two men were also led away to be killed with Jesus. They were bad men.
33 They came to the place called Calvary (the head bone.) There they nailed the two bad men to the crosses also. They put one man on the right side of Jesus and one man on the left side of him.
34 Jesus said, `Father, forgive them! They do not know what they are doing.' The soldiers played a game to see how they should divide his clothes.
35 The people stood around watching. But the rulers made fun of him. They said, `He saved other people. He should save himself if he is God's Christ, God's chosen one!'
36 The soldiers made fun of him. They came and brought him wine to drink.
37 They said, `If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!'
38 The sign that was put above Jesus' head said, `This is the King of the Jews.'
39 One of the bad men who was hanging there said wrong things against Jesus. He said `If you are the Christ, why do you not save yourself and us?'
40 But the other bad man told him to stop. He said, `Do you not even fear God? You are being punished just as he is.
41 It is right for us to be punished because we have done wrong things. But this man has done nothing bad.'
42 He said to Jesus, `Lord, remember me when you become a King.'
43 And Jesus said to him, `I tell you the truth. Today you will be with me in God's garden of paradise.'
44 About noontime the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.
45 The sun did not shine. The big cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces.
46 Jesus called out loud, `Father, I put my spirit into your hands!' When he had said this, he died.
47 The captain saw all this. Then he praised God. He said, `Surely, this was a good man!'
48 Many people were around there to look on. When they saw what happened, they all went home beating their chests [because they were sad].
49 All Jesus' friends and the women who had come with him from Galilee stood far away. They saw all of this.
50 There was a man named Joseph. He was a member of the court. He was a good man who lived the right way.
51 He had not wanted the people to do what they did. He was looking for the kingdom of God. He was from a town of the Jews, called Arimathea.
52 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 He took the body down from the cross. He wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid it in a grave cut in a rock. No one had ever been put in this grave.
54 It was the day before the Sabbath. And it was almost time for the Sabbath to begin.
55 Some women had come with Jesus from Galilee. They followed and saw the grave where his body was put.
56 Then they went back and got things ready to put on his body. These things were spices that smelled very nice, and sweet kinds of oil. On the Sabbath day they rested as the law said they should.
23 Then all the people got up and took Jesus to Pilate.
2 They began to make a complaint against him. They said, `This man is leading our people to do wrong. He says we should not pay taxes to Caesar. He says that he is Christ, a King.'
3 Then Pilate asked Jesus, `Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, `Yes, I am.'
4 Pilate said to the chief priests and to the people, `I find nothing wrong in this man.'
5 But they said all the more, `He troubles the people by his teaching. He has been teaching people in all the country of Judea. He began in Galilee and has come as far as this city.'
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked, `Is this man from Galilee?'
7 When he knew that he came from Herod's country, he sent him to Herod. Herod was in Jerusalem at that time.
8 He was glad to see Jesus. He had heard about him. And he had wanted to see him for a long time. He was hoping that he would see Jesus do a big work.
9 He asked Jesus many questions. But Jesus did not answer him.
10 The chief priests and the scribes stood near. They brought strong complaints against him.
11 Then Herod and his soldiers laughed at Jesus and made fun of him. He dressed him up in very fine clothes and sent him back to Pilate.
12 Herod and Pilate became friends that day. Before that, they had hated each other.
13 Pilate then called the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people.
14 He said to them, `You brought this man to me. You said he is leading your people to do wrong. I have asked questions here in front of you. I have found nothing wrong in this man.
15 Herod did the same. He sent him back to us. This man has done nothing for which he should die.
16 So I will beat him and let him go.'
17 At the feast Pilate always let one man go free.
18 But they all shouted, `Kill this man! Let Barabbas go free for us!'
19 (Barabbas had been put in prison because he led some people who had been fighting in the city. He had killed a man.)
20 Pilate talked to the people again. He wanted to let Jesus go free.
21 But they shouted, `Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!"
22 Pilate said to them the third time, `Why, what wrong thing has he done? I have not found any wrong thing for which he should die. So I will beat him and let him go.'
23 But they shouted all the more loudly, saying, `Nail him to a cross!' And Pilate gave in to their shouting.
24 So he said they could have it their way.
25 He let the other man go free. (He was the one who had been put in prison because he fought and had killed a man. He was the one the people asked Pilate to let go free.) And Pilate did to Jesus what they wanted him to do.
26 They took Jesus away. On the way, they caught a man who was coming in from the farms. His name was Simon. He was born in the country of Cyrene. They made him walk behind Jesus and carry his cross.
27 Many people followed him. Women cried and were sorry for him.
28 But Jesus turned to them and said, `Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for me. But cry for yourselves and for your children.
29 The time will come when people will say, "Happy are the women who have no children or who have never had a child."
30 Then people will begin to say to the big hills, "Fall on us." They will say to the small hills, "Hide us."
31 If this is what people do when the wood is new, what will they do when it is old?'
32 Two men were also led away to be killed with Jesus. They were bad men.
33 They came to the place called Calvary (the head bone.) There they nailed the two bad men to the crosses also. They put one man on the right side of Jesus and one man on the left side of him.
34 Jesus said, `Father, forgive them! They do not know what they are doing.' The soldiers played a game to see how they should divide his clothes.
35 The people stood around watching. But the rulers made fun of him. They said, `He saved other people. He should save himself if he is God's Christ, God's chosen one!'
36 The soldiers made fun of him. They came and brought him wine to drink.
37 They said, `If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!'
38 The sign that was put above Jesus' head said, `This is the King of the Jews.'
39 One of the bad men who was hanging there said wrong things against Jesus. He said `If you are the Christ, why do you not save yourself and us?'
40 But the other bad man told him to stop. He said, `Do you not even fear God? You are being punished just as he is.
41 It is right for us to be punished because we have done wrong things. But this man has done nothing bad.'
42 He said to Jesus, `Lord, remember me when you become a King.'
43 And Jesus said to him, `I tell you the truth. Today you will be with me in God's garden of paradise.'
44 About noontime the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.
45 The sun did not shine. The big cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces.
46 Jesus called out loud, `Father, I put my spirit into your hands!' When he had said this, he died.
47 The captain saw all this. Then he praised God. He said, `Surely, this was a good man!'
48 Many people were around there to look on. When they saw what happened, they all went home beating their chests [because they were sad].
49 All Jesus' friends and the women who had come with him from Galilee stood far away. They saw all of this.
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