Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

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.'

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 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the chief priests.

¹⁵ He said, `What will you give me if I help you catch Jesus?' They gave him thirty pieces of silver money.

¹⁶ And from then on, Judas watched for a good way to help them catch Jesus. Supper

¹⁷ It was the first day of the feast with bread that has no yeast in it. The disciples came to Jesus and asked, `Where do you want us to make ready for you to eat the Passover Feast?'

¹⁸ He said, `Go into the city to a certain man. Say to him, "The Teacher says, `My time is near. I will come to your house with my disciples to eat the Passover Feast.' " '

¹⁹ The disciples did what Jesus told them. They made the Passover food ready.

²⁰ When evening came, Jesus sat down to eat with the twelve disciples.

²¹ As they were eating, Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. One of you will give me over to people who hate me.'

²² They were very sad and troubled. One after the other they began to say to him, `Lord, is it I?'

²³ Jesus answered them, `The man who is putting his hand in the dish with me is the one who will give me over.

²⁴ The Son of Man will go away just as the holy writings tell about him. But the man who gives him over will have trouble. It would have been better for that man if he had not been born!'

²⁵ Judas was the one who would give Jesus over to the people who hated him. He said, `Master, is it I?' Jesus said, `Yes, it is.'

²⁶ As they were eating, Jesus took some bread. He thanked God for it and broke it. He gave it to the disciples and said, `Take this bread and eat it. It is my body.'

²⁷ He also took a cup. He thanked God for it. Then he gave it to the disciples and said, `All of you drink from this.

²⁸ This is my blood. My blood is the blood of the new agreement. It is given so that many people will be forgiven for the wrong things they did.

²⁹ I tell you this. I will not drink any of the juice of the fruit of the vine again, until I drink some of it new with you in my Father's kingdom.'

³⁰ They sang a song and then went out to the hill called the Mount of Olives.

³¹ Then Jesus said to them, `All of you will leave me this night. The holy writings say, "I will kill the one who takes care of the sheep. And the sheep will run away."

³² But after I am raised from death, I will go to Galilee to meet you.'

³³ Peter said, `Even if all the others leave you, I will never leave you.'

³⁴ Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. This night, before the cock calls, you will say three times that you do not know me.'

³⁵ Peter said, `Even if I must die with you, I will never say I do not know you!' All the disciples said the same thing.

³⁶ Then Jesus came to a place called Gethsemane. He said to his disciples, `Sit down here. I will go over there and talk with God.'

³⁷ He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons with him. Jesus began to be sad and troubled.

³⁸ He said to them, `My heart is very sad. I am almost dying! Stay here and watch with me.'

³⁹ Jesus went on a little further. He bowed down with his face to the ground. He talked to God and said, `My Father, if it can be, let this cup of trouble pass by me. But do not do what I want. May what you want be done.'

⁴⁰ Jesus went back to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, `What? Could you not watch with me for one hour?

⁴¹ Watch and talk with God, so that you will not do wrong. A person's heart can want to do it, but his body is weak.'

⁴² Jesus went away again. He talked to God and said, `My Father, if you do not want this cup to pass by me, but you want me to drink it, I will do what you want.'

⁴³ Jesus went back again and found the disciples sleeping. They could not keep their eyes open.

⁴⁴ He left them and went away again. He talked with God the third time and said the same words.

⁴⁵ Then he went back to his disciples and said to them, `Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come now. The Son of Man is given over to bad people.

⁴⁶ Get up. Let us go. Look, here comes the one who will give me over to people who hate me!'

⁴⁷ As Jesus was saying this, Judas came. He was one of the twelve disciples. Many people came with him. They had long knives or swords and big sticks. The chief priests and the leaders of the people had sent them.

⁴⁸ The man who was going to help them catch Jesus had told them that he would give them a sign. He said, `The man that I kiss is the one. Catch him and hold him.'

⁴⁹ Right then he went to Jesus and said, `Greetings, Master!' And he kissed him.

⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, `Friend, why have you come?' Then the men came and caught Jesus and held him.

⁵¹ One of the men who was with Jesus took his sword in his hand. He hit the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

⁵² Then Jesus said to him, `Put your sword back in its place. All people who fight with a sword will be killed by a sword.

⁵³ Do you think that I cannot talk to my Father, and he would send me right now more than twelve armies of angels?

⁵⁴ But then, how would God's word come true? The holy writings say that this is the way it must be.'

⁵⁵ At that same time Jesus said to the people, `Have you come to take me with swords and sticks as you would a man who steals? Every day I sat with you in the temple and taught. But you did not try to catch me then.

⁵⁶ All this happened so that what the prophets said in the holy writings would come true.' Then all the disciples left Jesus and ran away.

⁵⁷ The men who caught Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest. The scribes and the leaders had met at his house.

⁵⁸ Peter followed Jesus a long way behind. He went as far as the yard of the high priest's house. He sat down with the people who worked for the high priest. He wanted to see how this would end.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and all the judges of the court tried to find men to say Jesus had done something wrong so they could kill him.

⁶⁰ But they found nothing. Many people came and said things that were not true. At last two men came.

⁶¹ They said, `This man said, "I can break down God's temple and build it again in three days." '

⁶² The high priest stood up. He said to Jesus, `Have you no answer? What do you have to say about this? They have said something against you.'

⁶³ But Jesus said nothing at all. Then the high priest said to him, `I ask you in the name of the living God. Tell us. Are you the Christ, the Son of God?'

⁶⁴ Jesus answered him, `Yes, I am. Also I tell you that after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the One who has all power. You will see him coming on the clouds in the sky!'

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, `What he has said is wrong! We do not need any more proof against him. You have heard the wrong thing he said.

⁶⁶ What do you think?' They said, `He should be killed.'

⁶⁷ Then they spat on Jesus' face and hit him. Others slapped him with their hands.

⁶⁸ They said, `Christ, tell us, if you know who hit you!'

⁶⁹ Peter sat out in the yard. A servant girl came to him and said, `You were also with Jesus of Galilee.'

⁷⁰ But Peter said in front of them all, `I do not know what you are talking about.'

⁷¹ Peter went out to the gate. There, another servant-girl saw him. She said to the others around there, `This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth.'

⁷² Peter said some bad words and then said, `I do not know the man.'

⁷³ A little later, those standing around came to Peter and said, `Surely you are one of them also. We know it by the way you talk.'

⁷⁴ Then Peter began to say even more bad words. He said, `I do not know the man!' Right then, a cock called.

⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said, `Before the cock calls, you will say three times that you do not know me.' Then Peter went out and cried very much.

27 When it was morning, all the chief priests and the leaders of the people made a plan against Jesus. They wanted to kill him.

² They tied him and took him away. They took him to Pilate, the ruler.

³ Judas was the man who helped them take Jesus. He saw that they had judged Jesus and were going to kill him. He was sorry for what he had done, so he brought the thirty pieces of silver money back to the chief priests and leaders.

⁴ He said, `I have done wrong. I have helped you take a good man who should not be killed.' They said, `What do we care? You look after that!'

⁵ Judas threw the silver money into the temple. He went away and hanged himself.

⁶ The chief priests took the money. They said, `It is not right to put this money in the money box of the temple. It has been used to buy a man's death.'

⁷ They talked the matter over and bought a field that belonged to a man who made pots. They bought it for a place in which to bury strangers.

⁸ That is why that field has been called `The field of blood' until now.

⁹ What Jeremiah the prophet said long ago, then came true at that time. He said, `They took thirty pieces of silver money. That is what the people of Israel said he was worth.

¹⁰ They paid for the potter's field. That is what the Lord told me to do.'

¹¹ Jesus stood before the ruler. The ruler asked him, `Are you the King of the Jews?' Jesus said, `Yes, I am.'

¹² When the chief priests and leaders brought their complaints, Jesus said nothing.

¹³ Then Pilate said to him, `Do you not hear what these people say against you?'

¹⁴ But Jesus did not answer him, not even one word. Pilate was very much surprised about this.

¹⁵ At the feast Pilate used to let one prisoner free. He let the people choose the man they wanted to go free.

¹⁶ In the prison at that time was a very bad man named Barabbas.

¹⁷ So while the people were there Pilate asked them, `Which one do you want me to let free for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?'

¹⁸ Pilate knew that the chief priests did not like Jesus. He knew that was why they had brought Jesus to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting in the court to judge the case, his wife sent a message to him. She said, `Do nothing to that good man. I have been troubled very much in a dream about him today.'

²⁰ The chief priests and leaders talked to the people. They told them to ask Pilate to let Barabbas go free, but to kill Jesus.

²¹ The ruler said to the people, `Which of these two do you want me to let go free for you?' They said, `Barabbas.'

²² Pilate said to them, `Then what shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?' They all said, `Nail him to a cross!'

²³ The ruler said, `What wrong thing has he done?' But they shouted even more, `Nail him to a cross!'

²⁴ Pilate saw that he was not doing any good. And the people were making a lot of loud noise. So he washed his hands in water in front of the people. Then he said, `I will not say this man must be killed. You must do that.'

²⁵ Then all the people answered, `We and our children will do that.'

²⁶ Then Pilate let Barabbas go free. He told the soldiers to beat Jesus and nail him to a cross.

²⁷ Then Pilate's soldiers took Jesus to a room. They called all the soldiers together.

²⁸ They took off his clothes, and they put a red gown on him.

²⁹ They made a big ring of thorns like a crown and put it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they kneeled down in front of him and made fun of him. They shouted, `Greetings, King of the Jews!'

³⁰ They spat on him. And they took the stick and hit him on the head with it.

³¹ After they had made fun of him, they took off the red gown. They put his own clothes on him. Then they took him away to nail him to a cross.

³² As they were going, they met a man named Simon. He was born in the country of Cyrene. They made him carry Jesus' cross.

³³ They came to a place called Golgotha. That means, `The place of a head bone.'

³⁴ They wanted Jesus to drink wine mixed with something bitter. Jesus tasted it but he would not drink it.

³⁵ Then they nailed him to a cross. They gambled to see how they should divide Jesus' clothes.

³⁶ Then the soldiers sat down on the ground and watched him there.

³⁷ They put the complaint against Jesus above his head. These words were written there: `This is Jesus the King of the Jews.'

³⁸ Two bad men were also nailed to crosses. They had stolen money. One man was put on the right side of Jesus and one was put on the left side of him.

³⁹ The people who passed by said bad things about him. They shook their heads.

⁴⁰ They said, `You are the man who said you could break down the temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you are really God's Son, come down from the cross.'

⁴¹ The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders also made fun of him.

⁴² They said, `He saved other people but he cannot save himself! If he is the King of the people of Israel, he should come down from the cross now. Then we will believe in him.

⁴³ He trusted in God. If God wants him, he can save him now. He said, "I am God's Son." '

⁴⁴ The bad men who were also nailed to crosses with him said the same things to him.

⁴⁵ About midday, the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.

⁴⁶ About three o'clock, Jesus called out loud, `Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' That means, `My God, my God, why have you left me alone?'

⁴⁷ Some of the people standing there heard what Jesus said. They said `This man is calling for Elijah.'

⁴⁸ Right away, one of them ran to get something called a sponge. He made it wet with sour wine and put it on the end of a stick. With it he gave Jesus a drink.

⁴⁹ The other people said, `Wait. We will see if Elijah will come and save him.'

⁵⁰ Jesus called out loud again. Then he died.

⁵¹ At that time the thick cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces. It was torn from the top down to the bottom. The earth shook and big rocks broke.

⁵² The graves opened. Many of God's people who had died rose from death.

⁵³ They came out of their graves after Jesus rose from death. They went into Jerusalem. Many people saw them there.

⁵⁴ The Roman captain and some of his soldiers were guarding Jesus on the cross. When they saw the earth shake and the other things happen, they were very much afraid. They said, `Surely this man was God's Son.'

⁵⁵ Many women were there watching from far away. They had come with Jesus from Galilee and had helped him.

⁵⁶ Among these women were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

⁵⁷ In the evening, a rich man came. He was Joseph from the town of Arimathea. He also believed in Jesus.

⁵⁸ He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate said that it should be given to him.

⁵⁹ Joseph took the body and wrapped a clean linen cloth around it.

⁶⁰ He put the body in his own new grave which had been cut in a rock. He rolled a very big stone to close the grave. Then he went away.

⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there. They sat where they could see the grave.

⁶² The next day was the Sabbath day. The chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate together.

⁶³ They said, `Sir, that man fooled people. We remember what he said when he was still living. He said that he would rise after three days.

⁶⁴ So give orders that the grave must be guarded for three days. Then his disciples cannot come in the night to carry away his body, and tell people he rose from death. This last trick would be worse than the first.'

⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, `Take soldiers. Go and guard the grave as well as you can.'

⁶⁶ So they went and shut the grave tight. They put a government mark on the big stone. And the soldiers stayed to guard it. This was to make sure the grave would stay shut.

¹¹ Jesus stood before the ruler. The ruler asked him, `Are you the King of the Jews?' Jesus said, `Yes, I am.'

¹² When the chief priests and leaders brought their complaints, Jesus said nothing.

¹³ Then Pilate said to him, `Do you not hear what these people say against you?'

¹⁴ But Jesus did not answer him, not even one word. Pilate was very much surprised about this.

¹⁵ At the feast Pilate used to let one prisoner free. He let the people choose the man they wanted to go free.

¹⁶ In the prison at that time was a very bad man named Barabbas.

¹⁷ So while the people were there Pilate asked them, `Which one do you want me to let free for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?'

¹⁸ Pilate knew that the chief priests did not like Jesus. He knew that was why they had brought Jesus to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting in the court to judge the case, his wife sent a message to him. She said, `Do nothing to that good man. I have been troubled very much in a dream about him today.'

²⁰ The chief priests and leaders talked to the people. They told them to ask Pilate to let Barabbas go free, but to kill Jesus.

²¹ The ruler said to the people, `Which of these two do you want me to let go free for you?' They said, `Barabbas.'

²² Pilate said to them, `Then what shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?' They all said, `Nail him to a cross!'

²³ The ruler said, `What wrong thing has he done?' But they shouted even more, `Nail him to a cross!'

²⁴ Pilate saw that he was not doing any good. And the people were making a lot of loud noise. So he washed his hands in water in front of the people. Then he said, `I will not say this man must be killed. You must do that.'

²⁵ Then all the people answered, `We and our children will do that.'

²⁶ Then Pilate let Barabbas go free. He told the soldiers to beat Jesus and nail him to a cross.

²⁷ Then Pilate's soldiers took Jesus to a room. They called all the soldiers together.

²⁸ They took off his clothes, and they put a red gown on him.

²⁹ They made a big ring of thorns like a crown and put it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they kneeled down in front of him and made fun of him. They shouted, `Greetings, King of the Jews!'

³⁰ They spat on him. And they took the stick and hit him on the head with it.

³¹ After they had made fun of him, they took off the red gown. They put his own clothes on him. Then they took him away to nail him to a cross.

³² As they were going, they met a man named Simon. He was born in the country of Cyrene. They made him carry Jesus' cross.

³³ They came to a place called Golgotha. That means, `The place of a head bone.'

³⁴ They wanted Jesus to drink wine mixed with something bitter. Jesus tasted it but he would not drink it.

³⁵ Then they nailed him to a cross. They gambled to see how they should divide Jesus' clothes.

³⁶ Then the soldiers sat down on the ground and watched him there.

³⁷ They put the complaint against Jesus above his head. These words were written there: `This is Jesus the King of the Jews.'

³⁸ Two bad men were also nailed to crosses. They had stolen money. One man was put on the right side of Jesus and one was put on the left side of him.

³⁹ The people who passed by said bad things about him. They shook their heads.

⁴⁰ They said, `You are the man who said you could break down the temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you are really God's Son, come down from the cross.'

⁴¹ The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders also made fun of him.

⁴² They said, `He saved other people but he cannot save himself! If he is the King of the people of Israel, he should come down from the cross now. Then we will believe in him.

⁴³ He trusted in God. If God wants him, he can save him now. He said, "I am God's Son." '

⁴⁴ The bad men who were also nailed to crosses with him said the same things to him.

⁴⁵ About midday, the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.

⁴⁶ About three o'clock, Jesus called out loud, `Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' That means, `My God, my God, why have you left me alone?'

⁴⁷ Some of the people standing there heard what Jesus said. They said `This man is calling for Elijah.'

⁴⁸ Right away, one of them ran to get something called a sponge. He made it wet with sour wine and put it on the end of a stick. With it he gave Jesus a drink.

⁴⁹ The other people said, `Wait. We will see if Elijah will come and save him.'

⁵⁰ Jesus called out loud again. Then he died.

⁵¹ At that time the thick cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces. It was torn from the top down to the bottom. The earth shook and big rocks broke.

⁵² The graves opened. Many of God's people who had died rose from death.

⁵³ They came out of their graves after Jesus rose from death. They went into Jerusalem. Many people saw them there.

⁵⁴ The Roman captain and some of his soldiers were guarding Jesus on the cross. When they saw the earth shake and the other things happen, they were very much afraid. They said, `Surely this man was God's Son.'