Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord Is Always Merciful
1 (A) Tell the Lord
how thankful you are,
because he is kind
and always merciful.
2 Let Israel shout,
“God is always merciful!”
19 Open the gates of justice!
I will enter and tell the Lord
how thankful I am.
20 Here is the gate of the Lord!
Everyone who does right
may enter this gate.
21 I praise the Lord
for answering my prayers
and saving me.
22 (A)(B) The stone that the builders
tossed aside
has now become
the most important stone.
23 The Lord has done this,
and it is amazing to us.
24 This day belongs to the Lord!
Let's celebrate
and be glad today.
25 (C) We'll ask the Lord to save us!
We'll sincerely ask the Lord
to let us win.
26 (D) God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!
We praise you from here
in the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is our God,
and he has given us light!
Start the celebration!
March with palm branches
all the way to the altar.[a]
28 The Lord is my God!
I will praise him and tell him
how thankful I am.
29 Tell the Lord
how thankful you are,
because he is kind
and always merciful.
Jesus Enters Jerusalem
(Matthew 21.1-11; Luke 19.28-40; John 12.12-19)
11 Jesus and his disciples reached Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. When they were getting close to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 He told them, “Go into the next village. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks why you are doing this, say, ‘The Lord[a] needs it and will soon bring it back.’ ”
4 The disciples left and found the donkey tied near a door that faced the street. While they were untying it, 5 some of the people standing there asked, “Why are you untying the donkey?” 6 They told them what Jesus had said, and the people let them take it.
7 The disciples led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back, and Jesus got on. 8 Many people spread clothes on the road, while others spread branches they had cut from the fields.[b]
9 (A) In front of Jesus and behind him, people went along shouting,
“Hooray![c]
God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!
10 God bless the coming kingdom
of our ancestor David.
Hooray for God
in heaven above!”
11 After Jesus had gone to Jerusalem, he went into the temple and looked around at everything. But since it was already late in the day, he went back to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
Jesus Enters Jerusalem
(Matthew 21.1-11; Mark 11.1-11; Luke 19.28-40)
12 The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, 13 (A) they took palm branches and went out to greet him.[a] They shouted,
“Hooray![b]
God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!
God bless the King
of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a donkey and rode on it, just as the Scriptures say,
15 (B) “People of Jerusalem,
don't be afraid!
Your King is now coming,
and he is riding
on a donkey.”
16 At first, Jesus' disciples did not understand. But after he had been given his glory,[c] they remembered all this. Everything had happened exactly as the Scriptures said it would.
God's Servant Must Suffer
4 The Lord God gives me
the right words
to encourage the weary.
Each morning he awakens me
eager to learn his teaching;
5 he made me willing to listen
and not rebel or run away.
6 (A) I let them beat my back
and pull out my beard.
I didn't turn aside
when they insulted me
and spit in my face.
7 But the Lord God keeps me
from being disgraced.
So I refuse to give up,
because I know
God will never let me down.
8 (B) My protector is nearby;
no one can stand here
to accuse me of wrong.
9 The Lord God will help me
and prove I am innocent.
My accusers will wear out
like moth-eaten clothes.
9 Have pity, Lord!
I am hurting and almost blind.
My whole body aches.
10 I have known only sorrow
all my life long, and I suffer
year after year.
I am weak from sin,
and my bones are limp.
11 My enemies insult me.
Neighbors are even worse,
and I disgust my friends.
People meet me on the street,
and they turn and run.
12 I am completely forgotten
like someone dead.
I am merely a broken dish.
13 I hear the crowds whisper,
“Everyone is afraid!”
They are plotting and scheming
to murder me.
14 But I trust you, Lord,
and I claim you as my God.
15 My life is in your hands.
Save me from enemies
who hunt me down.
16 Smile on me, your servant.
Have pity and rescue me.
5 and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:[a]
6 Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain[b]
equal with God.
7 Instead he gave up everything[c]
and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.
8 Christ was humble.
He obeyed God and even died
on a cross.
9 Then God gave Christ
the highest place
and honored his name
above all others.
10 (A) So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.
11 And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”
A Plot To Kill Jesus
(Matthew 26.1-5; Luke 22.1,2; John 11.45-53)
14 (A) It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Thin Bread. The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were planning how they could sneak around and have Jesus arrested and put to death. 2 They were saying, “We must not do it during the festival, because the people will riot.”
At Bethany
(Matthew 26.6-13; John 12.1-8)
3 (B) Jesus was eating in Bethany at the home of Simon, who once had leprosy,[a] when a woman came in with a very expensive bottle of sweet-smelling perfume.[b] After breaking it open, she poured the perfume on Jesus' head. 4 This made some of the guests angry, and they complained, “Why such a waste? 5 We could have sold this perfume for more than 300 silver coins and given the money to the poor!” So they started saying cruel things to the woman.
6 But Jesus said:
Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 7 (C) You will always have the poor with you. And whenever you want to, you can give to them. But you won't always have me here with you. 8 She has done all she could by pouring perfume on my body to prepare it for burial. 9 You may be sure that wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And they will tell others.
Judas and the Chief Priests
(Matthew 26.14-16; Luke 22.3-6)
10 Judas Iscariot[c] was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests and offered to help them arrest Jesus. 11 They were glad to hear this, and they promised to pay him. So Judas started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.
Jesus Eats with His Disciples
(Matthew 26.17-25; Luke 22.7-14,21-23; John 13.21-30)
12 It was the first day of the Festival of Thin Bread, and the Passover lambs were being killed. Jesus' disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?”
13 Jesus said to two of the disciples, “Go into the city, where you will meet a man carrying a jar of water.[d] Follow him, 14 and when he goes into a house, say to the owner, ‘Our teacher wants to know if you have a room where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples.’ 15 The owner will take you upstairs and show you a large room furnished and ready for you to use. Prepare the meal there.”
16 The two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal.
17-18 (D) While Jesus and the twelve disciples were eating together that evening, he said, “The one who will betray me is now eating with me.”
19 This made the disciples sad, and one after another they said to Jesus, “You surely don't mean me!”
20 He answered, “It is one of you twelve men who is eating from this dish with me. 21 The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But it is going to be terrible for the one who betrays me. That man would be better off if he had never been born.”
The Lord's Supper
(Matthew 26.26-30; Luke 22.14-23; 1 Corinthians 11.23-25)
22 During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this. It is my body.”
23 Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and they all drank some. 24 (E) Then he said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement. 25 From now on I will not drink any wine, until I drink new wine in God's kingdom.” 26 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Peter's Promise
(Matthew 26.31-35; Luke 22.31-34; John 13.36-38)
27 (F) Jesus said to his disciples, “All of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say,
‘I will strike down
the shepherd,
and the sheep
will be scattered.’
28 (G) But after I am raised to life, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
29 Peter spoke up, “Even if all the others reject you, I never will!”
30 Jesus replied, “This very night before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me.”
31 But Peter was so sure of himself that he said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say I don't know you!”
All the others said the same thing.
Jesus Prays
(Matthew 26.36-46; Luke 22.39-46)
32 Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he told them, “Sit here while I pray.”
33 Jesus took along Peter, James, and John. He was sad and troubled and 34 told them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”
35-36 Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt down on the ground and prayed, “Father,[e] if it is possible, don't let this happen to me! Father, you can do anything. Don't make me suffer by drinking from this cup.[f] But do what you want, and not what I want.”
37 When Jesus came back and found the disciples sleeping, he said to Simon Peter, “Are you asleep? Can't you stay awake for just one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”
39 Jesus went back and prayed the same prayer. 40 But when he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open, and they did not know what to say.
41 When Jesus returned to the disciples the third time, he said, “Are you still sleeping and resting?[g] Enough of this! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. 42 Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here.”
Jesus Is Arrested
(Matthew 26.47-56; Luke 22.47-53; John 18.3-12)
43 Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a mob of men armed with swords and clubs were with him. They had been sent by the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses. 44 Judas had told them ahead of time, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.[h] Tie him up tight and lead him away.”
45 Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” Then Judas kissed him, 46 and the men grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
47 Someone standing there pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
48 Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? 49 (H) Day after day I was with you and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. But what the Scriptures say must come true.”
50 All of Jesus' disciples ran off and left him. 51 One of them was a young man who was wearing only a linen cloth. And when the men grabbed him, 52 he left the cloth behind and ran away naked.
Jesus Is Questioned by the Council
(Matthew 26.57-68; Luke 22.54,55,63-71; John 18.13,14,19-24)
53 Jesus was led off to the high priest. Then the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses all met together. 54 Peter had followed at a distance, and when he reached the courtyard of the high priest's house, he sat down with the guards to warm himself beside a fire.
55 The chief priests and the whole council tried to find someone to accuse Jesus of a crime, so they could put him to death. But they could not find anyone to accuse him. 56 Many people did tell lies against Jesus, but they did not agree on what they said. 57 Finally, some men stood up and lied about him. They said, 58 (I) “We heard him say he would tear down this temple that we built. He also claimed that in three days he would build another one without any help.” 59 But even then they did not agree on what they said.
60 The high priest stood up in the council and asked Jesus, “Why don't you say something in your own defense? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?” 61 But Jesus kept quiet and did not say a word. The high priest asked him another question, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the glorious God?”[i]
62 (J) “Yes, I am!” Jesus answered.
“Soon you will see
the Son of Man
sitting at the right side[j]
of God All-Powerful,
and coming with the clouds
of heaven.”
63 At once the high priest ripped his robe apart and shouted, “Why do we need more witnesses? 64 (K) You heard him claim to be God! What is your decision?” They all agreed he should be put to death.
65 Some of the people started spitting on Jesus. They blindfolded him, hit him with their fists, and said, “Tell us who hit you!” Then the guards took charge of Jesus and beat him.
Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus
(Matthew 26.69-75; Luke 22.56-62; John 18.15-18,25-27)
66 While Peter was still in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came up 67 and saw Peter warming himself by the fire. She stared at him and said, “You were with Jesus from Nazareth!”
68 Peter replied, “That isn't true! I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any idea what you mean.” He went out to the gate, and a rooster crowed.[k]
69 The servant girl saw Peter again and said to the people standing there, “This man is one of them!”
70 “No, I'm not!” Peter replied.
A little while later some of the people said to Peter, “You certainly are one of them. You're a Galilean!”
71 This time Peter began to curse and swear, “I don't even know the man you're talking about!”
72 At once the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had told him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me.” So Peter started crying.
Pilate Questions Jesus
(Matthew 27.1,2,11-14; Luke 23.1-5; John 18.28-38)
15 Early the next morning the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met together with the whole Jewish council. They tied up Jesus and led him off to Pilate.
2 He asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Those are your words,” Jesus answered.
3 The chief priests brought many charges against Jesus. 4 Then Pilate questioned him again, “Don't you have anything to say? Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?” 5 But Jesus did not answer, and Pilate was amazed.
The Death Sentence
(Matthew 27.15-26; Luke 23.13-25; John 18.39—19.16)
6 During Passover, Pilate always freed one prisoner chosen by the people. 7 And at that time there was a prisoner named Barabbas. He and some others had been arrested for murder during a riot. 8 The crowd now came and asked Pilate to set a prisoner free, just as he usually did.
9 Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?” 10 Pilate knew that the chief priests had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.
11 But the chief priests told the crowd to ask Pilate to free Barabbas.
12 Then Pilate asked the crowd, “What do you want me to do with this man you say is[l] the king of the Jews?”
13 They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
14 Pilate asked, “But what crime has he done?”
“Nail him to a cross!” they yelled even louder.
15 Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross.
Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
(Matthew 27.27-30; John 19.2,3)
16 The soldiers led Jesus inside the courtyard of the fortress[m] and called together the rest of the troops. 17 They put a purple robe[n] on him, and on his head they placed a crown they had made out of thorn branches. 18 They made fun of Jesus and shouted, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” 19 Then they beat him on the head with a stick. They spit on him and knelt down and pretended to worship him.
20 When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross. 21 (L) Simon from Cyrene happened to be coming in from a farm, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross. Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
(Matthew 27.31-44; Luke 23.27-43; John 19.17-27)
22 The soldiers took Jesus to Golgotha, which means “Place of a Skull.”[o] 23 There they gave him some wine mixed with a drug to ease the pain, but he refused to drink it.
24 (M) They nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes. 25 It was about nine o'clock in the morning when they nailed him to the cross. 26 On it was a sign that told why he was nailed there. It read, “This is the King of the Jews.” 27-28 (N) The soldiers also nailed two criminals on crosses, one to the right of Jesus and the other to his left.[p]
29 (O) People who passed by said terrible things about Jesus. They shook their heads and shouted, “Ha! So you're the one who claimed you could tear down the temple and build it again in three days. 30 Save yourself and come down from the cross!”
31 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses also made fun of Jesus. They said to each other, “He saved others, but he can't save himself. 32 If he is the Messiah, the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross! Then we will see and believe.” The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus.
The Death of Jesus
(Matthew 27.45-56; Luke 23.44-49; John 19.28-30)
33 About noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until around three o'clock. 34 (P) Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”[q] which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”
35 Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, “He is calling for Elijah.”[r] 36 (Q) One of them ran and grabbed a sponge. After he had soaked it in wine, he put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus. He said, “Let's wait and see if Elijah will come[s] and take him down!” 37 Jesus shouted and then died.
38 (R) At once the curtain in the temple[t] tore in two from top to bottom.
39 A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, “This man really was the Son of God!”
40-41 (S) Some women were looking on from a distance. They and many others had come with Jesus to Jerusalem. But even before this they had been his followers and had helped him while he was in Galilee. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joseph were two of these women. Salome was also one of them.
Jesus Is Buried
(Matthew 27.57-61; Luke 23.50-56; John 19.38-42)
42 It was now the evening before the Sabbath, and the Jewish people were getting ready for that sacred day. 43 A man named Joseph from Arimathea was brave enough to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus. Joseph was a highly respected member of the Jewish council, and he was also waiting for God's kingdom to come.
44 Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, and he called in the army officer to find out if Jesus had been dead very long. 45 After the officer told him, Pilate let Joseph have Jesus' body.
46 Joseph bought a linen cloth and took the body down from the cross. He had it wrapped in the cloth, and he put it in a tomb that had been cut into solid rock. Then he rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching and saw where the body was placed.
Pilate Questions Jesus
(Matthew 27.1,2,11-14; Luke 23.1-5; John 18.28-38)
15 Early the next morning the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met together with the whole Jewish council. They tied up Jesus and led him off to Pilate.
2 He asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Those are your words,” Jesus answered.
3 The chief priests brought many charges against Jesus. 4 Then Pilate questioned him again, “Don't you have anything to say? Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?” 5 But Jesus did not answer, and Pilate was amazed.
The Death Sentence
(Matthew 27.15-26; Luke 23.13-25; John 18.39—19.16)
6 During Passover, Pilate always freed one prisoner chosen by the people. 7 And at that time there was a prisoner named Barabbas. He and some others had been arrested for murder during a riot. 8 The crowd now came and asked Pilate to set a prisoner free, just as he usually did.
9 Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?” 10 Pilate knew that the chief priests had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.
11 But the chief priests told the crowd to ask Pilate to free Barabbas.
12 Then Pilate asked the crowd, “What do you want me to do with this man you say is[a] the king of the Jews?”
13 They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
14 Pilate asked, “But what crime has he done?”
“Nail him to a cross!” they yelled even louder.
15 Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross.
Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
(Matthew 27.27-30; John 19.2,3)
16 The soldiers led Jesus inside the courtyard of the fortress[b] and called together the rest of the troops. 17 They put a purple robe[c] on him, and on his head they placed a crown they had made out of thorn branches. 18 They made fun of Jesus and shouted, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” 19 Then they beat him on the head with a stick. They spit on him and knelt down and pretended to worship him.
20 When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross. 21 (A) Simon from Cyrene happened to be coming in from a farm, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross. Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
(Matthew 27.31-44; Luke 23.27-43; John 19.17-27)
22 The soldiers took Jesus to Golgotha, which means “Place of a Skull.”[d] 23 There they gave him some wine mixed with a drug to ease the pain, but he refused to drink it.
24 (B) They nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes. 25 It was about nine o'clock in the morning when they nailed him to the cross. 26 On it was a sign that told why he was nailed there. It read, “This is the King of the Jews.” 27-28 (C) The soldiers also nailed two criminals on crosses, one to the right of Jesus and the other to his left.[e]
29 (D) People who passed by said terrible things about Jesus. They shook their heads and shouted, “Ha! So you're the one who claimed you could tear down the temple and build it again in three days. 30 Save yourself and come down from the cross!”
31 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses also made fun of Jesus. They said to each other, “He saved others, but he can't save himself. 32 If he is the Messiah, the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross! Then we will see and believe.” The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus.
The Death of Jesus
(Matthew 27.45-56; Luke 23.44-49; John 19.28-30)
33 About noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until around three o'clock. 34 (E) Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”[f] which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”
35 Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, “He is calling for Elijah.”[g] 36 (F) One of them ran and grabbed a sponge. After he had soaked it in wine, he put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus. He said, “Let's wait and see if Elijah will come[h] and take him down!” 37 Jesus shouted and then died.
38 (G) At once the curtain in the temple[i] tore in two from top to bottom.
39 A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, “This man really was the Son of God!”
40-41 (A) Some women were looking on from a distance. They and many others had come with Jesus to Jerusalem. But even before this they had been his followers and had helped him while he was in Galilee. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joseph were two of these women. Salome was also one of them.
Jesus Is Buried
(Matthew 27.57-61; Luke 23.50-56; John 19.38-42)
42 It was now the evening before the Sabbath, and the Jewish people were getting ready for that sacred day. 43 A man named Joseph from Arimathea was brave enough to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus. Joseph was a highly respected member of the Jewish council, and he was also waiting for God's kingdom to come.
44 Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, and he called in the army officer to find out if Jesus had been dead very long. 45 After the officer told him, Pilate let Joseph have Jesus' body.
46 Joseph bought a linen cloth and took the body down from the cross. He had it wrapped in the cloth, and he put it in a tomb that had been cut into solid rock. Then he rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching and saw where the body was placed.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.