Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Suffering Servant
13 My servant will be successful.
He will be respected, praised, and highly honored.
14 Many will be shocked by him.[a]
His appearance will be so disfigured
that he won’t look like any other man.
His looks will be so disfigured
that he will hardly look like a human.
15 He will cleanse many nations ⌞with his blood⌟.
Kings will shut their mouths because of him.
They will see things that they had never been told.
They will understand things that they had never heard.
53 Who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord’s power been revealed?
2 He grew up in his presence like a young tree,
like a root out of dry ground.
He had no form or majesty that would make us look at him.
He had nothing in his appearance that would make us desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by people.
He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.
He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces,
and we didn’t consider him to be worth anything.
4 He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering
and carried our sorrows,
but we thought that God had wounded him,
beat him, and punished him.
5 He was wounded for our rebellious acts.
He was crushed for our sins.
He was punished so that we could have peace,
and we received healing from his wounds.
6 We have all strayed like sheep.
Each one of us has turned to go his own way,
and the Lord has laid all our sins on him.
7 He was abused and punished,
but he didn’t open his mouth.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
He was like a sheep that is silent
when its wool is cut off.
He didn’t open his mouth.
8 He was arrested, taken away, and judged.
Who would have thought that he would be removed
from the world?
He was killed because of my people’s rebellion.
9 He was placed in a tomb with the wicked.
He was put there with the rich when he died,
although he had done nothing violent
and had never spoken a lie.
10 Yet, it was the Lord’s will to crush him with suffering.
When the Lord has made his life a sacrifice for our wrongdoings,
he will see his descendants for many days.
The will of the Lord will succeed through him.
11 He will see and be satisfied
because of his suffering.
My righteous servant will acquit many people
because of what he has learned ⌞through suffering⌟.
He will carry their sins as a burden.
12 So I will give him a share among the mighty,
and he will divide the prize with the strong,
because he poured out his life in death
and he was counted with sinners.
He carried the sins of many.
He intercedes for those who are rebellious.
For the choir director; according to ayyeleth hashachar; [a] a psalm by David.
22 My God, my God,
why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away from helping me,
so far away from the words of my groaning?
2 My God,
I cry out by day, but you do not answer—
also at night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet, you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 Our ancestors trusted you.
They trusted, and you rescued them.
5 They cried to you and were saved.
They trusted you and were never disappointed.
6 Yet, I am a worm and not a man.
I am scorned by humanity and despised by people.
7 All who see me make fun of me.
Insults pour from their mouths.
They shake their heads and say,
8 “Put yourself in the Lord’s hands.
Let the Lord save him!
Let God rescue him since he is pleased with him!”
9 Indeed, you are the one who brought me out of the womb,
the one who made me feel safe at my mother’s breasts.
10 I was placed in your care from birth.
From my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be so far away from me.
Trouble is near, and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded me.
Strong bulls from Bashan have encircled me.
13 They have opened their mouths to attack me
like ferocious, roaring lions.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax.
It has melted within me.
15 My strength is dried up like pieces of broken pottery.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You lay me down in the dust of death.
16 Dogs have surrounded me.
A mob has encircled me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
People stare.
They gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among themselves.
They throw dice for my clothing.
19 Do not be so far away, O Lord.
Come quickly to help me, O my strength.
20 Rescue my soul from the sword,
my life from vicious dogs.
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion
and from the horns of wild oxen.
You have answered me.
22 I will tell my people about your name.
I will praise you within the congregation.
23 All who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him!
Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel.
24 The Lord has not despised or been disgusted
with the plight of the oppressed one.
He has not hidden his face from that person.
The Lord heard when that oppressed person
cried out to him for help.
25 My praise comes from you while I am among those assembled for worship.
I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who fear the Lord.
26 Oppressed people will eat until they are full.
Those who look to the Lord will praise him.
May you live forever.
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and return to the Lord.
All the families from all the nations will worship you
28 because the kingdom belongs to the Lord
and he rules the nations.
29 All prosperous people on earth will eat and worship.
All those who go down to the dust will kneel in front of him,
even those who are barely alive.
30 There will be descendants who serve him,
a generation that will be told about the Lord.
31 They will tell people yet to be born about his righteousness—
that he has finished it.
16 “This is the promise [a] that I will make to them after those days, says the Lord: ‘I will put my teachings in their hearts and write them in their minds.’ ”
17 Then he adds, “I will no longer hold their sins and their disobedience against them.”
18 When sins are forgiven, there is no longer any need to sacrifice for sins.
19 Brothers and sisters, because of the blood of Jesus we can now confidently go into the holy place. 20 Jesus has opened a new and living way for us to go through the curtain. (The curtain is his own body.) 21 We have a superior priest in charge of God’s house. 22 We have been sprinkled ⌞with his blood⌟ to free us from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with clean water. So we must continue to come ⌞to him⌟ with a sincere heart and strong faith. 23 We must continue to hold firmly to our declaration of faith. The one who made the promise is faithful.
Encourage Each Other
24 We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things. 25 We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.
Christ Is Superior to Other Chief Priests
14 We need to hold on to our declaration of faith: We have a superior chief priest who has gone through the heavens. That person is Jesus, the Son of God. 15 We have a chief priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he didn’t sin. 16 So we can go confidently to the throne of God’s kindness [a] to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time.
7 During his life on earth, Jesus prayed to God, who could save him from death. He prayed and pleaded with loud crying and tears, and he was heard because of his devotion to God. 8 Although Jesus was the Son ⌞of God⌟, he learned to be obedient through his sufferings. 9 After he had finished his work, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him.
Jesus Is Arrested(A)
18 After Jesus finished his prayer, he went with his disciples to the other side of the Kidron Valley. They entered the garden that was there.
2 Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place because Jesus and his disciples often gathered there. 3 So Judas took a troop of soldiers and the guards from the chief priests and Pharisees and went to the garden. They were carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons.
4 Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him. So he went to meet them and asked, “Who are you looking for?”
5 They answered him, “Jesus from Nazareth.”
Jesus told them, “I am he.”
Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with the crowd. 6 When Jesus told them, “I am he,” the crowd backed away and fell to the ground.
7 Jesus asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”
They said, “Jesus from Nazareth.”
8 Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these other men go.” 9 In this way what Jesus had said came true: “I lost none of those you gave me.”
10 Simon Peter had a sword. He drew it, attacked the chief priest’s servant, and cut off the servant’s right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
11 Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword away. Shouldn’t I drink the cup ⌞of suffering⌟ that my Father has given me?”
12 Then the army officer and the Jewish guards arrested Jesus. They tied Jesus up 13 and took him first to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas, the chief priest that year, 14 was the person who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one man die for the people.
Peter Denies Jesus(B)
15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. The other disciple was well-known to the chief priest. So that disciple went with Jesus into the chief priest’s courtyard. 16 Peter, however, was standing outside the gate. The other disciple talked to the woman who was the gatekeeper and brought Peter into the courtyard.
17 The gatekeeper asked Peter, “Aren’t you one of this man’s disciples too?”
Peter answered, “No, I’m not!”
18 The servants and the guards were standing around a fire they had built and were warming themselves because it was cold. Peter was standing there, too, and warming himself with the others.
The Chief Priest Questions Jesus
19 The chief priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teachings.
20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly for everyone to hear. I have always taught in synagogues or in the temple courtyard, where all the Jews gather. I haven’t said anything in secret. 21 Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I said to them. They know what I’ve said.”
22 When Jesus said this, one of the guards standing near Jesus slapped his face and said, “Is that how you answer the chief priest?”
23 Jesus replied to him, “If I’ve said anything wrong, tell me what it was. But if I’ve told the truth, why do you hit me?”
24 Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas, the chief priest. Jesus was still tied up.
Peter Denies Jesus Again(C)
25 Simon Peter continued to stand and warm himself by the fire. Some men asked him, “Aren’t you, too, one of his disciples?”
Peter denied it by saying, “No, I’m not!”
26 One of the chief priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked him, “Didn’t I see you with Jesus in the garden?”
27 Peter again denied it, and just then a rooster crowed.
Pilate Questions Jesus(D)
28 Early in the morning, Jesus was taken from Caiaphas’ house to the governor’s palace.
The Jews wouldn’t go into the palace. They didn’t want to become unclean,[a] since they wanted to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What accusation are you making against this man?”
30 The Jews answered Pilate, “If he weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.”
31 Pilate told the Jews, “Take him, and try him by your law.”
The Jews answered him, “We’re not allowed to execute anyone.” 32 In this way what Jesus had predicted about how he would die came true.
33 Pilate went back into the palace, called for Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 Jesus replied, “Did you think of that yourself, or did others tell you about me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own people and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom doesn’t belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. My kingdom doesn’t have its origin on earth.”
37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”
Jesus replied, “You’re correct in saying that I’m a king. I have been born and have come into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.”
38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
After Pilate said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I don’t find this man guilty of anything. 39 You have a custom that I should free one person for you at Passover. Would you like me to free the king of the Jews for you?”
40 The Jews shouted again, “Don’t free this man! Free Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a political revolutionary.)
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus(E)
19 Then Pilate had Jesus taken away and whipped. 2 The soldiers twisted some thorny branches into a crown, placed it on his head, and put a purple cape on him. 3 They went up to him, said, “Long live the king of the Jews!” and slapped his face.
The People Want Jesus Crucified
4 Pilate went outside again and told the Jews, “I’m bringing him out to you to let you know that I don’t find this man guilty of anything.” 5 Jesus went outside. He was wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cape. Pilate said to the Jews, “Look, here’s the man!”
6 When the chief priests and the guards saw Jesus, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Pilate told them, “You take him and crucify him. I don’t find this man guilty of anything.”
7 The Jews answered Pilate, “We have a law, and by that law he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard them say that, he became more afraid than ever. 9 He went into the palace again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus didn’t answer him.
10 So Pilate said to Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer me? Don’t you know that I have the authority to free you or to crucify you?”
11 Jesus answered Pilate, “You wouldn’t have any authority over me if it hadn’t been given to you from above. That’s why the man who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 When Pilate heard what Jesus said, he wanted to free him. But the Jews shouted, “If you free this man, you’re not a friend of the emperor. Anyone who claims to be a king is defying the emperor.”
13 When Pilate heard what they said, he took Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s seat in a place called Stone Pavement. (In Hebrew it is called Gabbatha.) 14 The time was about noon on the Friday of the Passover festival.
Pilate said to the Jews, “Look, here’s your king!”
15 Then the Jews shouted, “Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!”
Pilate asked them, “Should I crucify your king?”
The chief priests responded, “The emperor is the only king we have!”
16 Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.
The Crucifixion(F)
So the soldiers took Jesus. 17 He carried his own cross and went out ⌞of the city⌟ to a location called The Skull. (In Hebrew this place is called Golgotha.) 18 The soldiers crucified Jesus and two other men there. Jesus was in the middle.
19 Pilate wrote a notice and put it on the cross. The notice read, “Jesus from Nazareth, the king of the Jews.” 20 Many Jews read this notice, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. The notice was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
21 The chief priests of the Jewish people told Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The king of the Jews!’ Instead, write, ‘He said that he is the king of the Jews.’ ”
22 Pilate replied, “I have written what I’ve written.”
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them four ways so that each soldier could have a share. His robe was left over. It didn’t have a seam because it had been woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 The soldiers said to each other, “Let’s not rip it apart. Let’s throw dice to see who will get it.” In this way the Scripture came true: “They divided my clothes among themselves. They threw dice for my clothing.” So that’s what the soldiers did.
25 Jesus’ mother, her sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary from Magdala were standing beside Jesus’ cross. 26 Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there. He said to his mother, “Look, here’s your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Look, here’s your mother!”
From that time on she lived with that disciple in his home.
Jesus Dies on the Cross(G)
28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything had now been finished, he said, “I’m thirsty.” He said this so that Scripture could finally be concluded.
29 A jar filled with vinegar was there. So the soldiers put a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick and held it to his mouth.
30 After Jesus had taken the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!”
Then he bowed his head and died.
31 Since it was Friday and the next day was an especially important day of rest—a holy day, the Jews didn’t want the bodies to stay on the crosses. So they asked Pilate to have the men’s legs broken and their bodies removed. 32 The soldiers broke the legs of the first man and then of the other man who had been crucified with Jesus.
33 When the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. 34 However, one of the soldiers stabbed Jesus’ side with his spear, and blood and water immediately came out. 35 The one who saw this is an eyewitness. What he says is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth so that you, too, will believe.
36 This happened so that the Scripture would come true: “None of his bones will be broken.” 37 Another Scripture passage says, “They will look at the person whom they have stabbed.”
Jesus Is Placed in a Tomb(H)
38 Later Joseph from the city of Arimathea asked Pilate to let him remove Jesus’ body. (Joseph was a disciple of Jesus but secretly because he was afraid of the Jews). Pilate gave him permission to remove Jesus’ body. So Joseph removed it. 39 Nicodemus, the one who had first come to Jesus at night, went with Joseph and brought 75 pounds of a myrrh and aloe mixture.
40 These two men took the body of Jesus and bound it with strips of linen. They laced the strips with spices. This was the Jewish custom for burial.
41 A garden was located in the place where Jesus was crucified. In that garden was a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. 42 Joseph and Nicodemus put Jesus in that tomb, since that day was the Jewish day of preparation and since the tomb was nearby.
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