Palm Sunday (Year B)

To see the full text of the long Passion reading, click on ‘Reader’ to read on screen, or click on ‘PDF’ to view or download the six-page PDF

The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus, and execute him. But they feared a riot if they made the arrest in a public place, or during the Festival of the Passover, which was only two days away. Jesus was at Bethany, outside Jerusalem, in the house of Simon the leper. As Jesus sat at the table to eat, a woman came, with a carved alabaster jar of valuable perfumed ointment. She broke open the jar, and poured out the ointment on Jesus’ head. Some of those present condemned her, saying that the ointment had been wasted, when it could have been sold, for a whole year’s wages, and the money given to the poor. But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone. She has done a beautiful thing for me. You always have the poor with you, and you can help them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body early, for burial. And she will be remembered throughout the world for her good deed, wherever the good news is proclaimed.’ Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, then went to the chief priests, offering to betray Jesus to them. The chief priests were glad to receive this offer, and promised Judas payment. And Judas began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus. On the first day of the Passover festival, the day when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, the disciples asked Jesus where they should make preparations for the Passover meal. Jesus sent two of the disciples into the city, saying that they would see someone carrying a jar of water into a house. They should ask the owner of that house to show them a guest room, where their teacher, and his disciples, could eat the Passover meal. They would be shown a large upstairs room, furnished and ready, and they should make preparations there. The disciples went to the city, and found everything as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. When it was evening, Jesus and the twelve took their places at the table. While they were eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me - one who is here, eating with me.’ The disciples were distressed, and began to say to him, one after another, ‘Surely, not me, Lord.’ Jesus said to them, ‘It is one of the twelve, one who is eating, here at this table. The Son of Man will go as it is written. And for the one who betrays him, it would have been better not to have been born.’ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take, and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took the cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said, ‘This is my blood, of the covenant, which is poured out for many. And I will not drink the fruit of the vine again until I drink it in the kingdom of God.’ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, ‘You will all fall away; as the scripture says, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.’ Peter said to Jesus, ‘Others may fall away, but I will not.’ Jesus said to Peter, ‘This very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ But Peter insisted all the more, ‘Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And they all said the same. They went to a place called Gethsemane. And Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Stay here while I pray.’ Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John. And he became troubled, and distressed, saying to them, ‘My soul is consumed with grief, to the point of death. Stay here, and keep watch.’ And going a little further, he fell to the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him; saying ‘Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours, be done.’ Jesus returned to Peter, James, and John, and found them sleeping. Jesus said to Peter, ‘Could you not keep awake one hour? Stay awake, and pray, that you may not have to enter the time of temptation, testing, and trial; for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Jesus left them again, and prayed once more, saying the same words. And he returned to them again, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. And Jesus returned a third time, and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping, and taking your rest? Enough. The hour has come, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.’ While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived, with a crowd, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Judas, the betrayer, had arranged a signal with them, saying, ‘I will greet him with a kiss. Then you can arrest him, and lead him away, under guard.’ So Judas now approached Jesus, and said, ‘Teacher,’ and greeted him with a kiss. And they took hold of Jesus, and arrested him. Someone took a sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Jesus said, ‘Day after day I was in your temple, teaching, and you did not arrest me. And now you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like an outlaw. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.’ All the disciples now deserted Jesus, and fled. One young man amongst them had been wearing a single garment of linen cloth. Those who had arrested Jesus caught hold of it, as they tried to arrest him, and he fled without it. Those who had arrested Jesus took him to the high priest. The elders, the scribes, and the chief priests, had all assembled there. Peter had followed at a distance, into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. The chief priests, and the whole council, were looking for testimony against Jesus, to put him to death; but they found none. Many gave false testimony against Jesus, but their testimony did not agree. Some stood up, and gave false testimony against him, saying, ‘We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple, that is made by human hands, and in three days, I will build another, not made by human hands.”’ But even on this point, their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood, and demanded of Jesus, ‘How do you respond to what they are saying? Have you no answer?’ But Jesus was silent, making no reply. The high priest asked Jesus, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Holy One?’ Jesus said, ‘I am; and you will see the Son of Man, seated at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ Then the high priest tore at his robes, and said, ‘We need no further witnesses. You have heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?’ And they all condemned him as deserving death. Some spat at him, blindfolded him, beat him, and said to him, ‘What now, prophet!’ And the guards also took him and beat him. One of the women who worked for the high priest walked past where Peter was keeping warm in the courtyard below. She looked closely at Peter, then said to him, ‘You were with Jesus of Nazareth.’ But Peter denied it, saying, ‘I do not know what you mean.’ And he moved to the outer courtyard. And the cock crowed. The woman saw Peter again, and said to those who were standing there, ‘This man is one of them.’ Again, Peter denied it. A short time later, those who were standing there said to Peter, ‘Surely you are with him, for you are a Galilean.’ Peter began to curse, and swore with an oath, ‘I do not know this man.’ And at that very moment, the cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And Peter broke down and wept. As soon as it was morning, the chief priests consulted with the elders, and the scribes, and the whole council. Then they bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus replied, ‘You have said it.’ Then the chief priests made many accusations against Jesus. Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.’ But Jesus made no further reply. Now it had become a custom that at the festival Pilate would release a prisoner, whichever one the people demanded. Amongst the prisoners was Barabbas. He had committed a murder, as one of the rebels during an insurrection. The crowd began to ask Pilate to release a prisoner, in keeping with his custom. Pilate had now recognised that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. So Pilate said to the crowd, ‘Shall I release for you the King of the Jews?’ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask Pilate to release Barabbas instead. Pilate addressed the crowd again, saying, ‘What then shall I do with the one you call the King of the Jews?’ And they shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’ Pilate asked them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Crucify him!’ So to appease the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas. And after having Jesus flogged, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. The soldiers led Jesus into the courtyard, and called together the whole guard. They twisted some thorns into a crown, and put it on him. They put him in a purple cloak, and began to salute him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down, as if they were honouring him. And after they had mocked him, they removed the purple cloak from him, put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. A man called Simon, from north Africa, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was there, coming in from the country; and they took him, and made him carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, The Place of the Skull. They offered him wine, mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him. And they divided his clothing between them, casting lots to determine what each of them would take. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him, they crucified two thieves, one on his right, and one on his left. Those who passed by mocked him, shaking their heads, and saying, ‘You said you could destroy the temple and build it in three days; so save yourself; come down from the cross.’ The chief priests and the scribes also mocked him amongst themselves, saying, ‘He saved others, but he cannot save himself! If he is the Messiah, the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross, and we will believe in him.’ And those who were crucified with him also taunted him. At midday, darkness came over the whole land for three hours. Then Jesus cried out, with a loud voice, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Jesus cried out in Aramaic, addressing God as ‘Eli’. Some of the bystanders thought he was calling for Elijah. One of them brought a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and held it up for Jesus to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.’ Then Jesus let out a loud cry; and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple sanctuary was torn in two. When the centurion, who stood facing Jesus, saw that in this way, he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God.’ Amongst the women, watching from a distance, were Mary Magdalene, and Salome, and Mary the mother of Joseph and the younger James. They had followed and provided for Jesus in Galilee. And many other women, who had travelled with him to Jerusalem, were also there. It was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea was a respected member of the council, who was, himself, waiting expectantly for the coming of the kingdom of God. When evening came, he found the courage to go to Pilate, to ask for the body of Jesus. Pilate had not expected that Jesus would already be dead; but when Pilate had confirmed, with a centurion, that Jesus had indeed been dead for some time, Pilate granted the body to Joseph, as requested. Then Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out from the rock. Then he rolled a stone across the entrance to the tomb. Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joseph, saw where the body was laid. The Passion of the Lord.