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When
the hour came, Jesus took his place at table with
the apostles.
He
said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this
Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell
you, I shall not eat it again until there is
fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take
this and share it among yourselves; for I tell you
that from this time on I shall not drink of the
fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke
it, and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body, which will be given for you; do
this in memory of me.”
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which
will be shed for you.
“And
yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray
me is with me on the table; for the Son of Man
indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to
that man by whom he is betrayed.”
And they began to debate among themselves who
among them would do such a deed.
Then an argument broke out among them about which
of them should be regarded as the greatest.
He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord
it over them and those in authority over them are
addressed as ‘Benefactors’; but among you it shall
not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be
as the youngest, and the leader as the servant.
For who is greater: the one seated at table or the
one who serves?
Is it not the one seated at table? I am among you
as the one who serves.
It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I
confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has
conferred one on me, that you may eat and drink at
my table in my kingdom; and you will sit on
thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift
all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your
own faith may not fail; and once you have turned
back,
you must strengthen your brothers.”
He said to him, “Lord, I am prepared to go to
prison and to die with you.”
But he replied, “I tell you, Peter, before the
cock crows this day, you will deny three times
that you know me.”
He said to them, “When I sent you forth without a
money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need
of anything?”
“No, nothing, “ they replied. He said to them,
“But now one who has a money bag should take it,
and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a
sword
should sell his cloak and buy one.
For I tell you that this Scripture must be
fulfilled in me, namely, He was counted among the
wicked; and indeed what is written about me is
coming to fulfillment.”
Then they said, “Lord, look, there are two swords
here.”
But he replied, “It is enough!”
Then going out, he went, as was his custom, to the
Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.
When he arrived at the place he said to them,
“Pray that you may not undergo the test.”
After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them
and kneeling, he prayed, saying, “Father, if you
are willing, take this cup away from me; still,
not my will but yours be done.”
And to strengthen him an angel from heaven
appeared to him. He was in such agony and he
prayed so fervently that his sweat became like
drops of blood
falling on the ground.
When he rose from prayer and returned to his
disciples, he found them sleeping from grief.
He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and
pray that you may not undergo the test.”
While he was still speaking, a crowd approached
and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named
Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss him.
Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the
Son of Man with a kiss?”
His disciples realized what was about to happen,
and they asked, “Lord, shall we strike with a
sword?”
And one of them struck the high priest’s servant
and cut off his right ear.
But Jesus said in reply, “Stop, no more of this!”
Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple
guards and elders who had come for him, “Have you
come out as against a robber, with swords and
clubs? Day after day I was with you in the temple
area, and you did not seize me; but this is your
hour, the time for the power of darkness.”
After arresting him they led him away and took him
into the house of the high priest; Peter was
following at a distance. They lit a fire in the
middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and
Peter sat down with them.
When a maid saw him seated in the light, she
looked intently at him and said,
“This man too was with him.”
But he denied it saying, “Woman, I do not know
him.”
A
short while later someone else saw him and said,
“You too are one of them”;
but Peter answered, “My friend, I am not.”
About an hour later, still another insisted,
“Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also
is a Galilean.”
But Peter said, “My friend, I do not know what you
are talking about.”
Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed, and
the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter
remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said
to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will
deny me three times.”
He went out and began to weep bitterly. The men
who held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and
beating him. They blindfolded him and questioned
him, saying,
“Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?”
And they reviled him in saying many other things
against him.
When day came the council of elders of the people
met, both chief priests and scribes, and they
brought him before their Sanhedrin.
They said, “If you are the Christ, tell us," but
he replied to them, “If I tell you, you will not
believe, and if I question, you will not respond.
But from this time on the Son of Man will be
seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”
He replied to them, “You say that I am.”
Then they said, “What further need have we for
testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth.”
Then
the whole assembly of them arose and brought him
before Pilate.
They brought charges against him, saying, “We
found this man misleading our people; he opposes
the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that
he is the Christ, a king.”
Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
He said to him in reply, “You say so.”
Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the
crowds, “I find this man not guilty.”
But they were adamant and said, “He is inciting
the people with his teaching throughout all Judea,
from Galilee where he began even to here.”
On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a
Galilean; and upon learning that he was under
Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was
in Jerusalem at that time.
Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been
wanting to see him for a long time, for he had
heard about him and had been hoping to see him
perform some sign.
He questioned him at length, but he gave him no
answer. The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile,
stood by accusing him harshly.
Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously
and mocked him, and after clothing him in
resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate.
Herod and Pilate became friends that very day,
even though they had been enemies formerly.
Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the
rulers, and the people and said to them, “You
brought this man to me and accused him of inciting
the people to revolt.
I have conducted my investigation in your presence
and have not found this man guilty of the charges
you have brought against him, nor did Herod, for
he sent him back to us.
So no capital crime has been committed by him.
Therefore I shall have him flogged and then
release him.”
But
all together they shouted out, “Away with this
man! Release Barabbas to us.”
—
Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion
that had taken place in the city and for murder. —
Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to
release Jesus, but they continued their shouting,
“Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Pilate addressed them a third time, “What evil has
this man done? I found him guilty of no capital
crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then
release him.”
With loud shouts, however, they persisted in
calling for his crucifixion, and their voices
prevailed.
The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should
be granted. So he released the man who had been
imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they
asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal
with as they wished.
As they led him away they took hold of a certain
Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the
country; and after laying the cross on him, they
made him carry it behind Jesus.
A
large crowd of people followed Jesus, including
many women who mourned and lamented him.
Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of
Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for
yourselves and for your children for indeed, the
days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are
the barren, the wombs that never bore and the
breasts that never nursed.’
At that time people will say to the mountains,
‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for
if these things are done when the wood is green
what will happen when it is dry?”
Now two others, both criminals, were led away with
him to be executed.
When
they came to the place called the Skull, they
crucified him and the criminals there, one on his
right, the other on his left.
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know
not what they do.”
They divided his garments by casting lots. The
people stood by and watched;
the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said,
“He saved others, let him save himself if he is
the chosen one, the Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they
approached to offer him wine they called out, “If
you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”
Above him there was an inscription that read,
“This is the King of the Jews.”
Now
one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus,
saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and
us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to
the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been
condemned justly, for the sentence we received
corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done
nothing criminal.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come
into your kingdom.”
He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you
will be with me in Paradise.”
It was now about noon and darkness came over the
whole land until three in the afternoon because of
an eclipse of the sun.
Then the veil of the temple was torn down the
middle.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into
your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had
said this he breathed his last.
(Here all kneel and pause for a short time.)
The centurion who witnessed what had happened
glorified God and said, “This man was innocent
beyond doubt.”
When all the people who had gathered for this
spectacle saw what had happened, they returned
home beating their breasts; but all his
acquaintances stood at a distance, including the
women who had followed him from Galilee and saw
these events.
Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named
Joseph who, though he was a member of the council,
had not consented to their plan of action.
He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was
awaiting the kingdom of God.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in
a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in
which no one had yet been buried.
It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was
about to begin. The women who had come from
Galilee with him followed behind, and when they
had seen the tomb and the way in which his body
was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices
and perfumed oils.
Then they rested on the sabbath according to the
commandment. |
by
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these
thirty-two short chapters begins and ends
with the assumption that problems we
experience with the Old Testament are our
problem, not the Bible's. This
subordinating of the Bible reader to the
well-weathered book he holds in his hand
opens doors, not to forced harmonisations
of problematic passages, but to fresh
reappraisal of difficult texts on their
own terms. -
This volume helps you make the first five
books of the Old Testament a vital part of
your spiritual reading and practical
growth in the Christian life. It contains
the full English and Latin texts of these
books, along with extensive and faithfully
Catholic commentaries. Like other volumes
in the world-renowned Navarre Bible
series, these commentaries draw on Church
