Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the Gospel
of Matthew, chapter 27, and the Gospel of Mark,
chapter 15. Matthew, chapter 27. When morning
came, all the chief priests and elders of the
people plotted against Jesus to put him to death.
And when they had bound him, they led him away
and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor.
Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that he had
been condemned, was remorseful and brought back
the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests
and elders, saying, I have sinned by betraying
innocent blood. And they said, What is that to
us? You see to it. Then he threw down the pieces
of silver in the temple and departed, and went
and hanged himself. But the chief priests took
the silver pieces and said, It is not lawful
to put them into the treasury, because they are
the price of blood. and they consulted together
and bought with them the potter's field to bury
strangers in therefore that field has been called
the field of blood to this day then was fulfilled
what was spoken by jeremiah the prophet saying
and they took the thirty pieces of silver the
value of him who was prized whom they of the
children of israel prized and gave them for the
potter's field as the lord directed me now jesus
stood before the governor and the governor asked
him saying are you the king of the jews jesus
said to him it is as you say and while he was
being accused by the chief priests and elders
he answered nothing then pilate said to him do
you not hear how many things they testify against
you but he answered him not one word so that
the governor marvelled greatly now at the feast
the governor was accustomed to releasing to the
multitude one prisoner whom they wished and at
that time they had a notorious prisoner called
barabbas therefore when they had gathered together
pilate said to them whom do you want me to release
to you barabbas or jesus who is called christ
for he knew that they had handed him over because
of envy while he was sitting on the judgment
seat his wife sent to him saying have nothing
to do with that just man for i have suffered
many things to -day in a dream because of him
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the
multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas
and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and
said to them, Which of the two do you want me
to release to you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate
said to them, What then shall I do with Jesus
who is called Christ? They all said to him, Let
him be crucified. Then the governor said, Why?
What evil has he done? But they cried out all
the more saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate
saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather
that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed
his hands before the multitude, saying, I am
innocent of the blood of this just person, you
see to it. And all the people answered and said,
His blood be on us and on our children. Then
he released Barabbas to them, and when he had
scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus
into the praetorium and gathered the whole garrison
around him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet
robe on him. When they had twisted a crown of
thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in
his right hand. And they bowed the knee before
him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the
Jews! Then they spat on him and took the reed
and struck him on the head. And when they had
mocked him, they took the robe off him, put his
own clothes on him, and led him away to be crucified.
Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene,
Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear his
cross. And when they had come to a place called
Golgotha, that is to say, place of a skull, they
gave him sour wine mingled with gall to drink.
But when he had tasted it, he would not drink.
Then they crucified him and divided his garments,
casting lots. That it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the prophet, they divided my garments
among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
Sitting down, they kept watch over him there,
and they put up over his head the accusation
written against him. This is Jesus, the King
of the Jews. Then two robbers were crucified
with him, one on the right and another on the
left. And those who passed by blasphemed him,
wagging their heads and saying, You who destroyed
the temple and built it in three days, save yourself.
If you are the Son of God, come down from the
cross. Likewise, the chief priests also. Mocking
with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others,
himself he cannot save. If he is the king of
Israel, let him now come down from the cross,
and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let
him deliver him now, if he will have him. For
he said, I am the son of God. Even the robbers
who were crucified with him, reviled him with
the same thing. Now from the sixth hour until
the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the
land. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out
with a loud voice saying, That is, my God, my
God, why have you forsaken me? Some of those
who stood there when they heard that said, this
man is calling for Elijah. Immediately, one of
them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour
wine and put it on a reed and offered it to him
to drink. The rest said, let him alone. Let us
see if Elijah will come to save him. And Jesus
cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded
up his spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the
temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And
the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. And
the graves were opened, and many bodies of the
saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And
coming out of the graves, after his resurrection,
they went into the holy city and appeared to
many. So when the centurion and those with him
who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and
the things that had happened, they feared greatly,
saying, Truly this was the Son of God. And many
women who followed Jesus from Galilee ministering
to him were there looking on from afar, among
whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's
sons. Now an evening had come. There came a rich
man from Arimathea named Joseph. who himself
had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man
went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to
him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped
it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his
new tomb, which he had hewn out of the rock.
And he rolled a large stone against the door
of the tomb and departed. And Mary Magdalene
was there, another Mary, sitting opposite the
tomb. On the next day, which followed the day
of preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees
gathered together to Pilate, saying, Sir, we
remember while he was still alive how that deceiver
said, After three days I will rise. Therefore
command that the tomb be made secure until the
third day, lest his disciples come by night and
steal him away, and say to the people, He has
risen from the dead. So the last deception will
be worse than the first. Pilate said to them,
You have a guard, go your way, make it as secure
as you know how. So they went and made the tomb
secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
Mark chapter 15 Immediately in the morning, the
chief priests held a consultation with the elders
and scribes and the whole council, and they bound
Jesus, led him away and delivered him to Pilate.
Then Pilate asked them, Are you the king of the
Jews? He answered and said to him, It is as you
say. And the chief priests accused him of many
things, but he answered nothing. Then Pilate
asked him again, saying, Do you answer nothing?
See how many things they testify against you.
But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate
marveled. Now at the feast, he was accustomed
to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they
requested. And there was one named Barabbas,
who was chained with his fellow rebels. They
had committed murder in the rebellion. Then the
multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to
do just as he had always done for them. But Pilate
answered them, saying, Do you want me to release
to you the king of the Jews? For he knew that
the chief priests had handed him over because
of envy. But the chief priests stirred up the
crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas
to them. Pilate answered and said to them again,
What then do you want me to do with him? whom
you call the king of the Jews. So they cried
out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said to them,
Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out
all the more, Crucify him. So Pilate, wanting
to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them,
and he delivered Jesus after he had scourged
him to be crucified. Then the soldiers led him
away into a hall called Praetorium, and they
called together the whole garrison. and they
clothed them with purple and they twisted a crown
of thorns put it on his head and began to salute
him hail king of the jews then they struck him
on the head with a reed and spat on him and bowing
the knee they worshipped him and when they had
mocked him they took the purple off him put his
own clothes on him and led him out to crucify
him then they compelled a certain man simon a
cyrenian the father of alexander and rufus as
he was coming out of the country and passing
by to bear his cross. And they brought him to
the place Golgotha, which is translated place
of a skull. Then they gave him wine mingled with
myrrh to drink, but he did not take it. And when
they crucified him, they divided his garments,
casting lots for them to determine what every
man should take. Now it was the third hour, and
they crucified him. An inscription of his accusation
was written above, The King of the Jews. with
him they also crucified two robbers one on his
right and another on his left so the scripture
was fulfilled which says and he was numbered
with the transgressors and those who passed by
blasphemed him wagging their heads and saying
aha you who destroy the temple and build it in
three days save yourself and come down from the
cross likewise the chief priests also mocking
among themselves with the scribes said he saved
others himself he cannot save let the christ
the king of israel descend now from the cross
that we may see and believe even those who were
crucified with him reviled him now when the sixth
hour had come there was darkness over the whole
land until the ninth hour and at the ninth hour
jesus cried out with a loud voice saying eloi
eloi lama sabachthani which is translated my
god my god why have you forsaken me some of those
who stood by When they heard that, said, Look,
he is calling for Elijah. Then someone ran and
filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on
a reed, and offered it to him to drink, saying,
Let him alone, let us see if Elijah will come
to take him down. And Jesus cried out with a
loud voice and breathed his last. Then the veil
of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
So when the centurion who stood opposite him,
saw that he cried out like this and breathed
his last he said truly this man was the son of
god there were also women looking on from afar
among whom were mary magdalene mary the mother
of james the less and of joses and salome who
also followed him and ministered to him when
he was in galilee and many other women who came
up with him to jerusalem now an evening had come
because it was the preparation day that is the
day before the Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea,
a prominent council member, who was himself waiting
for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage,
went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Pilate marveled that he was already dead, and
summoning the centurion, he asked him if he had
been dead for some time. So when he found out
from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.
Then he bought fine linen, took him down, and
wrapped him in the linen. and he laid him in
a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and
rolled the stone against the door of the tomb,
and Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph
observed where he was laid. I hope you enjoyed
today's reading as much as I did, and I look
forward to seeing you again tomorrow to continue
on our journey. God bless you and have a great
day.