15:1 As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the
elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him
over to Pilate.
15:2 Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him,
"You say so."
15:3 Then the chief priests accused him of many things.
15:4 Pilate asked him again, "Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring
against you."
15:5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
15:6 Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they
asked.
15:7 Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder
during the insurrection.
15:8 So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom.
15:9 Then he answered them, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the
Jews?"
15:10 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him
over.
15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them
instead.
15:12 Pilate spoke to them again, "Then what do you wish me to do with the man you
call the King of the Jews?"
15:13 They shouted back, "Crucify him!"
15:14 Pilate asked them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all
the more, "Crucify him!"
15:15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after
flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
15:16 Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the
governor's headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort.
15:17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a
crown, they put it on him.
15:18 And they began saluting him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
15:19 They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him.
15:20 After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes
on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
15:21 They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his
cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.
15:22 Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a
skull).
15:23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it.
15:24 And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to
decide what each should take.
15:25 It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him.
15:26 The inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews."
15:27 And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.
15:29 Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You
who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,
15:30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!"
15:31 In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him
among themselves and saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself.
15:32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may
see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
15:33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
15:34 At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema
sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
15:35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "Listen, he is calling for
Elijah."
15:36 And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it
to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him
down."
15:37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
15:38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
15:39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed
his last, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"
15:40 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene,
and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.
15:41 These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there
were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
15:42 When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day
before the sabbath,
15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself
waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body
of Jesus.
15:44 Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he
asked him whether he had been dead for some time.
15:45 When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to
Joseph.
15:46 Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the
linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a
stone against the door of the tomb.
15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.
Two defining moments:
1) It was all he and his fans had hoped for. He had trained for years. He had visualized, prayed, hoped, and prepared. Some how when the game was on the line he out ran the defender, got open, lept higher than he thought he could and caught the winning touchdown pass.
When they interviewed him after the game he thanked God for his amazing talent and the opportunity to be in the big game. Then he shouted, "We're the champions baby! We're number one!" All his fans somehow felt like winners, even as he brushed by them on his way to Disneyworld after they had waited so long for an autograph or a glimpse.
2) It wasn't what he wanted or what his fans had hoped for at all but it was what he had prepared for all his life. He was arrested and dragged off by a crowd of soldiers and religious folks. He was questioned and when the lies were about to fall apart he told the truth and was convicted. He was mocked, spit on, stripped, beaten, laughed at, crucified. After it was over his friends, dumbfounded, buried him in a borrowed tomb. All his fans felt like losers. But loved. They knew (they being the hurt, lost, oppressed, beaten down, spit on, unloved, sinful, despairing, hungry, sick, aching, searching) he had come for them.
Hunter in SC
Sometimes we may just need to let scripture speak for itself. This gospel lesson means a lot more to me if I read the longer version. Too often we know only John's passion story - when Mark's is so much more real and honest and dramatic and matter-of-fact. I am going to tell the congregation a story - this story - next Sunday, and say as little myself as I can. After all, anything I might say would get in the way of the Good News, here!
By the way, when we do read John's version of Jesus' passion on Maundy Thursday, I've found several parishioners to help me read it like a radio play (our sanctuary is too small to actually act it out).
--Ponderin' Pastor in IL
Ponderin'
Are you going to "tell" this story, or are you going to give it a dramatic reading of the scripture? I'd love to tell it but can't conceive remembering this much scripture (even moreso if beginning at Mark 14:1) . . .
dave in ohio
I am still in KS (and thus still "nonparochial" -- that lovely church word meaning "unemployed")... so I won't be making any liturgical or homiletic decisions this week.
However, for many past years I've had the congregation do this as a dramatic reading (using the longer option) with our deacon reading the Evangelist's narrative and various people taking the parts when the "characters" speak. The congregation always gets the parts of the crowd, the soldiers, and the centurion. At v. 37 there is a long silence.... then the reading is concluded. Instead of a sermon, I simply invite the congregation to meditate in the hearts on what we have heard and read and we have another long time of liturgical silence. (Sometimes our keyboardist would softly play something like "Were You There" during the meditation time.)
Eric in KS
At the point
The crowd made a choice, just like we do. Choices are what dricves and determines our lives. I wonder what choices I have made already that have shaped who I am? Divorce, ministry, where I serve? Maybe I am too much or too little like the crowd.
PM in KS
The phone rings... "Hello."
"Father? This is ____ from St. Swithin's. I'm calling to let you know that it was a difficult decision, but we have decided to call the other candidate."
Sinking feeling -- but don't deal with it now! -- exchange pleasantries. Wish them well, prayers for a successful ministry. They just don't get it.
"Are you the king of the Jews?" They just didn't get it.
My former spiritual director always reminded me how Jesus was treated -- "Why do you expect anything different?" he would ask.
Why, indeed!
Blessings, Eric in KS
We are reading the full passage in my congregation (14:1-15:47) and am wondering after this if a sermon is necessary. Part of me feels a message, perhaps abbreviated, is necessary because of the contrast with how the service started with the Processional Gospel and this passage ends in the tomb. It seems that Palm Sunday is heavily influenced with rejoicing and Hosanna's - but then the reality of the Gospel reading gets passed over.
Also, I couldn't help but wonder yesterday as I saw the jubilant and cheering crowds in Baghdad how that crowd compared with the crowd cheering Jesus on. Back in the U.S., the callers to a radio call-in shows I listened to last night sounded so triumphant and many are looking to the next challenge. Perhaps our jubilation and trust in our success needs to be tempered with the reality of the suffering Christ? Our salvation doesn't come from our military might destroying its opposition, but from one who did not fight back and one who in the end didn't win the crowds over but was sentenced to death by them.
Peace and blessings to you all.
Nathan in MA
Nathan: In reply to your note -- see my comment under Mark 11:1-11.
Blessings, Eric in KS (for the time being)
Nathan -- at my current congregation I preach a short sermon on Palm/Passion Sunday. However, in my previous parish, I used to only do a children's sermon, not a conventional one. I think on the whole that's a better solution. -- Mike in Maryland
Eric,
I've been just a silent reader, but have been inspired by you on many occasions. When I read you were offered a call, I was elated for you.
It is interesting that you received a call of rejection before the call of offer. I cannot help but to think God was trying to get your attention there... What was he saying to you, Eric? That He has a plan for your life?
How often do we forget that simple truth. But in today's readings, we see Jesus being steadfast... He knew His Father's Will, and He was willing to go through that suffering. And what awaited Him on the other side of crucifixion was Resurrection. He was to be glorified... But only after following the Father's Will.
Congratulations Eric!
May God bless your new ministry.
Sojourner
I was going to preach on the palms, but God told me to preach on the passion. So, I am , with the aid of my litutgist, will Tell about the Stations of the Cross... Yeah, it's different passages than this. But, God led me to this... This Sunday Stations of the cross, Maunday Thursday-Doing something called Leesons from a towel and Tenebrae Service Using the John Passage lighting 6 candles to extinguish and the Poem The Sacrifice... Got my Sunrise too...God ordered it altogether tied in up in a bow... Lady Preacher of Ohio
