Let It Go

Today's Daily Bread

                                                                              

 

Let It Go

March 24, 2013 — by David C. Egner

Our Daily Bread 

 

 

Read: Mark 11:1-11

Say, “The Lord has need of it,” and immediately he will send it here. —Mark 11:3

 

 

Bible in a Year:
Joshua 16-18 Luke 2:1-24

Many years ago, when a young friend asked if he could borrow our car, my wife and I were hesitant at first. It was our car. We owned it, and we depended on it. But we soon felt convicted to share it with him because we knew that God wanted us to care for others. So we handed the keys over to him, and he traveled to a church 30 miles away to conduct a youth rally. The meeting was used by the Lord to bring teens to Christ.

Jesus instructed His disciples to take another man’s donkey. The Son of God told His men to “loose it and bring it” to Him (Mark 11:2). If someone objected, they were to say, “The Lord has need of it,” and they would then be permitted to lead it away. That donkey carried Christ into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday.

There’s a lesson here for us to consider. We all have things that we hold dear. We may have thought, I could never part with that. It may be a new truck, a coat, some other possession, or our precious few free hours during the week. Will we be open to give when someone obviously needs something we have?

If you sense that the Spirit is speaking to you, let your time or possession go, as the owner released his animal to Jesus. He will then be glorified as He deserves!

 

 

Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, my service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today. —Smyth

 

God gives us all we need, so we can give to others in their need.

Hurry Up and Wait

Today's Journey

 

Hurry Up and Wait

Mar.24,2013

http://getmorestrength.org

“A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly” Proverbs 14:29

One of my all-time favorite school teacher stories is about a kindergarten teacher who at the end of an exasperating day had to put boots on all 31 of her students before she sent them out in the snow. As she struggled to lace up the last boot on the foot of the 31st student, the child looked at her and said, “These aren’t my boots.” Thinking that she would have to go back and re-boot the whole class, she furiously ripped off the boots only to hear the kindergartener say, “They’re my sister’s boots, but my mom let me wear them today.”

Does life ever try your patience? Of course it does. There is just something about being born on this planet that makes us vulnerable to snap, often destructive, responses to life’s inevitable stress.

What is it that pushes you to the edge? Is it that guy who keeps cutting you off in heavy traffic or your daughter who keeps snapping her bubble gum every 10 seconds? It’s different for all of us, but we’ve all experienced that temptation to explode when somebody or something stomps on our frayed nerves.

I hate to up the pressure, but it’s in moments of near-nuclear explosions that we find out how closely we’re walking with the Lord. Galatians 5:22 says, “And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience.” When life takes us to the edge, it’s easy to tell if we are being controlled by the Holy Spirit, or whether our old nature is going to step up to manage the situation.

Being patient doesn’t mean that we morph into milk-toast people for Jesus, with no fire in our belly. But the kind of patience that the Spirit wishes to produce does bring restraint to our anger. Anger always clouds good judgment while patience helps us stand back and evaluate the tension in a constructive way. As our text says, “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.”

Patience says “no” to our “gut reaction” to do the first thing that comes to mind. When your gut reaction is: “I’m quitting this job right now!” patience says, “Why don’t you give it a few days and pray about it. Think about how this will affect your future and your family.” Patience gives you the space you need to make better decisions. An impulsive “I’m heading to the dealership right now to buy that new car!” may need patience to slow you down long enough to ask yourself, “What’s wrong with the car I have? Is there anything better that God would want me to do with the money?”

And, patience may just get your anxious little self out of the way so that God can accomplish what He has in mind through the trial that has you so frazzled. The psalmist helps us when he says, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:13-14 NASB).

And Isaiah assures us that “those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31 NASB).

So all together now: Let’s take a deep breath, step back, and patiently wait for Him to manage your response. No wonder patience is called a virtue!

YOUR JOURNEY…

• Read Galatians 5:22; Colossians 1:10-11; Matthew 6:14-15. What does patience tell you about your walk with Christ?
• Reflect on a time in your life when it was hard for you to have patience. Did you depend on the Holy Spirit for supernatural help? How did the situation turn out and how might it have turned out differently?
• Write down the top three areas in your life that currently require patience. Remember to trust God in these situations and to look for what He is doing and for what He would have you do to be constructive.

“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.” Lk 22:14—23:56

Today's Readings

 


                                        

 

 

“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.”

Lk 22:14—23:56

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.

Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday 

Holy Saturday

The women saw
how His body was laid; and they prepared spices and ointments;
and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

Luke 23:55,56

Holy Saturday (in Latin, Sabbatum Sanctum), the 'day of the entombed Christ', is the Lord's day of rest, for on that day Christ's body lay in His tomb. We recall the Apostle's Creed, which says "He descended unto the dead." It is a day of suspense between two worlds, that of darkness, sin and death, and that of the Resurrection and the restoration of the Light of the World. For this reason no divine services are held until the Easter Vigil begins that night. This day between Good Friday and Easter Day makes present to us the end of one world and the complete newness of the era of salvation inaugurated by the Resurrection of Christ.

Ideally, Holy Saturday should be the quietest day of the year (although this is not as easy in a busy household with children as it might be in a convent or monastery.) Nightfall on Holy Saturday is time for joy and greatest expectation because of the beautiful liturgy of the Easter Vigil, often referred to as the Mother of all Holy Vigils, or the Great Service of Light. The Easter Vigil was restored to the liturgy in 1955, during the liturgical reform that preceded the Second Vatican Council.

During the day, the preparations at home that must be made for Easter Day are appropriate, however, because they keep our attention fixed on the holiness and importance of the most central feast of the Church. Working with our children to prepare for Easter can offer us many 'teaching moments', as well.

Gospel, Mt 28:1-10

¹ After the Sabbath, and towards dawn on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to visit the sepulchre.
² And suddenly there was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.
³ His face was like lightning, his robe white as snow.
⁴ The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they were like dead men.
⁵ But the angel spoke; and he said to the women, 'There is no need for you to be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
⁶ He is not here, for he has risen, as he said he would. Come and see the place where he lay,
⁷ then go quickly and tell his disciples, "He has risen from the dead and now he is going ahead of you to Galilee; that is where you will see him." Look! I have told you.'
⁸ Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples.
⁹ And suddenly, coming to meet them, was Jesus. 'Greetings,' he said. And the women came up to him and, clasping his feet, they did him homage.
¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; there they will see me.'

Good Friday ?

Good Friday ?

I wonder really why we call it " Good Friday "?

If we look at today from a biblical perspective relative to the Holy Week , Good Friday is part of the Triduum when Jesus Christ faced betrayal , denial , ridicule ,torture and even crucifixion then insult ! All these after His triumphant entry into Jerusalem only days before on Palm Sunday!

Much worst, a day before on Maundy Thursday , Christ even celebrated the Feast of the Passover  with His disciples during the Last Supper, supposedly a Jewish traditional feast where  the family celebrates deliverance from bondage  in Egypt and God's wrath against those who have persecuted His people!

The irony is that those very same people whom God saved from the Egyptians were the same people who have persecuted God's only Son who was sent to deliver His children from sin!

Come to think about it , is life really a story of praise then glory , celebration then betrayal and denial followed by pain and ridicule? Note though that resurrection comes after all these... so we all look forward to Easter Sunday for the celebration.and God's glory and then...

But "Good Friday"? Anything "good" about the betrayal, denial , pain and ridicule?

I think the "good" here is the awareness of what Good Friday brings! Recognize the fact that there will always be betrayal , denial , pain or ridicule but also realize that after all these downside is the "resurrection" and the glory!

Yes , true , if we only learn to accept God's story faithfully!

Good Friday : Betrayal, Denial , Suffering and Crucifixion of Christ !

Good Friday : Betrayal, Denial , Suffering and Crucifixion of Christ !

Jn 18:1-19:42

¹ After he had said all this, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron valley where there was a garden into which he went with his disciples.
² Judas the traitor knew the place also, since Jesus had often met his disciples there,
³ so Judas brought the cohort to this place together with guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns and torches and weapons.
⁴ Knowing everything that was to happen to him, Jesus came forward and said, 'Who are you looking for?'
⁵ They answered, 'Jesus the Nazarene.' He said, 'I am he.' Now Judas the traitor was standing among them.
⁶ When Jesus said to them, 'I am he,' they moved back and fell on the ground.
⁷ He asked them a second time, 'Who are you looking for?' They said, 'Jesus the Nazarene.'
⁸ Jesus replied, 'I have told you that I am he. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go.'
⁹ This was to fulfil the words he had spoken, 'Not one of those you gave me have I lost.'
¹⁰ Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.
¹¹ Jesus said to Peter, 'Put your sword back in its scabbard; am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?'
¹² The cohort and its tribune and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him.
¹³ They took him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
¹⁴ It was Caiaphas who had counselled the Jews, 'It is better for one man to die for the people.'
¹⁵ Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus. This disciple, who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest's palace,
¹⁶ but Peter stayed outside the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the door-keeper and brought Peter in.
¹⁷ The girl on duty at the door said to Peter, 'Aren't you another of that man's disciples?' He answered, 'I am not.'
¹⁸ Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there warming themselves; so Peter stood there too, warming himself with the others.
¹⁹ The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
²⁰ Jesus answered, 'I have spoken openly for all the world to hear; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet together; I have said nothing in secret.
²¹ Why ask me? Ask my hearers what I taught; they know what I said.'
²² At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying, 'Is that the way you answer the high priest?'
²³ Jesus replied, 'If there is some offence in what I said, point it out; but if not, why do you strike me?'
²⁴ Then Annas sent him, bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
²⁵ As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him, 'Aren't you another of his disciples?' He denied it saying, 'I am not.'
²⁶ One of the high priest's servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, 'Didn't I see you in the garden with him?'
²⁷ Again Peter denied it; and at once a cock crowed.
²⁸ They then led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was now morning. They did not go into the Praetorium themselves to avoid becoming defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
²⁹ So Pilate came outside to them and said, 'What charge do you bring against this man?' They replied,
³⁰ 'If he were not a criminal, we should not have handed him over to you.'
³¹ Pilate said, 'Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law.' The Jews answered, 'We are not allowed to put anyone to death.'
³² This was to fulfil the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way he was going to die.
³³ So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him and asked him, 'Are you the king of the Jews?'
³⁴ Jesus replied, 'Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others said it to you about me?'
³⁵ Pilate answered, 'Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?'
³⁶ Jesus replied, 'Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. As it is, my kingdom does not belong here.'
³⁷ Pilate said, 'So, then you are a king?' Jesus answered, 'It is you who say that I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.'
³⁸ 'Truth?' said Pilate. 'What is that?' And so saying he went out again to the Jews and said, 'I find no case against him.
³⁹ But according to a custom of yours I should release one prisoner at the Passover; would you like me, then, to release for you the king of the Jews?'
⁴⁰ At this they shouted, 'Not this man,' they said, 'but Barabbas.' Barabbas was a bandit.
¹ Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged;
² and after this, the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head and dressed him in a purple robe.
³ They kept coming up to him and saying, 'Hail, king of the Jews!' and slapping him in the face.
⁴ Pilate came outside again and said to them, 'Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case against him.'
⁵ Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, 'Here is the man.'
⁶ When they saw him, the chief priests and the guards shouted, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!' Pilate said, 'Take him yourselves and crucify him: I find no case against him.'
⁷ The Jews replied, 'We have a Law, and according to that Law he ought to be put to death, because he has claimed to be Son of God.'
⁸ When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased.
⁹ Re-entering the Praetorium, he said to Jesus, 'Where do you come from?' But Jesus made no answer.
¹⁰ Pilate then said to him, 'Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?'
¹¹ Jesus replied, 'You would have no power over me at all if it had not been given you from above; that is why the man who handed me over to you has the greater guilt.'
¹² From that moment Pilate was anxious to set him free, but the Jews shouted, 'If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar's; anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar.'
¹³ Hearing these words, Pilate had Jesus brought out, and seated him on the chair of judgement at a place called the Pavement, in Hebrew Gabbatha.
¹⁴ It was the Day of Preparation, about the sixth hour. 'Here is your king,' said Pilate to the Jews.
¹⁵ But they shouted, 'Away with him, away with him, crucify him.' Pilate said, 'Shall I crucify your king?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king except Caesar.'
¹⁶ So at that Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. They then took charge of Jesus,
¹⁷ and carrying his own cross he went out to the Place of the Skull or, as it is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,
¹⁸ where they crucified him with two others, one on either side, Jesus being in the middle.
¹⁹ Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: 'Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews'.
²⁰ This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek.
²¹ So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate, 'You should not write "King of the Jews", but that the man said, "I am King of the Jews". '
²² Pilate answered, 'What I have written, I have written.'
²³ When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck to hem;
²⁴ so they said to one another, 'Instead of tearing it, let's throw dice to decide who is to have it.' In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled: They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothes. That is what the soldiers did.
²⁵ Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.
²⁶ Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, 'Woman, this is your son.'
²⁷ Then to the disciple he said, 'This is your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
²⁸ After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed and, so that the scripture should be completely fulfilled, he said: I am thirsty.
²⁹ A jar full of sour wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a hyssop stick, they held it up to his mouth.
³⁰ After Jesus had taken the wine he said, 'It is fulfilled'; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.
³¹ It was the Day of Preparation, and to avoid the bodies' remaining on the cross during the Sabbath -- since that Sabbath was a day of special solemnity -- the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away.
³² Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other.
³³ When they came to Jesus, they saw he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs
³⁴ one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water.
³⁵ This is the evidence of one who saw it -- true evidence, and he knows that what he says is true -- and he gives it so that you may believe as well.
³⁶ Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture: Not one bone of his will be broken;
³⁷ and again, in another place scripture says: They will look to the one whom they have pierced.
³⁸ After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus -- though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews -- asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away.
³⁹ Nicodemus came as well -- the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time -- and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.
⁴⁰ They took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, following the Jewish burial custom.
⁴¹ At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried.
⁴² Since it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Maundy Thursday ... celebration of the Lord's Supper

Maundy Thursday ...celebration of the Lord's Supper !

Jn 13:1-15

¹ Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, having loved those who were his in the world, loved them to the end.
² They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him.
³ Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
⁴ and he got up from table, removed his outer garments and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist;
⁵ he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing.
⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?'
⁷ Jesus answered, 'At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.'
⁸ 'Never!' said Peter. 'You shall never wash my feet.' Jesus replied, 'If I do not wash you, you can have no share with me.' Simon Peter said,
⁹ 'Well then, Lord, not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!'
¹⁰ Jesus said, 'No one who has had a bath needs washing, such a person is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.'
¹¹ He knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said, 'though not all of you are'.
¹² When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments again he went back to the table. 'Do you understand', he said, 'what I have done to you?
¹³ You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am.
¹⁴ If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you must wash each other's feet.
¹⁵ I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.