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Palm Sunday, 14th April 2019

Daily Word Of God

Luke 23:1, 3-4, 15-18, 20-22a, 23, 25b-27a, 28, 33-34a, 38, 44-46

The elders of the people and the chief priests and scribes rose, and they brought Jesus before Pilate. Pilate put to him this question, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ He replied, ‘It is you who say it.’ Pilate then said to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no case against this man. Nor has Herod either, since he has sent him back to us. As you can see, the man has done nothing that deserves death, so I shall have him flogged and then let him go.’

But as one man they howled, ‘Away with him! Give us Barabbas!’ In his desire to set Jesus free, Pilate addressed them again, but they shouted back, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ And for the third time he spoke to them, but they kept on shouting at the top of their voices, demanding that he should be crucified.

Pilate then handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they pleased. As they were leading him away they seized on a man, Simon from Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and made him shoulder the cross and carry it behind Jesus. Large numbers of people followed him, but Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep rather for yourselves and for your children’.

When they reached the place called The Skull, there they crucified him and the two criminals, one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.’ Above him there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews’. It was now about the sixth hour and the sun’s light failed, so that darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The veil of the Sanctuary was torn right down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice saying, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ With these words he breathed his last.

Today's Pointers on God's Word

As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?

  • In today’s Gospel the religious leaders condemned Jesus with blasphemy for calling Himself the Son of God. Jesus was brought before Pilate and then Herod.

 

  • While both could not find Him “guilty of a crime deserving death”, they were too self-protective to stand up for the Truth of Christ.

 

  • Do we also lack courage and more importantly lack the integrity and depth of faith to stand up for the Truth of Christ when we are challenged? Are you willing to forgo reputation and position for Christ?  How important is Jesus to you?  Does Jesus have your undivided loyalty and love?