Jill Bevilacqua looks at this Sunday’s Gospel reading in her programme, "There’s
more in the Sunday Gospel than meets the eye” . Listen: 00:14:58:63 Gospel 26:14-27:66 or 27:11-54 Jesus stood
before the governor, Pontius Pilate, who questioned him, “Are you the king
of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” And when he was accused
by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer. Then Pilate
said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against
you?” But he did not answer him one word, so that the governor
was greatly amazed. Now on the occasion of the feast the governor
was accustomed to release to the crowd one prisoner whom they wished. And
at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they
had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release
to you, Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?” For he knew that it
was out of envy that they had handed him over. While he was still
seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message, “Have nothing
to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because
of him.” The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to
ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus. The governor said to them in reply,
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They answered,
“Barabbas!” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus
called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” But
he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Let
him be crucified!” When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but
that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands
in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look
to it yourselves.” And the whole people said in reply, “His blood
be upon us and upon our children.” Then he released Barabbas to them, but
after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. Then
the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered
the whole cohort around him. They stripped off his clothes and
threw a scarlet military cloak about him. Weaving a crown out of thorns,
they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And
kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They
spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head. And
when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed
him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him. As they
were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon; this man they pressed
into service to carry his cross. And when they came to a place
called Golgotha — which means Place of the Skull —, they gave
Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall. But when he had tasted it, he refused
to drink. After they had crucified him, they divided his garments
by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And
they placed over his head the written charge against him: This is Jesus,
the King of the Jews. Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one
on his right and the other on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking
their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it
in three days, save yourself, if you are the Son of God, and
come down from the cross!” Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and
elders mocked him and said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. So
he is the king of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now, and
we will believe in him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him
now if he wants him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” The
revolutionaries who were crucified with him also kept abusing him in the
same way. From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until
three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud
voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means,
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some of the bystanders who heard
it said, “This one is calling for Elijah.” Immediately one of
them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink. But the rest said, ‘Wait,
let us see if Elijah comes to save him.” But Jesus cried out again in a
loud voice, and gave up his spirit. Here all kneel and pause for
a short time. And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in
two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened,
and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And
coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the
holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and the men with him who were
keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and
all that was happening, and they said, “Truly, this was the Son of God!”