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Scripture Reading:
Jesus uttered a loud cry
and said, "Father, unto Your hands I commend my Spirit."
After He said this, He expired. (Luke 23:46)
The
Death of Jesus
Matthew 27:45-56
At noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until three
o’clock. Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eli, Eli, lema
sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you
deserted me?”
Some
of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, “He’s
calling for Elijah.” One of them at once ran and grabbed a
sponge. He soaked it in wine, then put it on a stick and held it
up to Jesus. Others said, “Wait! Let’s see if Elijah will come
and save him.”
Once
again Jesus shouted, and then he died. At once the curtain in the
temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and
rocks split apart. Graves opened, and many of God’s people were
raised to life. They left their graves, and after Jesus had risen
to life, they went into the holy city, where they were seen by
many people. The officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus felt the
earthquake and saw everything else that happened. They were
frightened and said, “This man really was God’s Son!”
Many
women had come with Jesus from Galilee to be of help to him, and
they were there, looking on at a distance. Mary Magdalene, Mary
the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John
were some of these women.
Gospel Passage: Jn 19:17-30
So they took Jesus, and he went
out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a
skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified
him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus
between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross;
it read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Many
of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was
crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in
Latin, and in Greek. The chief priests of the Jews then said to
Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'This man
said, I am King of the Jews.' " Pilate answered, "What I
have written I have written." When the soldiers had crucified
Jesus they took his garments and made four parts, one for each
soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven
from top to bottom; so they said to one another, "Let us not
tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This
was to fulfill the scripture, "They parted my garments among
them, and for my clothing they cast lots." But standing by
the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary
the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother,
and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his
mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the
disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the
disciple took her to his own home. After this Jesus, knowing that
all was now finished, said (to fulfill the scripture), "I
thirst." A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a
sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth.
When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is
finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
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