It is a desperate story with apparently no way out!
As you pray today, think about the love that Jesus showed on the cross.
Are there people we need to forgive, or do we need to ask someone to forgive us? Sorry is a good word to say today.
Opening Prayer
By your cross you have
redeemed the world.
As we remember you in the tomb, we pray for all who cocooned and
living in enclosed spaces at this time.
Song “When I survey”
When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
Matthew 27:11-14
Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus said, ‘You say so.’
But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Matthew 27:15-23
Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Who do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’
Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.
The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’
And they said, ‘Barabbas.’
Pilate said to them, ‘Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’
They said, ‘Let him be crucified!’
Then he asked, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’
But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’
Matthew 27:24-26
So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’
So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
Matthew 27:27-31
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head.
They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’
They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.
After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him.
Then they led him away to crucify him.
Matthew 27:32-37
As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.
And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him.
Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’
Matthew 27:38-44
Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
Matthew 27:45-50
From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’
When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘This man is calling for Elijah.’ At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.
Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.
Song "There is a Green hill far away"
https://youtu.be/ogRvBVRvqvk
https://youtu.be/ogRvBVRvqvk
Matthew 27:51-54
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’
Matthew 27:55-61
Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Pilate film
