These are the readings for Palm Sunday. If you wish to see how they fit in the service, turn to page 270 in the Book of Common Prayer.
A reading from the Gospel of Matthew [21:1-11]
When Jesus and his disciples had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at
the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village
ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie
them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, 'The Lord
needs them.' And he will send them immediately." This took place to fulfill what had
been spoken through the prophet, saying, "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king
is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a
donkey." The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the
donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large
crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and
spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were
shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of
the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city
was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet
Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.
2 Let Israel now proclaim, *
"His mercy endures for ever."
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the Lord.
20 "This is the gate of the Lord; *
he who is righteous may enter."
21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
and have become my salvation.
22 The same stone which the builders rejected *
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord's doing, *
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 On this day the Lord has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! *
Lord, send us now success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *
we bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 God is the Lord; he has shined upon us; *
form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.
28 "You are my God, and I will thank you; *
you are my God, and I will exalt you."
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.
A Reading from the Book of Isaiah [50:4 -9a]
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens - wakens my ear to listen as
those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I
did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to
those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The
Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face
like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let
them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?
The Word of the Lord
Psalm 31:9 -16
9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; *
my eye is consumed with sorrow,
and also my throat and my belly.
10 For my life is wasted with grief,
and my years with sighing; *
my strength fails me because of affliction,
and my bones are consumed.
11 I have become a reproach to all my enemies and
even to my neighbors,
a dismay to those of my acquaintance; *
when they see me in the street they avoid me.
12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; *
I am as useless as a broken pot.
13 For I have heard the whispering of the crowd;
fear is all around; *
they put their heads together against me;
they plot to take my life.
14 But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord. *
I have said, "You are my God.
15 My times are in your hand; *
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
16 Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
and in your loving-kindness save me."
A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians [2:5-11]
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form
of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied
himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in
human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even
death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is
above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and
on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Word of the Lord
The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to Matthew [26:14-27:66]
Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and
said, "What will you give me if I betray him to you?" They paid him thirty pieces of
silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. On
the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where do you
want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into the
city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep
the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" So the disciples did as Jesus had
directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal. When it was evening, he took his
place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you
will betray me." And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after
another, "Surely not I, Lord?" He answered, "The one who has dipped his hand into
the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe
to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that
one not to have been born." Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" He
replied, "You have said so." While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and
after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my
body." Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink
from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine
until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." When they had
sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, "You
will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I am raised up, I will
go ahead of you to Galilee." Peter said to him, "Though all become deserters because
of you, I will never desert you." Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, this very night,
before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." Peter said to him, "Even though
I must die with you, I will not deny you." And so said all the disciples. Then Jesus
went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here
while I go over there and pray." He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even
to death; remain here, and stay awake with me." And going a little farther, he threw
himself on the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from
me; yet not what I want but what you want." Then he came to the disciples and found
them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?
Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak." Again he went away for the second time and prayed,
"My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." Again he came
and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went
away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the
disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is
at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be
going. See, my betrayer is at hand." While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the
twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief
priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying,
"The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him." At once he came up to Jesus and said,
"Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him. Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you are here
to do." Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. Suddenly, one of
those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high
priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place;
for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal
to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But
how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?" At
that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to
arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and
you did not arrest me. But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the
prophets may be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. Those who
had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose house the scribes
and the elders had gathered. But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the
courtyard of the high priest; and going inside, he sat with the guards in order to see
how this would end. Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for
false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, but they found none,
though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, "This
fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'" The
high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer? What is it that they testify
against you?" But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, "I put you under
oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." Jesus said
to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, From now on you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high
priest tore his clothes and said, "He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses?
You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?" They answered, "He
deserves death." Then they spat in his face and struck him; and some slapped him,
saying, "Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?" Now Peter was
sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, "You also were
with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it before all of them, saying, "I do not know
what you are talking about." When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw
him, and she said to the bystanders, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." Again he
denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man." After a little while the bystanders
came up and said to Peter, "Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent
betrays you." Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, "I do not know the
man!" At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said:
"Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept
bitterly. 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. When Judas, his betrayer,
saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of
silver to the chief priests and the elders. He said, "I have sinned by betraying innocent
blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." Throwing down the
pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. But the
chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the
treasury, since they are blood money." After conferring together, they used them to
buy the potter's field as a place to bury foreigners. For this reason that field has been
called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through
the prophet Jeremiah, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on
whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, and
they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me." Now Jesus stood
before the governor; and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus said, "You say so." But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he
did not answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many accusations they
make against you?" But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that
the governor was greatly amazed. 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, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is
called the Messiah?" For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed
him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have
nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of
a dream about him." 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?" All of them said,
"Let him be crucified!" Then he asked, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they
shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!" 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." Then the people as a whole answered, "His blood be on us and on our
children!" So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him
over to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's
headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 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. 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." Then two bandits were
crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided
him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build it
in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." In
the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking
him, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him
come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God
deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, 'I am God's Son.'" The bandits who were
crucified with him also taunted him in the same way. 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. But the others said, "Wait, let us see
whether Elijah will come to save him." Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and
breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top
to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened,
and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection
they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. 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!" 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. When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph,
who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus;
then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a
clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He
then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene
and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. The next day, that is, after
the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and
said, "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, 'After three
days I will rise again.' Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third
day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has
been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first."
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can."
So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.
