Used in 2024
Passion Reading: Mark 14:1 – 16:47 The Passion of our Savior Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Speaker One: Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were to be observed in two days’ time. The chief priests and religious scholars were looking for some excuse to arrest Jesus and kill him. But they said: Not during the festival, or the people may riot.
Speaker Two: While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at a table in the house of Simon, who was afflicted with leprosy, a woman entered carrying an alabaster jar of perfume made from expensive aromatic nard. After breaking the jar, she began to pour the perfume on his head. Some said to themselves indignantly: What is the point of this extravagant waste of perfume? It could have been sold for over three hundred silver pieces, and the money given to those in need! They were infuriated with her. But JESUS said Let her alone. Why do you criticize her? She has done me a kindness. You will always have poor people among you, and you can do them good whenever you want, but you will not always have me. She has done what she could. She has anointed my body and is preparing it for burial. The truth is, wherever the Good News is proclaimed throughout the world, what she has done will be told in her memory.
Speaker Three: Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests to hand Jesus over to them. Hearing what he had to say, they were jubilant and promised to give him money. Then Judas started looking for an opportune moment to betray Jesus.
Speaker Four: On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the paschal lamb, the disciples said to Jesus: Where do you want us to prepare the Passover supper for you? Jesus said: Go into the city, and you will come upon a man carrying a water jar. Follow him into a house he enters and say to the owner, “The Teacher asks, ‘Where is my guestroom? I want to eat the Passover meal there with my disciples.’” Then you will be shown an upstairs room, spacious, furnished, with everything in order. That is the place you are to get ready for us. The disciples went off. When they reached the city, they found it just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover supper.
Speaker Five: As it grew dark, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. They reclined at table, and in the course of the meal Jesus said: The truth is, one of you is about to betray me — one who is eating with me. They were very upset at these words, and one by one they said to him, “Surely it is not I!” Jesus replied: It is one of you Twelve, one who dips into the dish with me. The Chosen One is going the way the scriptures foretell. But woe to the one by whom the Chosen One is betrayed! It were better had that that person never been born.
Speaker One: During the meal Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples saying: Take this and eat it. This is my body. He likewise took a cup, gave thanks and passed it to them, and they all drank from it. Jesus said to them: This is my blood, the blood of the Covenant, which will be poured out on behalf of many. The truth is, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until the day I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.
Speaker Two: After singing songs of praise, they walked out to the Mount of Olives. As they were walking, Jesus then said to them: You will all fall away, for scripture says, “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.” But after I have been raised, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.
Peter said to Jesus: Even though everyone may fall away, I will not. Jesus said, The truth is, this very night before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times. But Peter said vehemently: Even if I have to die with you, I will not disown you. All the other disciples said the same. Then they came to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said to them:
Speaker Three: Sit down here while I pray. Jesus took along with him Peter, James and John. Then he began to be very distressed and troubled, and he said to them: My heart is filled with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch. Jesus went a little farther off and fell to the ground, praying that if it were possible this hour might pass him by. He said: Abba, you have the power to do all things. Take this cup away from me. But let it be not my will, but your will.
Speaker Four: When Jesus returned he found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter: Asleep, Simon? Could you not stay awake for even an hour? Be on guard, and pray that you not be put to the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Going back again, Jesus began to pray in the same words. Upon returning Jesus found the disciples asleep once again. They could not keep their eyes open, nor did they know what to say to him. He returned a third time and said: Still sleeping? Still taking your rest? It will have to do. The hour is upon us — the Chosen One is being handed into the clutches of evildoers. Get up, let us go. Look! Here comes my betrayer.
Speaker Five: While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd carrying swords and clubs; they had been sent by the chief priests, the religious scholars and the elders. The betrayer had arranged this signal for them: JUDAS said: Whomever I embrace is the one; arrest him and take him away under guard. Judas went directly to Jesus, embraced him, and said: Rabbi!
Speaker One: At this they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. One of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the high priest’s attendant, cutting off his ear. Jesus then said: Why have you come to arrest me with swords and clubs, as though I were a robber? I was within your reach daily, teaching in the Temple precincts, yet you never arrested me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled. With that, all the disciples deserted Jesus and fled. Following Jesus was a youth wearing nothing but a linen cloth, whom they also tried to arrest but who fled naked, leaving the cloth behind.
Speaker Two: Then they led Jesus off to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and religious scholars gathered together. Peter followed at a distance right into the high priest’s courtyard, where he found a seat with the Temple guard and began to warm himself at the fire. The chief priests with the whole Sanhedrin were busy soliciting testimony against Jesus that might lead to his death, but they could not find any. Many gave false testimony against Jesus, but their stories did not agree. Some, for instance, on taking the stand, testified falsely by saying: We heard him declare, “I will destroy this Temple made by human hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands!” But even in this, their testimony did not agree. The high priest stood before the court and began to interrogate Jesus: Have you no answer to what these people are testifying against you? But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Once again the high priest interrogated him: Are you the Messiah, the Only Begotten of the Blessed One? JESUS said: I am! And you will see the Chosen One seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven. At that, the high priest tore his robes and said: What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What is your verdict? He is guilty and deserves death! Some of them began to spit on Jesus. They blindfolded and hit him, saying: Prophesy! Who struck you?
Speaker Three: While Peter was down in the courtyard, one of the attendants of the high priest came along. When she noticed Peter seated near the fire, she looked more closely at him and said: You too were with Jesus of Nazareth. Peter said: I do not know what you are talking about! What do you mean? Then Peter went out into the gateway. At that moment a rooster crowed. The woman, keeping an eye on him, started again to tell the bystanders: He is one of them. Once again Peter denied it. A little later the bystanders said to him once more: You are certainly one of them! You are a Galilean, are you not? Peter began to curse, and he swore: I do not even know whom you are talking about! The cock crowed a second time. And Peter recalled the prediction Jesus had made. “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” He rushed away, weeping.
Speaker Four: As soon as it was daybreak the chief priests, the elders and religious scholars and the whole Sanhedrin reached a decision. They bound Jesus and led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, who interrogated him: Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus replied: You are the one who is saying it. The chief priests then brought many accusations against him. Pilate interrogated Jesus again: Surely you have some answer? See how many accusations they are leveling against you! But to Pilate’s astonishment, Jesus made no further response. Now whenever there was a festival, Pilate would release for them one prisoner — anyone they asked for. There was a prisoner named Barabbas who was jailed along with the rioters who had committed murder in the uprising. When the crowd came to ask that Pilate honor the custom, Pilate rejoined: Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews? Pilate was aware, of course, that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over. But the chief priests incited the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead. Pilate again asked them: What am I to do with the one you call the King of the Jews? The people shouted back: Crucify him! Why? What crime has he committed? But they shouted even louder: Crucify him! So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and after having Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.
Speaker Five: The soldiers led Jesus away into the hall known as the Praetorium; then they assembled the whole battalion. They dressed Jesus in royal purple, then wove a crown of thorns and put it on him. They began to salute him: All hail, King of the Jews! They kept striking Jesus on the head with a reed, spitting at him and kneeling in front of him pretending to pay homage. When they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple and dressed him in his own clothes. Then they led him out to be crucified. A passerby named Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was coming in from the fields. The soldiers pressed him into service to carry Jesus’ cross. Then they brought Jesus to the site of Golgotha — which means “Skull Place.” They tried to give him wine drugged with myrrh, but he would not take it. Then they nailed him to the cross and divided up his garments by rolling dice for them to see what each should take. It was about nine in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription listing the charge read, “The King of the Jews.” With Jesus they crucified two robbers, one at his right and one at his left. People going by kept insulting Jesus, shaking their heads and saying: So you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Save yourself now by coming down from that cross! The chief priests and the religious scholars also joined in and jeered: He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let “the Messiah, the King of Israel” come down from that cross right now so that we can see it and believe in him. Those who had been crucified with him hurled the same insult.
Speaker One: When noon came, darkness fell on the whole countryside and lasted until about three in the afternoon. At three, Jesus cried out in a loud voice: Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which means: My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? A few of the bystanders who heard it remarked: Listen! He is calling on Elijah! Someone ran and soaked a sponge in sour wine and stuck it on a reed to try to make Jesus drink, saying: Let us see if Elijah comes to take him down. Then Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. (Pause Ten Seconds) At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The centurion who stood guard over Jesus, seeing how he died, declared: Clearly, this was God’s own! Also present were some women who were looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary of Magdala; Mary, the mother of James the younger and Joses; and Salome. These women had followed Jesus when he was in Galilee and attended to his needs. There were also many others who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
Speaker Two: As it grew dark — it was Preparation Day, that is, the eve of the Sabbath — a distinguished member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph from Arimathea, arrived. He was waiting for the reign of God, and he gathered up courage and sought an audience with Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised that Jesus should have died so soon. He summoned the centurion and inquired whether Jesus was already dead. Upon learning that this was so, Pilate released the body to Joseph. Then, having brought a linen shroud, Joseph took the body of Jesus down, wrapped him in the linen and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of rock. Finally, he rolled a large stone across the entrance of the tomb. Meanwhile, Mary of Magdala and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were looking on and observed where Jesus had been laid.