[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. Together we will explore, in this episode, the main Gospel that will be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, March 29, 2026, which is Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.
[00:00:25] If you listened to my podcast last week, I explained that this week's readings are broken into two episodes. This is Episode 98, where I will cover only the full Gospel - the narrative of Christ's Passion and Death. In Episode 97, I will cover all the remaining readings for the Palm Sunday Mass.
[00:00:46] This second episode is entitled: One of You Will Betray Me and this Gospel allows us to focus on a mystery that is central to our Christian faith - the Passion and Death of Jesus. Hopefully, our Lenten disciplines have readied us to enter humbly into Holy Week and be reminded of all that Jesus endured for our sakes.
As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
Holy Week offers a number of beautiful liturgies that that invite us to witness the depth of Jesus saving actions… from the extremes of Palm Sunday to the quiet beauty of the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday - from the bitter sorrow of the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday to the joyous celebration of the Lord's Resurrection at the Easter Vigil… we are invited to participate in the greatest mysteries the world has ever known. May we traverse these sacred days with open hearts and humbled egos, offering Jesus unending praise and gratitude for his sacrifice as we wander anew at the love he has for us.
[00:02:06] So let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of this most sacred time of Holy Week. Strengthen us so that we may faithfully follow Jesus, Our Savior and King, wherever he leads by loving and serving others and by giving generously of ourselves so that we may reach the new and eternal Jerusalem where he lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:02:41] Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the main Gospel for Palm Sunday - the account of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew 26:14 – 27:66.
[00:02:59] Now, because of the length of this Gospel, I will AGAIN THIS YEAR depart from our normal pattern of reading the Gospel first and then explaining it as we go through it a second time. Instead, I will jump right into the exegesis (the explanation), so that we can all be prepared to listen reverently and respectfully when the Gospel is proclaimed in its entirety on Sunday
“[O]ne of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,”
[00:03:31] When the Twelve are first listed in chapter 10 of Matthew's Gospel, Judas is even then identified as the betrayer.
“[Judas] went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver [Jesus] to you?’”
The Jewish religious authorities wanted to arrest Jesus, but they didn't have a plan as to how to go about that – Judas’ initiative offers them a perfect solution.
[00:04:02] “And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.”
[00:04:06] That was the average price of a slave in Mosaic law.
[00:04:11] “And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread”
[00:04:21] The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a seven-day long observance that commemorates the Hebrews’ swift departure from Egypt after the Passover - it is called the Feast of Unleavened Bread because Jews only consume bread made without yeast for the seven days of the feast. The Feast of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread together represent the deliverance of the Hebrews from bondage in Egypt.
[00:04:54] Now Passover should be followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. However, at the beginning of the Babylonian exile, the two were combined and the Passover meal, called a Seder, was then often held on the first night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
[00:05:15] Passover, of course, commemorates the Hebrews being spared from the 10th plague in Egypt - the death of all the firstborn of both man and beast.
[00:05:26] In the time of Jesus, the Passover meal would have been observed on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread… which is why the disciples asked Jesus the following question…
[00:05:40] “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover? [Jesus] said, ‘Go into the city to such a one,’”
[00:05:49] Notice no specific person is ever named or even described by Matthew. When Jesus says “to such a one” he simply means to a certain person. And the disciples are to say to this certain person…
“The teacher says, My time is at hand;”
[00:06:12] Jesus is aware that his death is imminent, so when he says “My time is at hand” he is echoing God's words to Moses in Deuteronomy 31 as Moses’ death drew near.
“I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”
[00:06:34] Meaning that they would all eat the Seder meal together that evening.
[00:06:38] “And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. When it was evening again,”
This takes place on the same day but now they are in darkness.
[00:06:55] “he sat at table with the twelve disciples;”
Before Jesus’ birth, an angel told Joseph that Jesus would be called Emmanuel, which means God with us… clearly, God is still with the disciples… with all twelve disciples at this point.
[00:07:20] “and as they were eating, he said, ‘Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.’ And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him, one after another, ‘Is it I, Lord?’”
[00:07:36] Notice how the disciples address Jesus - as Lord.
[00:07:41] “[Jesus] answered, ‘He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me.’”
[00:07:48] That doesn't really clarify anything at that point, because they were eating a communal meal out of shared dishes. However, what Jesus is doing is echoing Psalm 41, which says: “my friend whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted his heel against me.”
[00:08:14] “Lifted his heel against me” - those words mean betray.
“The Son of man goes as it is written of him,”
Meaning in the writings of the Jewish Scriptures - the Old Testament.
[00:08:28] “but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!”
[00:08:33] The betrayer's actions are his own - no prophecy governs them - and even to this point, it still doesn't have to happen.
[00:08:44] “‘It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.’ Judas, who betrayed him, said, ‘Is it I, Master?”’
[00:08:54] Notice how Judas addresses Jesus - as Master, not Lord. He has already mentally, emotionally, spiritually distanced himself from Jesus.
[00:09:10] And in reply…
“[Jesus] said to him, ‘You have said so.’”
[00:09:17] That is an idiom implying that the answer is contained in the question. We will hear Jesus use that same idiom on two other occasions before the High Priest and before Pilate.
[00:09:35] Notice that Matthew never records exactly when Judas leaves. We don't hear Judas’ name again until he brings the soldiers into the Garden of Gethsemane.
[00:09:52] Matthew then directs our attention to Jesus’ Institution of the Eucharist - exactly what we expect to hear when we read accounts of the Last Supper… and remember, this was a Seder meal.
[00:10:10] “[A]s they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it”
[00:10:17] Take – bless – break - give…
Those are the same actions Jesus employed at the feeding of the 5000, an event that prefigured the Eucharist, and they are the same actions that every Catholic priest uses when he prays the Eucharistic Prayer during the Catholic Mass.
[00:10:45] At this meal, Jesus gave this bread, which he had taken and blessed and broken…
“to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’”
[00:11:03] With those words, the bread of the Passover Seder became linked - now and for all time - to the Eucharist and to the Death of Jesus on the Cross. The Passover bread is broken and shared to commemorate the deliverance from slavery in Egypt… the Eucharistic bread - the Body of Christ - will be broken on the Cross and shared to commemorate man's deliverance from the bonds of death.
[00:11:41] And remember, because Jesus is who he says he is… what he says IS!
[00:11:51] What I mean by that is that Jesus’ words have power… they have the power to bring about what he says.
[00:12:03] “And he took a chalice, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant,’”
[00:12:16] Again, because Jesus is who he says he is… what he says IS! It is real! And Jesus’ blood is…
“poured out for many”
[00:12:30] Moses sprinkled the blood of the Old Covenant - the blood of animals - on the people as a sign of the Covenant. Jesus shares the reality of his own life's Blood with us - to be consumed by us, to nourish us - in the New Covenant. And why?
[00:12:57] “for the forgiveness of sins.”
Levitical priests poured out the blood of sacrificial animals at the base of the altar in the temple to make atonement for sins. Jesus, as both High Priest and Perfect Sacrificial Victim, sheds his own Blood on the Cross to atone for the sins of all mankind.
[00:13:25] Jesus then says to his disciples…
“I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”
[00:13:41] Jesus makes this promise to the disciples, a promise that will be fulfilled at the Messianic banquet in the kingdom of heaven.
[00:13:52] “And when they had sung a hymn,”
The final Hallel Psalm - Psalm 118 - the last Psalm sung at a Seder meal.
“they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
[00:14:07] They went east out of the city of Jerusalem, through the Kidron Valley, and up the Mount of Olives.
[00:14:14] I have pictures of the city of Jerusalem, the Upper room, and the Mount of Olives, and I will post those on my Instagram account this week.
[00:14:25] “Then Jesus said to them, ‘You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’”
[00:14:40] That quote is from Zechariah 13, and in it God, who is speaking through the prophet Zechariah, predicts that God's anointed leader, the king, will be struck down and a majority of the population will perish. For Jews, this passage isn't typically associated with the Messiah because in it the king is defeated, which runs counter to the traditional expectations of a Messiah. But remember, the Jews expected the Messiah to be a great king, a conquering hero, who would liberate the people from their oppressors.
[00:15:25] Jesus, however, quite clearly intends that this passage apply to him. And remember, Matthew is all about the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Matthew is saying, Jesus is the good shepherd… he will be struck down, and his followers (the sheep, the disciples) will be scattered… and that will all happen within the next 24 hours!
[00:15:59] “But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
The place where Jesus first gathered his disciples is the same place where he will make his final earthly appearance to them.
[00:16:16] “Peter declared to [Jesus], ‘Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.’”
[00:16:23] That's quite a brave declaration… unfortunately, we all know how that worked out.
[00:16:31] “Jesus said to [Peter], ‘Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’”
[00:16:43] Jesus is saying that Peter will deny him not once… not twice… but three times, meaning that Peter's denial will be absolute - at the time.
“Peter said to [Jesus], ‘Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And so said all the disciples.”
[00:17:09] Again, it's very easy to make that promise in a deeply emotional moment… it's not so easy to keep that promise in the face of turmoil or very real fear. We can hope to live up to all of our promises, but we can't guarantee we what will happen until we have to confront the reality of a very difficult situation, as the disciples will soon have to do.
“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsem’ane,”
Gethsemane is a garden at the base of the Mount of Olives, just across the Kidron Valley, east of Jerusalem. I have pictures of olive trees in the garden of Gethsemane that are old enough that they would have been there on the night that Jesus prayed in the garden. I also have pictures of the Church of All nations, which is the Basilica of the Agony, and I will include all of those in an Instagram post this week.
[00:18:18] “and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’”
We should hear an echo of Genesis 22 there… when Abraham leaves the servants and the donkey to take his son, Isaac, up the mountain. Remember that Isaac - who carried the firewood for the sacrifice on his own shoulders - is a type for Christ, who carried the wood of his Cross on his own shoulders.
[00:18:53] “And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zeb’edee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.”
Jesus takes with him his Inner Circle - Peter, James, and John. When Matthew says: “Jesus spoke to them” - Matthew means his Inner Circle. Matthew’s description helps us understand that Jesus’ struggle is very real and his grief is extreme.
“Then [Jesus] said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’”
[00:19:56] And in Jesus' words - the RSV translates Jesus as saying: “let this chalice pass from me.” Chalice is not a good translation… it should be cup; the NAB translates it as cup.
And how it's translated becomes important because of Jesus' intent… a cup would have been understood as a metaphor for a harsh and intense fate…. cup, not chalice. Jesus understands his fate, yet his humanity - on some level - still grapples with how that fate will be accomplished. His humanity still seeks - from his Heavenly Father - the strength that will be needed to accomplish his own Death.
[00:20:58] And that should bring so much comfort to us when we are faced with terrible situations or difficult choices. Even Jesus experienced a moment of uncertainty, of hesitation. But how does his prayer end? “Not as I will, but as you will.” Those words are how all of our prayers should end as well.
[00:21:34] And [Jesus] came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ And 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.”
[00:22:21] Remember, Matthew wasn't part of that small Inner Circle that witnessed these events. He could only have known about them because those who did witness them later shared their experience with Matthew. And this entire section contrasts the fragility and weakness of the merely human disciples with the faithfulness and strength of Jesus, who was - and is - both human and divine.
“Then [Jesus] came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.’”
[00:23:25] These words illustrate that Jesus was not God's puppet - Jesus himself made the final choice! He could have slipped away, he could have gone up the Mount of Olives, he could have avoided his fate… he chose not to.
[00:23:45] “While [Jesus] was speaking, Judas came, one of the Twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.”
Remember I said Matthew never mentions when Judas leaves during the Last Supper? We don't hear his name mentioned again until he shows up here in the Garden. And notice how he shows up, followed by a great crowd. We have to compare this crowd that shows up with swords and clubs to the crowd that cheered Jesus’ arrival and laid palm branches and cloaks on the road before him just days ago.
“Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I shall kiss is the man; seize him.’”
[00:24:44] That always sounds strange to us, but what Judas meant was a fraternal kiss - a sign of respect and friendship. It may be easier for us to understand that if we think of how Europeans greet each other by kissing one another's cheeks.
And [Judas] came up to Jesus at once and said, ‘Hail, Master!’ And he kissed him.”
Judas transforms that act of friendship into a sign of treachery.
“Jesus said to [Judas], ‘Friend, why are you here?’”
[00:25:25] It's difficult for us to understand how Jesus can still address Judas as friend. But what that tells us is that Jesus is actually offering Judas one final opportunity to change his mind, to not go through with the betrayal he has planned. The NAB translation is a bit different. Instead of asking Judas why he was there, Jesus simply says: “do what you have come for.”
“Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his ear.”
[00:26:16] All of the evangelists record this event. None of the Synoptic authors names the culprit.
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.’”
Meaning don't counter violence with violence… it will only make things worse.
[00:26:42] “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?”
Jesus is saying that he has access to rescuers, but chooses not to call on them.
“[H]ow then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
[00:27:05] Jesus is talking about the prophecies of the Messiah - particularly the Suffering Servant Songs of Isaiah. And remember, Matthew is all about the fulfillment of prophecies.
“At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, ‘Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.”
[00:27:45] Matthew is all about the fulfillment of prophecies… and that is the fulfillment of Zechariah 13, which Jesus himself quoted earlier at the Last Supper: “strike the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.”
“Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Ca’iaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. But Peter followed him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus”
[00:28:29] Matthew says that to illustrate his belief that the Jewish religious authorities of the time were both corrupt and evil. Okay, that makes a certain amount of sense, but why seek false testimony?
“that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward.
That speaks volumes about the teaching of Jesus… it tells us that people were unwilling to falsely accuse Jesus of saying or doing the wrong thing.
[00:29:08] “At last two came forward”
Two witnesses who both provided the same testimony were necessary to establish the veracity of an allegation, according to Jewish law, especially when a death sentence was a possibility.
“and [the two men testified], ‘This fellow said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.”’”
[00:29:36] Jesus never said that… in John 2, when Jesus cleansed the temple, the Jewish authorities asked him what sign he could provide to justify his actions. Jesus’ response was: “destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He never said he would destroy it, and he was talking about the temple of his body.
“And the high priest stood up and said, ‘Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?’ But Jesus was silent.”
That fulfills what Isaiah foretold in the 4th Suffering Servant Song. Isaiah 53 says twice: “he opened not his mouth.”
“And the high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so.’”
[00:30:39] That is the second time Jesus employs that idiom. Jesus allows the very words spoken by the Jewish religious authorities to declare his own divine identity. But then he throws them all into a tizzy by presenting an image of the end times they would easily recognize from Daniel 7…
“hereafter 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 robes, and said, ‘He has uttered blasphemy.’”
The High Priest, Caiaphas, thinks that Jesus has abused the Divine Name… that's what he means by blasphemy. Caiaphas then rants on…
“‘Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?’ They answered, ‘He deserves death.’”
[00:31:43] When Matthew says “they answered” - he means the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, who were all gathered at the compound of the High Priest. They were described earlier as “the scribes and the elders” or as “the whole council.”
“Then they spat in his face, and struck him; and some slapped him, saying, ‘Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?’”
[00:32:10] After those words, the focus of Matthew's narrative shifts from Jesus to Peter.
“Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.”
[00:32:26] And remember, Jesus warned Peter about what was going to happen!
“And a maid came up to [Peter], and said, ‘You also were with Jesus the Galilean.’ But he denied it before them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you mean.’”
[00:32:44] Despite the best of intentions, Peter falls prey to his own weakness and denies Jesus this first time. And remember, Peter had seated himself among the guards in the courtyard of the high priest.
“And when he went out to the porch, another maid said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ And again [Peter] denied it with an oath, ‘I do not know the man.’”
Peter is again confronted, this time in a different location by different people. And yet he denies Jesus a second time. It is so easy for us, looking back across two millennia, to vilify Peter for his denials, but if we honestly put ourselves in his place and imagine exactly how he must have felt, we have to see things differently… Peter's heart would have been racing, he was probably a little ashamed, a lot terrified, and it's quite likely that he hadn't even really thought about what he'd said… at least not yet.
[00:34:12] “After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.’”
Meaning that the people around Peter can tell he's from the Northern Region of Galilee because of how he speaks. That would be akin to someone identifying a person from Boston because of that characteristic accent.
“Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man.’”
There it is… the third confrontation AND the third denial.
[00:34:54] “And immediately the cock crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, ‘Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ And [Peter] went out and wept bitterly.”
The intensity of Peter's denials is matched only by the intensity of his remorse. That, by the way, is the last direct mention of Simon Peter in Matthew's Gospel. And now our attention shifts back to Jesus.
[00:35:36] “When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor.”
That is the height of dramatic theater!
By binding Jesus and parading him through the streets, the Jewish authorities are doing their best to give Pilate the impression that Jesus is dangerous. They know that Pilate was appointed governor by Caesar to oversee the Roman province of Judea and maintain peace and order. They know that Pilate is always worried about what Caesar might be thinking. So, they know that the slightest hint that a person or situation might threaten the peace of Judea would be viewed as a significant threat by Pilate.
And while Matthew's focus has shifted primarily to Jesus, he now digresses briefly to focus on Judas.
[00:36:52] “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, saying, ‘I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.’ They said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself.’ And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.”
Only Matthew includes that detail. But why does he include that? This is the Narrative of Christ's Passion, after all - yet in the midst of that, Matthew focuses, in turn, on two of Jesus’ disciples.
Perhaps that is for our benefit… perhaps it is to illustrate the extent of the gulf that separates hope from despair… both men experienced remorse, both felt shame, both regretted their actions, but where Peter, in his sincere contrition, in his hope for God's mercy, turned his experience into something wonderful by becoming the rock Jesus named him to be - the first leader of the church Jesus founded; Judas, in his deep despair, rejects the gift of life given to him by God and hangs himself.
Neither man had the opportunity to apologize to the person they wronged, both were driven to take some sort of action… but the actions were based on radically different emotions and had significantly different outcomes. Again, perhaps that is for the benefit of every Christian.
[00:39:14] “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.’”
We tend to think that the term blood money simply refers to the betrayal, but in biblical times, it actually meant money used to purchase the death of a person. Apparently, the chief priests wish to maintain the purity of the temple treasury while ignoring their own spiritual impurity.
They conspired with Judas to arrange Jesus' betrayal, and they paid Judas this money out of the temple treasury in the first place. The hypocrisy there is staggering.
[00:40:12] “So they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field to bury strangers in.”
The word “strangers” means non-Jews - people that were viewed as ritually unclean. Since those who would be buried in those graves were perceived to be ritually unclean anyway, the money used to purchase the land - those 30 pieces of silver - could also be ritually unclean.
“Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.”
Matthew wrote his Gospel around 85 AD, so he's saying that the name “Field of Blood” was still being used when his Gospel was written… that is, of course, no longer the case. That burial ground no longer exists.
[00:41:17] “Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ‘And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.’”
Matthew is all about the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, but this is actually a combination of two different quotes… the purchase of a potter's field (meaning a common burial ground for strangers or unclaimed bodies) comes from Jeremiah 32, but in that text the purchase amount was actually 17 pieces of silver… the amount of 30 pieces of silver comes from Zechariah 11.
“Now Jesus stood before the governor;”
That, of course, is Pilate, the Roman governor.
“and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’”
[00:42:29] Notice there is no mention - at this point - of a charge of blasphemy, although that charge was of the greatest concern to the Jewish authorities. However, they knew that Pilate wouldn't care about a purely religious matter, so they offered a political charge instead. And Matthew doesn't tell us what that is, only Luke tells us that the charge brought by the Jewish authorities was that Jesus challenged the political authority of Caesar. If Jesus answers Pilate's question in the affirmative, then Pilate can execute Jesus for sedition.
“Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so.’”
[00:43:22] That is the third, and final, time Jesus uses that idiom - and again, the answer is present in the question that was asked!
“But when [Jesus] was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer.”
We heard that earlier in Matthew 26.
“Then Pilate said to [Jesus], ‘Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?’ But [Jesus] gave [Pilate] no answer, not even to a single charge; so that the governor wondered greatly.”
Jesus responds once to Pilate and then says nothing more.
“Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.”
[00:44:23] There is no historical evidence to support that. That doesn't mean it didn't happen; it's possible that it was so commonplace that historians simply never thought to make note of it. It is, however, recorded in all four Gospels.
“And they had then a notorious prisoner, called Barab’bas.”
That name is significant… it means son of the father. The people are given a choice between the true Son of God the Father, and one who is a criminal, who is a son in name only!
“So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you, Barab’bas or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.”
[00:45:32] Matthew says that in an attempt to shift blame away from Pilate and onto the Jewish religious authorities.
“Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much over him today in a dream.’”
That detail is only present in Matthew - and remember, just as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies are important, dreams are always important to Matthew because they were important in Jewish theology… think of the dreams of Jacob (the son of Isaac), the dreams of Joseph (the son of Jacob), the dreams of Pharaoh (correctly interpreted by Joseph), the dreams of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar (correctly interpreted by Daniel), the dreams of Daniel himself, and of course, the dreams of Joseph (the earthly father of Jesus).
And if we stop and think that a Gentile woman could be made aware of Jesus's innocence in a dream, then the Jewish religious authorities should certainly have known better… if they had actually been listening to God rather than to themselves.
[00:47:19] “Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the people to ask for Barab’bas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barab’bas.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified.’ And he said, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’”
Pilate didn't rise to the position of Roman governor by being foolish… he knows that he is being manipulated by the Jewish authorities… he knows that Jesus didn't really conspire against Caesar - If he had, Pilate would have already heard about it before now.
“But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified.’ So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning,”
Despite Pilate's repeated attempts to turn the people aside, he finally realizes that he has simply been outmaneuvered… a riot by the Jews would be a direct challenge to Pilate's own authority and his ability to maintain order. So, Pilate..
“took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this righteous man's blood; see to it yourselves.’”
[00:49:16] Pilate has been attempting to distance himself from Jesus' fate, but history has not allowed that. Pilate shares the historical burden of Jesus' Crucifixion. But he doesn't shoulder that burden alone.
“And all the people answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’”
That was an oath used commonly throughout the Old Testament; we hear it in Leviticus 20, Deuteronomy 19, Joshua 2, 2nd Samuel 1, and Ezekiel 18. The Jewish authorities use these words to accept responsibility for their actions without realizing they are, in reality, calling down a curse upon themselves… they think they are getting their way and simply getting rid of Jesus - who they see as nothing more than an inconvenience, a thorn in their side - without really being aware of the full significance their actions will have.
“Then [Pilate] released for them Barab’bas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.”
[00:50:46] Roman scourging was ruthless and vicious - it often served as a prelude to crucifixion, and the severity of the scourging would determine how quickly the prisoner died.
“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.”
The praetorium was Pilate's compound, where his personal residence was located. Jesus' trial was likely held in a public space outside the praetorium, where Pilate could address the Jews without their becoming ritually unclean through contact with Gentile territory.
“And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him,”
[00:51:44] When Matthew says “they” - he means the Roman soldiers and scarlet was the color of the cloak worn by a Roman soldier.
“and plating a crown of thorns they put it on his head,”
That was intended to be a degrading and painful act of humiliation… the long thorns out of which the crown was woven were intended to imitate the rays of the sun that emanated from the solar crown worn by Roman emperors. That crown became more commonly depicted on coinage in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, but Nero was also depicted on coins wearing the solar crown which dates to the 1st century.
I have an image of that Nero coin and one of the thorn trees that I took pictures of when we were in Israel, and I will include those on one of my Instagram posts this week.
And after crowning him with thorns, the soldiers…
“put a reed in his right hand.”
The reed would have been intended to represent a royal scepter.
[00:53:09] And kneeling before [Jesus] they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on his head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
The Roman soldiers would have been greatly offended at what they perceived to be a threat to the political and military authority of Caesar - that's why they put a scarlet cloak on him to indicate obedience to Caesar - and that is also why their mockery of Jesus was so severe.
“As they were marching out, they came upon a man of Cyre’ne,”
Probably a visitor to Jerusalem, come to celebrate Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Then we are told this man's name was…
“Simon; this man they compelled to carry [Jesus’] cross.”
The Simon that should have been with Jesus - Simon Peter - is nowhere to be found, while a stranger named Simon is conscripted to help. Matthew does this specifically to highlight the absence of Peter without ever mentioning his name.
[00:54:48] “And when they came to a place called Gol’gotha (which means the place of a skull)”
And I do have pictures of Golgotha - of the place where Jesus was Crucified - and I will include them on an Instagram post this week.
“they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.”
If we think back to Matthew 26 - to the account of the Last Supper - Jesus said that he would not drink again of the fruit of the vine until he drank it new with his disciples in his Father's kingdom. That's why Jesus refused to drink the wine that was offered to him.
[00:55:37] “And when they had crucified him,”
Notice Matthew offers no details of the actual Crucifixion - it would have been too painful for him to recount.
“they divided his garments among them by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus the King of the Jews.’”
There was only one charge listed on the placard above Jesus' head because it was the only charge that caused Pilate any concern whatsoever.
“Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging 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.’”
[00:56:46] The crowds who welcomed Jesus with joyous acclaim just days ago now disparage him and question his identity using the same words that Satan used when he tempted Jesus in the desert three years earlier: “If you are the Son of God” - which only points out their own lack of faith.
“So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, “I am the Son of God”’”.
The Jewish religious authorities have no choice at this point but to mock Jesus… they've come too far down that road to turn back now. But what they are unaware of is just how closely their words echo the mockery of Satan when he challenged the veracity of God's promises. In the desert, the devil tried to convince Jesus that God's promises weren't true, that they couldn't be trusted… the Jewish authorities are appealing to that same uncertainty by saying, IF the Father desires Jesus. Jesus, however, knows better… he will not fall for the taunts of the Jewish religious authorities any more than he succumbed to the temptations of the devil.
[00:58:49] “And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.”
Notice there is no mention of a “good” thief - we hear that in Luke's account, but nowhere else… nor are we told by Matthew what the thieves said.
“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.”
This is another instance where we simply don't understand what is being said. In the Bible, Jews divided time into two equal periods of night and day, each lasting 12 hours. The night was further divided into segments called watches; the day was divided into segments called hours.
The 3rd hour was roughly 3 hours after sunrise, or about 9 am; the 6th hour about 6 hours after sunrise, or around noon; the 9th hour - 9 hours after sunrise, or 3 pm; and the 12th hour - 12 hours after sunrise, or about 6 pm. So, when Matthew says the 6th hour, he means around noon - a time when the sun would have been directly overhead and everything should have been light… but Matthew says everything was dark and that darkness lasted until the 9th hour, which would have been around 3 pm. Jesus' Agony on the Cross lasted for three hours in the hottest part of the day.
[01:00:48] “And about the ninth hour”
Which we now know was around 3 o'clock.
“Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, la’ma sabach’tha’ni?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”
That is a quote from Psalm 22, which is the Psalm for Palm Sunday, and it is a cry of agony, but not of despair…. it is a way of expressing intense pain and to God. Some scholars contend that Jews were in the habit of quoting Psalms in times of great joy or extreme distress, so that is what Jesus was doing here in Matthew's Gospel.
“And some of the bystanders hearing it said, ‘This man is calling Eli’jah.’”
Those bystanders were likely not Jews… after three hours on the Cross, after three hours of struggling to breathe, Jesus' words may have been quite soft and weak sounding, but Jews would have recognized this Psalm, and they would have known that Jesus was not calling Elijah.
[01:02:17] “And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink. But the other said, ‘Wait, let us see whether Eli’jah will come to save him.’”
The dichotomy there is astounding… one of the bystanders sees Jesus’ distress and wants to help by offering something to ease Jesus' thirst, the other demonstrates a decidedly cruel and callous “let's wait and see” attitude.
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.”
Jesus, who came FROM the Father, now gives himself back to the Father.
On both Palm Sunday and Good Friday, Catholic Christians kneel after these words are proclaimed to affirm that all creation pauses to acknowledge the passing of its Lord and Savior.
Then Matthew presents three clearly apocalyptic signs. The passive voice in which they are presented indicates that they are God's divine actions and not attributable to any human agency.
[01:03:50] “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom;”
That was the first apocalyptic sign… the purpose of the curtain, or veil, of the temple was to shelter the Holy of Holies and separate it from the rest of the temple complex. The Holy of Holies was considered to be the dwelling place of God on earth and access to it was restricted; only the High Priest was permitted entry and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. Jewish tradition held that anyone, other than the High Priest, who entered the Holy of Holies would die because, as God told Moses in Exodus 33, no one can look upon the face of God and live.
Having the curtain torn signals a new era of access to God, one that is no longer mediated by the Levitical priesthood; the barrier between God and his creatures has now been removed… by God himself!
“and the earth shook, and the rocks were split;”
That is the second apocalyptic sign… earthquakes - in biblical times - were viewed as a sign of God's activity in the world, and - even more specifically - they were viewed as a sign of judgment.
[01:05:42] “the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,”
That is the third apocalyptic sign… and it is not only apocalyptic, it is Messianic. Tombs being opened and the dead being raised were signs of the coming of the Messiah and the beginning of the Messianic Age. Many Jews chose to be buried in the Kidron Valley just outside the walls of Jerusalem so that, when the dead were raised, they would be among the first to enter the New Jerusalem when the Messiah came.
I have pictures from our time in Israel of tombs in the Kidron Valley, and I will include those on an Instagram post this week as well.
“and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection [those who were raised] went into the holy city and appeared to many.”
Apart from this phrase in Matthew's Gospel, recorded history is silent regarding this event. This only appears in Matthew, so it's difficult to judge whether his words were intended as hyperbole or fact. Nevertheless, it is possible that such an event did take place, but that historians simply didn't find it credible and so never wrote it down.
[01:07:30] “When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe, and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’”
The first to acknowledge Jesus' identity as the Son of God during the Crucifixion is this Roman centurion and his soldiers. However, Matthew does tell us…
“There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him; among whom were Mary Mag’dalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zeb’edee.”
Although the disciples are absent, the women of Galilee did not desert Jesus.
[01:08:33] “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathe’a, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus.”
Joseph, Jesus' earthly father, had passed away by the time of the Crucifixion and was no longer there to care for Jesus, so another Joseph now accepts that responsibility.
“He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.”
As a respected and wealthy man, Joseph of Arimathea possessed the type of influence that gained him access to Pilate.
“Then Pilate ordered [Jesus’ body] to be given to him. And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in in the rock;”
Notice that Jesus' body is not anointed before burial - that anointing had already taken place in Bethany before Jesus entered Jerusalem for the final time. And notice too that Jesus is laid in Joseph's tomb. That should remind us of Jesus' own words in Matthew 8: “Foxes have dens,birds have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” Even Jesus’ tomb was borrowed.
“and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed.”
[01:10:19] The purpose of a large stone like that was to keep out scavengers and deter grave robbers. I have photos of what that sort of tomb would look like, and I will include them on an Instagram post this week as well.
“Mary Mag’dalene and the other Mary were still there, sitting opposite the tomb.”
The same women who witnessed Jesus' Crucifixion, now witness the apparent finality of his death. They see where he was buried and they keep watch… unlike the disciples who fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane. And sitting was - and is - a common Jewish posture for mourners. It is a custom that continues to this day, called sitting Shiva.
“Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation,”
Meaning preparation for the Sabbath.
“the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise again.”’”
It's worth noting that Jesus never said that - in public - he spoke candidly about his Resurrection to his disciples, but always privately. He never spoke explicitly about his Resurrection in public… he alluded to it, he hinted at it, he offered clues about it… but never made that public statement.
[01:12:07] “Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day,”
They mean the third day AFTER the Sabbath - they aren't including the day of Preparation for the Sabbath - the day we call Good Friday, the day of the Crucifixion - meaning that they actually went to see Pilate on the Sabbath! The chief priests and the Pharisees conspire together against Jesus and his disciples, who they perceive to be their common enemy.
The fact that they do so on the Sabbath underscores the urgency they felt and notice they're padding their request with an extra day. They aren't taking any chances! And they ask for that extra day…
“lest his disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.”
This tells us that even in death, Jesus remained a threat to the Jewish religious authorities.
[01:13:30] “Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
The seal placed on the stone of the tomb was probably an Imperial Roman Seal and the guard, of course, would have consisted of Roman soldiers. The presence of the Roman soldiers and the Imperial Seal don't stop Jesus’ Resurrection.
Their presence will actually lend credence to the Resurrection accounts we will hear on Easter… Palm Sunday, however, stops here.
[01:14:22] Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the last days of Jesus earthly life. If you have never attended any of the liturgies of Holy Week, I invite you to do so this year. These profoundly moving and hauntingly beautiful liturgies immerse us in the totality of Jesus' saving actions.
This year I am happy to announce that I will release two bonus episodes for Holy Week! One exploring the readings for the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, and the other exploring the readings for the Commemoration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday.
In fact, I am privileged to announce that this podcast reaches an important milestone with the Good Friday episode - that will be our 100th episode!
However you observe Holy Week, I encourage you to embrace this sacred time, traverse these days with open hearts, and offer Jesus unending gratitude and praise as we stand in awe of the love Our Lord and Savior has for each and every one of us.
[01:15:47] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you safe and secure in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.
