The body is given, the tomb is empty, the nations are sent.

Matthew 26

At Passover Jesus gives His body and blood of the covenant, prays in agony until He yields to the Father, and is betrayed, tried, and denied.

¹When Jesus had finished all these words, he said to his disciples, ²“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

³Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. ⁴They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit and kill him. ⁵But they said, “Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people.”

⁶Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. ⁸But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

¹⁰However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good work for me. ¹¹For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me. ¹²For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.”

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?” So they weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

¹⁷Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸He said, “Go into the city to a certain person, and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”’”

¹⁹The disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the Passover.

²⁰Now when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. ²¹As they were eating, he said, “Most certainly I tell you that one of you will betray me.”

²²They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him, “It isn’t me, is it, Lord?”

²³He answered, “He who dipped his hand with me in the dish will betray me. ²⁴The Son of Man goes even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”

²⁵Judas, who betrayed him, answered, “It isn’t me, is it, Rabbi?”

He said to him, “You said it.”

²⁶As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” ²⁷He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it, ²⁸for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins. ²⁹But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”

³⁰When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³²But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee.”

³³But Peter answered him, “Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble.”

³⁴Jesus said to him, “Most certainly I tell you that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

³⁵Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” All of the disciples also said likewise.

³⁶Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go there and pray.” ³⁷He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled. ³⁸Then Jesus said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me.”

³⁹He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.”

⁴⁰He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What, couldn’t you watch with me for one hour? ⁴¹Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴²Again, a second time he went away and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup can’t pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done.”

⁴³He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words. ⁴⁵Then he came to his disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶Arise, let’s be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand.”

⁴⁷While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, “Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him.” ⁴⁹Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?”

Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. ⁵¹Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

⁵²Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Or do you think that I couldn’t ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?”

⁵⁵In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you didn’t arrest me. ⁵⁶But all this has happened that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”

Then all the disciples left him and fled.

⁵⁷Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. ⁵⁸But Peter followed him from a distance to the court of the high priest, and entered in and sat with the officers, to see the end.

⁵⁹Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward ⁶¹and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.’”

⁶²The high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?” ⁶³But Jesus stayed silent. The high priest answered him, “I adjure you by the living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

⁶⁴Jesus said to him, “You have said so. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky.”

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy. ⁶⁶What do you think?”

They answered, “He is worthy of death!” ⁶⁷Then they spat in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him, ⁶⁸saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who hit you?”

⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting outside in the court, and a maid came to him, saying, “You were also with Jesus, the Galilean!”

⁷⁰But he denied it before them all, saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

⁷¹When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him and said to those who were there, “This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷²Again he denied it with an oath, “I don’t know the man.”

⁷³After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known.”

⁷⁴Then he began to curse and to swear, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately the rooster crowed. ⁷⁵Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Then he went out and wept bitterly.

Matthew 27

Judas despairs, Pilate condemns the innocent King, Jesus is crucified and truly dies, and a rich disciple lays Him in a new tomb under a guard.

¹Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. ²They bound him, led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

³Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴saying, “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.”

But they said, “What is that to us? You see to it.”

⁵He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary and departed. Then he went away and hanged himself.

⁶The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It’s not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood.” ⁷They took counsel, and bought the potter’s field with them to bury strangers in. ⁸Therefore that field has been called “The Field of Blood” to this day. ⁹Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,

¹¹Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus said to him, “So you say.”

¹²When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. ¹³Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they testify against you?”

¹⁴He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

¹⁵Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the multitude one prisoner whom they desired. ¹⁶They had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas. ¹⁷When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up.

¹⁹While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.”

²⁰Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. ²¹But the governor answered them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

They said, “Barabbas!”

²²Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do to Jesus who is called Christ?”

They all said to him, “Let him be crucified!”

²³But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?”

But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”

²⁴So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.”

²⁵All the people answered, “May his blood be on us and on our children!”

²⁶Then he released Barabbas to them, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified.

²⁷Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him. ²⁸They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. ²⁹They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. ³¹When they had mocked him, they took the robe off him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

³²As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry his cross. ³³When they came to a place called “Golgotha”, that is to say, “The place of a skull,” ³⁴they gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink. ³⁵When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots, ³⁶and they sat and watched him there. ³⁷They set up over his head the accusation against him written, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

³⁸Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left.

³⁹Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

⁴¹Likewise the chief priests also mocking with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said, ⁴²“He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. ⁴³He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.

⁴⁵Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. ⁴⁶About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

⁴⁷Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him a drink. ⁴⁹The rest said, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.

⁵¹Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. ⁵²The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.

⁵⁴Now the centurion and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were done, were terrified, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵Many women were there watching from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him. ⁵⁶Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

⁵⁷When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathaea named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus’ disciple, came. ⁵⁸This man went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up. ⁵⁹Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth ⁶⁰and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock. Then he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. ⁶¹Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

⁶²Now on the next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate, ⁶³saying, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come at night and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead;’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can.” ⁶⁶So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone.

Matthew 28

The women find the tomb empty, the risen Lord meets them, and He commands baptism and teaching in the triune name, promising to be with His church to the end of the age.

¹Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. ²Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky and came and rolled away the stone from the door and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men. ⁵The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. ⁶He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying. ⁷Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.”

⁸They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. ⁹As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!”

They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”

¹¹Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city and told the chief priests all the things that had happened. ¹²When they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers, ¹³saying, “Say that his disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept. ¹⁴If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry.” ¹⁵So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until today.

¹⁶But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them. ¹⁷When they saw him, they bowed down to him; but some doubted. ¹⁸Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.