Day 40, Palm Sunday, 28 March

 

RETREAT IN LENT 2021

Day 40, Palm Sunday, 28 March

We accompany Jesus today from the welcome with palm branches, and the cries of ‘Hosanna’ and ‘Blessings on the coming kingdom’, to his death and burial. Mark, (in Ch 14 & Ch 15) paces it out like our practice of the Stations of the Cross and we can consider each step:

·        The chief priests and scribes look for a way of getting rid of Jesus before the people even know what is happening (14:1-2).

·        Jesus is anointed by a woman before his death and, despite the complaints of wasting money, he honours her (3-9).

·        Judas delights the chief priests by offering his help to get him arrested (10-11).

·        Jesus celebrates the Passover with his disciples, his last great act of fulfilling the old covenant (12-16).

·        He foretells his betrayal (17-21).

·        He celebrates the first Eucharist of the new covenant (22-25).

·        Jesus foretells Peter’s denial that he ever knew him (26-32).

·        In Gethsemane, Jesus is overcome by sorrow and distress (32-42).

·        Judas leads armed men to the spot and Jesus is arrested and his disciples scatter (43-52).

·        Jesus is tried before the Sanhedrin. At first, he is silent but when solemnly asked if he is the Christ, he replies, ‘I am’ (53-64).

·        In response they spit on him and mock him (65).

·        Peter denies him three times and when he realises what he has done burst into tears (66-72).

·        Jesus is taken to Pilate where, again, he remains silent. The chief priests incite the crowd to demand his death and the mob cry, ‘Crucify him!’ To placate the crowd Pilate has Jesus flogged and orders his death (15:1-15).

·        The soldiers mock him and lead him away to Golgotha (16-22).

·        They strip him and nail him to the cross and hang him on it (23-27).

·        Again Jesus is mocked and taunted (28-32).

·        Jesus feels desolate and abandoned, even by God (33-36).

·        He dies at the ninth hour (3.00pm) and the centurion believes and calls him ‘a Son of God’ (37-39).

·        Many women were there to give Jesus comfort (40-41).

·        Joseph, though a member of the government, bravely takes the body for burial (42-47).