The crucifixion and death of Jesus

Today is Palm Sunday, when our Lord Jesus Christ entered in triumph the walled city of Jerusalem for his hour had finally come. He is greeted by cries of "Hosanna" by hundreds of Jews waving palm leaves, many of whom heard and believed him to be the Messiah, who was prophesied in the Torah who will take on the hated Roman occupiers of Palestine. But this King of the Jews enters Jerusalem not on a magnificent chariot, but a donkey. Jesus is indeed the kind of king who wants to show his humility.

Incidentally, it is also called Passion Sunday today as it marks the beginning of the Holy Week, when we recall the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ at the hands of the Jews and his Roman tormentors. Indeed, those Jews who greeted him in the gates of Jerusalem would suddenly demand his crucifixion by Good Friday. We can read today's gospel in Matthew 27:33-54.

"33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means "the place of the skull"). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the Jews.

38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"

41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.             

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, Lema Sabachthani?" (Which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"). 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and[c] went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

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Palm Sunday reminds all of us of the triumphant entry of our Lord Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. Because while he will first have to suffer greatly before the Romans and the Jews, to be tortured and nailed on the cross and crucified for three long hours, his gruesome death would not be the end of the Son of Man but the beginning of the greatest religion that God has given to the human race —Christianity — because Jesus Christ would resurrect on Easter Sunday as he had prophesied. This is why we need to remind ourselves of the great sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ made during his passion and death, which we commemorate during this Holy Week. Have a great spiritual renewal for Holy Week!

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