April 5, 2020
Readings:
First Reading: Isaiah 50: 4-7
Psalm 22 “My God, my God, why have you
abandoned me?”
Second Reading: Philippians 2: 6-11
Gospel reading according to Matthew 27: 11-54
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Homily: The Crucifixion
Jesus was brought by the chief priests and
elders to Pontius Pilate, the governor during that year, to accuse Jesus. “Jesus stood before the governor, Pontius
Pilate, who questioned him, ‵Are you the king of the Jews?′ Jesus said, ‵You say so′.” (Matthew
27: 11). One of the accusations against
Jesus was that he claimed to himself that he is King of the Jews. While the chief priests and the elders had
many accusations to pin down and or hold down Jesus. “And
when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer” (Matthew 27: 12). But in all these accusations, Jesus remained
silent. He did not say anything nor defend
himself against these malicious accusations. But Pilate wanted to hear his defense and his
answers against these malice. “Then Pilate said to him, ‵Do you not hear
how many things they are testifying against you?′ But he did not answer him one
word, so that the governor was greatly amazed” (Matthew 27: 13-14). He
wanted to squeeze Jesus in questioning him to reveal the truth. But instead of giving in to Pontius Plate
caprice, he continued keeping quiet.
Every Passover Feast in Jerusalem, it was became the habit of the governor
and procurator, Pontus Pilate, to free one prisoner whom the crowd decided to
release. One of those prisoners was
Barabbas, a notorious thief and outlaw. “Now
on the occasion of the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the
crowd one prisoner whom they wished. And
at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had assembled, Pilate said to
them, ‵Which one do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus called
Christ?‵ For he knew that it was out of
envy that they had handed him over” (Matthew
27: 15-18). Pilate presented to the
crowd two prisoners, one was Jesus the Christ and the other one was
Barabbas. Pilate learned the intention
of the chief priests and elders, it was due to envy that was why they would
like to eliminate and kill Jesus.
The wife of Pilate had a difficult sleep and terrible dream with regards to
the righteous man, Jesus, whom Pilate is about the judge and give him
verdict. “While he was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message,
‵Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him′.” (Matthew
27: 19). So she sent a message to Pilate while the hearing was still going
on. In her message (whether written or
verbal) she said that, “Have nothing to
do with that righteous man. I suffered
much in a dream today because of him,” which Pilate did not heed, because
he was afraid with the chief priests and the elders as well as in the crowd.
To set Barabbas free instead of Jesus, the chief priests and elders
persuaded and most probably gave some money to the crowds to choose
Barabbas. “The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for
Barabbas but to destroy Jesus” (Matthew
27: 20). Truly the chief priests and
elders wanted to destroy Jesus by bribing the people. They were able to persuade the people because
of their influences and mostly of the crowds were afraid also with these
powerful elite in the temple.
To make sure, Pilate repeated his request, whom among these two they would
like to be released. “The governor said to them in reply, ‵Which
of the two do you want me to release to you?′
They answered, ‵Barabbas!′ Pilate
said to them, ‵Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?′ They all said, ‵Let him be crucified!′ But he said, ‵Why? What evil has he done?′ They only shouted the louder, ‵Let him be
crucified!′ When Pilate saw that he was
not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water
and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd saying, ‵I am innocent of this
man’s blood. Look to it yourselves.′ And
the whole people said in reply, ‵His blood be upon us and upon our children′.”
(Matthew 27: 21-25). They chose Barabbas, the outlaw, thief,
criminal, and murderer instead of the teacher, the prophet, the miracle worker,
healer, one who forgives sin, and one who feeds thousands, one who raises dead
to life, and one who gives life. Pilate to excuse his self, washed his hands as
a sign of indifference (walang pakialam)
and cowardice despite he was the one who gave the verdict. He can save the life of Jesus, if he
wills. But the crowd, they took to
themselves and to their children the blood of the innocent. “Then he released Barabbas to them, but after
he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified” (Matthew 27: 26). He released the evil, and put to death the
good and giver of life.
The Roman soldiers or Pontius Pilate′s soldiers, made fun of Jesus. “Then
the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the
whole cohort around him. They stripped
off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him. Weaving a crown
out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him,
saying, ‵Hail, King of the Jews′! They
spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking on his head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped
him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify
him” (Matthew 27: 27-31). After
scourging him at the pillar, he was stripped naked and put a scarlet military
cloak, made crown of thorns and put it on his head until it bled, a reed, like
a scepter, was placed in his right hand, and mockingly they hailed him as a
king while spitting and striking his head.
After all these pain, suffering, humiliation, abuses, and all kinds of
punishment of which he did not deserve, they led him to crucifixion.
A man from Cyrene named Simon was there watching the carrying of the cross
of Jesus, with mixed emotions. He did
not expect that he was chosen to help in carrying the cross of Jesus. “As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian
named Simon; this man they pressed into service to carry his cross” (Matthew 27: 32). The parade of Jesus Christ crucifixion was
halted for Jesus was already tired and could not walked any further, so when a
soldier saw a man, husky and strong, he was pressed into service to carry the
cross which he accepted with his whole heart up until they reached the place of
crucifixion.
The place of Calvary where Jesus to be crucified was in a mountain called
during those days as Golgotha or the Place of Skull. It is believed that Adam’s body was buried
there. “And when they came to a place called Golgotha – which means Place of
the Skull – , they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink”
(Matthew 27: 33-34). When they reached the place and Jesus was
exhausted, one of the soldiers felt (in his opinion) that Jesus needed
something to sooth the pain of the wounds in his body, decided to give Jesus
wine to drink with gall to ease the pains.
But when he tasted the wine with gall he refused to drink it. He was ready to endure the pains of
crucifixion for the salvation of many.
They crucified Jesus. While he was
nailed hanging on the wood of the Cross, they divided his garment and gambled
it. “After
they had crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots; then they
sat down and kept watch over him there” (Matthew 27: 35-36). The
soldiers sat down, casting lots of his garment while keeping watch of him.
To complete the game they played, the soldiers of the governor put the
written charge against Jesus. “And they placed over his head the written
charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” (Matthew 27: 37). They placed at the top of the cross a small
piece of wood and in it was written in three languages, Latin, Hebrew and
Greek, “This is Jesus, the King of the
Jews,” so that everybody can read the charge against Jesus.
Two men also were crucified with him, they were revolutionaries who fought against
the Romans, while others said that, they were thieves. “Two
revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his
left” (Matthew 27: 38). The
two men were traditionally known as Gestas and Dimas.
In this part, Jesus was tempted again by Satan in the form of passersby,
the chief priests, scribes and elders, and the two thieves or revolutionaries
who were also crucified with him. “Those passing by reviled him, shaking their
heads and saying, ‵You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three
days, save yourself, if you are the Son of God, and come down from the
cross!′ Likewise the chief priests with
the scribes and elders mocked him and
said, ‵He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel! Let him
come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if
he wants him. For he said, I am the Son
of God.′ The revolutionaries who were crucified with him also kept abusing him
in the same way” (Matthew
27: 39-44). The three temptations of
Satan in the wilderness (desert) after his baptism by John and before his
ministry, Jesus once again visited by Satan to tempt him, using again the
words, “If you are the Son of God,.” but by this time Jesus was tempted to come
down from the cross where he was nailed to show his self-satisfaction, pride
and power.
He was hanging on the cross from noon until three in the afternoon. And the whole place was covered with
darkness. “From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until three in the
afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus
cried out in a loud voice, ‵Eli, Eli, sabachthani?′ which means, ‵My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me′?” (Matthew
27: 45-46). At three o’clock, according
to Matthew, Jesus prayed the Psalm to his Father, “Eli, Eli, sabachthani?” which
means, “My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?” It is an opening
words of Psalms 22:2. Jesus in the
face of death was singing a psalm of confidence, trust and of love to the One
who sent him (God the Almighty). Yet the bystanders, the chief priests, scribes and elders
and even the Roman soldiers of the governor were perplexed and confused to what
Jesus was saying. They did not realize
that he was praying or singing to God his Father in his native tongue or
language, which is Aramaic. Was he
hallucinating, delirious, fantasizing and high?
But they were saying that he was calling for Elijah’s help. “Some
of the bystanders who heard it said, ‵This one is calling for Elijah.′ Immediately
one of them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a
reed, gave it to him to drink. But the
rest said, ‵Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him′.” (Matthew 27: 47-49). One of them hurriedly took a sponge and
soaked it to wine to let Jesus drink it to regain his consciousness. But he was stopped by others saying to wait
and see if Elijah will come to save him.
Jesus breathed his last and he died. “But
Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit” (Matthew 27: 50). He gave up his spirit to God who sent him to
fulfill what the angel of the Lord foretold to his mother, Mary, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and
bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord
God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the
house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end” (Lk. 1:
31-33). While Zechariah, John′s father,
made a prophecy with regards of the coming of the Son of God and his ministry, “His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and
prophesied: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to
his people and redeemed them. He has
raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David as
he said through his holy prophets of long ago, salvation from our enemies and
from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his
holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the
hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and
righteousness before him all our days”
(Lk. 1: 67-75).
(Here all kneel and pause for a short time)
The power of his death was manifested. “And
behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs
were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were
raised. And coming forth from their
tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many”
(Matthew 27: 51-53). The veil of the sanctuary that covered the
holy of holies was torn at the middle from top to bottom. Even the earth was awaken by shaking it
strongly, vigorously and forcefully, and the rocks were split. The tombs of the dead were opened and bodies
rose from deep sleep and resurrected after he was lifted up to heaven. The risen bodies of the dead were seen by
many, especially their relatives.
The centurion and the rest of the soldiers of the governor who were
watching and keeping vigil felt the strong earthquakes, the splitting and
rolling of rocks and stones, the movement of the earth, and every amazing
phenomenon that were taking place. “The centurion and the men with him who were keeping
watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening,
and they said, ‵Truly, this was the Son of God!′” (Matthew 27: 54). Fear
overshadowed them greatly for what they saw and experience, and they made
manifest their new found faith and believed that truly Jesus, the Christ, was the
Son of God!
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