04/03 – Matthew 27:17, 20-23 – One of the Mob: The Follower

Jeremiah 31:31-34

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new promise to Israel and Judah. It will not be like the promise that I made to their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. They rejected that promise, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.

“This is the promise that I will make to Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put my teachings inside them, and I will write those teachings on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

No longer will each person teach his neighbors or his relatives by saying, ‘Know the Lord.’ All of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” declares the Lord, “because I will forgive their wickedness and I will no longer hold their sins against them.”

Hebrews 5:1-10

Every chief priest is chosen from among men to represent them in front of God, that is, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. The chief priest can be gentle with people who are ignorant and easily deceived, because he also has weaknesses. Because he has weaknesses, he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins in the same way that he does for the sins of his people.

No one takes this honor for himself. Instead God calls him as he called Aaron. So Christ did not take the glory of being a chief priest for himself. Instead the glory was given to him by God who said, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” In another place in Scripture, God said, “You are a priest forever, in the way Melchizedek was a priest.”

During his life on earth Jesus prayed to God who could save him from death. He prayed and pleaded with loud crying and tears, and he was heard because of his devotion to God. Although Jesus was the Son of God, he learned to be obedient through his sufferings. After he had finished his work, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him. God appointed him chief priest in the way Melchizedek was a priest.

Matthew 27:17, 20-23

The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 27^th chapter.

Glory to You O Lord.

17 When the people gathered Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to free for you? Do you want me to free Barabbas or Jesus, who is called Christ?”

20  The chief priests and leaders persuaded the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus.

21 The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to free for you?”

They said, “Barabbas.”

22 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?”

“He should be crucified!” they all said.

23 Pilate asked, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

But they began to shout loudly, “He should be crucified!”