Easter Week Bible Reading

Wednesday (8th April) - Psalm 115 & Matthew 27:1-26

I've written a simple Bible reading plan for us for Easter week, one a day through to Easter Sunday. This is how to use them: 

1. Read the bible passages (there will be one New Testament passage (or two short ones) and a Psalm).
The plan isn't to trace the whole of Easter week in the gospels but to see Jesus through the lens of Psalm 113-118 (the songs sung at the Passover meal).
Try to spot connections and fulfillments of the Psalms' themes or promises in Jesus' last week, death and resurrection.

2. Let those reflections fuel prayers

• of adoration of Jesus (thanking Him for who He is and what He has done for you)
• and/or of repentance
• and/or of request for ourselves and others in light of the passages.

Or maybe there will be a verse that leaps out for you? Chew it over and pray it in.

3. Then, either immediately or at a convenient point in the day, listen to the song, following the lyrics.
Again, I have chosen these because of connections they have with the passages.

I hope and pray these will encourage us and engage our hearts and minds as we freshly consider Christ this Easter week.

Psalm 115

¹ Not to us, Lord, not to us 
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.

² Why do the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
³ Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
⁴ But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
⁵ They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
⁶ They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
⁷ They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
⁸ Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.

⁹ All you Israelites, trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.
¹⁰ House of Aaron, trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.
¹¹ You who fear him, trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.

¹² The Lord remembers us and will bless us:
He will bless his people Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron,
¹³ he will bless those who fear the Lord—
small and great alike.

¹⁴ May the Lord cause you to flourish,
both you and your children.
¹⁵ May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

¹⁶ The highest heavens belong to the Lord,
but the earth he has given to mankind.
¹⁷ It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
those who go down to the place of silence;
¹⁸ it is we who extol the Lord,
both now and forevermore.

Praise the Lord.

Matthew 27:1-26

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. ² So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ â€œI have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

⁶ The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: â€œThey took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

¹¹ Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.¹³ Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” ¹⁴ But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” ¹⁸ For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

²¹ â€œWhich of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² â€œWhat shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ â€œWhy? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Christ is mine forevermore