By Father Paul Nord, O.S.B., Sunday Scripture
Procession with Palms: Matthew 21:1-11; First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7; Responsorial: Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11; Gospel: Matthew 26:14–27:66
Palm Sunday begins Holy Week – during which we commemorate the events preceding our Lord Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, on Good Friday the crucifixion itself, and Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. These “preceding events” begin with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem in triumphal procession, described by Matthew 21:1-11, which is read today for the procession with palms.
When Jesus enters Jerusalem, the crowds cry out: “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest” (21:9). The crowd’s words recognize Jesus as a savior sent by God, and their words echo Psalm 118:25-26.
Jesus enters Jerusalem “riding on an ass, and on a colt” (21:5). Matthew quotes the prophet Zechariah (9:9), observing that Jesus fulfills this prophecy: “Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! … Behold: your king is coming to you… humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Today’s Gospel is Matthew 26:14–27:66. These verses begin with Judas’ betrayal and the Last Supper. In the context of the Passover meal, Jesus gives his disciples a cup and tells them: “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins” (26:28). Here Jesus’ words echo Zechariah 9:11: “As for you, by the blood of your covenant, I have freed your prisoners from a waterless pit.”
After the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples go out to the Mount of Olives. This is reminiscent of Zechariah 14:4, which says: “On that day God’s feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.” Zechariah 14 foretells “the day of the Lord” in which God will redeem his people. On that day, “the Lord [God] will be king over all the earth.”
The Jesus tells his disciples “”This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken,
for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed.’” This is a quotation of Zechariah 13:7.
When Judas betrays Jesus, he goes to the chief priests, he asks: “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” (26:15). They paid him thirty pieces of silver. Later, Jesus is condemned to death, and Judas deeply regrets his actions. Therefore, “He returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders” (27:3), who used the money “to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.” Matthew describes this as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah: “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of a man with a price on his head…” Actually, this is a reference to Zechariah 11:13 which says: “Then the LORD said to me, Throw it in the treasury—the handsome price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury in the house of the LORD.”
After Jesus is sentenced to death, he is crucified on the cross. Then Joseph of Arimathea courageously asks Pilate for the body, and he reverently buries Jesus. Matthew 28 follows: the account of the empty tomb and Christ’s resurrection, followed by Jesus’ sending his disciples to announce the good news!
Our first reading (Isa 50:4-7) is a portion of the third out of four “suffering servant songs” found in the later chapters of the prophecy of Isaiah. These four “servant songs” have traditionally been read by Christians as divinely inspired anticipations of Jesus, the suffering servant Messiah.
In today’s reading, the servant of God speaks of having “a well-trained tongue” so that he might “speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” The servant speaks words of encouragement on behalf of God. The servant hears God’s message for the people “morning after morning.” Concerning his mission to proclaim God’s words to his people, the servant says, “I have not rebelled, have not turned back.” This contrasts the servant with the people of Israel – who have repeatedly rebelled against God. The servant is a model of obedience to God in moments of suffering (described next).
The servant describes being beaten, having his beard plucked, and having his face struck and spat upon. Despite this, the servant remains obedient and faithful to his mission of proclaiming God’s word. The concluding section shows the servant’s faith in God whom he serves. He proclaims, “the Lord GOD is my help.” He is not afraid of disgrace or being put to shame.
Our second reading is called the “Philippians hymn” – an especially important early Christian description of the divine and human natures of Christ Jesus. The first part of this Philippians hymn describes a kind of “humbling” that God’s Son underwent by taking on human nature. This is described as “he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,” which is then explained as “human likeness… human in appearance.” This humbling reaches its climax with “death on a cross.” This is logical since human nature is subject to death.
The second part of the Philippians hymn describes the “exaltation” that God’s Son received from God the Father “because of” his humble reception of human nature. These verses of exaltation culminate with the confession: “Jesus Christ is Lord!”
This title of “Lord” belongs to YHWH, the God of Israel. The Philippians hymn insists that Christ Jesus must be given the same title as YHWH. Using the title “Lord” for Jesus is a recognition of Jesus’ divinity and his oneness with God the Father. This is further communicated by the phrase “every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” Only God is worthy of such universal worship. Insisting that Jesus be given the same worship is to proclaim him fully divine, one with God the Father. The final phrase of today’s reading – “to the glory of God the Father” – asserts that God the Father is glorified when Jesus is acclaimed as “Lord!”