EASTER 2026

Prayer

Dyma gariad fel y moroedd,

Tosturiaethau fel y lli:

T’wysog bywyd pur yn marw—

Marw i brynu’n bywyd ni.

Pwy all beidio cofio amdano

Pwy all beidio canu ei glod?

Dyma gariad nad â’n anghof

Tra bod nefoedd wen yn bod.

Readings

Matthew 26 | NIVUK Bible | YouVersion 

The Last Supper

17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?’

18He replied, ‘Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, “The Teacher says: my appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.” ’ 19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

20When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21And while they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’

22They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, ‘Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?’

23Jesus replied, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.’

25Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, ‘Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?’

Jesus answered, ‘You have said so.’

26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’

27Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’

30When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus arrested

47While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ 49Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him.

50Jesus replied, ‘Do what you came for, friend.’

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

52 ‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’

55In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Jesus arrested

47While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ 49Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him.

50Jesus replied, ‘Do what you came for, friend.’

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

52 ‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’

55In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Source: Matthew 27 | NIVUK Bible | YouVersion 

Jesus before Pilate

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

‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied.

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

15Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. 17So 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?’ 18For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

19While 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.’

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

21‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’ asked the governor.

‘Barabbas,’ they answered.

22‘What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ Pilate asked.

They all answered, ‘Crucify him!’

23‘Why? What crime has he committed?’ asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’

24When 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!’

25All the people answered, ‘His blood is on us and on our children!’

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

The crucifixion of Jesus

32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means ‘the place of the skull’). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him:

this is jesus, the king of the jews.

38Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and 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!’ 41In 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. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, “I am the Son of God.” ’ 44In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The death of Jesus

45From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46About 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?’).

47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, ‘He’s calling Elijah.’

48Immediately 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. 49The rest said, ‘Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.’

50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54When 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!’

55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The burial of Jesus

57As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The guard at the tomb

62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise again.” 64So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.’

65‘Take a guard,’ Pilate answered. ‘Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ 66So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

—John 13v34-35

 We live from diluted definitions of love because we instinctively resist Jesus-shaped love. It goes much too low, dirty, and distasteful — to the washing of feet, even the feet of those who back-stab and betray. We’d rather settle for niceness towards those who think and talk like us.

In contrast, Jesus’ command begins a new community defined by cruciform imitation. He is the first among those who leave aside rank and privilege to love the least (and those who annoy us, and our ideological or political opposites, and so on), often by meeting practical needs at personal cost.

Fortunately, Jesus is both the exemplar of this new love and the animating power behind it. Jesus’ kneeling love was rooted in lofty places: he knew his power from the Father, and he knew his identity and destination (John 13v3). Just as Jesus drew from the Father, we draw from him. And from that safe place of communion with Jesus, we come to live as tangible manifestations of his risk-taking love.

Jesus, help me see your risk-taking love for me, and let it be my benchmark for loving others. Amen 🙏

Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?”

—John 12v3-5

Mary’s act is extravagant, intimate, and, in Jesus’ words, beautiful and prophetic. It’s also an act that, for the second time, offends those who are busy working for Jesus or morally posturing in his name.

There is a kind of love for God that looks irresponsible to hard-working religious types. It doesn’t look to gain from Jesus, nor is it fixated on an obligation to give to Jesus. It’s a heart posture that values Jesus himself — over social obligation, usefulness, appearance of propriety, and economic efficiency. Without this love, even charitable endeavours become self-protective and empty.

For Judas, a hidden desire to leverage Jesus for some other non-Jesus gain culminated in a horrific betrayal and death. But Mary lives on as a reminder that Jesus’ kingdom is one of great reversals. She knelt low at Jesus’ feet, and as a result, she is lifted up by him, even now. Because his words have come true: wherever the good news is known, her story is told in memory of her.

Jesus, help me see your priceless value, that my love for you might be pure, with no other rivals. Amen 🙏