So much for the facts. The rest is drama, woven from the evangelists' separate emphases on different aspects of Jesus' identity. Mark, author of the oldest Gospel, stresses Jesus' humanity. His account of Jesus' death speaks of God's plunge not only into human life but also into the profoundest depths of human misery. Matthew follows Mark's narrative very closely, adding just a few touches of his own.
Intermission Let's hit the pause button here and take a closer look.
There does seem to be anti-Jewish bias in the sacred texts. But Jesus' family, disciples and admirers were also Jews. So, for that matter, was Jesus himself. The service was a combination of Scripture, prayer and preaching that laid the pattern for our Liturgy of the Word. That title bore the taint of polytheism to many Jews.