The Passion of Christ
INTRODUCTION
The passion of Christ, from his agony in the garden
to his death, was the most torturous suffering a person could undergo.
Jesus fulfilled his words, “Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45). Jesus
and his mother Mary fulfilled God’s promise of the woman and her son who
would destroy the serpent that led to the fall of mankind. When Jesus
successfully accomplished his mission on the cross, he drank the fourth
cup of Passover and said, “It is finished.” It was not words of relief
but words of accomplishment like the words of a military captain saying
at completion of a victorious war. Let us join Jesus in carrying our
crosses and finally say with him, “Father, into your hands I commend my
spirit” (Luke 23:46).
The sequence of events during the Passion of Christ according to the gospels is
as follows:
1. The Agony in the Garden
14. The Burial of Jesus
1. The Agony in the
Garden. (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark
14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46)
Comfort from the Father alone
After the celebration of Passover, Jesus went with
the eleven apostles to the Mount of Olives to pray and gain spiritual
strength before his passion. There was no garden in Jerusalem because of
space limitation on the Temple mountain. Gardens owned by private
persons were available on the Mount of Olives. The owner of the Garden
of Gethsemane might have given permission for Jesus to use it for night
prayers. When Jesus and companions reached the garden, Jesus took only
Peter, James, and John closer to him where he prayed. These three were
so dear to him that they were with him on special occasions like raising
to life the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and the transfiguration of
Jesus (Mark 9:2). Even though Jesus requested them thrice, “My soul is
sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” (Matthew
26:38), they failed and fell asleep. The triple request was a sign of
how fervent he needed their support at that time. So, in the great
distress, Jesus was left alone.
During the time of anguish, the presence of the
dear ones is a relief. When all deserted Jesus, he gained strength from
his Father because the Father sent an angel from heaven to strengthen
him (Luke 22:43). “Even if my father and mother forsake me, the LORD
will take me in.” (Psalm 27:10). Let us never forsake our faith in God,
so we have always the companionship and comfort from God in our distress
and solitude.
Subjecting to the Father’s Will Let our prayers also be expressing our willingness
to accept the will of God. Isaac was the prototype of Jesus. Isaac is
believed to be in his thirties like Jesus when his father Abraham took
him to sacrifice on Mount Moriah where Jesus was sacrificed later. Isaac
could easily escape from the sacrifice by overtaking his aged father.
However, he willingly subjected himself to his father for sacrifice.
Though God saved Isaac’s life, He wanted His son Jesus to fulfill the
mission and strengthened him by sending an angel showing the heavenly
presence and support. 2. The Betrayal and
Arrest of Jesus. (Matthew 26:47-56,
Mark 14:43-52, Luke 22:47-53, John 18:1-14) Kiss of love altered to kiss of betrayal Mismanagement of wealth or greed for money has been
causing the downfall of many people and their relationship with others
and with God throughout history. God might entrust more than needed
wealth to some people not just for their enjoyment but to test them
whether they share it with others. Let us remember that faith in Jesus
and practice of what he taught are our treasure in this world and in
heaven. Peter, a brave defender Christianity and church assets are to be defended
by love and not by war. Oftentimes, our quick response in times of
crisis is to take sword like Peter. Self-acceptance of failure in this
world was the gateway of glory to Jesus who set that as an example for
us. 3. The Inquiry before
Annas. (John 18:19-24) John the Evangelist reports that Jesus was brought
in front of Annas the former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas,
the then high priest. Annas was a corrupt person and had bribed the
Romans to get the position of high priesthood. He had business alliance
with the merchants who were money changers and sellers of sacrificial
animals in the temple area. Since excessive exploitation was taking
place in the name of God at the holy place, Jesus had wiped out the
businessmen. That ignited the fury of Annas against Jesus and caused the
arrest of Jesus. Jesus questioned the trial of Annas because he was
violating the Jewish procedure of trial. The accusers were supposed to
bring two independent witnesses against the accused. The judge was not
supposed to ask leading questions to the accused. When Jesus questioned
these to Annas, the temple guard struck Jesus. Jesus questioned that
also, because he was right in answering. We might also face challenging situations and false
accusations even when we are right. Jesus showed how we can defend
ourselves. We don’t have to agree with the falsehood 4. Peter’s Denial of
Jesus. (Matthew 26:69-75, Mark
14:66-72, Luke 22:54-65, John 18:15-18, 25-27) Peter went to the courtyard of Caiaphas, the high
priest, while Jesus was under trail. This was with the help of another
disciple who accompanied him to witness the trail of Jesus. According to
scholars, that could probably be John the Evangelist, who accompanied
Jesus and Mary to Calvary. John’s father Zebedee had fresh and salted
fish business. He used to sell salted fish to the High Priest’s palace
and John might have been delivering that before he followed Jesus. That
might have helped John to get some influence with the staff of the high
priest’s palace. Peter’s denial of Jesus three times was to fulfill
what Jesus had told him before. It was not as grave as what Judas did.
Peter was enthusiastic to defend Jesus by striking with sword the high
priest’s servant and to accompany Jesus during his trial. No one else in
the company of Jesus was bold enough to do those, except John who also
loved the Lord passionately. Peter’s denial of his companionship with
Jesus was necessitated to protect his life to lead the church later. St.
Luke reports that Peter “went out and began to weep bitterly.” (Luke
22:62). Mistakes happen even when we ardently follow Jesus.
Repentance is the best remedy and God cannot ignore a repentant soul. 5. Jesus Before the
Sanhedrin. (Matthew 26:57-68, Mark
14:53-65, Luke 22:66-71) According to the Jewish law and traditions, there
were many violations in the trial of Jesus. (1) Trial at night was illegal: The Jewish
trial of Jesus was illegitimately done at night in front of the high
priests and probably their favorable members in the Sanhedrin. Caiaphas
was the official high priest during the trial of Jesus. Annas, who was
the former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas, was the president
of Sanhedrin. Though Sanhedrin was not supposed to meet at night, the
high priests went out of the way to meet the Sanhedrin at that time
because they were in a hurry to crucify Jesus. (2) The location of the trail was wrong: The
Sanhedrin met for the trial of Jesus at the high priest’s house (Matthew
26:58), instead of one of the chambers of the inner court of the Temple.
The death sentence had to be passed near the altar to assure that
justice was guaranteed, and the decision was acceptable to God. (3) The Sanhedrin was prejudiced and had only
false witnesses: Most members of the Sanhedrin had in mind capital
punishment for Jesus before the trial. They were struggling to get
enough proof for their false accusations against Jesus. They were
unsuccessful in getting two witnesses that would agree in testimony.
When the false witnesses failed, “’the high priest asked him and said to
him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?’ Then Jesus
answered, ‘I am; and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right
hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’” (Mark
14:61-62). Only based on this statement of Jesus, the Sanhedrin accused
blasphemy on Jesus. Such questioning of the culprit in the Sanhedrin was
illegal. (4) Crucifixion was not the punishment for
blasphemy: The regular punishment for blasphemy was stoning to death (Leviticus 24:10-16). However, the Sanhedrin wanted the most
painful crucifixion for Jesus. This was to fulfill the Old Testament
symbol of bronze serpent raised on a pole for saving sinners’ lives and
to fulfill Jesus’ prophecy that he would be exalted (John 3:14,
12:32–33). Hence, the judgment of crucifixion was false even if Jesus
was guilty of blasphemy. (5) Enough time was not taken for the judgment: A death sentence could not be pronounced within one day. The
Sanhedrin was supposed to sleep over it one night and reconsider the
decision before the sentence was finalized. This did not happen in
Jesus’s case. So, the time, place, procedure of the trial, and
the punishment they wanted were all illegal. The hatred and prejudice
can lead us to unjust decisions and judgment against others in the
family or in the community. Like Jesus who came not to judge but to
save, let us be saviors of others who are in trouble. The second coming
of Christ will be only for judgment and reward for the righteous.
Jesus prayed: “Abba, Father, all things are
possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but
what you will.” (Mark 14:36). He earnestly presented this prayer three
times expressing his nervousness because he knew how torturous was his
martyrdom going to be. His address of “my father” or
“Abba” was an expression of his filial intimacy with God. “This cup”
stood for the fourth cup of the Passover that Jesus substituted for his
crucifixion. In the Lord’s prayer Jesus taught us to pray to the father,
“your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.” (Matthew
6:10). So, every time he repeated the prayer request, he concluded
saying, “not as I will, but as you will.”
Judas was attracted to Jesus who gave him the
privileged position to be an apostle. He was even entrusted with the
little money Jesus and his disciples received for their sustenance from
the well-wishers. Unfortunately, his interest shifted from Jesus to
money.
Peter was quick in action. He struck Malchus, the
high priest’s slave, with a sword and cut off his right ear. Even at the
time of his arrest, Jesus was compassionate to touch and heal Malchus
(Luke 22:51).
6. Jesus Before Pilate.
(Matthew 27:1-2, 11-14 Mark 15:1-5, Luke
23:1-5, John 18:28-38)
Though the accusation of Sanhedrin against Jesus
was blasphemy, they did not bring up that to Pilate. Instead, the three
accusations they presented against Jesus to Pilate were issues of
concern for the Roman authorities: “We found this man misleading our
people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he
is the Messiah, a king.” (Luke 23:2). Pilate did not find any truth in
these nor any serious offense for a severe punishment as crucifixion.
The accusation that Jesus claimed himself to be the king of Jews could
be considered as a treason against the Roman emperor and against the
position of Pilate who was the governor replacing the king of Jews for
the provinces of Judea, Samaria, and Idumaea. But, Pilate knew that
Jesus was never a challenge to Rome or to him. When questioned, Jesus
also clarified that his kingdom was not of this world. Pilate’s
conclusion was that Jesus was not guilty. But he was not bold to free
Jesus because of his selfish motives.
7. Jesus Before Herod. (Luke 23:6-12)
Herod Antipas was the king in Galilee from 4 B.C.
to 39 A.D. He had martyred John the Baptist. He came to Jerusalem for
the Passover feast. Since Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate found an excuse
from sentencing Jesus by sending him to his neighboring king and enemy,
Herod. Herod also did not want to sentence Jesus in the territory of
Pilate though he had previous plans to kill Jesus (Luke 13:31). Herod
was curious to see Jesus and to see him perform some miracle. Though
Jesus was mocked and persecuted by his soldiers, Jesus did not answer to
any questions of King Herod. So, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.
The curiosity to understand Jesus won’t save a person. Faith in Jesus and following his teachings are needed for salvation. Because of the referral of Jesus for trial to one another, Pilate and Herod who had been enemies became friends.
8. The Death of Judas.
(Matthew 27:3-10)
The brothers of Joseph had sold him to Midianite
merchants who were going to Egypt for 20 shekels of silver. History
repeated in the case of Jesus when Judas sold him for 30 pieces of
silver which was the price of a slave. When Judas realized that Jesus
had been condemned, he regretted deeply on what he had done (Matthew
27:3). He might have assumed that Jesus would escape from the enemies as
he had done several other occasions. However, Jesus’s time had arrived.
Judas’ attempt to return the money to the chief priests and elders did
not help to release Jesus. The Satan that entered Judas did not allow
him to turn towards his master for forgiveness. His depression was so
deep that he committed suicide. Even the Temple authorities found that
it was unlawful to deposit the money in the Temple treasury. So, they
bought a potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.
If we delay in turning back to Jesus for
forgiveness and change of life, there might come a time of no return.
Judas had been warned by Jesus, but he had failed to correct himself. As
humans, we might fail and ignore God given warnings. Like Peter, let us
find relief in Jesus and compensate our mistakes by our commitment to
God.
9. The Sentence of
Death. (Matthew 27: 15-26, Mark
15:6-15, Luke 23:18-25, John 18:39-40, 19:1-16)”
When Jesus was brought back from Herod to Pilate,
he had to make a tough decision. He was in conflict between justice and
pressure tactics of chief priests and elders. He also had a message from
his wife: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much
in a dream today because of him.” (Matthew 27:19). Pilate tried to find
excuses to avoid the crucifixion for Jesus.
Pilate’s tactics to release Jesus
Pilate thought of releasing Jesus as the person to be freed
during the Feast of Passover. But that selection was not entrusted with
him but to the choice of the people
(Matthew 27:15). He presented an option to the public between Jesus and
a notorious criminal Barabbas who committed murder in a rebellion.
People after comparing the murderer and God, under the influence of
chief priests and elders (Matthew 27:20), who were mediators between God
and humans, selected a criminal to be freed and the innocent Lamb of God
to be sacrificed.
The next tactic of Pilate was to scourge Jesus and
present him in a sympathetic shape to satisfy his enemies and make them
allow his release. The soldiers of Pilate scourged Jesus probably 39
times as per the practice of the time, hard-pressed a
crown of thorns on his head, clothed him in a purple cloak, and struck
him repeatedly mocking him as the “King of the Jews.” However, the
enemies repeated saying, “Crucify him!”
Pressure tactics of Jews
When Pilate attempted to release Jesus, the Jews
used their pressure tactic saying, “If you release him, you are not a
Friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”
(John 19:12). Jews hated Pilate because they had previous issues with
Pilate and had complained against him to the Roman emperor. When
Governor Pilate first visited Jerusalem from Caesarea, which was his
headquarters, he came with soldiers who carried the image of the emperor
on their standards that were used instead of flags. All the previous
Roman governors had removed the image before they entered the city to
respect the faith of the Jews. Despite the demand of the Jews, Pilate
was adamant on his decision. The Jews followed Pilate to Caesarea.
Pilate threatened to kill the large gathering of Jews. They were even
willing to die for their belief. To avoid a massacre of the Jewish
gathering, Pilate had to agree with them.
The second issue Pilate had with Jews was that he
raided the Temple treasury to meet the expenses of a new aqueduct he
reconstructed to supply enough water to Jerusalem. It had benefitted the
Temple that needed much water for the sacrifices and cleaning. However,
Jews objected taking money from the Temple treasury and they made riots
on the street. Pilate mingled his soldiers in civil clothes with the
rioters and at a given signal attacked and killed many of them. Because
of the complaint of Jews, Pilate had to answer to Roman Emperor Tiberius
for his action.
A third incident was that when Pilate was in
Jerusalem, he used to stay in the ancient palace of Herod. He had made
shields with the name of the emperor inscribed on them. Since emperor
was regarded as god in the Roman empire, and that name was inscribed and
displayed for reverence in the Holy City, the Jews vehemently objected.
Pilate refused to remove it. At the request of the Jews, Emperor
Tiberius asked Pilate to remove it. Thus, Pilate had many downfalls in
his relationship with the Jews. So, he knew that release of Jesus could
be another setback for him from the Jews who would complain to the
emperor against him.
Pilate, who was bold in many previous occasions,
found it better to be free from trouble and look for his bright future.
He ignored the warning he received through the dream of his wife.
Sometimes, we also fall into the situation of Pilate. Our past might
haunt us and prevent us from doing the right. Our concern for the
worldly future also might influence us to do injustice.
Pilate washing hands
Pilate was sure that Jesus was innocent. His
conscience was bothering him also because his wife sent him message
about the innocence of Jesus. At the same time, he had to avoid trouble
from Jews and from the Roman emperor. So, he used a Jewish custom of
washing hands to escape from the murder of an innocent person as given
in Deuteronomy 21:1-9. Still Pilate was doing injustice as a judge. He
judged to crucify the innocent one who will come one day as the judge of
Pilate and all humanity.
Two mistakes of Jews
When Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your king?” The
chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” This was a clear
denial of God as their king (1Samuel 12:12), (Judges 8:23) accepting the
Roman emperor instead. Hatred of humans can lead to denial of God
because we cannot accept and love God by hating and maltreating others.
The second mistake of Jews was that when Pilate
could not succeed in convincing the Jews to release Jesus and they were
at the verge of rioting, Pilate washed his hands in public and said, "I
am innocent of this man's blood. The responsibility is yours!" The whole
people replied, “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” (Matthew
27:24-25).
Blood of Jesus stands for his life and sacrifice.
It was shed for the forgiveness of the sins of all humanity. However,
the whole crowd gathered at the trial of Jesus were so much taken up by
the influence of the Sanhedrin that they, out of their emotion, took up
the curse of the innocent blood on them and their future generations. It
was a Jewish belief that the guilt of innocent blood shall fall upon the
false witnesses and their children to the end of the world. Some
interpreters view the fall of Jerusalem after 40 years in 70 A.D., the
destruction of the Temple and its sacrifices, and centuries of exile and
dispersion of the Jews were results of the above pledge they made.
Catholic Church do not hold this view. According to the Second Vatican
Council, guilt for Jesus’ death is not attributable to all the Jews of
his time or to any Jews of later times.
10. Mockery by the
Soldiers. (Matthew 27:27-31, Mark
15:16-20, John 19:1-5)
Scourging was a normal part of the crucifixion
penalty. The soldiers were Romans and not Jews. They might have arrived
from Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast along with Pilate.
Since they heard that Jesus was accused of claiming to be the king of
Jews, they mocked him as if he was a lunatic.
The scourging and mockery were physically and
mentally torturing. The soldiers took Jesus to the praetorium which was
the old palace of Herod and the temporary residence of the Roman
governor when he visited Jerusalem. Pilot used to go to Jerusalem during
the great feasts to assure prevention of any nationalistic riot against
Rome during the enormous gatherings of Jewish pilgrims. Matthew records
that he whole cohort gathered around Jesus. (Matthew 27:27). The cohort
was normally six hundred soldiers. They stripped off Jesus’ clothes and
dressed him with a royal purple cloth. They weaved a crown out of long
straight thorns and placed on his head as a crown, gave a reed in his
right hand, spat on him, took the reed and kept striking on his head.
This was the fulfillment of what Isaiah said in 50:6 “I gave my back to
those who beat me, my cheeks to those who tore out my beard; My face I
did not hide from insults and spitting.” Once done with mocking and
torturing, they stripped him of the cloak and dressed in his own clothes
and led him for crucifixion. They in fact adorned with royal attire, the
real king of the universe, though Jesus never dressed up like that
because his kingdom is not of this world.
When we suffer for justice and for Jesus, our
suffering will be an honor and a norm for reward in front of God. Jesus
told his disciples, “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when
they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against
you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will
be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before
you.” (Matthew 5:10-12).
11. The Way of the Cross. (Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32)
Out of the 14 stations of the cross that we do as a
devotion, the three falls of Jesus, Jesus meeting his mother Mary, and
Veronica wiping the face of Jesus are not specifically documented in the
Bible. The meeting of Mary on the way of the cross might have happened
because she was at the foot of the cross. That meeting might have been
heartbreaking for Mary though she knew that he was fulfilling his
mission. Mary is a great role model for mothers sending their children
to missions.
Veronica wiping the face of Jesus
Simon helping Jesus to carry the cross
Roman soldiers had a practice to forcefully ask
anyone on the road to help them carry their luggage. It was in this
context that Jesus taught, “If a soldier demands that you carry his gear
for a mile, carry it two miles.” (Matthew 5:41). While Jesus was
carrying the cross to Calvary, the soldiers forced Simon, a Cyrenian to
carry the cross so that Jesus could be crucified alive. Cyrenaica was
the capital of a Roman province on the north coast of Africa. and Cyrene
was its capital city. The city had a large population of Greek-speaking
Jews. Simon, a Greek-speaking Jew might have migrated to Palestine.
“After laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.”
(Luke 23:26). Simon was literally fulfilling the teaching of Jesus,
"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their
cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24). Simon was in fact carrying the
cross of Jesus and following him. Jesus wants us to share his cross in
our lifetime to continue his mission in this world.
Mark 15:21 presents Simon as “father of Alexander
and Rufus.” The reason for giving the names of his sons are because they
must have been prominent followers of Jesus and well-known leaders of
the early church. It is not just curses that pass down to generations,
but blessings as well. The good works we do for Jesus and his church
will have its lasting effects in our coming generations.
Women devotees pacifying Jesus
While the soldiers and many bystanders on the
roadside were looking at Jesus with contempt, “A large crowd of people
followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him.”
(Luke 23:27). As a human, their support must have been a comfort for
Jesus. He still used the occasion to advise them of the care to be taken
to face future tribulations that were going to happen to them and to
their children. Concern of Jesus was true, and the tribulation happened
in 70 A.D. when the followers of Jesus escaped it while a huge number of
Jews were killed, many taken as slaves to Rome, and City of Jerusalem
along with the Temple was destroyed.
Our Passion Friday message from Jesus is the same that Jesus gave to these devoted women. Let us be concerned about the spiritual wellbeing of us and our future generations even amid tribulations of this world
12. The Crucifixion.
(Matthew 27:33-44, Mark 15:22-32, Luke
23:33-43, John 19:17-27)
The Place of Skull
Jesus was crucified on Golgotha which means “Place
of Skull.” There are different interpretations to this place. (1) It was
a rock with skull-shaped appearance. (2) There was heap of skulls from
many people who were crucified there and were not buried. The Jews used
to bury the dead bodies. But Romans let the dead body to be eaten by
animals and birds. So, it was a place of bones and skulls.
(3)
Traditional belief was that Adam’s skull was buried at Golgotha.
According to Jewish tradition, Noah confided the skull of Adam to his
son Shem who later did the same to Melchizedek. The skull was finally
deposited at the mountain that came to be known as Golgotha because of
the skull of Adam. Some early Christian writings also give similar
accounts. That is why the skull of Adam is depicted at the foot of
Christ’s cross to show that Adam’s sin was compensated by the blood that
fell on the skull of Adam from the crucified body of Jesus. This was the
fulfillment of God’s promise to Adam that he would send a redeemer
(Genesis 3:15).
(4) Some scholars associate Golgotha with Mount
Moriah. Mount Moriah was the place that God showed Abraham to sacrifice
his son Isaac (Genesis 22:2). Solomon built the Temple at the same place
(2 Chronicles 3:1) and came to be known as Temple Mount. Later Herod’s
temple was built at the same location. Golgotha has the same height of
the Temple Mount and both are facing each other at distance of only 300
meters. Jesus was the Lamb that Abraham told his son, "God himself will
provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." (Genesis 22:8).
Wine mixed with gall
Jesus was offered a narcotic, “wine drugged with
myrrh” to drink. The wealthy and compassionate women in Jerusalem used
to give such a narcotic to those who were going to be crucified to
soothe their bitter pain during crucifixion. But Jesus declined it so
that he could endure the full suffering for humanity. This is also a
fulfillment of Psalm 69:22.
Forgiving enemies
While suffering on the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,
they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). Jesus might have included all
who were instrumental in his horrific torture. Thus, Jesus became a role
model for us in dealing with our enemies. Many early Christian martyrs
also imitated Jesus by praying for their persecutors during their
martyrdom.
Soldiers divided his garments
The criminal to be crucified was led to execution
in the middle of a square of four soldiers. Since criminals were
crucified naked except for a loin of cloth, the four soldiers divided
the garments of the criminals. There were five articles of clothing worn
by a Jew: shoes, turban, girdle, inner garment and outer cloak. “When
the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them
into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic,
but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down.” (John
19:23). Only the high priest was using such a garment woven in one
piece. Dress of Jesus was believed to be woven by his mother and gave
him when he started his public ministry. She made it like the dress of a
high priest because she knew that he was the high priest going to offer
sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of the world. The soldiers did
not tear it but cast lots for it. This was the fulfillment of Psalm 22:
19, “they divide my garments among them; for my clothing they cast
lots.”
Jesus the Nazarian, the King of Jews
The offense of a person
condemned to death by crucifixion was written on a tablet that was
displayed on the way of the cross and nailed on the cross. Since the
execution was done by Romans, Jews had no control on this. The charge
against Jesus was that he had claimed to be the King of the Jews.
However, Pilate purposefully wrote: “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the
Jews.” The inscriptions were in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. In Latin it
was, Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (INRI). That is why this acronym is
written on the crucifix. Chief priests requested Pilate to change it as,
“He said, I am the King of Jews.” But Pilate did not change it affirming
from his part that Jesus was their spiritual king.
Two Revolutionaries crucified on the sides of
Jesus
Two revolutionaries were
crucified on both sides of the true revolutionary of God’s love, Jesus.
During the time of the public ministry of Jesus, there were Jewish
revolutionaries like Barabbas who fought against the Roman rule. Jesus’
crucifixion amid two wicked men was the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12, “he
exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the
sins of many and interceded for rebels.”
Bible does not give the names of the two
rebels. However, they are known as Dismas and Gestas based on a
non-canonical book, “The Gospel of Nicodemus” written in the fourth
century. Dismas was considered as the good thief who asked Jesus to
remember him in Christ’s kingdom” and to which Jesus replied, “Amen, I
say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43).
Gestas had asked Jesus, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.”
(Luke 23:39). The Catholic Church considers Dismas as a saint and
celebrates his feast on March 25th.
Mockery by the public
Many people humiliated Jesus by insulting words
while he was going through terrible pain on the cross. The people who
did this were those passing by, those stood at the cross, the chief
priests, the scribes, elders, those who were crucified with him, the
rulers, and the soldiers. They were also tempting him saying like Satan
at the temptation when Jesus started his public ministry, “If you are
the Son of God …” (Matthew 3:4-6). When we are struggling in the work of
God, there might be people who try to pull us back from our mission.
Entrusting Mother to John
God’s words to the serpent, along with the hope for
the first parents stating, “I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head,
while you strike at their heel” (Genesis 3:15) was coming to realization
at the foot of the cross where Mary, the Mother of God was as acting as
a co-redeemer. That was the reason he addressed his mother, “woman.”
Mary was a widow at that time and was going to be without a son to
support. Jesus felt confidence in entrusting her care to his most
beloved disciple, John. John whole-heartedly accepted her as his mother
and took care of her until her death, along with his busy evangelization
ministry. Jesus blessed John with long life and, according to tradition,
rescued him from an attempt to kill him in boiled oil while he was in
Rome. Jesus kept the commandment of God, “Honor your father and your
mother.” (Genesis 20:12). Let us continue honoring our parents whether
living or deceased.
13. The Death of Jesus. (Matthew
27:45-56, Mark 15:33-41, Luke 23:44-49, John 19:28-37)
Time of Crucifixion to Death
The Passover lambs were sacrificed from 3:00 P.M.
to 5:00 P.M. in the Temple on the previous day of Jesus’ crucifixion
(Mark 14:12, Luke 22:7). Jews had to take home the sacrificed Passover
lamb from the Temple to celebrate the Passover meal. The time of
crucifixion and death correspond to the daily Perpetual Sacrifice
(Tamid) in the Temple at 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. Along with an
unblemished male lamb they used to offer flour and wine (Exodus
29:38-39, Numbers 28:1-8). This would represent the bread and wine we
offer for Holy Mass which becomes the “Lamb of God”. During the Tamid
sacrifice, people used to pray for redemption from their sins. So,
timing of Jesus sacrifice, its beginning and end at 9:00 A.M. and 3:00
P.M., coincided with the Perpetual Temple sacrifice for the redemption
of sins. The sacrifice of Jesus replaced the Tamid sacrifice in the
Temple, especially with the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.
“Why have you forsaken me?”
The mental agony of Jesus on the cross combined
with the physical pain made him cry out in a loud voice, “My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew
27:46, Mark 15:34). This was reflected centuries ago in Psalms 22:2, “My
God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” When we are in great distress,
we might feel to cry out the same. Still Jesus did not give up his trust
in God and fulfilled his Father’s will.
Last Cup of Passover Wine
It was normal that those who were crucified, cry of
hunger and thirst. John states, “aware that everything was now finished”
Jesus said, “I thirst.” (John 19:28). “There was a vessel filled with
common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, ‘It
is finished.’ And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit (John
19:29-30). It could mean that his Passover was finished with the fourth
cup. Jesus said, “It is finished” also in the sense of fulfillment of a
great task like a military commander used to say at the end of a
victorious battle.
The crucifixion of Jesus was his unfinished fourth
cup at the Last Supper. When all his suffering was coming to an end, to
finish his Passover meal, Jesus expressed his thirst. Hyssop was a small
plant used to dip in the basin containing the blood of the Pascal lamb
and to apply the blood to the lintel and the two doorposts before
Israelites left Egypt (Exodus 12:22).
Extraordinary events at the death of Jesus
Some unusual events were reported at the time of
crucifixion of Jesus:
1. Solar eclipse happened for three hours
with darkness felt from noon to 3:00 P.M. (Mark 15:33, Luke 23:14). This
was the fulfillment of Amos 8:9, “On that day - oracle of the Lord GOD -
I will make the sun set at midday and in broad daylight cover the land
with darkness.”
2. The veil in the sanctuary of the Temple was
torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27: 51). According to the
design of God, two veils were there in the tabernacle and later in the
Temple. The outer veil was at the entrance of the Holy Place and the
inner one in front of the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:31–36). Only the
high priest could enter the Holy of Holies and that only on the Day of
Atonement (Leviticus 16:1–18). The meaning of the sanctuary veil torn in
two is that by the self-sacrifice of Jesus who is the perfect High
Priest, the heaven (Holy of Holies) is open for all who follow Jesus.
3. There was earthquake and splitting of rocks.
“Tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep
were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection,
they entered the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:52-53).
All these were indicative of the coming of the final or Messianic age.
The last words of Jesus were, “Father, into your
hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Only a person in communion with
God could say that. Let this be our wish that at the last moment of our
life we could say the same words.
Many were attracted to Jesus at the Cross
Jesus had told his disciples, “When I am lifted up
from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” (John 12:32). That was
realized even immediately after his crucifixion. “The centurion and the
men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they
saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, ‘Truly,
this was the Son of God!’” (Matthew 27: 54). “When all the people who
had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned
home beating their breasts.” (Luke 23:48). Jesus transformed the cross
that was a symbol of sin and punishment a key to heaven. Let us use the
cross of Jesus as our ladder to heaven and help others to use it.
Ladies witnessed the death of Jesus
Because of life threat for the male disciples of
Jesus, they avoided appearing at the crucifixion of Jesus, except John
who was supporting Mary, the mother of Jesus. However, ladies had
nothing to fear because they were of low status in the society at that
time and the Jews did not consider them as a threat to their religion.
The synoptic gospel writers report that many women who followed Jesus
from Galilee were looking from a distance at the crucifixion though they
named only a few (Matthew 27:55, Mark 15:40-41). Luke reports that,
“but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who
had followed him from Galilee and saw these events.” (23:49). We
participate in the Last Supper or Passover of Jesus and witness his
sacrifice when we take part in the Holy Mass (Qurbana). Let us make it
with holiness and devotion.
Bones of Jesus not broken
According to Roman custom of crucifixion, the
culprit was left to die on the cross even at night.
Jewish law was different: “If a man guilty of a capital offense is put
to death and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not remain on the
tree overnight.” (Deut. 21:22-23). Besides, the following day after the
crucifixion of Jesus was a very special Sabbath of the Passover. Hence,
Jews asked permission from Pilate to brake the legs of Jesus and the
other two who were crucified with him. That would facilitate death
because the crucified would not be able to raise their chest to breath
and they would die fast because of suffocation. Jesus was already dead
and so the soldiers did not break his legs. John presents this as a fulfillment
of Numbers 9:12 that no bones of the Passover lamb shall be broken. This
also is another confirmation of the symbolism of Jesus as the Lamb of
God.
The
Blood and Water
14. The
Burial of Jesus. (Matthew 27:57-61,
Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42)
The Romans had no practice of burying the dead body
of the crucified criminals. They would leave the bodies on the ground
and let animals and birds eat them. The Jewish law demanded the burial
of the body on the same day (Deut. 21:22-23). So, permission was needed
from Pilate to bury the body of Jesus. Since Jesus was from Galilee and
the disciples were hiding and could not afford to pay a fitting burial
within few hours, two secret friends of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea and
Nicodemus boldly came forward with generous contributions. They were not
supporting Jesus in public before, to keep their membership in the
Sanhedrin and save their reputation among the Jewish leaders.
Oftentimes, we fail to help a person in need when alive. However, the
timely contributions of these two people are praiseworthy.
Joseph of Arimathea had contributed his own
valuable tomb that no one had used. That could help to prove the
resurrection of Jesus. If any remains of a dead body were found in the
tomb after the resurrection of Jesus, that could have made doubts on his
resurrection. The presence of Mary Magdalene and other ladies who came
on the third day after Sabbath was a proof that they knew the tomb of
Jesus and they found that same tomb empty when they had returned. “The
women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they
had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it.” (Luke
23:55). The assurance Pilate made through the centurion that Jesus was
dead (Mark 15:44) was another proof that Jesus was dead and so his
resurrection was not a reappearance after hiding from the public. All
the gospel writers assure to give evidences that led to the death and
resurrection of Jesus.
The passion and death of Jesus led to his
resurrection and enthronement in heaven at the right side of his Father.
He will come again to judge the world. In this interim period, we need
to make use of our time and talents to work with Jesus for the salvation
of all. Our hardships for the kingdom of God shall be lightened and
rewarded when we carry them following the cross of Jesus.