The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
The Arrest of Jesus
Jesus Before Annas and Caiaphas. Peter’s Denials
[15] Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. As this
disciple was known to the high priest, he entered the court of the high
priest along with Jesus, [16] while Peter stood outside at the door. So the
other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the
maid who kept the door, and brought Peter in. [17] The maid who kept the
door said to Peter, “Are not you also one of this man’s disciples?” He said,
“I am not.” [18] Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire,
because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves;
Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.
[19] The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his
teaching. [20] Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I
have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come
together; I have said nothing secretly. [21] Why do you ask me? Ask those
who have heard me, what I said to them; they know what I said.” [22] When
he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand,
saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” [23] Jesus answered him,
“If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong but if I have spoken
rightly, why do you strike me? [24] Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas
the high priest.
[25] Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him,
“Are not you also one of his disciples? He denied it and said, “I am not.” [26]
0ne of the servants the high priest, a kinsman of the man whose ear Peter
had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him? [27] Peter again
denied it; and at once the cock crowed.
The Trial before Pilate: Jesus is King
[33] Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?” [34] Jesus answered, “Do you say this of
your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” [35] Pilate
answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed
you over to me; what have you done?” [36] Jesus answered, “My kingship is
not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight,
that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the
world.” [37] Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You
say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the
world, to bear witness the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my
voice.” [38] Pilate said to him, “’What is truth?”
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again, and told them, “I
find no crime in him. [39] But you have a custom that I should release one
man for you at the Passover; will you have me release for you the King of
the Jews?” [40] They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now
Barabbas was a robber.
The Scourging at the Pillar and the Crowning with Thorns
Pilate Hands Jesus Over
The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
[23] When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made
four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam,
woven from top to bottom; [24] so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it,
but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the scripture,
“They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
[25] So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his
mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary
Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he
loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
[27] Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that
hour the disciple took her to his own home.
[28] After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished said (to fulfill
the Scripture), “I thirst.” [29] A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they
put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. [30]
When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said “It is finished”; and he
bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Jesus’ Side is Pierced. His Burial
[38] After this Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly,
for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus,
and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body. [39] Nico-
demus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture
of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds’ weight. [40] They took the body
of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom
of the Jews. [41] Now in the place where he was crucified there was garden,
and in the garden a new tomb where no one has ever been laid. [42] So
because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand,
they laid Jesus there.
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Commentary
1. The previous chapter, dealing as it did with the glory of the Son of God
(cf. Jn 17:1, 4, 10,22,24), is a magnificent prologue to our Lord’s passion
and death, which St John presents as part of Christ’s glorification: he
emphasizes that Jesus freely accepted his death (14:31) and freely allowed
himself to be arrested (18:4, 11). The Gospel shows our Lord’s superiority
over his judges (18:20-2 1) and accusers (19:8, 12); and his majestic
serenity in the face of physical pain, which makes one more aware of the
Redemption, the triumph of the Cross, than of Jesus’ actual sufferings.
Chapters 18 and 19 cover the passion and death of our Lord—events so impor-
tant and decisive that all the books of the New Testament deal with them, in
some way or other. Thus, the Synoptic Gospels give us extensive accounts
of what happened; in the Acts of the Apostles these events, together with the
resurrection, form the core of the Apostles’ preaching. St Paul explains the
redemptive value of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, and the catholic epistles speak
of his salvific death, as does the Apocalypse, where the Victor, enthroned in
heaven, is the sacrificed Lamb, Jesus Christ. It should also be noted that
whenever these sacred writings mention our Lord’s death they go on to refer
to his glorious resurrection.
St John’s Gospel locates these events in five places. The first (18:1-12) is
Gethsemane, where Jesus is arrested; after this (18:13-27) he is taken to
the house of Annas, where the religious trial begins and Peter denies Jesus
before the high priest’s servants. The third scene is the praetorium
(18:28-19:16), where Jesus is tried by the Roman procurator: St John gives
an extensive account of this trial, highlighting the true character of Christ’s
kingship and his rejection by the Jews, who call for his crucifixion. He then
goes on (19:17-37) to describe the events which occur after the procurator’s
unjust sentence; this scene centers on Calvary. St John then reports the
burial of our Lord in the unused tomb near Calvary belonging to Joseph of
Arimathea.
The climax of all these events is the glorification of Jesus, of which he
himself had spoken (cf. Jn 17:1-5)——his resurrection and exaltation to his
Father’s side.
Here is Fray Luis de Granada’s advice on how to meditate on the passion
of our Lord: “There are five things we can reflect on when we think about
the sacred passion. [...] First, we can incline our heart to sorrow and
repentance for our sins; the passion of our Lord helps us do this because
it is evident that everything he suffered he suffered on account of sins, so
that if there were no sins in the world, there would have been no need for
such painful reparation. Therefore, sins—yours and mine, like everyone
else’s—were the executioners who bound him and lashed him and crowned
him with thorns and put him on the cross. So you can see how right it is for
you to feel the enormity and malice of your sins, for it was these which really
caused so much suffering, not because these sins required the Son of God
to suffer but because divine justice chose to ask for such great atonement.
“We have here excellent motives, not only to abhor sin but also to love
virtues: we have the example of this Lord’s virtues, which so clearly shine
out during his sacred passion: we can follow these virtues and learn to
imitate then especially his great humility, gentleness and silence, as well
as the other virtues for this is one of the best and most effective ways of
meditating on the sacred passion—the way of imitation.
“At other times we should fix our attention on the great good the Lord does
us here, reflecting on how much he loved us and how much he gave us and
how much it cost him to do so. [...] At other times it is good to focus our
attention on knowledge of God, that is, to consider his great goodness, his
mercy, his justice, his kindness, and particularly his ardent charity, which
shines forth in the sacred passion as nowhere else. For, just as it is a greater
proof of love to suffer evils on behalf of one’s friend than to do good things for
him, and God could do both [...], it pleased his divine goodness to assume
a nature which could suffer evils, very great evils, so that man could be quite
convinced of God’s love and thereby be moved to love him who so loved man.
“Finally, at other times one can reflect [...] on the wisdom of God in choosing
this manner of atoning for mankind: that is, making satisfaction for our sins,
inflaming our charity, curing our pride, our greed and our love of comfort, and
inclining our souls to the virtue of humility [...], abhorrence of sin and love for
the Cross” (”Life of Jesus Christ”, 15).
1-2. “When Jesus had spoken these words”: this is a formula often used in
the fourth Gospel to indicate a new episode linked with what has just been
recounted (cf. Jn 2:12; 3:22; 5:1; 6:1; 13:21; etc.).
The Kidron (etymologically “turbid”) was a brook which carried water only
during rainy weather, it divided Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, on
slopes of which lay the garden of Gethsemane (cf. Mt 26:32; Lk 21:37;
22:39). The distance from the Cenacle, where the Last Supper took place,
to the garden of Gethsemane was little more than a kilometer.
3. Because Judea was occupied by Romans, there was a garrison stationed
at Jerusalem—a cohort (600 men) quartered in the Antonia tower, under the
authority of a tribune. In the Greek what is translated here as “a band of
soldiers” is “the cohort”, the name for the whole unit being used though
only part is meant: it does not mean that 600 soldiers came out to arrest
Jesus. Presumably the Jewish authorities, who had their own temple guard
—referred to here as “officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees”—must
have sought some assistance from the military. Judas’ part consisted in
leading the way to where Jesus was and identifying the man to be arrested.
4-9. Only the fourth Gospel reports this episode prior to Jesus’ arrest,
recalling the words of the Psalm: “Then my enemies will be turned back in
the day when I call” (Ps 56:9). Our Lord’s majesty is apparent: he surrenders
himself freely and voluntarily. This does not, however, mean that the Jews
involved are free from blame. St Augustine comments on this passage: “The
persecutors, who came with the traitor to lay hold of Jesus, found him whom
they sought and heard him say, ‘I am he’. Why did they not lay hold of him
but fell back to the ground? Because that was what he wished, who could do
whatever he wished. Had he not allowed himself to be taken by them, they
would have been unable to effect their plan, but neither would he have done
what he came to do. They in their rage sought him to put him to death; but
he also sought us by dying for us. Therefore, after he displayed his power to
those who had no power to hold him, they did lay hands on him and by
means of them, all unwitting, he did what he wanted to do” (”In Ioann. Evang.”,
112, 3).
It is also moving to see how Jesus takes care of his disciples, even though
he himself is in danger. He had promised that none of his own should perish
except Judas Iscariot (cf. Jn 6:39; 17:12); although his promise referred to
protecting them from eternal punishment, our Lord is also concerned about
their immediate safety, for as yet they are not ready to face martyrdom.
10-11. Once again we see Peter’s impetuosity and loyalty; he comes to our
Lord’s defense, risking his own life, but he still does not understand God’
plans of salvation: he still cannot come to terms with the idea of Christ
dying—just as he could not when Christ first foretold his passion (Mt 16:21-22).
Our Lord does not accept Peter’s violent defense: he refers back to what he
said in his prayer in Gethsemane (cf. Mt 26:39), where he freely accepted
his Father’ will, giving himself up to his captors in order to accomplish the
Redemption.
We should show reverence to God’s will with the same docility and meekness
as Jesus accepting his passion. “Stages: to be resigned to the will of God;
to conform to the will of God; to want the will of God; to love the will of
God” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 774).
13-18. Jesus is brought to the house of Annas, who, although he was no
longer high priest, still exercised great religious and political influence
(cf. note on Lk 3:2). These two disciples, St Peter and the other disciple,
probably John himself, are disconcerted; they do not know what to do, so
they follow Jesus at a distance. Their attachment to him was not yet
sufficiently supernatural; discouragement has displaced bravery and
loyalty—and will soon lead to Peter’s triple denial. However noble his
feelings, a Christian will be unable to live up to the demands of his faith
unless his life has a basis of deep piety.
19-21. During this first interrogation—preliminary to his later examination
by the Sanhedrin (Lk 22:66-71)—Jesus lays stress on the fact that he has
always acted openly: everyone has had an opportunity listen to him and to
witness his miracles—so much so that at times he has been acclaimed as
the Messiah (cf. Jn 12:12-19 and par.). The chief priests themselves have
seen him in the temple and in the synagogues; but not wishing to see (cf.
Jn 9:39-41), or believe (cf. Jn 10:37-38), they make out that his objectives
are hidden and sinister.
22-23. Again, we see Jesus’ serenity; he is master of the situation, as he
is throughout his passion. To the unjust accusation made by this servant,
our Lord replies meekly, but he does defend his conduct and points to the
injustice with which he is being treated. This is how we should behave if
people mistreat us in any way. Well-argued defense of one’s rights is
compatible with meekness and humility (cf. Acts 22:25).
25-27. Peter’s denials are treated in less detail here than in the Synoptic
Gospels, but here, as there, we can see the Apostles’ humility and sincerity
which lead them to tell about their own weaknesses. Peter’s repentance is
not referred to here, but it is implied by the mention of the cock crowing:
the very brevity of St John’s account points to the fact that this episode
was well known to the early Christians. After the resurrection the full
scope of Jesus’ forgiveness will be evidenced when he confirms Peter in
his mission as leader of the Apostles (cf. Jn 21:15-17).
“In this adventure of love we should not be depressed by our falls, not even
by serious falls, if we go to God in the sacrament of Penance contrite an
resolved to improve. A Christian is not a neurotic collector of good
behavior reports. Jesus Christ our Lord was moved as much by Peter’s
repentance after his fall as by John’s innocence and faithfulness. Jesus
understands our weakness and draws us to himself on an inclined plane.
He wants us to make an effort to climb a little each day” (St. J. Escriva,
“Christ is Passing By”, ‘75).
28. The Synoptics also report the trial before Pilate, but St John gives a
longer and more detailed account: in 18:28-19:16 is the center of the five
parts of his account of the Passion (cf. note on 18:1). He describes the
events that take place in the praetorium, highlighting the majesty of Christ
as the messianic King, and also his rejection by the Jews.
There are seven stages here, marked by Pilate’s entrances and exits. First
(vv. 29-32) the Jews indict Jesus in a general way as an “evildoer”. Then
follows the dialogue between Pilate and Jesus (vv. 36-37) which culminates
in Christ stating that he is a King, after which Pilate tries to save our Lord
(vv. 38-40) by asking the people if they want him to release “the King of the
Jews”.
The centerpoint of the account (19:1-3) is the crowning with thorns, with
the soldiers mockingly doing obeisance to Christ as “King of the Jews”.
After this our Lord is led out wearing the crown of thorns and draped in the
purple robe (vv. 4-7)—the shameful scene of the Ecce Homo. The Jews’
accusation now turns on Jesus’ making himself the Son of God. Once again,
Pilate, in the praetorium again, speaks with Jesus (vv.8-12) and tries to
probe further into his divine origin. The Jews then concentrate their hatred
in a directly political accusation: “Everyone who makes himself a king sets
himself against Caesar” (Jn 19:12). Finally (vv. 13-16), in a very formal
way, stating time and place, St John narrates how Pilate points to Jesus
and says: “Here is your King!” And the leaders of the Jews openly reject
him who was and is the genuine King spoken of by the prophets.
“Praetorium”: this was the Roman name for the official residence of the
praetor or of other senior officials in the provinces of the Empire, such as
the procurator or prefect in Palestine. Pilate’s usual residence was on the
coast, in Caesarea, but he normally moved to Jerusalem for the major
festival periods, bringing additional troops to be used in the event of civil
disorder. In Jerusalem, at this time and later, the procurator resided in
Herod’s palace (in the western part of the upper city) or else in the Antonia
tower, a fortress backing onto the northeastern corner of the temple espla-
nade. It is not known for certain which of these two buildings was the
praetorium mentioned in the Gospel; it was more likely the latter.
“So that they might not be defiled”: Jewish tradition at the time (”Mishnah”;
“Ohalot” treatise 7, 7) laid down that anyone who entered a Gentile or pagan
house incurred seven days’ legal defilement (cf. Acts 10:28); such defilement
would have prevented them from celebrating the Passover. It is surprising that
the chief priests had a scruple of this sort given their criminal inclinations
against Jesus. Once more our Lord’s accusation of them is seen to be well
founded: “You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel”
(Mt 23:24).
29-32. St John has omitted part of the interrogation which took place in the
house of Caiaphas and which is reported in the Synoptics (Mt 26:57-66 and
par.), which tell us that the meeting at Caiaphas’ terminated with Jesus hem
declared deserving of death for the blasphemy of proclaiming himself the Son
of God (cf. Mt 26:65-66). Under the Law of Moses blasphemy was punishable
by stoning (cf. Lev 24:16); but they do not proceed to stone him—which the
certainly could have done, even though the Romans were in control: they were
ready to stone the adulterous woman (cf.Jn 8:1-11) and a short time later
they did stone St Stephen (cf. Acts 7:54-60)—because they wanted to bring
the people along with them, and they knew that many of them regarded Jesus
a Prophet and Messiah (cf. Mt 24:45-46; Mk 12:12; Lk 20:19). Not daring to
stone him, they will shrewdly manage to turn a religious charge into a politics
question and have the authority of the Empire brought to bear on their side
they preferred to denounce Jesus to the procurator as a revolutionary who
plotted against Caesar by declaring himself to be the Messiah and King of
the Jews; by acting in this way they avoided risking the people’s wrath and
ensured that Jesus would be condemned by the Roman authorities to death
by crucifixion.
Our Lord had foretold a number of times that he would die in this way (cf.
Jn 3:14; 8:28; 12:32-33); as St Paul later put it, “Christ redeemed us from
the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written,
‘Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree”’ (Gal 3:13; cf. Deut 21:23).
33-34. There is no onus on Pilate to interfere in religious questions, but
because the accusation levelled against Jesus had to do with politics and
public order, he begins his interrogation naturally by examining him on the
main charge: “Are you the King of the Jews?”
By replying with another question, Jesus is not refusing to answer: he
wishes to make quite clear, as he has always done, that his mission is a
spiritual one. And really Pilate’s was not an easy question to answer,
because, to a Gentile, a king of the Jews meant simply a subverter of the
Empire; whereas, to a Jewish nationalist, the King-Messiah was a politico-
religious liberator who would obtain their freedom from Rome. The true
character of Christ’s messiahship completely transcends both these
concepts—as Jesus explains to the procurator, although he realizes how
enormously difficult it is for Pilate to understand what Christ’s Kingship
really involves.
35-36. After the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish, Jesus
refused to be proclaimed king because the people were thinking in terms of
an earthly kingdom (cf. Jn 6:15). However, Jesus did enter Jerusalem in tri-
umph, and he did accept acclamation as King-Messiah. Now, in the passion,
he acknowledges before Pilate that he is truly a King, making it clear that his
kingship is not an earthly one. Thus, “those who expected the Messiah to
have visible temporal power were mistaken. ‘The kingdom of God does not
mean food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’
(Rom 14:17). Truth and justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. That is the
kingdom of Christ: the divine activity which saves men and which will reach
its culmination when history ends and the Lord comes from the heights of
paradise finally to judge men” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ is Passing By”, 180).
37. This is what his kingship really is: his kingdom is “the kingdom of
Truth and Life, the kingdom of Holiness and Grace, the kingdom of Justice,
Love and Peace” (Preface of the Mass of Christ the King). Christ reigns over
those who accept and practise the truth revealed by him—his Father’s love
for the world (Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 4:9). He became man to make this truth known
and to enable men to accept it. And so, those who recognize Christ’s
kingship and sovereignty accept his authority, and he thus reigns over them
in an eternal and universal kingdom.
For its part, “the Church, looking to Christ who bears witness to the truth,
must always and everywhere ask herself, and in a certain sense also con-
temporary ‘world’, how to make good emerge from man, how to liberate the
dynamism of the good that is in man, in order that it may be stronger than
evil, than any moral, social or other evil” (John Paul II, “General Audience”,
February 1979).
“If we [Christians] are trying to have Christ as our king we must be
consistent. We must start by giving him our heart. Not to do that and still
talk about the kingdom of Christ would be completely hollow. There would be
no real Christian substance in our behavior. We would be making an outward
show of a faith which simply did not exist We would be misusing God’s name
to human advantage. [...] If we let Christ reign in our soul, we will not become
authoritarian. Rather we will serve everyone. How l like that word: service! To
serve my king and, through him, all those who have been redeemed by his
blood. I really wish we Christians knew how to serve, for only by serving can
we know and love Christ and make him known and loved” (St. J. Escriva,
“Christ is Passing By”, 181-182).
By his death and resurrection, Jesus shows that the accusations laid against
him were based on lies: it was he who was telling the truth, not his judges
and accusers, and God confirms the truth of Jesus—the truth of his words, of
deeds, of his revelation—by the singular miracle of his resurrection. To men
Christ’s kingship may seem paradoxical: he dies, yet he lives for ever; he is
defeated and is crucified, yet he is victorious. “When Jesus Christ him ap-
peared as a prisoner before Pilate’s tribunal and was interrogated by him...did
he not answer: ‘For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to
bear witness to the truth’? It was as if with these words [...] he was once more
confirming what he had said earlier: ‘You will know the truth, and truth will
make you free’. In the course of so many centuries, of so many generations,
from the time of the Apostles on, is it not often Jesus Christ himself that has
made an appearance at the side of people judged for the sake of truth? And
has he not gone to death with people condemned for the sake of truth? Does
he ever cease to be the continuous spokesman and advocate for person who
lives ‘in spirit and truth’? (cf. Jn 4:23). Just as he does not cease to be it
before the Father, he is it also with regard to the history of man” (J Paul II,
“Redemptor Hominis”, 12).
38-40. The outcome of the interrogation is that Pilate becomes convinced of
Jesus’ innocence (cf. Jn 19:4, 12). He probably realizes that the accusations
made against Jesus were really an internal matter in which the Jews were
trying to involve him; but the Jewish authorities are very irate. It is not easy
for him to find away out. He tries to do so by making concessions: first, he
has recourse to a passover privilege, offering them the choice between a
criminal and Jesus, but this does not work; so he looks for other ways to
save him, and here also he fails. His cowardice and indecision cause him to
yield to pressure and commit the injustice of condemning to death a man he
knows to be innocent.
“The mystery of innocent suffering is one of the most obscure points on the
entire horizon of human wisdom; and here it is affirmed in the most flagrant
way. But before we uncover something of this problem, there already grows
up in us an unrestrained affection for the innocent one who suffers, for
Jesus, [...] and for all innocent people—whether they be young or old—who
are also suffering, and whose pain we cannot explain. The way of the cross
leads us to meet the first person in a sorrowful procession of innocent people
who suffer. And this first blameless and suffering person uncovers for us in
the end the secret of his passion. It is a sacrifice” (Paul VI, “Address on
Good Friday”, 12 April 1974).
1-3. Christ’s prophecy is fulfilled to the letter: the Son of Man “will be
delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and shamefully treated and
spit upon; they will scourge him and kill him, and on the third day he will
rise” (Lk 18:32f; cf. Mt 20:18f).
Scourging was one of the most severe punishments permitted under Roman
law. The criminal was draped over a pillar or other form of support, his naked
back exposed to the lash or “flagellum”. Scourging was generally used as a
preliminary to crucifixion to weaken the criminal and thereby hasten his
death.
Crowning with thorns was not an official part of the punishment; it was an
initiative of the soldiers themselves, a product of their cruelty and desire to
mock Jesus. On the stone pavement in the Antonia tower some drawings
have been found which must have been used in what was called the “king
game”; dice were thrown to pick out a mock king among those condemned,
who was subjected to taunting before being led off for crucifixion.
St John locates this episode at the center of his narrative of the events in
praetorium. He thereby highlights the crowning with thorns as the point
which Christ’s kingship is at its most patent: the soldiers proclaim him as
King of the Jews only in a sarcastic way (of. Mk 15:15, 16-19), but the
evangelist gives us to understand that he is indeed the King.
5. Wearing the insignia of royalty, Christ, despite this tragic parody, projects
the majesty of the King of Kings. In Rev 5:12 St John will say: “Worth is the
Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
“Imagine that divine face: swollen by blows, covered in spittle, torn by
thorns, furrowed with blood, here fresh blood, there ugly dried blood. And,
since the sacred Lamb had his hands tied, he could not use them to wipe
away the blood running into his eyes, and so those two luminaries of heaven
were eclipsed and almost blinded and made mere pieces of flesh. Finally, so
figured was he that one could not make out who he was; he scarcely seemed
human; he had become an altarpiece depicting suffering, painted by those
cruel artists and their evil president, producing this pitiful figure to plead his
before his enemies” (Fray Luis de Granada, “Life of Jesus Christ”,
4).
6-7. When Pilate hears the Jews accuse Jesus of claiming to be the Son
of God, he grows still more alarmed: his wife has already unnerved him by
sending him a message, after a dream, not to have anything to do with this
“righteous man”. But the shouting (v. 12) orchestrated by the Jewish
authorities pressurizes him into agreeing to condemn Jesus.
Although technically Jesus is crucified for supposedly committing a political
crime (cf. note on Jn 18:29-32), in fact it is on clearly religious grounds that he
is sent to death.
8-11. Pilate is impressed by Jesus’ silence, by his not defending himself, and
when the procurator says that he has power to release him or to condemn him,
our Lord then says something quite unexpected—that all power on earth comes
from God. This means that in the last analysis even if people talk about the
sovereignty of the king or of the people, such authority is never absolute; it is
only relative, being subject to the absolute sovereignty of God: hence no human
law can be just, and therefore binding in conscience, if it does not accord with
divine law.
“He who delivered me”—a reference to all those who have contrived our Lord’s
death, that is, Judas, Caiaphas, the Jewish leaders, etc. (cf. 18:30-35). They
are the ones that really sent Christ to the cross; but this does not exonerate
Pontius Pilate from blame.
13. “The Pavement”, in Greek “Iithostrotos”, literally a “pavement”, “flagged
expanse”, therefore a yard or plaza paved with flags. The Hebrew word “Gabba-
tha” is not the equivalent of the Greek “lithostrotos”; it means “height” or
“eminence”. But both words refer to the same place; however, its precise
location is uncertain due to doubts about where the praetorium was located:
cf. note on Jn 18:28.
Grammatically, the Greek could be translated as follows: “Pilate... brought
Jesus out and sat him down on the judgment seat”: in which case the
evangelist implies that Pilate was ridiculing the Jewish leaders by a mock
enthronement of the “King of the Jews”. This would fit in with Pilate’s
attitude towards the Jewish leaders from this point onwards (vv. 14-22) and
with the purpose of the inspired writer, who would see in this the
enthronement of Christ as King.
14. “The day of Preparation”, the Parasceve. The sixth hour began at midday.
Around this time all leavened bread was removed from the houses and replaced
by unleavened bread for the paschal meal (cf. Ex 12:15ff), and the lamb was
officially sacrificed in the temple. St John notes that this was the time at which
Jesus was condemned, thereby underlying the coincidence between the time
of the death sentence and the time the lamb was sacrificed: Christ is the new
Paschal Lamb; as St Paul says (cf. 1 Cor 5:7), “Christ, our paschal lamb, has
been sacrificed”.
There is some difficulty in reconciling what St John says about the sixth hour,
with the information given in Mark 15:25 about Jesus being crucified at the third
hour. Various explanations are offered, the best being that Mark is referring to
the end of the third hour and John to the beginning of the sixth hour both would
then be talking of around midday.
15. The history of the Jewish people helps us understand the tragic paradox
of the attitude of the Jewish authorities at this point. The Jews were very
conscious all along of being the people of God. For example, they proudly
asserted that they had no Father but God (cf. Jn 8:4). In the Old Testament
Yahweh is the true King of Israel (cf. Deut 33:5; Num 23:21; 1 Kings 22:19;
Is 6:5); when they wanted to copy the neighboring peoples and asked Samuel
for a king (cf. I Sam 8:5. 20), Samuel resisted, because Israel had only one
absolute sovereign, Yahweh (1 Sam 8:6-9). But eventually God gave in to their
request and himself designated who should be king over his people. His first
choice, Saul, was given sacred anointing, as were David and his successors.
This rite of anointing showed that the Israelite king was God’s vicar. When the
kings failed to meet the people’s expectations, they increasingly yearned for
the messianic king, the descendant or “Son” of David, the Anointed “par excel-
lence” or Messiah, who would rule his people, liberate them from their enemies
and lead them to rule the world (cf. 2 Sam 7:16; Ps 24:7; 43:5; etc.). For
centuries they strove heroically for this ideal, rejecting foreign domination.
During Christ’s time also they opposed Rome and Herod, whom, not being
a Jew, they regarded as an illegitimate king. However, at this point in the
Passion, they hypocritically accept the Roman emperor as their true and
only king. They also reject the “easy yoke” of Christ (cf. Mt 11:30) and bring
the full weight of Rome down upon him.
“They themselves submitted to the punishment; therefore, the Lord handed
them over. Thus, because they unanimously rejected God’s government, the
Lord let them be brought down through their own condemnation: for, rejecting
the dominion of Christ, they brought upon themselves that of Caesar” (St
John Chrysostom, “Hom. on St John”, 83).
A similar kind of tragedy occurs when people who have been baptized and
therefore have become part of the new people of God, throw off the “easy
yoke” of Christ’s sovereignty by their obstinacy in sin and submit to the
terrible tyranny of the devil (cf. 2 Pet 2:21).
17. “The place of a skull” or Calvary seems to have got its name from the
fact that it was shaped like a skull or head.
St Paul points to the parallelism that exists between Adam’s disobedience
and Christ’s obedience (cf. Rom 5:12). On the feast of the Triumph of the
Cross the Church sings “where life was lost, there life has been restored”,
to show how,just as the devil won victory by the tree of paradise, so he was
overpowered by Christ on the tree of the Cross.
St John is the only evangelist who clearly states that Jesus carried his own
cross; the other three mention that Simon of Cyrene helped to carry it. See
note on Mt 27:31 and Lk 23:26.
Christ’s decisiveness in accepting the cross is an example which we should
follow in our daily life: “You yourself must decide of your own free will to take
up the cross; otherwise, your tongue may say that you are imitating Christ,
but your actions will belie your words. That way, you will never get to know
the Master intimately, or love him truly. It is really important that we Chris-
tians convince ourselves of this. We are not walking with our Lord unless we
are spontaneously depriving ourselves of many things that our whims, vanity,
pleasure or self-interest clamor for” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 129).
As Simeon had prophesied, Jesus would be a “sign that is spoken against”
(Lk 2:34)—a standard raised on high which leaves no room for indifference,
demanding that every man decide for or against him and his cross: “he was
going therefore to the place where he was to be crucified, bearing his own
Cross. An extraordinary spectacle: to impiety, something to jeer at; to
piety a great mystery. [...] Impiety looks on and laughs at a king bearing,
instead of a scepter, the wood of his punishment; piety looks on and sees
the King bearing that cross for himself to be fixed on, a cross which would
thereafter shine on the brow of kings; an object of contempt in the eyes of
the impious, but something in which hereafter the hearts of the saints
should glorify, as St Paul would later say, But God forbid that I should
glory; save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (St Augustine, “In Ioann.
Evang.”, 117, 3).
18. Knowing what crucifixion in ancient times entailed will help us
understand much better the extent of the humiliation and suffering Jesus
bore for love of us. Crucifixion was a penalty reserved for slaves, and
applied to the most serious crimes; it was the most horrific and painful
form of death possible; it was also an exemplary public punishment and
therefore was carried out in a public place, with the body of the criminal
being left exposed for days afterwards. These words of Cicero show how
infamous a punishment it was: “That a Roman citizen should be bound is
an abuse; that he be lashed is a crime; that he be put to death is virtually
parricide; what, then, shall I say, if he be hung on a cross? There is no
word fit to describe a deed so horrible” (”In Verrem”, II, 5,66).
A person undergoing crucifixion died after a painful agony involving loss of
blood, fever caused by his wounds, thirst, and asphyxiation, etc. Some-
times the executioners hastened death by breaking the person’s legs or
piercing him with a lance, as in our Lord’s case. This helps us understand
better what St Paul says to the Philippians about Christ’s humiliation on
the Cross: “he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant [or slave],
being born in the likeness of men... ; he humbled himself and became
obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:7-8).
St John says little about the other two people being crucified, perhaps
because the Synoptic Gospels had already spoken about them (see notes
on Lk 23:39-43).
19-22. The “title” was the technical term then used in Roman law to indicate
the grounds on which the person was being punished. It was usually written
on a board prominently displayed, summarizing the official document which
was forwarded to the legal archives in Rome. This explains why, when the
chief priests ask Pilate to change the wording of the inscription, the procu-
rator firmly refuses to do so: the sentence, once dictated, was irrevocable:
that is what he means when he says, “What I have written I have written.”
In the case of Christ, this title written in different languages proclaims his
universal kingship, for it could be read by people from all over the world who
had come to celebrate the Passover—thus confirming our Lord’s words: “I am
a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world” (Jn 18:37).
In establishing the feast of Christ the King, Pope Pius XI explained: “He is
said to reign ‘in the minds of men’, both by reason of the keenness of his
intellect and the extent of his knowledge, and also because he is Truth itself
and it is from him that truth must be obediently received by all mankind. He
reigns, too, in the wills of men, for in him the human will was perfectly and
entirely obedient to the holy will of God, and further by his grace and inspira-
tion he so subjects our free will as to incite us to the most noble endeavors.
He is King of our hearts, too, by reason of his ‘charity which surpasseth all
knowledge’, and his mercy and kindness which draw all men to him; for there
never was, nor ever will be a man loved so much and so universally as Jesus
Christ” (Pius XI, “Quas Primas”).
23-24. And so the prophecy of Psalm 22 is fulfilled which describes
accurately the sufferings of the Messiah: “They divide my garments among
them, and for my raiment they cast lots” (Ps 22:19). The Fathers have seen
this seamless tunic a symbol of the unity of the Church (cf. St Augustine,
“In Ioann. Evang.”, 118,4).
25. Whereas the Apostles, with the exception of St John, abandon Jesus in
the hour of his humiliation, these pious women, who had followed him during
his public life (cf. Lk 8:2-3) now stay with their Master as he dies on the
cross (cf. note on Mt 27:55-56).
Pope John Paul II explains that our Lady’s faithfulness was shown in four
ways: first, in her generous desire to do all that God wanted of her (cf. Lk
1:34); second, in her total acceptance of God’s Will (cf. Lk 1:38); third,
in the consistency between her life and the commitment of faith which she
made; an finally, in her withstanding this test. “And only a consistency
that lasts throughout the whole of life can be called faithfulness. Mary’s
‘fiat’ in the Annunciation finds its fullness in the silent ‘fiat’ that she repeats
at the foot of the Cross” (”Homily in Mexico Cathedral”, 26 January 1979).
The Church has always recognized the dignity of women and their important
role in salvation history. It is enough to recall the veneration which from the
earliest times the Christian people have had for the Mother of Christ, the
Woman “par excellence” and the most sublime and most privileged creature
ever to come from the hands of God. Addressing a special message to women,
the Second Vatican Council said, among other things: “Women in trial, who
stand upright at the foot of the cross like Mary, you who so often in history
have given to men the strength to battle unto the very end and to give witness
to the point of martyrdom, aid them now still once more to retain courage in
their great undertakings, while at the same time maintaining patience and
an esteem for humble beginnings” (Vatican II, “Message to Women”, 8
December 1965).
26-27. “The spotless purity of John’s whole life makes him strong before the
Cross. The other apostles fly from Golgotha: he, with the Mother of Christ,
remains. Don’t forget that purity strengthens and invigorates the character”
(St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 144).
Our Lord’s gesture in entrusting his Blessed Mother to the disciple’s care,
has a dual meaning (see p. 19 above and pp. 35ff). For one thing it ex-
presses his filial love for the Virgin Mary. St Augustine sees it as a lesson
Jesus gives us on how to keep the fourth commandment: “Here is a lesson
in morals. He is doing what he tells us to do and, like a good Teacher, he
instructs his own by example, that it is the duty of good children to take
care of their parents; as though the wood on which his dying members were
fixed were also the chair of the teaching Master” (St Augustine, “In Ioann.
Evang.”, 119, 2).
Our Lord’s words also declare that Mary is our Mother: “The Blessed Virgin
also advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her
union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood, in keeping with the
divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering,
associating herself with his sacrifice in her mother’s heart, and lovingly con-
senting to the immolation of this victim who was born of her. Finally, she was
given by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross as a mother to his disciple”
(Vatican 11, “Lumen Gentium”, 58).
All Christians, who are represented in the person of John, are children of
Mary. By giving us his Mother to be our Mother, Christ demonstrates his love
for his own to the end (cf. Jn 13:1). Our Lady’s acceptance of John as her
son shows her motherly care for us: “the Son of God, and your Son, from the
Cross indicated a man to you, Mary, and said: ‘Behold, your son’ (Jn 19:26).
And in that man he entrusted to you every person, he entrusted everyone to
you. And you, who at the moment of the Annunciation, concentrated the whole
program of your life in those simple words: ‘Behold I am the handmaid of the
Lord; let it be to me according to your word’ (Lk 1:38): embrace everyone, draw
close to everyone, seek everyone out with motherly care. Thus is accomplished
what the last Council said about your presence in the mystery of Christ and the
Church. In a wonderful way you are always found in the mystery of Christ, your
only Son, because you are present wherever men and women, his brothers and
sisters, are present, wherever the Church is present” (John Paul II, “Homily in
the Basilica of Guadalupe”, 27 January 1979).
“John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, brought Mary into his home, into his life.
Spiritual writers have seen these words of the Gospel as an invitation to all
Christians to bring Mary into their lives. Mary certainly wants us to invoke her,
to approach her confidently, to appeal to her as our mother, asking her to ‘show
that you are our mother”’ (St. J. Escriva, “Christ is Passing By”, 140).
John Paul II constantly treats our Lady as his Mother. In bidding farewell to the
Virgin of Czestochowa he prayed in this way: “Our Lady of the Bright Mountain,
Mother of the Church! Once more I consecrate myself to you ‘in your maternal
slavery of love’. “Totus tuus”! I am all yours! I consecrate to you the whole
Church—everywhere and to the ends of the earth! I consecrate to you humanity;
I consecrate to you all men and women, my brothers and sisters. All peoples
and all nations. I consecrate to you Europe and all the continents. I consecrate
to you Rome and Poland, united, through your servant, by a fresh bond of love.
Mother, accept us! Mother, do not abandon us! Mother, be our guide!” (”Farewell
Address” at Jasna Gora Shrine, 6 June 1979).
28-29. This was foretold in the Old Testament: “They gave me poison for food,
and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Ps 69:21). This does not mean
that they gave Jesus vinegar to increase his suffering; it was customary to offer
victims of crucifixion water mixed with vinegar to relieve their thirst. In addition
to the natural dehydration Jesus was suffering, we can see in his thirst an ex-
pression of his burning desire to do his Father’s will and to save a souls: “On
the Cross he cried out “Sitio”!, ‘I thirst’. He thirsts for us, for our love, for our
souls and for all the souls we ought to be bringing to him along the way of the
Cross, which is the way to immortality and heavenly glory” (St. J. Escriva,
“Friends of God”, 202).
30. Jesus, nailed on the cross, dies to atone for all the sins and vileness of
man. Despite his sufferings he dies serenely, majestically, bowing his head
now that he has accomplished the mission entrusted to him. “Who can sleep
when he wishes to, as Jesus died when he wished to? Who can lay aside his
clothing when he wishes to, as he put off the flesh when he chose to?... What
must be hope or fear to find his power when he comes in judgment, if it can
be seen to be so great at the moment of his death!” (St Augustine, “ln loann.
Evang.”, 119, 6).
“Let us meditate on our Lord, wounded from head to foot out of love for us.
Using a phrase which approaches the truth, although it does not express its
full reality, we can repeat the words of an ancient writer: ‘The body of Christ
is a portrait in pain’. At the first sight of Christ bruised and broken—just a life-
less body taken down from the cross and given to his Mother—at the sight of
Jesus destroyed in this way, we might have thought he had failed utterly.
Where are the crowds that once followed him, where is the kingdom he fore-
told? But this is victory, not defeat. We are nearer the resurrection than ever
before; we are going to see the glory which he has won with his obedience”
(St. J. Escriva, “Christ is Passing By”, 95).
31-33. Jesus dies on the Preparation day of the Passover—the Parasceve—
that is, the eve, when the paschal lambs were officially sacrificed in the
Temple. By stressing this, the evangelist implies that Christ’s sacrifice took
the place of the sacrifices of the Old Law and inaugurated the New Alliance
in his blood (cf. Heb 9:12).
The Law of Moses required that the bodies should be taken down before
nightfall (Deut 21:22-23); this is why Pilate is asked to have their legs broken,
to bring on death and allow them to be buried before it gets dark, particularly
since the next day is the feast of the Passover.
On the date of Jesus’ death see “The Dates of the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ”
in “The Navarre Bible: St Mark” pp. 48ff.
34. The outflow of blood and water has a natural explanation. Probably the water
was an accumulation of liquid in the lungs due to Jesus’ intense sufferings.
As on other occasions, the historical events narrated in the fourth Gospel
are laden with meaning. St Augustine and Christian tradition see the sacra-
ment and the Church itself flowing from Jesus’ open side: “Here was opened
wide the door of life, from which the sacraments of the Church have flowed out,
without which there is no entering in unto life which is true life. [...] Here the
second Adam with bowed head slept upon the cross, that thence a wife might
be formed of him, flowing from his side while he slept. 0 death, by which the
dead come back to life! is there anything purer than this blood, any wound
more healing!” (St Augustine, “In Ioann. Evang.”, 120, 2).
The Second Vatican Council, for its part, teaches: “The Church—that is, the
kingdom of Christ—already present in mystery, grows visibly through the
power of God in the world. The origin and growth of the Church are symbo-
lized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified
Jesus (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 3).
“Jesus on the cross, with his heart overflowing with love for men, is such an
eloquent commentary on the value of people and things that words only get
in the way. People, their happiness and their life, are so important that the
very Son of God gave himself to redeem and cleanse and raise them up”
(St. J. Escriva, “Christ is Passing By”, 165).
35. St John’s Gospel presents itself as a truthful witness of the events of
our Lord’s life and of their spiritual and doctrinal significance. From the
words of John the Baptist at the outset of Jesus’ public ministry (1:19) to
the final paragraph of the Gospel (21:24-25), everything forms part of a
testimony to the sublime phenomenon of the Word of Life made Man.
Here the evangelist explicitly states that he was an eyewitness (cf. also
Jn 20:30-31; 1 Jn 1:1-3).
36. This quotation refers to the precept of the Law that no bone of the
paschal lamb should be broken (cf. Ex 12:46): again St John’s Gospel is
telling, us that Jesus is the true paschal Lamb who takes away the sins
of the world (cf. Jn 1:29).
37. The account of the Passion concludes with a quotation from Zechariah
(12:10) foretelling the salvation resulting from the mysterious suffering and
death of a redeemer. The evangelist thereby evokes the salvation wrought
by Jesus Christ who, nailed to the cross, has fulfilled God’s promise of
redemption (cf. Jn 12:32). Everyone who looks upon him with faith receives
the effects of his Passion. Thus, the good thief, looking at Christ on the
cross, recognized his kingship, placed his trust in him and received the
promise of heaven (Cf. Lk 23:42-43).
In the liturgy of Good Friday the Church invites us to contemplate and adore
the cross: “Behold the wood of the Cross, on which was nailed the salvation
of the world”, and from the earliest times of the Church the Crucifix has
been the sign reminding Christians of the supreme point of Christ’s love,
when he died on the Cross and freed us from eternal death.
“Your Crucifix.—As a Christian, you should always carry your Crucifix with
you. And place it on your desk. And kiss it before going to bed and when
you wake up: and when your poor body rebels against your soul, kiss it
again” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 302).
38-39. Our Lord’s sacrifice produces its firstfruits: people who were previously
afraid now boldly confess themselves disciples of Christ and attend to his
dead Body with exquisite refinement and generosity. The evangelist mentions
that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus used a mixture of myrrh and aloes
in lavish amount. Myrrh is a very expensive aromatic resin, and aloes a juice
extracted from the leaves of certain plants. They were used as an _expression
of veneration for the dead.
40. The Fourth Gospel adds to the information on the burial given by the
Synoptics. Sacred Scripture did not specify what form burial should take,
with the result that the Jews followed the custom of the time. After piously
taking our Lord’s body down from the cross, they probably washed it carefully
(cf. Acts 9:37), perfumed it and wrapped it in a linen cloth, covering the head
with a sudarium or napkin (cf. Jn 20:5-6). But because of the imminence of
the sabbath rest, they were unable to anoint the body with balsam, which the
women planned to do once the sabbath was past (cf. Mk 16:1; Lk 24:1).
Jesus himself, when he praised Mary for anointing him at Bethany, had fore-
told in a veiled way that his body would not be embalmed (cf. note on Jn 12:7).
41. Many of the Fathers have probed the mystic meaning of the
garden—usually to point out that Christ, who was arrested in the Garden of
Olives and buried in another garden, has redeemed us superabundantly from
that first sin which was committed also in a garden, the Garden of Paradise
They comment that Jesus’ being the only one to be buried in this new tomb
meant that there would be no doubt that it was he and not another that rose
from the dead. St Augustine also observes that “just as in the womb of the
Virgin Mary none was conceived before him, none after him, so in this tomb
none before him, none after was buried” (”In Ioann. Evang.”. 120, 5).
Among the truths of Christian doctrine to do with Christ’s death and burial
are these: “one, that the body of Christ was in no degree corrupted in the
sepulchre, according to the prediction of the Prophet, ‘Thou wilt not give
thy holy one to see corruption’ (Ps 16:10; Acts 2:31); the other... that
burial, passion and death apply to Christ Jesus not as God but as man,
yet they are also attributed to God, since, as is clear, they are predicated
with propriety of that Person who is at once perfect God and perfect man”
(”St Pius V Catechism”, I 5, 9).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
| First reading | Isaiah 52:13-53:12 © |
|---|---|
|
See, my servant will prosper,
he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights.
As the crowds were appalled on seeing him
– so disfigured did he look
that he seemed no longer human –
so will the crowds be astonished at him,
and kings stand speechless before him;
for they shall see something never told
and witness something never heard before:
‘Who could believe what we have heard,
and to whom has the power of the Lord been revealed?’
Like a sapling he grew up in front of us,
like a root in arid ground.
Without beauty, without majesty we saw him,
no looks to attract our eyes;
a thing despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering,
a man to make people screen their faces;
he was despised and we took no account of him.
And yet ours were the sufferings he bore,
ours the sorrows he carried.
But we, we thought of him as someone punished,
struck by God, and brought low.
Yet he was pierced through for our faults,
crushed for our sins.
On him lies a punishment that brings us peace,
and through his wounds we are healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each taking his own way,
and the Lord burdened him
with the sins of all of us.
Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly,
he never opened his mouth,
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house,
like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers
never opening its mouth.
By force and by law he was taken;
would anyone plead his cause?
Yes, he was torn away from the land of the living;
for our faults struck down in death.
They gave him a grave with the wicked,
a tomb with the rich,
though he had done no wrong
and there had been no perjury in his mouth.
The Lord has been pleased to crush him with suffering.
If he offers his life in atonement,
he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life
and through him what the Lord wishes will be done.
His soul’s anguish over
he shall see the light and be content.
By his sufferings shall my servant justify many,
taking their faults on himself.
Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute,
he shall divide the spoil with the mighty,
for surrendering himself to death
and letting himself be taken for a sinner,
while he was bearing the faults of many
and praying all the time for sinners.
|
|
| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 30:2,6,12-13,15-17,25 |
| Second reading | Hebrews 4:14-16,5:7-9 © |
|---|---|
|
Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.
During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.
|
|
| Gospel | John 18:1-19:42 © |
|---|---|
|
Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kedron valley. There was a garden there, and he went into it with his disciples. Judas the traitor knew the place well, since Jesus had often met his disciples there, and he brought the cohort to this place together with a detachment of guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns and torches and weapons. Knowing everything that was going to happen to him, Jesus then came forward and said, ‘Who are you looking for?’ They answered, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ He said, ‘I am he.’ Now Judas the traitor was standing among them. When Jesus said, ‘I am he’, they moved back and fell to the ground. He asked them a second time, ‘Who are you looking for?’ They said, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ ‘I have told you that I am he,’ replied Jesus. ‘If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go.’ This was to fulfil the words he had spoken, ‘Not one of those you gave me have I lost.’
Simon Peter, who carried a sword, drew it and wounded the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword back in its scabbard; am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?’
The cohort and its captain and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him. They took him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had suggested to the Jews, ‘It is better for one man to die for the people.’
Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus. This disciple, who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest’s palace, but Peter stayed outside the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who was keeping the door and brought Peter in. The maid on duty at the door said to Peter, ‘Aren’t you another of that man’s disciples?’ He answered, ‘I am not.’ Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there warming themselves; so Peter stood there too, warming himself with the others.
The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered, ‘I have spoken openly for all the world to hear; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet together: I have said nothing in secret. But why ask me? Ask my hearers what I taught: they know what I said.’ At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying, ‘Is that the way to answer the high priest?’ Jesus replied, ‘If there is something wrong in what I said, point it out; but if there is no offence in it, why do you strike me?’ Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him, ‘Aren’t you another of his disciples?’ He denied it saying, ‘I am not.’ One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, ‘Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?’ Again Peter denied it; and at once a cock crew.
They then led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was now morning. They did not go into the Praetorium themselves or they would be defiled and unable to eat the passover. So Pilate came outside to them and said, ‘What charge do you bring against this man?’ They replied, ‘If he were not a criminal, we should not be handing him over to you.’ Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law.’ The Jews answered, ‘We are not allowed to put a man to death.’ This was to fulfil the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way he was going to die.
So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ he asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?’ Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.’ ‘So you are a king then?’ said Pilate. ‘It is you who say it’ answered Jesus. ‘Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.’ ‘Truth?’ said Pilate ‘What is that?’; and with that he went out again to the Jews and said, ‘I find no case against him. But according to a custom of yours I should release one prisoner at the Passover; would you like me, then, to release the king of the Jews?’ At this they shouted: ‘Not this man,’ they said ‘but Barabbas.’ Barabbas was a brigand.
Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged; and after this, the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him and saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’; and they slapped him in the face.
Pilate came outside again and said to them, ‘Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case.’ Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, ‘Here is the man.’ When they saw him the chief priests and the guards shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves and crucify him: I can find no case against him.’ ‘We have a Law,’ the Jews replied ‘and according to that Law he ought to die, because he has claimed to be the Son of God.’
When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased. Re-entering the Praetorium, he said to Jesus, ‘Where do you come from?’ But Jesus made no answer. Pilate then said to him, ‘Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?’ ‘You would have no power over me’ replied Jesus ‘if it had not been given you from above; that is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater guilt.’
From that moment Pilate was anxious to set him free, but the Jews shouted, ‘If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar’s; anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar.’ Hearing these words, Pilate had Jesus brought out, and seated himself on the chair of judgement at a place called the Pavement, in Hebrew Gabbatha. It was Passover Preparation Day, about the sixth hour. ‘Here is your king’ said Pilate to the Jews. ‘Take him away, take him away!’ they said. ‘Crucify him!’ ‘Do you want me to crucify your king?’ said Pilate. The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king except Caesar.’ So in the end Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
They then took charge of Jesus, and carrying his own cross he went out of the city to the place of the skull or, as it was called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him with two others, one on either side with Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.’ This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate, ‘You should not write “King of the Jews,” but “This man said: I am King of the Jews.”’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’
When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck to hem; so they said to one another, ‘Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide who is to have it.’ In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled:
They shared out my clothing among them.
They cast lots for my clothes.
This is exactly what the soldiers did.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son. Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfil the scripture perfectly he said:
‘I am thirsty.’
A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said, ‘It is accomplished’; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit. It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:
Not one bone of his will be broken;
and again, in another place scripture says:
They will look on the one whom they have pierced.
After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus – though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews – asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away. Nicodemus came as well – the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time – and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, following the Jewish burial custom. At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried. Since it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was near at hand, they laid Jesus there.
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