The Easter Triduum
Events of Holy Thursday
The Washing of the Feet
Jesus washed the apostles feet the day before the Passover Festival. If the Passover is marked by the Lords Supper on Holy Thursday and if this was the same day that marked the beginning of the Passover Festival, then the Washing of the Feet took place on Holy Wednesday. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church commemorates the Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday.
Biblical Basis. The Washing of the Feet is based on the Gospel of John, when Jesus washed His disciples feet. While having supper, Jesus rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist. He then poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples feet and dry them with the towel around his waist (Jn. 13 4-5). It is said that when it was Simon Peters turn to be washed, he asked Jesus Are you going to wash my feet, Lord and to which Jesus answered, You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later. Jesus also emphasized two things to Simon Peter and the other disciples that if Jesus does not wash their feet then they are no longer His disciples, and that those who have taken a bath are completely clean and do not have to wash themselves, except for their feet (Jn. 13 6-10). It is also interesting to note that Jesus said, All of you are clean all except one (Jn. 13 10), which implies that the Lord already knew that he was going to be betrayed by Judas Iscariot for it is stated by the Gospel of John that the Devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the thought of betraying Jesus (Jn. 13 2). Nevertheless, it is not clearly stated anywhere else whether Judas was with Jesus and the rest of the disciples during this time or whether Judas feet were also washed by Jesus.
According to Richardson, the Washing by Jesus of His disciples feet somehow foreshadows the cross itself the voluntary humility of the Lord cleanses his loved ones and gives to them an example of selfless service which they must follow (qtd. in Morris 544). The Washing is also not simply an act of courtesy but an action undertaken deliberately and a parable in action for it takes place during the meal, not on arrival when the feet would normally be washed (Morris 544). Furthermore, when Jesus thought he knew that he had come from God and was going to God (Jn. 13 3), he knew that his time had now come yet out of humility, he acted accordingly. The hour marks the time of leaving the world and going to the Father and marks the decisive end of Jesus ministry. (Morris 545)
However, although the account of the Washing of the Feet is considered an act of humility, Hunter emphasizes the storys significance to the idea of cleansing, that cleansing without which no one belongs to Christ, that cleansing which is given by the cross alone (qtd. in Morris 544). Hunter further says that the deeper meaning then is that there is no place in his fellowship for those who have not been cleansed by his atoning death and that the episode dramatically symbolizes the truth enunciated in I John 17. We are being cleansed from every sin by the blood of Jesus. (qtd. in Morris 544-545)
It is however worth mentioning the ambiguity in the pronoun him and he in the third verse which states, Jesus knew that the father had given him complete power he knew that he had come from God and was going to God (Jn. 13 3). Morris says that the exact meaning of the second half of the verse is not clear, and again there is textual difficulty (Morris 545) although some would prefer to understand the pronouns as either the Devil or Judas.
The Washing of the Feet further symbolizes lowly service for after what he had done, Jesus proceeds to bring out the implications of his symbolic action (550), which somehow calls them to a new mission in their ministry. After Jesus had washed his disciples feet, he put his outer garment back on, returned to his place at the table, and spoke these words Do you understand what I have just done to you...You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am. I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one anothers feetfor I am telling you the truth no slaves are greater than their master, and no messengers are greater than the one who sent them (Jn. 13 12-16).
Catholic Tradition. The Catholic tradition of the Washing of the Feet is a rite reserved to men as stated in the rubrics of the 2002 Latin Roman Missal and the Paschales Solemnitatis, a circular letter written on Jan. 16, 1998. No. 51 of this circular letter specifically defines the limits of this tradition
The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day, represents the service and charity of Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve. This tradition should be maintained, and its proper significance explained. (Washing of the Feet)
As stated above, the washing of the feet is reserved only to men, and these men are chosen men.
Moreover, when it comes to where and how many people will have their feet washed, the rubrics of the 2002 Latin Roman Missal describes the rite as follows
Depending on pastoral circumstances, the washing of feet may follow the homily. The men who have been chosen are led by the ministers to chairs prepared in a suitable place. Then the priest (removing his chasuble if necessary) goes to each man. With the help of the ministers he pours water over each ones feet and dries them. (Washing of the Feet)
It is not stated in the rubric above how many men exactly are to be selected for the rite. It seems that the number is not fixed. Nevertheless, twelve is the most common choice but there may be instances where the number is fewer in order to be accommodated in the available space.
In the same way, the chosen place is usually within or near the presbytery in order for the rite to be clearly visible to the assembly.
The logical sense of the rubric requires the priest, representing Jesus Christ, to wash the feet of a group of men carefully chosen from among the men of the assembly, symbolizing the apostles, in an area which is clearly visible to the congregation.
The only exception to which the rules may not apply refers to the other circumstances such as para-liturgical services or retreats where it is perfectly legitimate to perform the washing of the feet as inspired by the example of Jesus Christ and by the liturgy. In such cases, it is not necessary that the limitations imposed by the liturgical context of the Holy Thursday Mass apply.
In 2005, however, the Holy See, while strongly affirming that the norm in the washing of the feet remains restricted only to men, did allow an American bishop to also wash womens feet whenever he considered it pastorally necessary in certain cases. This permission was specifically made for a particular case and from a strictly legal point of view and therefore does not affect the diocese involved. (Washing of the Feet)
The Mass of the Lords Supper
The Lords Supper, or the Last Supper, is one of the chief events during Holy Thursday, and one which usually officially begins the Easter Triduum. The Holy Eucharist, or the Holy Mass, particularly the Consecration of the Bread and Wine, goes back to the events on the night of the Lords Supper. The Lords Supper is found in the three synoptic gospels of Matthew 2626-30, Mark 1422-26, and Luke 2214-23, as well as in the gospel of Saint John 13. However, it is the Washing of the Feet that is mainly discussed in the gospel of John and not exactly the actual events that transpired during the Lords Supper.
The Tradition of the Passover Meal. The Lords Supper is actually the traditional Passover Meal of the Israelites that can be traced back to the book of Exodus 121-28 when, during the tenth and last plague, the Angel of Death literally passed over the homes of the Israelites sparing their first-born from instant death. The instructions are clearly stated in Ex. 127 when the Lord said, The people are to take some of the blood and put it in the doorposts and above the doors of the houses in which the animals are to be eaten. The purpose of the Passover Meal is also explicitly stated in the words of God Himself as He spoke to Moses in Ex. 1213-14, When I see the blood I will pass over you and not harm you and that you must celebrate this day as a religious festival to remind you of what I, the Lord, have done. The designated time of the festival remains as the tenth day of the first month of the year (The New American Bible, Ex. 123), but during the time of Jesus, it was already being celebrated for seven days beginning with the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan, which is the equivalent of the time around March to April in the Gregorian calendar (Jewish Virtual Library, Passover). The tradition remains as every man choosing either a one-year old male lamb or a young goat without any defects for his household. (Ex. 125)
The Festival of the Unleavened Bread and the Bread Itself. The Lords Supper corresponds to the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which God Himself instructed Moses in Ex. 1215 For seven days you must not eat any bread made with yeast eat only unleavened bread. The unleavened bread, together with the wine, also remains a single of offering under the Old Covenant as stated in the book of Genesis 1418 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine he was priest of God Most High. This unleavened bread is called matzah in Hebrew, which is simply bread without yeast and made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly (Jewish Virtual Library, Passover). Full-sized matzahs are about 10 inches square (Jewish Virtual Library, Passover), and may perhaps be sufficient to feed Jesus and his 12 apostles, if this was actually the broken and distributed by Jesus during the Lords Supper. Otherwise, there were several pieces of bread broken several times and fed. The bread is actually blessed and broken during the Yachatz part, or the fourth part, of the Passover Seder, or the official and traditional sequence of this particular Jewish feast. The actual blessing of the bread and eating it is in the Matzah part, which is the eighth part of the ceremony.
The Passover Wine. The sequence of the blessings that Jesus did during the Lords Supper somehow corresponds to the Passover Seder, where the wine is blessed first during the Kaddesh, or Sanctification, which is the very first part of the Seder. However, Jesus particularly put a special significance on the Last Supper in order to emphasize that this was no ordinary Passover Meal when He said, I tell you that from now on, I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes (Lk. 2218). During this time of the meal, the wine is drunk, and a second cup is poured. (Jewish Virtual Library, Passover). This second cup of wine is drunk at the end of Maggid, or the retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt, which is the fifth part of the Seder. The third and final cup is poured during the Barech, or Grace after Meals, which is the 13th part of the Seder, and this cup of wine is blessed and drunk during the subsequent part, the Hallel, or Praises. The 15th and final part of the Seder, the Nitzah, or Closing, marks the end of the traditional Passover Meal, and the Lords Supper as well. (Jewish Virtual Library, Passover)
The Significance of the Words of Jesus during the Lords Supper and the Eucharist. Jesus Christ instituted His Eucharist during the Passover meal that marked His passing through death into Resurrection and everlasting life. The Gospel of Matthew states the words in which Jesus inaugurated His Eucharist
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat this is my body. And He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, Drink of it, all of you for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matt. 26 26-28)
It is clear from the above passage that Jesus said that He was giving his disciples His body and blood. The words correspond to the Consecration part of the Holy Eucharist, or the part before Holy Communion. The body and blood of Christ was not meant to be merely symbolic of Jesus, as many of His followers at Capernaum would have wanted to believe, but rather the body and blood was totally Him, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Saint Paul, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, clearly states the beliefs of the first disciples of Jesus
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. (1 Cor. 11 27-29)
In fact, Saint Paul was not the only follower of Jesus who wrote and proclaimed this belief and practice. Dozens of other followers during the first few hundred years of the existence of the Church wrote about the solemnity of the body and blood of Christ. The belief in the Real Presence of Jesus during the Holy Eucharist continues to this day in Catholic worship as well as in mainstream theology. Perhaps the biggest difference between the Catholic understanding of the presence of Jesus during the Eucharist and that of most other Christian denominations is that while in the latter, the Eucharistic meal is merely a symbolic remembrance of the Lords Supper, in the Catholic Church it is actually a real and substantial transformation.
In the Eucharist that Jesus gave Catholics, there is a more profound change that takes place. The bread and wine is REALLY transformed into Jesus body and blood. No, this cannot be ordinarily told through the senses for one needs something that extends beyond the sense to determine the actual state that exists. This extender of the senses is called Faith, which is specifically a faith and trust in Jesus that believes that even ordinary bread and wine can transform into His own body and blood.
There is also another misconception about the repetition of the Last Supper using Jesus flesh and blood in the Catholic Church is that Catholics repeat the sacrifice of Jesus Resurrection whenever the Eucharist is repeated. However, one should understand that Jesus was crucified only once and the event can never be repeated. In order for one to be able to truly understand it, he must understand that all Catholics are participating in a continuation of the Last Supper, and not a different event. The Catholic faithful believe that Christ is there in their midst, that they are around His table, and that He offers them His own flesh and blood.
On the Communion of Judas. During the Last Supper there remained a question whether Jesus really gave Judas Communion considering that Judas betrayal of Jesus was indeed a grave sin, or had Judas decided to leave the table at that point in time
Scripture appears to indicate that Judas in fact did receive Holy Communion from Jesus. The Gospel of Luke states that Jesus took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them and after the supper, he gave them the cup (Lk. 2219-20), and only after this Holy Communion given to His apostles does Jesus in the Gospel mention, The one who betrays me is here at the table with me (Lk. 2221)
The question now is why Jesus allowed Judas Communion even though Judas had already been plotting His betrayal (Lk. 223-4). There are two possible reasons why One possibility is that Jesus may have hoped that the grace of Holy Communion could ultimately save Judas soul. In fact, Judas already felt remorse for what he had done (Matt. 273-4), although he chose the wrong way to demonstrate such remorse by throwing the coins in the Temple and then hanging himself (Matt. 275).
Another possibility is that Jesus may have chosen to respect Judas free will, just as He respects our free will, and it followed that He did not deny Judas Communion even though he obviously did not have faith that it was indeed the body and blood of Christ as shown by the fact that Jesus implied that he was a devil and that he was going to betray him. (Jn. 670-71).
The Holy Communion. The Sacrament of the Holy Communion in the Eucharist is said to have started from the Last Supper of Our Lord with His apostles. In fact the Catholic Church traces the origins of the Eucharist itself to the very actions of Jesus Christ during the Last Supper in the Gospels of Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22.
The Eucharist, however, was said to have been taught by Christ much earlier than the Last Supper. First, He blessed loaves of bread and distributed them to over five thousand men (Matt. 1414-20), thus performing a multiplication of the loaves. This superabundance of loaves was similar to the Eucharist in the Last Supper where Jesus blessed the bread and distributed it to those who would partake in it.
Not only through His miracles did Jesus show the significance of the bread but also through His words and teachings. Two of His teachings that emphasized the bread in the Eucharist are the following
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. (HYPERLINK httpwww.nccbuscc.orgnabbiblejohnjohn6.htm t mainJohn 653-56)
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you for on Him has God the Father set His seal. (HYPERLINK httpwww.nccbuscc.orgnabbiblejohnjohn6.htm t mainJohn 627)
In the above passages, Jesus somehow emphasizes the food that merely sustains physical life vis--vis the food or bread that gives eternal life.
It is also noted that when Jesus followers asked about the nature of this eternal food, Jesus was quick to reply
I am the bread of life he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. (HYPERLINK httpwww.nccbuscc.orgnabbiblejohnjohn6.htm t mainJohn 635)
I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. (HYPERLINK httpwww.nccbuscc.orgnabbiblejohnjohn6.htm t mainJohn 651)
However, upon hearing these words, many of those who had been following Jesus chose to stay away. The question remains as to why they did not understand Jesus, or perhaps why they were not able to. It is most likely because they did not understand that Jesus was the completion of the Passover which was begun in Egypt over one thousand years earlier than the time of Christ. Jesus was the New Covenant, the Promised One and the Messiah. Passover was a celebration commemorated by the Passover meal, which is a shared meal of unleavened bread, lamb and wine. Jesus now had come to offer and sacrifice himself as the ultimate Bread and Lamb, a spiritual meal to be consumed by all those who desired to escape the angel of Death, or sin and eternal damnation.
The Passover meal is celebrated using four different cups of blessing which are consumed together with the lamb and the unleavened bread using a specific sequence. The lamb was chosen after slaying it but the bones should be intact. It was then cooked and eaten in order to renew the spiritual bond of communion between God and the faithful. (The Last Supper The Eucharist)
The Location of the Lords Supper. The Gospel of Matthew does not offer much clue on where the Lords Supper was held except that it is a house of a certain man in the city (Matt. 2618).
Nevertheless, based on the Gospels of Mark and Luke, the location is a large upstairs room, fixed up and furnished (Mk. 1415), and that the owner of the house seems to be known by another man in the city carrying a jar of water for this man enters the house. (Lk. 2210-11)
The Mount Zion Church. According to later tradition, the Lords Supper took place in what is now called The Room of the Last Supper on Mount Zion, located just outside the walls of Jerusalem. This room is traditionally known as The Upper Room. Based on the Gospel of Matthew, an unknown number of disciples were asked by Jesus to go search for this particular location. The Gospel of Mark says it is an unnamed pair of disciples but the Gospel of Luke says it is Peter and John. Nevertheless, whoever among the disciples Jesus asked must have followed his instructions on going to the city and meeting a man carrying a jar of water, who is the same man who would lead them to the house, to whose owner they would say The Teacher says to you Where is the room where my disciples and I will eat the Passover Meal (Lk. 2210-11). It is not actually specified in the Scriptures where this particular city refers to and it may refer to any of the suburbs of Jerusalem. The traditional location is an area that, based on archaeology, had a large Essene community. The Essene is the group with which several scholars suspect Jesus had a link. Nevertheless, the various theories on the exact location of the Lords Supper are as vague as the one mentioned in the Bible.
The Mount Zion Church is actually a second-storey room in Jerusalem, located directly above the Tomb of David and close to the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion (Sacred Destinations, Last Supper Room). Beneath the floors are Byzantine and Roman pavements with foundations dating back to the 2nd century AD. In those times, this place was an affluent area of the city and the owner may have been a wealthy Christian who opened his home for use as a church. Nevertheless, the fact that the church was hidden within the house might have been due to the danger and persecutions of the 2nd century against those who built a new holy place. The Church of Mt. Zion was reconstructed in the 4th century and was known as The Upper Church of the Apostles and it was also the same place where the apostles received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 113. 21). It was, however, only in the 5th century that the church was identified with the site of the Lords Supper and was referred to as Zion, Mother of all the Churches. (Sacred Destinations, Last Supper Room)
Saint Marks Syrian Orthodox Church. Another possible site for the room is Saint Marks Syrian Orthodox Church located in Jerusalem for it contains a Christian stone inscription which testifies to early reverence for that particular spot. The Church also has a revered icon of the Virgin Mary known to have been painted from life by the Evangelist St. Luke himself. Moreover, based on its structure, the room in the Church is older than that of the Cenaculum and considering that the room is now located underground, the relative altitude is correct. One has to know that the streets of Jerusalem in the 1st century were at least 12 feet or 3.6 meters lower than those of today, which means that any true building of that time would have even its upper storey currently buried under the earth.
Seating Arrangement during the Last Supper. Contrary to the belief of many that Jesus and His apostles sat on chairs at a table during the Last Supper, they actually reclined on ground or on mats and pillows, leaning on their left elbow either forward or back and eating with their right hand (Pope). The reason is that this was the typical way of eating in the ancient world. The Gospel of Mark supports this claim While they were reclining at the table eating, Jesus said, I tell you that one of you will betray me one who is eating with me.
Nevertheless, based on Leonardo Da Vincis The Last Supper, the sequence of the people on the dining table from left to right during the Lords Supper is the following
Bartholomew
James the Less
Andrew
Peter (or Simon Peter)
Judas Iscariot
John (or rumored to be Mary Magdalene)
Jesus
Thomas
James the Greater
Philip
Matthew
Jude Thaddeus
Simon the Canaanite (or Simon the Zealot)
Somehow, the easiest to identify aside from our Lord was Judas Iscariot for he was carrying a small bag in his right hand, which is supposed to contain the 30 pieces of silver that he sold Jesus for. Nevertheless, in the actual timeline, he did not obtain this small bag until after the arrest of Jesus at Gethsemane. (The Last Supper Names of Apostles)
However, the question remains as to whether the character on the left of Jesus is indeed the apostle John or Mary Magdalene. This theory was advanced by the author from New Hampshire, USA, Daniel Brown, in his 2003 bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code. The controversial theory, against which the Catholic Church stands, is that Jesus married Mary and after the crucifixion she had a child by him (The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci). One quality of the apostle John that perhaps caused this confusion was the fact that the figure of John painted by Da Vinci was rather effeminate.
Nevertheless, the theory that the figure was Mary and not John was rather weak in that it can be opposed by a number of arguments. The first was the church at the time of the painting of The Last Supper would not have allowed this. Secondly, it was normal for the youngest of the disciples to be portrayed as effeminate. Thirdly, if it was really Mary, then where could John be It would have been impossible that John was not able to attend the Lords Supper. Thus, the Catholic Church, which includes all the faithful, should trust in the idea that it is John who was beside Jesus during the Last Supper and not Mary Magdalene. (The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci)
Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot was the name of the apostle who betrayed Jesus. The name Judas (Ioudas) is actually the Greek form of Judah or the Hebrew word for praised.
The question, however, remains as to whether Judas ever received Communion during the Last Supper as Scripture seems to indicate (Lk. 2219-23). In a particular passage of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus blessed the bread and cup of wine first before saying, But, look The one who betrays me is here at the table with me (Lk. 2221). This means to say that He had already given all of them, including Judas, bread and wine after saying this. If ever Judas had received Communion, then perhaps Christ may have hoped that the grace of Holy Communion could ultimately save the soul of Judas. Another possibility why Christ gave Judas Communion is that He may have respected Judas free will, in the same way that He respects our free will.
Judas Iscariot was known to be a betrayer or traitor to Jesus. Nevertheless, the question is what exactly did he betray This is not clear. Perhaps Judas has earned the nickname of traitor because of pointing out Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, or the mere act of kissing Him so that He would be easily identified (Matt. 2649). A kiss is supposed to come from a friend and not one who would have you arrested. Moreover, he was paid 30 pieces of silver earlier (Matt. 2614-16), which somehow adds to his crime. However, one should bear in mind that Jesus was not in the hiding when he was pointed out by Judas, which is one theory which implies that his crime as a traitor was not well-defined.
The Scriptures tell very little of Judas except his call to be an apostle of Jesus, his treachery, and the two versions of his death in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt. 273-9) and the Book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 118-19).
The Death of Judas. There are two versions to the death of Judas in the Scriptures. The Gospel of Matthew is the only synoptic Gospel that mentions the death of Judas as well as the exact amount which he has been paid. Nevertheless, after the betrayal of Judas and the arrest of Jesus at Gethsemane, at exactly the same time that Judas received his payment for his betrayal of Jesus, he threw the coins down at the Temple and left then he went off and hanged himself (Matt. 275), probably out of guilt or remorse for having betrayed our Lord Himself.
Another version of Judas death is found in Acts 118-19 With the money that Judas got for his evil act he bought a field, where he fell to his death he burst open and all his insides spilled out. Somehow the aforementioned passage implies that Judas did not throw away the silver he had received from the elders for his betrayal of Jesus, for he was able to use this money in the end in order to buy a field. Another thing that makes the version of Matthew differ from that of the Book of Acts is the word fell in where he fell to his death, which further implies that perhaps Judas death was not suicide but a mere accident.
Nevertheless, Judas may just be an instrument to fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah 1112, which states, I said to them, if you are willing, give me my wages. But if not, keep them. So they paid me thirty pieces of silver as my wages.
Events of Good Friday
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
After the Last Supper, Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, a spot at Kidron Brook (Jn. 181), and he said to them, Sit here while I go over there and pray (Matt. 2636). Although Matthew and Mark present exactly the same account of Jesus moments of reflection in Gethsemane, Luke mentions Mount of Olives (Lk. 2239) instead of Gethsemane. Jesus companions were Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John. It is said that grief and anguish filled Jesus heart during this time, as if He had already known what was to happen. He said to His disciples, The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch with me (Matt. 2638), but which the disciples were not able to do as they were later found by Jesus to be sleeping.
Jesus went farther into the garden and prostrated Himself upon the ground and prayed, My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering from me Yet not what I want, but what you want (Matt. 2639). Nothing much was mentioned by Matthew and Mark after this but Luke writes, An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him (Lk. 2243). Luke also does not mention that there is a second and third time of prayer. Nevertheless, all three Gospels agree that after which, Jesus came back to check on the disciples He went there with and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, How is it that you three were not able to keep watch with me for even one hour Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt. 2640-41). Then Jesus came back to the place where He prayed.
The next time He prayed, Jesus talked to God the Father again about His anticipation of His suffering My Father, if this cup of suffering cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done (Matt. 2642). He then went back to His disciples and found them asleep. However, Matthew does not mention anything about another scolding. Jesus then went back to the spot where He prayed.
The third and last time Jesus prayed, Jesus said the same words and He returned once more to His disciples and again, for the third time, found them sleeping. He said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting Look The hour has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the power of sinners (Matt. 2645). He also gave them a signal that Judas Iscariot was coming when He said, Get up, let us go. Look, here is the man who is betraying me (Matt. 2646)
The Passion of Jesus
The passion of Jesus refers to the sufferings the Lord experienced from the moment He was arrested at Gethsemane to His death on the cross. The passion takes place on Good Friday and begins with the arrest of Jesus, continues further on to His trial, suffering on the way to Golgotha, and finally to His crucifixion, death and burial. The four gospels give four slightly different accounts of the events surrounding the time of the suffering and death of Jesus. There are slight differences in the four gospels accounts of Jesus arrest, trial, death sentence, crucifixion and death. There are also several noticeable differences in minor topics like Peters denial, the mocking of the soldiers, the piercing of Jesus side, and the death of Judas. The complete account of the passion of Jesus can be found in Matthew 2647-2761, Mark 1443-1547, Luke 2247-2356, and John 181-1942.
The Arrest of Jesus
The arrest of Jesus Christ happens right after He has prayed at Gethsemane, the garden across the Kidron valley. The whole account of the arrest can be found in all four Gospels in Matt. 2647-56, Mk. 1443-50, Lk. 2247-53, and Jn. 183-12. Judas, the disciple who betrayed him, knew the place very well for Jesus often met there with His disciples. Apparently, Jesus was not finished speaking yet when the arresting team arrived for it is stated in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was still speaking when Judasarrived (Matt. 2647). Nevertheless, it seems that Jesus had already anticipated this when He says, Get up, let us go. Look, here is the man who is betraying me (Matt. 2646). Together with Judas was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs and sent by the chief priests and the elders (Matt. 2647), although the Gospel of John states more clearly that Judas was with a group of Roman soldiers and some Temple guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees. (Jn. 183)
In the three synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Judas then turns to the crowd, presumably to one of the soldiers, and gives them a signal saying The man I kiss is the one you want. Arrest him (Matt. 2648). Presumably, Judas chose to do this either because the soldiers and none of the crowd were familiar with Jesus face, or that Jesus and His disciples looked very similar. Judas then came forward to kiss Jesus and he did while saying Peace be with you, Teacher (Matt. 2649) and to which Jesus replied Be quick about it, friend (Matt. 2650), which denotes a certain impatience in his voice. While Mark was quiet about this, Luke mentions in his gospel a more personal and less impetuous but more sarcastic line of Jesus asking Judas, Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man (Lk. 2248). John, on the other hand, never mentions any exchange of words between Jesus and Judas, who was mentioned to be just standing with the crowd (Jn. 185), but rather between the former and the crowd of soldiers themselves. He asks them, Who is it you are looking for (Jn. 184), and when they say Jesus of Nazareth (Jn. 185), Jesus presents Himself without any hesitation by saying I am he (Jn. 185). Jesus had to say the same line twice before the soldiers did anything. Perhaps they did not readily believe Him. However, in the Gospel of John, after saying who He was for the second time, Jesus mentions If, then, you are looking for me, let these others go (Jn. 188), which clearly implies that Jesus did not want anyone else to be arrested with Him.
After which, the soldiers came up, arrested Jesus and held him tight. However, as soon as Jesus was arrested, Simon Peter, who was armed with a sword, drew it and struck the High Priests slave cutting off his right ear. (Jn. 1810). This slave was identified as Malchus. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, both the disciple who cut the ear and the slave whose ear was cut were unnamed. However, it is interesting to note that in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reprimands the apostle by saying Put your sword back in its placeAll who take the sword will die by the sword (Matt. 2652) and He went on to say he could call on His Father for help but this He chose not to do so that the Scriptures must come true (Matt. 2653-54). It is also interesting to note that in the Gospel of Luke, as soon as Malchus ear fell to the ground, Jesus touched the mans ear and healed him (Lk. 2251), making this the last miracle Jesus performed before His arrest.
The Crime against Jesus
In order to better understand exactly what crime Jesus had committed and which likely led to His arrest, it is best to understand first the role of the Temple in Jewish life during the 1st century. The Temple, against which Jesus spoke metaphorically, served dual purposes in early Jewish life it was a center of religious life, prayer and sacrifices and it was a central bank, and a place for tithes and taxes. (Linder)
It is believed that nothing provoked greater anger among observant Jews than acts perceived to be defilements of the Temple (Linder). Roman leaders also made it clear during this time that any threat to Roman power over the Temple even a symbolic threat was dealt with harshly (Linder). The Roman chronicler, Flavius Josephus, in his book Jewish Antiquities, mentioned that there was an incident in 5 BC where a group of about forty young men climbed to the roof of the Temple and began chopping down a golden eagle which is the insignia of the Roman Emperor, seen by them as a symbol of Roman control (as qtd. in Linder). Josephus mentioned that the men were afterwards arrested with considerable force and later on either burnt alive or merely executed. (as qtd. in Linder)
Going back to Jesus and His supposed crime, one remembers our Lord protesting against the commercial practices of the Jews in the Temple, and which has offended many of them. Jesus complained, It is written in the Scriptures that God said, My Temple will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a hideout for thieves (Matt. 2113). Both the Gospels of Mark and John tell of Jesus driving pigeon-sellers and overturning the tables of money-changers. The pigeons were used by the Jewish worshippers as sacrifices, thus what Jesus had done may have angered many of the Jews. Similarly, the money-changers were in charge of converting coins with images of the emperor into silver coins acceptable for donations. This may have also provoked the some of the Roman officials as degrading anything symbolic of the Roman Emperor, was tantamount to an assault on the Emperor himself (Linder). Nevertheless, it remains that the arrest of Jesus was somehow mainly based on what He said about the Temple.
Perhaps the worst accusation the Jews made against Jesus was what He mentioned in front of the Jewish authorities in the Gospel of John 210, Tear down this Temple, and in three days I will build it again. Although this sounded more like Jesus was commanding someone to do the destruction of the Temple and that He in fact would be the one to rebuild it, His words were definitely misconstrued to be literal and naturally sacrilegious and blasphemous.
The Trial of Jesus
All the Gospels agree that the arrest of Jesus took place in the middle of the night. They also agree that the judicial investigation followed afterwards, and that this culminated with the indictment by the Jewish Senate at early dawn on a capital charge. The Gospel of Luke specifies that the full session of the Senate began only when day came, thus conforming to the Jewish rule that the Great Sanhedrin could meet only during daytime and had to deliver its judgment while there was light. (Stecchini Sammer, Before Annas). However, the rest of the Gospels somehow also conform to the rule since it must have already been dawn or daybreak when Jesus was brought to Annas.
Trial before Annas. After Jesus was arrested, the Gospel of John states that He was taken first to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the High Priest that year (Jn. 1813). Although the three other Gospels do not mention Annas, Mark 1453 seems to be referring to the place where Annas was as he states They took Jesus to the High Priests house, where all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were gathering. This place is called the scaena or the House of the High Priest, where the armed men and the rest of the audience including Peter remained outside and since the central doorswere closed, the inside scenes were only heard, and not seen. (Stecchini Sammer, Before Annas). Nevertheless, whether visible to the audience or not, the full account of the interrogation of Annas can be found in John 1819-24. Annas, just like Caiaphas, was also High Priest and questioned Jesus about His disciples and about his teachings. However, Jesus did not answer Annas questions directly. Instead He said, I have always spoken publicly to everyoneWhy, then do you question me Question the people who heard methey know what I said (Jn. 1820-21). This way of answering Annas the High Priest made one of the soldiers slap Jesus and scold Him, but to which he replied, If I have said anything wrong, tell everyone here what it was. But if I am right in what I have said, why do you hit me (Jn. 1823)
Trial before Caiaphas. After which, Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas, who the Gospel of John identifies as the High Priest (Jn. 1824) and also the Gospel of Matthew (Matt. 2657). However, Mark and Luke do not mention either Annas or Caiaphas, but only the title High Priest, and neither does John elaborate or specify a trial of Jesus before Caiaphas despite the fact that he is identified as the High Priest. As for Mark and Luke, the High Priest mentioned is clearly Annas for it was Annas who was High Priest in the fifteenth year of Roman Emperor Tiberius reign (Winter, Burkill Vermes 44). The discrepancy in the two other Gospels, those of Matthew and John, may have come from the Gospel of Matthew, for once a corrector wrote Caiaphas, or Kaiaphas, in Greek over Annas in Greek, without, however, erasing the latter and since the Gospel of Matthew enjoyed sufficient authority in Christian communities to serve as a model for harmonizing or correcting other Gospels,the manuscript then reached a copyist who was unable or unwilling to decide between the two names and omitted neither (Winter, Burkill Vermes 44-45). Nevertheless, whether this claim is true or false, it is noteworthy to look into the trial of Jesus before Caiaphas, of which only the Gospel of Matthew gives a full account.
Trial before Herod. Luke was the only one among the evangelists who adds a third proceeding to Jesus trial. Luke mentions that after Jesus trial with Pilate, He was sent to Herod Antipas (Lk. 236-12). Jesus was sent by Pilate to Herod when the former found out that Jesus was from the same region ruled by Herod, who was in Jerusalem during the time of trial. Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor or Prefect of the Province of Judaea from the year 26 to 36 and this Province and his jurisdiction included Idumea, Judea and Samaria but not Galilee, which was under Herod Antipas (Corroboration of New Testament), thus the need for him to deliver Jesus to him.
It is said that Herod was very pleased when he saw Jesus and that he had been wanting to see Him for a long time, perhaps because he wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle in front of him (Lk. 238). Nevertheless, Jesus made no answer when Herod asked Him many questions (Lk. 239) despite the fact that the chief priests and teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus (Lk. 2310). At this point, Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus, treated Him with contempt and put a fine robe on Him. They then sent Him back to Pilate. (Lk. 2311)
Trial before Pilate. Jesus Christ was said to have suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius at the hands of the procurator of Judea during that time, Pontius Pilate. Even the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus indicated that the Roman prefect played a significant role in the crucifixion of Jesus. (Corroboration of New Testament)
Pilate sentenced Jesus to die on the cross, after having been urged to do so by the Jews. Josephus somehow sarcastically described the Jews as the noblest of our citizens, which means to say that it is probably safe to assume that Jewish leaders did encourage Pilate to crucify Jesus. However, there have been questions on how much willingness or unwillingness Pilate gave as a response to their encouragement. (Corroboration of New Testament)
After Jesus condemnation by the Jewish authorities that included Caiaphas, Annas and Herod, He was brought to Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judea. According to the Gospel of John, the death penalty was not an available option for the Sanhedrin under Roman law and that it was only through the Roman prefect that death penalty can be granted. Nevertheless, there was still a strong reason to believe that Jewish authorities, without the intercession of Roman law, could have executed Jesus. Evidence for this included the stoning of Jesus brother James (Corroboration of New Testament) and the first martyr, Stephen (Acts 612). These two accounts show that capital punishment was existent and was a privilege enjoyed by the Jewish authorities during the time of Jesus. Moreover, there were inscriptions on the Temple that warned of death to Gentiles that pass into specific restricted areas. (Corroboration of New Testament)
Although there have been claims by various scholars that Biblical accounts of the trial before Pilate are largely fictional, it would have been highly unlikely for any supporter of Jesus to have recorded anything that had transpired between Jesus and Pilate during the trial. All of the Gospels portray a Pontius Pilate who was not persuaded at all of Jesus guilt (Corroboration of New Testament). In the Gospel of Matthew, when Pilate asked Jesus, Dont you hear all these things they accuse you of (Matt. 2713), Jesus refused to answer and Pilate was surprised, which was entirely different from being irritated or angered. On the other hand, in Mark 155, Pilate was amazed. In Luke 234, Pilate declared in front of the chief priests and the crowds, I find no reason to condemn this man. Nevertheless, Pilate might have succumbed to the shouts and dictates of the mob as well as pressure from the Jewish chief priests, with whom Rome had established a political connection upon their conquest of Judea. Moreover, it is also interesting to note that in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus faced Pilate twice. After the first trial with Pilate, Jesus was sent to Herod Antipas, and was later on sent back to Pilate where he was sentenced to Death.
In Luke 2314, Pilate clearly said in front of the chief priests, leaders and people
You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of. Nor did Herod find him guilty, for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death. So I will have him whipped and let him go.
In the above passage, one can see that Pilate himself was not convinced at all of the crime that Jesus had committed. Nevertheless, the people hungered for Jesus death. In the end, Pilate gave in and allowed the crucifixion of Jesusnot out of conviction that Jesus did anything wrong, but only to satisfy the crowd and after authorizing Jesus execution, Pilate washes his hands. (Corroboration of New Testament)
Nevertheless, Pilate was said to have been a powerful figure and that if ever he had any reservations about killing Jesus, he certainly could have taken him back to Caesarea for trial or referred his case back to the Sanhedrin for possible punishment under Jewish, not Roman, law (Corroboration of New Testament). Nevertheless, the fact that Pilate did not do so implied that Pilate was willing to submit himself to the dictates of the Jewish leaders and chief priests in order to crucify Jesus, which further meant that perhaps the doubt that Pilate showed about Jesus crime was merely a faade. To attribute to Pilate the death of Jesus, the apostle Paul mentioned in 1 Cor. 28, that none of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
In the early morning of Friday, the Sanhedrin made a rare decision to hand Jesus over to Pilate. Matthew 271 states that all the chief priests and the elders made their plans against Jesus to put him to death. In short, the Sanhedrin had decided to execute Him. Nevertheless, John 1831, through the words of Pilate, states that only Jesus should be tried under Jewish law. Perhaps the most likely, or most logical, reason why Pilate had Jesus crucifies was the perceived insurrection against Rome. Yet it was not exactly clear whether this was indeed the accusation for Jesus was not perceived to be a revolutionary when He mentioned in Mark 1217 that one should pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor. Finally, scholars and theologians have somehow reached the conclusion that the incident at the Temple was the most likely cause of the crucifixion of Christ. (Corroboration of New Testament)
According to the Gospel of Mark 156, At every Passover Festival Pilate was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the people asked for. Passover is considered to be a celebration of freedom, yet no other historical record of the time records Pilate doing this and that Pilate was known to have been cruel and was even the very reason why he was eventually expelled from his post. (Corroboration of New Testament)
Pilate was also known to be a cunning man for he knew very well that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous (Mk. 1510), and so presumably wanted to free him without a fight with them. (Corroboration of New Testament)
Pilate was also known to be weak in that he followed the crowd in their demands to have Jesus crucified. Mark 1515 clearly states that Pilate wanted to please the crowd so he set Barrabas free for them. This act was more or less a sign of a leaders irresolute character and submission to the will of the mob, instead of sticking to the findings of his investigation that Jesus was not guilty (Lk. 2314). This indecision in Pilate might also have been the reason why even after finding Jesus NOT guilty of any crime, he presented him to the crowd together with Barabbas and made them choose who they wanted to be released. This very act of Pilate, which was lacking in so much thought, actually implied that Jesus seems to have already been declared guilty as this seemed a choice between releasing two prisoners (Corroboration of New Testament). One last proof of Pilates indecision was his decision to ask the crowd what should be done with Jesus, and to which they replied that Jesus should be crucified. (Matt. 2722), and to which Pilate agreed without much hesitation.
Peters Denial of Jesus
Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus to the House of the High Priest after His arrest. It is said that the other disciple was well known to the High Priest, so he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the High Priests house while Peter stayed outside by the gate (Jn. 1815-16). However, Matthew states that Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard (Matt. 2669), but the courtyard may have been a wide and that Matthew was not exactly implying that Peter was in any way near Jesus and the High Priest.
Peters denial of having known Jesus begins when one of the High Priests servant women came to him and said, You, too, were with Jesus of Galilee (Matt. 2669) but Peter denied it in front of them all saying I dont know what you are talking about (Matt. 2670). According to the Gospel of Matthew, Peter is asked further by another servant woman then a group of men, in front of whom he completely denied having any ties with Jesus. Then the rooster crowed and Peter remembered what Jesus had told him earlier and Peter wept bitterly (Matt. 2675). The Gospel of Mark, however, mentions two instances of crowing of the rooster one after the first servant woman accused him, and the second one after the bystanders did the same to him. Peter then remembered Jesus telling him, Before the rooster crows two times, you will say three times that you do not know me (Mk. 1472). This slight difference in number can be found only in the Gospel of Mark. Still, the Gospel of Luke shows another slight difference in its account of Peters denial of Jesus by mentioning one servant woman, one man and another man accusing Peter of being one of Jesus disciples. It is also very interesting to note that Luke mentions that as soon as the rooster crowed, The Lord Himself turned around and looked straight at Peter (Lk. 2261) and Peter remembered what He had told him about the denial. Luke therefore seems to point out several possibilities here One is that Peter is near Jesus and the High Priest where his denial of Him can be heard very easily another is that Peter may have screamed at those who were accusing him or perhaps Jesus Himself had a very sharp sense of hearing. Nevertheless, no matter what made the Lord turn around and look straight at Peter, the more important thing is that both Jesus in trial and Peter are visible to each other. The Gospel of John had a similar account of Peters denial of being one of Jesus disciples as with the other three Gospels. The only difference is that it was a girl, a crowd and a slave who asked him, and that John does not indicate whether Peter felt any remorse when he heard the rooster crow after his third denial.
Peters denial of Jesus had already been predicted by the Lord Himself sometime after the Last Supper and before He prayed in Gethsemane. When Peter told Jesus, I will never leave you, even though all the rest will do (Matt. 2633), Jesus replied, I tell you that before the rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me (Matt. 2634). Peter then denies this strongly and reiterates his promise not to leave the Lord. The Gospels of Luke and John gave similar accounts of the prediction. So far, only Mark again differs when it comes to the number of times that the rooster would crow. Mark 1430 quotes Jesus telling Peter before the rooster crows two times tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.
Jesus is Sentenced to Death
Jesus was sentenced to death after his trial with Pontius Pilate, which turned out to be in favor of another prisoner named Jesus Barrabas (Matt. 2716) or Barrabas (Mk. 157, Lk. 2318, Jn. 1840). Luke calls Barrabas a murderer and one who took part in a riot that took place in the city, while John calls him a bandit. It was customary for the Roman governor to set free a prisoner every Passover Festival. Unfortunately, it was not Jesus who was set free but Barrabas. The decision apparently was not completely Pontius Pilates for it was the crowd themselves who shouted and demanded Jesus crucifixion and death.
After the trial and interrogation with Jesus, one hears Pilate say several times, What crime has he committed (Mk. 1514), or I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death I will have him whipped and let him go (Lk. 2322). Nevertheless, it was the people themselves who asked for Jesus death, which is a little bit similar to what happened to the nobles in France during the French Revolution or to Socrates much earlier in ancient Greece. However, the four Gospels vary slightly in their account of this death sentence by the mob. It is interesting to note that in the Gospel of Matthew, Pilates wife sent him a message while he was sitting in the judgment hall right after the trial. The message was Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night I suffered much on account of him (Matt. 2719). This letter from his wife may have perhaps moved Pilate himself. Nevertheless, the crowd simply, Crucify him (Matt. 2722-23) despite being asked by Pilate what crime Jesus had committed. The crowd was even willing to take responsibility for Jesus death seeing that the Roman governor was somehow hesitant in declaring the death sentence. Matthew 2725 echoes the crowd saying, Let the responsibility for his death fall on us and our children, implying that they were so angry and bloodthirsty that they would even out their childrens future lives at stake just for the execution to take place. The Gospel of Matthew is similar to the Gospel of Mark in terms of this account, only that Mark does not mention anything about the crowd accepting responsibility for the Lords death. The Gospel of Luke is just the same, only that Pilate is portrayed here with a great sense of justice for knowing that he cannot find anything wrong with Jesus for the latter to be convicted to death, he simply said, So I will have him whipped and let him go (Lk. 2316).
This decision to whip was simply a just punishment for the accusation presented earlier to Pilate by the accusers We caught this man misleading our people, telling them not to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah, a king (Lk. 232). This is perhaps one of the most clearly stated accusations against Jesus in the Bible. This accusation is echoed by the Gospel of John We have a law that says he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God (Jn. 197). The Gospel of John is actually one of the most dramatic in terms of the events that happened during the death sentence of Jesus. First, it is in this Gospel that Jesus gave lengthy answers, not only during the trial but during the presentation to the crowd. It is here that one can find Jesus telling Pilate You have authority over me only because it was given to you by God. So the man who handed me over to you is guilty of a worse sin (Jn. 1911), implying that He was giving Pilate a reprieve or pardon at that very moment for committing the sin of having the Son of Man put to death. Moreover, it is in the Gospel of John that Pilate himself was directly threatened by the crowd when he tried to find a way to set Jesus free after hearing the aforementioned words from the Lord himself. The crowd somehow reacted in violent opposition and even defied the authority of the Roman governor by threateningly shouting at him, If you set him free, that means you are not a friend of the Emperor Anyone who claims to be a king is a rebel against the Emperor (Jn. 1912)
The actual death sentence was meted out in front of the crowd in an area called The Stone Pavement, or Gabbatha in Hebrew, where Pilate took Jesus and sat down on the judges seat (Jn. 1913). It was here that Pilate presented Jesus to the people and said to him, Here is your king (Jn. 1914), and to which the crowd cried for crucifixion while the chief priests answered, The only king we have is the Emperor (Jn. 1915). It was the Gospel of Matthew that gives the clearest account of what exactly Pilate did after hearing the crowds incessant shouting and demand for Jesus death.
Events in the Catholic Church on Good Friday
The Way of the Cross
When you enter any Catholic Church, you can see along the walls of the nave 14 representations which depict the 14 events that Jesus experienced during His Passion. These are the Stations of the Cross. Each of the 14 Stations are singled out for the parishioners to contemplate on. It is in front of these Stations that the Way of the Cross is performed during public liturgy. Nevertheless, the Way of the Cross can be done at home or at any other quiet place, with or without the aid of the Stations. The Stations at the church are usually painted but at times carved or engraved on wood, or sometimes made from metal.
When the Way of the Cross is performed by a group, there is usually a leader who is tasked to announce the name of the Station and read the meditative reading associated with that particular Station. However, before anything else, each member of the group first makes the Sign of the Cross, recites the Act of Contrition or expresses penitence through prayer, and mentally makes his intentions for himself or another person.
For every station, the leader will first announce the name of the Station. He will then lead the statement of praise. The most common of which is We adore You Oh Christ and we bless You, to which the people will respond with Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. After which, the leader reads a meditative reading, upon which every member should meditate in penitence and with the idea of thanking God for the sacrifice He has made. In the process, the penitent himself should unite himself with that sacrifice, which is often done by identifying himself with Mary. Everybody then prays in chorus one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be, often for the intention of the Pope. Traditionally, between the Stations there is also a hymn known as Stabat Mater, which is sung in successive stanzas and which was possibly written by Pope Innocent III prior to 1388 AD when it was since known.
The meditations for every Station of the Cross may vary slightly but the general outline of each is very similar and seems to have been standardized.
History of the Way of the Cross. It is said that No road in the Holy Land has been more travelled than the Way of the Cross in Jerusalem (Peterson vii). Every Friday, Franciscan monks wearing brown robes lead several groups of pilgrims along the route every Friday. There are also cruise-ship holiday groups wearing identical hats who take part in the event any day of the week when it is the peak of the tourist season. In addition to this, there are hymns sung by Pilgrims in many languages. On the whole, the Way of the Cross is the sacrament of every Catholic faithful in the city of Jerusalem, where Jesus was actually tortured and forced to His own crucifixion. The first known record of this pilgrim practice of walking the Way of the Cross in the streets of Jerusalem after the death and resurrection of Jesus comes from a female Spanish pilgrim named Egeria. It is said that in 381 and 384 AD, she made a pilgrimage on a Good Friday from the Mount of Olives to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This particular church, which was built over the site of where Jesus was crucified and buried, was already considered the Christian focal point the Jerusalem during the Holy Week as well as it is today. During Egerias two visits to Jerusalem on Good Friday, everyone spent three hours in the church hearing the Psalms and readings from the Epistles, the Acts, the Gospels, and other prophetic words connected with the Passion. (Peterson viii). She also described the following account how the whole community gathered together and how seriously they lamented the Passion of Jesus
And then all, even to the smallest child, go down with the Bishop, on foot, with hymns to Gethsemane. There, on account of the great number of people in the crowd who are wearied owing to the vigils and weak through the daily fasts, and because they have so great a hill to descend, they come very slowly with hymns to Gethsemane. And over two hundred church candles are made ready to give light to all the people.
On their arrival at Gethsemane, first a suitable prayer is made, then a hymn is said, and then the passage of the Gospel is read where the Lord was taken. And when this passage has been read there is so great a moaning and groaning of all the people, together with weeping, that their lamentation may be heard perhaps as far as the city. (History of the Stations of the Cross)
However, such outdoor processions was said not to have lasted long in a place where not Christianity but Judaism was the dominant religion. Nevertheless, described in Holy Week records during the 10th century AD were six liturgical stations on a processional route starting from Mount Olives up to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The processional cross would then be carried from the Calvary site on the second floor of the Church to the holy prison, which is a small cave within the ancient stone quarry pit below the Church.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was destroyed in 1099 and it was the European Crusaders who found it in the 11th century AD that enthusiastically rebuilt it and added other parts such as the one they built in Gethsemane, which is the present location of the Church of All Nations. The Crusaders, however, did not focus on the Passion of Jesus during that time, as they were more interested in the Death and Resurrection of our Lord. Therefore, no public procession was held on Good Friday during the period of the Crusaders. (Peterson viii)
In 1291 when the European Christians left the Holy Land, it was the turn of the Franciscan Order of Monks to care for the Church. The Franciscan monks led pilgrims by donkey across 39 miles to Jerusalem, from the Mount of Olives, through the Via Dolorosa, to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Meanwhile, when the Crusaders who visited the Holy Land went back to Europe, they took with them the idea of the Stations of the Cross. The Catholic faithful of Europe embraced it completely as they sought refuge in it in the midst of wars among nations, conflicts between the Church and State, famine and the Black Death. A revived appreciation for the suffering of Jesus later on became the foundation of medieval spirituality, and the people during those times believed that Walking His Way of the Cross was a meaningful expression of the penitents pain and of ultimate healing through Resurrection. (Peterson ix)
Through the centuries, the Way of the Cross was performed as a mystical and spiritual path known as the sorrowful way, or via crucis, the mournful way, or the very painful way (Peterson ix). It was also given other names like the Seven Falls, the Seven Pillars, or the Way of Affliction. Moreover, the Way of the Cross took other forms such as drama like the one presented in Oberammergau, Germany in 1634 as a form of thanksgiving for delivering Europe from the Black Death (Peterson ix).
In 1725, a Franciscan friar named Eleazar Horn constructed a map of Jerusalem where 14 stations were strategically located. This was the beginning of the Friday afternoon pilgrimage that the Franciscans of Jerusalem leads until now. The nine stations were based on the Gospels, while five came from the imagination of medieval Europe Jesus three falls, his meeting his mother, and Veronica wiping his face. (Peterson x)
In 1686, Pope Innocent XI granted exclusive rights to the Franciscans to have stations built. Forty years later in 1726, Pope Benedict XIII opened the practice of the Wa of the Cross to all the Catholic faithful (Via Dolorosa). In 1731, Pope Clement XII extended the right to practice the Way of the Cross even to non-Franciscans eventually fixed the number of stations at 14 and from this time, the Way of the Cross has become a familiar practice in all Catholic Churches. (Stations of the Cross Lent 2007).
In 1975, because of the fact that several traditional incidents in the Stations of the Cross are not based on Scripture, Pope Paul VI approved a new set of 14 Stations, which are entirely based on the Gospel. This is the same scriptural Way of the Cross that Pope John Paul II had also prayed. This new set of stations begins with the Last Supper and ends with the Resurrection. (Via Dolorosa)
Requirements to Gain a Plenary Indulgence. Whenever someone makes the Way of the Cross, the penitent himself is entitled to a partial indulgence but only under certain usual conditions. In order for one to gain a plenary indulgence, there are certain norms that must be followed.
In order for one to gain a partial indulgence, the Way of the Cross must first be done in front of the Stations of the Cross which are legitimately erected. For the erection of these Stations, what is required are 14 crosses which may or may not contain 14 pictures or images representing the stations of Jerusalem.
In addition to this, the penitent must do and reflect 14 pious readings with some vocal prayers. However, a pious meditation on the Suffering and Death of Jesus would prove to be sufficient. Such a pious meditation need not be particularly linked to any of the individual mysteries of the 14 Stations.
One last requirement is that the penitent moves from one station to the next. However, if it is a pious exercise done in public and if there is no way to move from one station to another, it would not matter as long as the leader himself moves from station to station.
The Fourteen Stations of the Cross. The Fourteen Stations are as follows
Jesus is Condemned to Death
Jesus is Made to Bear His Cross
Jesus Falls the First Time
Jesus Meets His Mother
Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
Veronica Wipes Jesus Face
Jesus Falls the Second Time
Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
Jesus Falls the Third Time
Jesus is Stripped
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
Jesus Dies on the Cross
Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
First Station Jesus is Condemned to Death. The First Station is based on the following passage
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. (Jn. 191-2)
The First Station is also based on Isaiah 537-8, in which Isaiah prophesies
He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly but he never said a word. Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared, he never said a word. He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die, and no one cared about his fate.
After the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane in the Mount of Olives, he was brought before the Roman governor on a charge of rebellion against Rome, which was the occupying power at that time. The Jewish leaders who caused His arrest through the assistance of Judas were unable to convict Jesus of any capital crime according to Jewish laws.
In the midst of the unruly crowd who kept shouting Crucify him louder and louder, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate felt uncomfortable with the whole situation and remained too weak to stand up to the crowd. He eventually yielded and sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion the same terrible death meant for slaves, pirates, and rebels against the state (Peterson 1).
The governor ordered the soldiers to scourge Him first. Scourging, or flagellation, consists of a series of beatings with a many-thonged whip, each thong tipped with a metal pellet. The beating is considered a grim kind of mercy in order to make the condemned man weaker so as to shorten his suffering on the cross. (3)
The exact location where Jesus was sentenced to death is said to be the Antonia Fortress, according to the Crusaders. Pontius Pilate is believed to have stayed with the Roman troops at the fortress when Jesus was judged there and He walked the same path that is followed by pilgrims today, which is the map of the Via Dolorosa. The ancient Antonia Fortress is now the Omariye Muslim College and is not available for use since the school is in session. The Franciscan monks in Jerusalem have therefore decided to institute and build the Church of the Flagellation for pilgrims. This church is particularly famous for its crown-of-thorns mosaic on the sanctuary dome (3).
The meditation on the First Station is usually intended for politicians, statepersons, government officials, leaders, for them to seek the common good peace, equity and justice as well as for judges and magistrates, that they may administer true justice impartially and with mercy. Overall the First Station is for those who have power of life and death over others. The meditation is also for the intentions of those unjustly persecuted, imprisoned and sentenced to death (Peterson 4). For the penitent, he admits that it is his very sins that have condemned Jesus to die and not Pilate. (Stations of the Cross)
The Crown of Thorns
The kings and queens of the modern world have never worn a crown of thorns. They instead wear crowns of silver, gold and other precious metals set with precious stones. But Jesus Christ Himself, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, wears a crown of thorns, a crown that pierces the skin, a crown that causes blood to flow (Peterson 3). This is one of the messages that confront the Catholic faithful as he comes to the First Station divine reversal. Divine reversal means that Gods Son wears a crown of thorns (3), which is one of the greatest acts of humility.
The message of the Crowning with Thorns, which is also the Second Sorrowful Mystery of the Holy Rosary, is one of patience in accepting all humiliations, while meditating on how Jesus accepted this humbly. The stripping of His clothes, which was done prior to the Crowning of Thorns, was also a symbol of the stripping down of all dignity. (Sorrowful Mysteries)
Matthew 2727-31 states the Crowning of Thorns as a most humiliating act
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying Hail, King of the Jews And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
Emmerich states that after Jesus clothes were torn off, all His wounds were reopened. After which, an old scarlet mantle which barely reached His knees was thrown over his shoulders. The Roman soldiers then dragged him to the seat covered with sharp flints and bits of broken potsherds (189). Then the crown of thorns was placed upon his head. The exact description of the crown was as follows
The crown of thorns was made of three branches plaited together, the greatest part of the thorns being purposely turned inwards so as to pierce our Lords head. Having first placed there twisted branches on his forehead, they tied him tightly together at the back of his head, and no sooner was this accomplished to their satisfaction than they put a large reed into his hand, doing all with derisive gravity as if they were really crowning him king. (190)
Second Station Jesus is Made to Bear His Cross. The Second Station is based on Matthew 2731, which states
When they had finished making fun of him, they took the robe off and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
However, somehow Jesus had already predicted His Carrying of the Cross in Luke 923, in which He also spoke using an allegory
And he said unto them all, If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me.
Furthermore, Isaiah 534-6 also roughly predicts the Carrying of the Cross when Isaiah prophesied
But he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne.
After Pilate left the tribunal, the archers dragged Jesus into the middle of the court and the slaves threw down the cross at his feet (Emmerich 202). After which, Jesus knelt down by its side, encircled it with his sacred arms, and kissed it three times (202), while addressing a prayer of thanksgiving to His father. The Carrying of the Cross is told by Emmerich in her vision, which is as follows
The archers soon made him rise, and then kneel down again, and almost without any assistance, place the heavy cross on his right shoulder, supporting its great weight with his right handThe middle parts of the crosses were carried by slavesThey pulled him roughly up, for he was totally unable to rise without assistance, and he then fell upon his shouldersThus began that triumphant march of the King of Kings, a march so ignominious on earth, and so glorious in heaven. (202)
The meditation on the Second Station is usually intended for the penitent to reflect on the weight of the sin of humankind that Jesus bore. The present Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in his reflections entitled Way of the Cross, states the following on the Second Station
He takes up the cross, our cross, the burden of being human, the burden of the world. And so he goes before us and points out to us the way that leads to true life. (26-27)
The Cross of Jesus
The Roman Army commonly used three types of crosses during the first century AD as a form of capital punishment for criminals. On each cross was placed an inscription which stated what kind of capital offense was committed. There was also a seat-like projection in order to prolong the victims agony. Moreover, there were nails and ropes that held the victims arms and legs and placed. The first type of cross was the high tau cross, which was shaped like the tau, or the capital Greek letter T. the second type of cross was the low tau cross, which is shaped like a lower t. It is said that the cross on which Jesus was crucified was most likely a low tau type cross. In both the high and low tau crosses, the central post was almost always set permanently on the ground and the criminal was forced to carry the cross to the site of crucifixion. A third type of cross used by the Roman soldiers was a dead or live tree which stands in the ground. Its limbs serve as the cross bar. (What Kind of Cross)
However, some people argue that the cross that Jesus carried was actually a heavy crossbeam or crossbar, or patibulum, (Edwards et al.), which may have weighed 125-130 pounds (What is the weight), or 25-125 pounds, which is equivalent to 35-60 kilograms. If Jesus had carried an actual wooden cross, it would have weighed well over 300 pounds. (Bucher)
Third Station Jesus Falls the First Time. The Third Station is based on the following passage from Isaiah 536, although the fall mentioned in the passage is allegorical
All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved.
As Jesus was carrying His cross, the street became rather steep and also wider, and as there existed a subterranean aqueduct beneath it, there was a hollow in its vicinity in which there was often mud and water after rain. It was when Jesus reached this spot that his strength was perfectly exhausted and he was quite unable to move. The archers dragged and pushed Jesus without the slightest compassion and He fell down right into the large stone in the middle of the muddy hollow, and with the fall the cross fell by His side. As this caused the procession to halt to a standstill, the cruel executioners delivered merciless blows upon Him in an effort to make Him stand up, carry His cross and keep going. Jesus is believed to have exclaimed Ah...All will soon be over and he prayed for his enemies. And upon His prayer, the Pharisees were believed to have said, Lift him upotherwise, he will die in our hands. There were weeping women and frightened children all around Him yet they could not do anything. The cruel men, however, picked up the crown of thorns which has fallen from Jesus head and put it on His head again before pulling Him out of the mud. And as soon as Jesus was back on His feet, they place the cross on his back again, and at this point, the crown of thorns which encircled his head increased his pain inexpressibly, and obliged him to bend on one side to give room for the cross, which lay heavily on his shoulders. (Emmerich 205)
The meditations on the Third Station mainly focus on the fall of man himself. Pope Benedict XVI, in his meditations on the Third Station states that Jesus fall beneath the cross is not just the fall of the man Jesus, exhausted from his scourging (34), but rather He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Phil. 26-8). Moreover, through the Third Station, the penitent realizes that the humility of Jesus is the surmounting of our pride by his abasement he lifts us up and that let us allow him to lift us up. (Pope Benedict XVI 35)
Fourth Station Jesus Meets His Mother. The Fourth Station is not based on any Biblical passage although it is roughly based on John 1925, which states
Standing close to Jesus cross were his mother, his mothers sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
It is said that the Blessed Virgin had already foreseen Jesus Passion even as early he was born. In the Gospel of Luke 234-35, 51, the Scripture states
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother Behold, this child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword will break your own heart. And his mother kept all these things in her heart.
The words of the old prophet Simeon above somehow already serve as a reminder to the Blessed Virgin of the sorrow that is destined for her. And this sorrow she experiences more than three decades later through the Passion of Jesus, specifically in the Fourth Station.
On the way to Golgotha, Jesus met His mother. But this time, one sees her as the Mother of Jesus not only physically, but also in her heart. Even before she conceived him bodily, through her obedience she conceived him in her heart (Benedict XVI, 45). It is believed that it is during the Fourth Station that Mary recalled the words of the prophet Isaiah saying He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth he was like a lamb that is led to slaughter (Is. 547). Now, during the Passion of the Lord, everything that the old prophet Simeon and the prophet Isaiah had said to Mary was becoming true. Nevertheless, it was also during this time that Mary was able to seek refuge from the words of the angel, spoken to her during the Annunciation Do not be afraid, Mary (Lk. 130). It was from these words of assurance that Mary took her strength.
Upon the arrest of Jesus and during His Passion, the disciples fled yet Mary did not flee and she stayed there, with a mothers courage, a mothers fidelity, a mothers goodness, and a faith that did not waves in the hour of darkness (Benedict XVI, 45). Truly, Blessed is she who believed that the Lords message to you will come true. (Lk. 145)
Mary the Mother of Jesus
The Blessed Virgin Mary was already said to have suffered much during the flagellation of Jesus earlier after the trial before Pilate. Mary saw and suffered with inexpressible love and grief all the torments Jesus was enduring and that she groaned feebly, and her eyes were, red with weeping (Emmerich 181). Mary the Mother of Jesus was with the following companions during the Passion her elder sister Mary of Heli, who was old and extremely like their mother Anne Mary of Cleophas, the daughter of Mary of Heli and Mary Magdalene. There were also the friends of Jesus and Mary. They were said to be wearing large veils, appeared overcome with grief and anxiety, and were weeping as if in the momentary expectation of death (181). The Blessed Virgin Mary was dressed in blue and the dress was long, and partly covered by a cloak made of white wool, and her veil was of rather a yellow white. (181)
The Blessed Virgin during the Passion was said to have a countenance that was wan and pale, her eyes red with weeping, but notwithstanding her grief and anguish, notwithstanding the fatigue which she had endured, her appearance was placid and modest, and not a fold of her dress out of place (187). It was also said that Marys beauty was great, but indescribable, for it was superhuman a mixture of majesty, sanctity, simplicity, and purity. (187-188)
The meditations on the Fourth Station centers on the idea that Marys consoling presence is always there to comfort all who suffer (Biffi 27). The Fourth Station gives all Catholics this assurance.
Fifth Station Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross. It is said that Jesus could not bear the weight of the Cross and that he could not continue on His way because of such great burden on His shoulders. Moreover, the wounds He had incurred during the scourging and on His way to Golgotha all added to His weakening condition. Because of this, a passerby was forced by the Roman soldiers to help Jesus. Luke 2326 states
The soldiers led Jesus away, and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon who was coming into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.
Simon of Cyrene
The man named Simon of Cyrene was mentioned by the Gospels, with the exception of the Gospel of John, as the man forced by the soldiers to carry Jesus cross (Matt. 2732, Mk. 1521, Lk. 2326), specifically after the Third Fall (Emmerich 208). Mark particularly mentions that Simon of Cyrene was the father of Alexander and Rufus. So far this is the only other information mentioned in the Scriptures about Simon of Cyrene. Nevertheless, Emmerich states that the Cyrenean was an African, a stout-looking man in his forties, and he happened to pass by with his three children at that exact moment when Jesus fell and could not stand up again (208). Simon of Cyrene was a pagan and a gardener and was just returning home after working in a garden near the eastern wall of the city, and carrying a bundle of looped branchers (208). Simon was forced by the soldiers for they perceived him as a pagan because of the way he dressed. It is said that he refused at first but was soon compelled to obey while his frightened children started crying and made a great noise. There was annoyance and vexation in Simon as he carried the cross, but it was the weep of Jesus and that mild and heavenly look upon him that touched him (208). It is said that Simons heart was deeply touched by grace as he was carrying Jesus cross. (208)
Simons two eldest sons, Rufus and Alexander, joined the disciples afterwards. The third, who was much younger, went to live with St. Stephen, the first martyr. (208)
The meditation the Fifth Station somehow shows every Catholic faithful that, just like Simon the Cyrenean, each one of us is called to become not by force but through love brothers in sisters in Christ. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called to become sincere friends that would bring each other relief in body and in spirit. (Biffi 28)
Sixth Station Veronica Wipes Jesus Face. The Sixth Station is said to have been based on Isaiah 5214, which states
Many people were shocked when they saw him he was so disfigured that he hardly looked human.
The above passage somehow refers not only to Jesus Christ Himself in the midst of suffering but also to the veil that was used by Veronica to wipe the face of our Lord. Emmerich mentions in one of her visions
A friend who entered the room a short time after, found Veronica thus kneeling, with the child weeping by her side, and saw, to his astonishment, the bloody countenance of our Lord imprinted upon the veil. (210)
On His way to Golgotha, there was a huge crowd of people who followed Jesus as He carried the Cross, and some of these were women. It is believed that one of these women was Veronica. She was believed to have approached Jesus and wiped His holy face in an act of love and devotion. Jesus holy face was dripping with blood, and it is believed that the image of Jesus face was miraculously imprinted on the linen cloth (Biffi 29).
The Veil of St. Veronica
The visions of Anna Katharina Emmerich spoke much about how significant the role of the woman named Veronica was to Jesus life. It is believed that Veronica came into the scene of the Passion of Jesus about two hundred steps from the spot where Simon of Cyrene began to assist our Lord in carrying his cross (Emmerich 209). It is believed that Veronica, the woman who is said to have a majestic appearance, came out of the door of a beautiful house on the left side of the road. Holding a young girl by the hand, Veronica came out of the house, and decided to courageously walk up to the very head of the procession. This brave woman Veronica had a name given from the words vera icon, which means true portrait, which was given to her in order to commemorate her brave conduct up to this day. (209)
Veronicas name was originally Seraphia. She was the wide of Sirach, one of the councilors of the Temple. Seraphia was later known to be Veronica, based on the aforementioned etymology. (209)
The little girl who Veronica was holding was her own nine-year-old adopted. It is believed that those marching during the procession attempted to push her back nevertheless, she was able to make her way through the mob and the soldiers. As she reached Jesus, she fell on her knees before him, and presented the veil, saying at the same time, Permit me to wipe the face of my Lord (209). Jesus then took the veil with His left hand, and was the one who wiped His bleeding face, and afterwards returned it with gratitude. Veronica then kissed the veil and put it under her cloak. The little girl then offered Jesus the aromatic wine that Veronica had made earlier, but the soldiers did not allow Jesus to drink it. It is also said that the suddenness of this courageous act of Veronica had surprised the guards, and caused a momentary although unintentional halt, of which she had taken advantage to present the veil to her Divine Master. (209)
The texture of the veil that Veronica offered Jesus was a species of very fine wool it was three times the length of its width, and was generally worn on the shoulders (210). It is said that it was actually customary to present veils of this kind to persons undergoing affliction, illness or over-fatigue, so that they might wipe their faces with them, and it was done in order to express sympathy or compassion (210). The veil, on which the bloody countenance of our Lord was imprinted to a perfect likeness, is believed to have been kept by Veronica until the time of her death. It was then entrusted to the care of the Blessed Virgin, who decided to leave it to the Apostles. (210)
Veronica, or Seraphia, was a cousin of John the Baptist, and was around fifty years old during the time of the Lords triumphant procession when He entered Jerusalem on the very first Palm Sunday. (210)
Veronica was not new to Jesus when she offered the veil. It is believed that when Jesus was 12 years old, and remained teaching in the Temple, Veronica, who was not then married, sent food for him every day to a little inn, a quarter of a mile from Jerusalem, where he dwelt when he was not in the Temple. (210)
The meditation for the Sixth Station focuses on Veronicas thoughtfulness and compassion, in order that we too may learn to wipe the faces of our brothers and sisters who are sick and afflicted (Biffi 29). Every Catholic faithful must also learn from Veronicas example the example of initiative and love, for true love initiates.
Seventh Station Jesus Falls the Second Time. The Biblical basis of the Seventh Station somehow the statement in the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews 415, which states
Our High Priest Jesus Christ is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin.
In the above passage, one would take note that the Second Fall of Jesus somehow symbolizes the temptations that the devil made on Jesus, to which Jesus had never yielded. One of the instances when the Devil tempted Jesus was stated in the Gospel of Mark 112-13
At once the Spirit made him go into the desert, where he stayed forty days, being tempted by Satan. Wild animals were there also, but angels came and helped him.
The Gospel of Mark does not exactly say how Jesus was tempted by Satan. However, it is implied by the line but angels came and helped him that whatever the nature of this temptation was, Jesus never succumbed to it.
The Gospel of Luke presents the longer version of the temptation of Jesus by Satan. The whole account is divided into three subsections where the Devil tempted Jesus three times, but against all of which Jesus triumphed. The first temptation involved the Devils task of turning stones into bread (Lk. 43) the second one was about accepting power and wealth on the condition of worshipping Satan (Lk. 46-7) and the third one was about Jesus throwing Himself down from the highest point of the Temple (Lk. 49-11). Nevertheless, these temptations were no match for the strength of our Lord.
The Seventh Station, or the Second Fall of Jesus, is said to have happened in front of the Blessed Virgin. As Mary and the angry crown awaited for Jesus to pass their way, there came the Pharisees on horseback, then the boy who carried the inscription, then came her beloved Son, who was almost sinking under the heavy weight of his cross, and his head, still crowned with thorns, was drooping in agony on his shoulder. Jesus then cast a look of compassion and sorrow upon his mother, and with this, He fell for the second time upon His hands and knees. Mary then, out of her agony, threw herself on her knees and embraced Jesus while saying Beloved Son and Jesus answered Mother (Emmerich 207)
There was a moment of confusion that ensued and the soldiers who looked touched led the Blessed Virgin to the doorway without touching her. With John and the women surrounding her, they led her to a nearby house. Meanwhile, Jesus had to carry her cross in a different way as the soldiers had obliged Him. The procession to Golgotha continued, as well as the insults of the crowd and the soldiers, and the weeping of the women. (207)
The meditation on the Seventh Station focuses upon Jesus carrying the worlds sin on his shoulders and that one asks to be forgiven for contributing, with our sins, to making Jesus fall on the way to Calvary (Biffi 30). The meditation also emphasizes repentance in the heart of the faithful upon realizing that one has fallen many times yet one has been pardoned the same number of times. The Seventh Station also includes with it a prayer with the intention to persevere in Gods grace until death. (Stations of the Cross)
Eighth Station Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem. The Eighth Station of the Cross is based on Luke 2327-29, which states
A large crowd of people followed him among them were some women who were weeping and wailing for him. Jesus turned to them and said, Women of Jerusalem Dont cry for me, but for yourselves and your children. For the days are coming when people will say, How lucky are the women who never had children, who never bore babies, who never nursed them
It is said that when Simon of Cyrene tried to avoid the stagnant pool on the way to Golgotha, he gave the cross a twist, which caused Jesus to fall downin the midst of the dirty mud, and Simon had the greatest difficulty in lifting up the cross again. It is believed that during this time, Jesusexclaimed in a tone whichwas moving and sad Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered together your children as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and you would not want (Emmerich 212). Because of this, they recommenced with their insults, blows and whips on Jesus. It was then at this point that Simon of Cyrene exclaimed at last by saying
If you continue this brutal conduct, I will throw down the cross and carry it no farther. I will do so if you kill me for it. (212)
It is therefore clear that Simon the Cyrenean helped Jesus carry the cross not just because he was forced by the soldiers to carry it but because he himself was touched by the Lords grief as the latter cast such a mild and heavenly look upon him which made him help Jesus to rise (Emmerich 208) while the executioners made Simon carry the cross.
However, in the Eighth Station, it was not only Simon the Cyrenean who was touched by the Lords suffering but also the women of Jerusalem. These women were a group of women who had gathered together near this spot, and were weeping and lamenting many carried young children in their arms the greatest part were young maidens and women from Jerusalem, who had preceded the procession, but a few came from Bethlehem, from Hebron, and from other neighboring places, in order to celebrate the Pasch. It is said that when the women and children and childrensaw the deplorable condition to which our Lord was reduced, they uttered loud cries, wept, and, according to the Jewish custom, presented him cloths to wipe his face (Emmerich 212-213). This was exactly the same thing that Veronica did (Emmerich 209) only that she did it rather not only with compassion but especially with great initiative and courage.
It was at this point that Jesus spoke to them (Lk. 2327-31), telling them not to weep for Him but for their children. He also proceeded to praise the barren and all those women who had not given birth. He further said Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall upon us and to the hills, Cover us. For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry (Lk. 2331)
The meditation on the Eighth Station focuses on the weeping women who have come up to the holy city with him and his disciples. These women knew Jesus, loved him as their teacher and prophet and maybe even hoped that they would free Israel. However, at this very moment, these women weep for Jesus as for a loved one and in that way, He unites them to His suffering. (Jesus Meets the Women).
Ninth Station Jesus Falls the Third Time. The Ninth Station is somehow based on the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians 27-8, which states
Instead of this, of his own free will, he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death his death on the cross.
As one can see, the Third Fall of Christ is metaphorically all about another humbling experience that Jesus did. As Son of God, He was supposed to be revered, worshipped and respected, but instead chose to walk the path of humility and suffering.
As the procession moved on, one noticed that the road was very rough and steep and during this time, Jesus had the greatest difficulty in walking with his heavy burdenon his shoulders (Emmerich 214). Nevertheless, the soldiers and his cruel enemies never felt the slightest bit of compassion for him and instead continued the infliction of hard blows and the utterance of dreadful curses and when they reached a spot going south, the Lord stumbled and fell, and the fall was a dreadful one (214).
During this time, Simon of Cyrene was filled with so much pity and indignation but although he wished to continue assisting Jesus, the archers drove him away. Then the executioners ordered the workmen and the boys who had carried the instruments for the execution to depart (214) for it was indeed time for crucifixion.
The time was about quarter to twelve when Jesus arrived at the precise spot where he was to be crucified. Loaded with His cross, he sank down. The executioners then dragged himp by the cords which they had fastened round his waist,and then untied the arms of the cross, and threw them on the ground (215). The soldiers threw Jesus brutally down onto the cross, upon which our Lord totally and immediately placed himself, and they measured himand marked the places for his feet and hands (215). After which Jesus was pushed into the door to a cave cut in the rock which once used to be a cellar.
Meanwhile, outside, the executioners dug the holes for the three crossesand placed those intended for the thieves one on the right and the other on the left of our Lords (215). After which, the executioners then carried the cross of our Savior to the spot where they intended to crucify him, and placed it in such a position that it would easily fall into the hole prepared for it (215) once it is erected. Other preparations for the crucifixion were also made.
The meditation for the Ninth Station centers upon the idea that one should repent for trying to make Jesus in his own image and that one should endeavor to see the glorified Christ as well as to see the way of the cross as the way of life (Whitley 53-54). The Ninth Station therefore calls for wisdom and understanding and for enlightenment that one may still see the glory and greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of His humility and suffering.
The Ninth Station also calls for the faithful to ask for strength sufficient to conquer all human respects and allwicked passions, which have led one to despise Gods friendship (Stations of the Cross). Moreover, the Third Fall of Jesus also focuses on the cross itself. The faithful, while meditating on the Ninth Station, should think of the cross Jesus carried and to continue to hope that he can make the changes in his life and not to give up. (Ninth Station Jesus Falls)
Tenth Station Jesus is Stripped. The Tenth Station is based on the Gospel of John 1923, which states
After the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. They also took the robe which was made of one piece of woven cloth without any seams in it.
However, the passage above talks more about the soldiers dividing Jesus clothes after the crucifixion and not exactly about how He was stripped before He was crucified.
It is believed that when the preparations for the crucifixion was done, Jesus was draggedout by the Roman soldiers with their usual brutality, while the mob looked on and made use of insulting language (Emmerich 219). It is said that during this time, some of the women from Jerusalem gave a man some money, and begged him to pay the archers anything they might demand if they would allow Jesus to drink the wine which Veronica had prepared (219). The problem was that the cruel executioners drank the wine themselves instead of giving it to Jesus.
The Roman Army assigned to surround the cross during the crucifixion was composed of a total of 18 archers on the platform the six who had scourged Jesus, the four who had conducted him to Calvary, the two who held the ropes which supported the cross and six others who came for the purpose of crucifying him. (219)
The executioners then pulled off Jesus cloak, the belt to which the ropes were fastened, and his own belt (220). His garments were then torn mercilessly over his bleeding and wounded head. Jesus was stripped of everything save the short scapular which was on his shoulders, and the linen which girded his loins. The stripping of the Lords garments was then followed by the tearing off of His crown of thorns, thus reopening every wound. It is said that Jesus was covered with open wounds, and his shoulders and back were torn to the bone by the dreadful scourging he had endured. At this point, Jesus was covered with wounds from head to foot and the wool of the linen had stuck on the wounds, and indescribable was the agony of pain he suffered when they pulled it roughly off. At this point, when all of Jesus remaining physical strength was sapped and His body covered with wounds, his executioners led him to a large stone and placed him roughly down upon it and put the crown of thorns again upon his head. They also offered the Lord some vinegar and gall, both of which He had refused. After a brief moment of rest, Jesus executioners bade him rise and place himself on the cross that they might nail him to it. (220)
The other pieces of clothing that Jesus had, according to Whitley, were the headdress, the tunic, the sandals and the zona (58), aside from his bloodied cloak. Whitley also states that one of the centurions gave Jesus tunic to His mother. (59)
At this point, everything had already been taken away from Jesus, which brings one to reflect upon what our Lord had previously said in Luke 1433, In the same waynone of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have.
The meditation on the Tenth Station focuses on how the faithful should keep himself pure and clean and to say things that build up the people around him as well as to overcome worldly desires that hemay become more like Jesus (Tenth Station Jesus Clothes). The stripping of Jesus clothes, therefore, somehow symbolizes one stripping oneself of the attachment to material things.
Eleventh Station Jesus is Nailed to the Cross. The Eleventh Station is roughly based on Luke 2333, which states
When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there, and the two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left.
The nailing began when the executioners seized his right arm and they dragged it to the hole prepared for the nail, and having tied it tightly down with a cord, one of them knelt upon hischest, a second held his hand flat, and a third taking a long thick nail, pressed it on the open palm of His handand with a great iron hammer drove it through the flesh, and far into the wood of the cross. The nails were believed to be very large, the heads about the size of a crown piece, and the thickness that of a mans thumb, while the points came through at the back of the cross. After this, the Lord was said to have uttered one deep but suppressed groan, and his blood gushed forth and sprinkled the arms of the archers. (Emmerich 220)
After which, the executioners tied ropes to Jesus left arm, and having steadied their feet against the cross, pulled the left hand violently until it reaches the place prepared for it. After which, they tied down his arms, and drove the second nail into his left hand, and this time only feeble groans were believed to have been heard from the Lord.
The third and last part of the nailing on the cross was the nailing of Jesus feet. Even before both of Jesus hands were nailed to the cross, the executioners had fastened a piece of wood at the lower part of the cross under where the feet of Jesus would be nailed (221). After which, they fastened his left foot on to his right foot and the executioners took a very long nail and drove it completely through both feet into the cross below, with around six and thirty blows of the hammer (221-222). Then the cross was erected.
Still, others argued that it was not Jesus hands but His wrists that were nailed to the cross with iron nails between the carpals and radius of the skeleton of the hand. As for the feet, the location of the nail is in the second metatarsal space. After nailing was completed, the one carrying the titulus, or the sign on which the condemned mans name and crime were displayed, will attach it to the cross (Crucifixion).
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke had no actual account of the nailing of Jesus to the cross. Only the Gospel of John, in the words of Thomas, somehow implies that Jesus was nailed to the cross
Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe. (Jn. 2025)
The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, although the entry may differ in various versions of the Bible, also supports the idea of nailing, for it states, The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from death, after you had killed him by nailing him to the cross (Acts 530). Nevertheless, the word nailing may sometimes be replaced with hanging in some translations of the Bible.
Nevertheless, the Gospel of Peter 620, which is not included in the Holy Bible, agrees to the statement of Thomas in the Gospel of John. Peter states, And then they drew the nails from the hands of the Lord and laid him on the earth (Jesus Was Nailed to the Cross). Nevertheless, a scholar named Cohn stated that it was normal Roman practice to bind the convict to the cross by ropes, not to nail him to it (Jesus Was Nailed to the Cross).
There is therefore much controversy surrounding the idea whether Jesus was actually nailed to the cross or not.
The meditation on the Eleventh Station focuses on the idea that the faithful should repent by saying Oh Christ Jesus, how many of us have driven nails in your hands without knowing we were doing so (Whitley 65). The Eleventh Station therefore calls for repentance especially on the fact that many of the faithful have killed others while obeying orders (65) just like the soldiers who were commanded to nail Jesus to the cross.
The Two Thieves
Two thieves in the names of Dismas and Gesmas were crucified on both sides of Jesus Christ at Calvary. The Biblical reference for the two thieves can be found in Matthew 2744 which states, Even the bandits who had been crucified with him insulted him in the same way. This is very similar to what is mentioned in Mark 1532, which states, And the two who were crucified with Jesus insulted him also. So far the first two Gospels emphasize the fact that both of the thieves were wicked.
It is in Luke 2339-43 where Jesus had a longer exchange of words between the two thieves. Contrary to what the Gospels of Matthew and Mark mentioned, the Gospel of Luke states that not both thieves insulted Jesus. The first thief, who was supposed to be the wicked one Gesmas (Emmerich 225), was the one who insulted the Lord by asking him, Arent you the Messiah Save yourself and us (Lk. 2339). This sounds like an allusion to Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness by saying, If you are Gods Son, throw yourself down from here. For the Scripture says, God will order his angels to take care of you and that they will hold you up with your hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones (Lk. 410). Satan may have somehow been obviously alluding to Psalm 9111-12 which states, God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones. Nevertheless, just like how Jesus ignored Satans request by saying Do not put the Lord your God to the test (Lk. 412), He also ignored the insult of the first thief. Jesus did not say anything though, perhaps because of the pain and the exhaustion.
After the first thief insulted Jesus, the second thief rebuked the first by saying, Dont you fear God You received the same sentence he did. Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did but he has done no wrong (Lk. 2340-41). The second thief was presumably the good one and whose name was Dismas (Emmerich 225). Upon which, Jesus promised him Paradise.
The two thieves were accused of having assassinated a Jewish women who, with her children, was travelling from Jerusalem to Joppa (225). They were both disguised as rich merchants when they were arrested, and it is believed that they had been imprisoned for long before the execution by crucifixion. The thief placed on the left of Jesus was much older than the other who he had corrupted. His name was Gesmas. The other one was Dismas, who was the good one. They both belonged to a band of robbers who infested the frontiers of Egypt (225). The only connection they once had with Jesus other than being crucified with him on Calvary can be traced back a long time ago when our Lord was just born. It is believed that during the time of the birth of Jesus, the poor leprous child in the cave inhabited by these groups of robbers where the Holy Family took refuge during the massacre of the innocents was no other than Dismas (225). The charity of his mother in receiving and granting hospitality to the Holy Family decades ago was rewarded with the cure of her child.
Twelfth Station Jesus Dies on the Cross. The Twelfth Station is based on the Gospel of Luke 2346, which states
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Father In your hands I place my spirit He said this and died.
On the other hand, the Gospel of John gave a slightly different version by saying
Jesus drank the wine and said, It is finished. Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (Jn. 1930)
At this point in time, Jesus was almost fainting his tongue was parched, and he said I thirst and so the disciples then offered money to the soldiers to obtain permission to give him a little water they refused to give it, but instead dipped a sponge in vinegar and gall, and were about to offer it to Jesus and the centurion Abenadarpresented it for Jesus to drink (238). It was not exactly stated whether Jesus drank, although John 1930 said Jesus drank the wine.
After a short while, our Lord pronounced his final words, It is consummated and while raising His head, He cried out in a loud voice Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Jesus then bowed down his head and gave up the ghost. After which, the earth trembled, and the rock of Calvary burst asunder, forming a deep chasm between the Cross of our Lord and that of Gesmas (238). It was about three oclock in the afternoon when Jesus expired (240). Scientifically, the major cause of death of those who had undergone crucifixion was an interference with normal respirations which means death resulted primarily from hypovolemic shock and exhaustion asphyxia which means difficulty in breathing. Jesus death was ensured by the thrust of a soldiers spear into his side (Edwards et al.).
A short time after Jesus died, many of the spectators were said to have been converted and the rest returned to Jerusalem with fear. Nevertheless, many returned home weary, silent and overcome with grief. Meanwhile, the centurion Cassius were tasked to remain in Calvary with about 50 soldiers in order to prevent the possibility of an insurrection. (240)
The meditation on the Twelfth Station is upon the greatest of all sacrifices our Lord has given us the sacrifice of His very life. Through the Twelfth Station, all faithful must realize that Jesus wanted all of us to be able to live forever with God, so he gave all he had for us (Twelfth Station Jesus Dies). In short, the Twelfth Station is all about gratitude and deep appreciation for the Lords sacrifice of life.
The Last Words of Jesus. The death of Jesus took place at three oclock, as mentioned in all the Gospels except the Gospel of John. Apparently the crucifixion lasted for three hours as the crosses were erected at midday. It was at three oclock in the afternoon that Jesus cried out, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani, which meant My God, my God, why did you abandon me (Matt. 2746). The same Hebrew lines were mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, and with these lines, the bystanders became curious and thought the Lord was calling for Elijah. The next line was not clear whether it was spoken mockingly or seriously Wait Let us see if Elijah is coming to bring him down from the cross (Mk. 1536). Nevertheless, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, these were Jesus last words before he expired. The short interval between these words and His death was a few moments when someone offered him a sponge, soaked in cheap wine for him to drink (Matt. 2748). The stick used to hold the sponge to Jesus mouth was known to be hyssop (Jn. 1929), although this was not specified by Matthew and Mark, and never mentioned at all by Luke. Jesus last words were slightly different in the Gospel of Luke for He said Father In your hands I place my spirit (Lk. 2346), followed by a reaction of awe from an army officer who said, Certainly he was a good man (Lk. 2347). Lastly, in the Gospel of John, it was the words I am thirsty (Jn. 1928) that made someone make him drink cheap wine from a sponge on a stalk of hyssop. After which, the Lord said his very last words, It is finished (Jn. 1930), then He died.
The Darkness and the Earthquake. With the exception of the Gospel of John, the Gospels give an account of the darkness that lasted for three hours and an earthquake that happened right after Jesus had died on the cross, and the most dramatic of which is the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew states that the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom as the earth shook, the rocks split apart, the graves broke open, and many of Gods people who had died were raised to life (Matt. 2751-52). However, Matthew does not say that everyone witnessed this phenomenon for he says that only the army officers and the soldiers with him who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened (Matt. 2754), and at which they were terrified and exclaimed that He really was the Son of God (Matt. 2754). This account of the earthquake was rather stated simply by the Gospel of Mark, and the shaking of the earth was not even exactly specified as Mark only mentions about the curtain hanging in the temple which was torn in two from top to bottom (Mk. 1538). This passage from Mark is exactly identical with that from the Gospel of Luke. It is also quite interesting to note that the Gospel of John never mentions of such supernatural phenomena.
The Women Who Were Specially Mentioned during the Death of Jesus. The Gospels mention three women who were present who were present during the Crucifixion and were looking on from a distance. These women are said to have followed Jesus from Galilee and helped Him. Matthew names these women to be Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the wife of Zebedee. (Matt. 2756), while Mark says it was the same first two women but the third woman was Salome (Mk. 1540). In both Gospels however, only the first two women were present during the burial.
Mary Magdalene. One of the key persons during the Lords Passion and even when He was still preaching was none other than Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene, whose feast day is every July 22, is called numerous names such as the Thirteenth Apostle, The All, Woman Who Knows the All, and Apostle to the Apostles. She is also regarded as the patron saint of perfume makers, repentant sinners, repentant prostitutes, hairdressers, glovers, and the cities of Vezelay, Autun, and Marseilles. (Lester 8)
Mary Magdalene is said to have been first encountered by Jesus in Luke 82 as one among His female followers. She is described in the passage as from whom seven demons had been driven out. Some sources say that Mary Magdalene was the woman in John 81-11 who Jesus saved from a possible stoning to death, although her name was not mentioned and that on no account was she ever referred to as a prostitute. Another theory states that Mary Magdalene was the woman in Luke 737-38 who was in the house of the Pharisee named Simon who invited Jesus to dinner. This woman, who was unnamed, brought an alabaster jar full of perfume and stood behind Jesus, by his feet, crying and wetting his feet with her tears and after drying them with her hair and kissed them, she poured the perfume on them. Nevertheless, just like the woman in the Gospel of John, this woman in Luke remains anonymous.
Mary Magdalene was always present during the latter part of the Gospels during the apostolic life of Jesus (Lk. 81-3), during the Crucifixion (Mk. 1540, Matt. 2756, Jn. 1925), and where during the Resurrection she was one of the very few characters who played such a prominent role of being one of the very first to find the empty tomb of Jesus Jn. 201, Mk. 169, Lk 2410). It is even believed that Mary Magdalene was among the women who were with the apostles who prayed for discernment on who will become the successor of Judas and waited for the descent of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts 114.
Emmerich said that the appearance of Mary Magdalene was totally different from the Blessed Virgin Mary for Mary Magdalene was taller and more robust, the expression of her countenance showed greater determination, but its beauty was almost destroyed by the strong passions which she had so long indulged, and by the violent repentance and grief she had since felt (188). Mary Magdalene was also considered the very picture of despair and sorrow. It was said that even during this painful moment, Mary Magdalene was recognized by some of those who knew her and they even cast mud upon her, but she saw nothing, knew nothing, and felt nothing, save her agonizing grief. (Emmerich 188)
Every negative thing that was mentioned about Mary Magdalene was absolutely not backed by evidence for the only thing that was mentioned about her was in Luke 82 from whom seven demons had been driven out. Apart from that, the Scriptures do not say that she was a prostitute, an adulterer or any other evil woman. Rather, she was one of the most faithful followers of Christ.
Jesus Side is Pierced. The Gospel of John, in particular, presents an account on how Jesus side was pierced. Nowhere is this found except in this Gospel.
The piercing took place when the Jewish authorities asked Pilate to allow them to break the legs of the men who had been crucified, and to take the bodies down from the crosses (Jn. 1931), presumably to hasten their deaths (Emmerich 248). This request was made because since the Jewish authorities did not want the bodies to stay on the crosses until the Sabbath, which is considered a holy day. The soldiers, presumably under the command of Pilate, then went and broke the legs of the first man and then of the second man who had been crucified with Jesus (Jn. 1932). Emmerich states that those who were responsible for this were six archers who brought with them ladders, spades, ropes, and large iron staves for the purpose of breaking the legs of the criminals (248). These archers were said to have checked Jesus first and using a ladder, climbed up to confirm whether he was only pretending to be dead perhaps because Jesus was motionless. Seeing that he was cold and stiff, the archer descended the ladder, removed it and went on to the two thieves. An unspecified number of archers used their iron staves and broke the arms of the thieves above and below the elbow while another archer at the same moment broke their legs, both above and below the knee (248). After which, it was said that the bad thief Gesmas uttered frightful cries, which gave the executioner a good reason to finish him off by three heavy blows of a cudgel on his chest (248). The good thief Dismas, on the other hand, gave a deep groan and expired (Emmerich 248). The cords binding the criminals to the cross were then loosened and this immediately caused the two bodies to fall to the ground and the executioners are said to have dragged them to a deep morass, which was between Calvary and the walls of the town, and buried them there (Emmerich 248).
However, it is mentioned by John that when the soldiers came to Jesus, they noticed he was already dead (Jn. 1933). The archers indeed still appeared doubtful whether Jesus was really dead (Emmerich 248). Perhaps to make sure whether their suspicion was true, one of the soldiers plunged his spear into Jesus side, and at once blood poured and water poured out (Jn. 1934). The soldier who did the piercing was named Cassius, the subaltern officer, a young man of about 25 years of age, who had weak squinting eyes and nervous manner (248). It is said that Cassius was suddenly illuminated by grace, and being quite overcome at the sight of the cruel conduct of the soldiers, and the deep sorrow of the holy women, determined to relieve their anxiety by proving beyond dispute that Jesus was really dead (249). Cassius then seized his lance and rode quicklyto where the Cross was planted, stopped just between the cross of the good thief and that of our Lord, and taking his lance in both hands, thrust it completely into the right side of Jesus that the point went through the heart, and appeared on the left side (249). It is said that after the lance was drawn out, blood and water rushed from the wound and flowed over Cassius face and body, and just like in the vivifying waters of Baptism, grace and salvation at once entered his soul and he leaped from his horse, threw himself on his knees, and confessed loudlyhis firm belief in the divinity of Jesus (249). It is then said that Cassius prayed, thanked God for his graces and thanked God in advance for the cure of his squint, and this cure had been effected at the same moment that the darkness with which his sould was previously filled was removed (249). The soldiers who saw this miracle were struck with astonishmentand cast themselves on their knees by Cassius side, while striking their breasts and confessing Jesus (249).
Meanwhile, the water and blood continuously flowed from the large wound in the side of Jesus and as it ran into the hollow in a piece of rock, the women who were there put it in vases.
The piercing of the side of Jesus happened a little before four oclock, during the time that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were gathering together the articles necessary for the burial of Jesus (250).
It is then mentioned that this was done to make the Scripture come true that none of his bones will be broken and that people will look at him who is pierced. (Jn. 1937)
Thirteenth Station Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross. The Thirteenth Station is based on the Gospel of Luke 2353, which states
Then Joseph of Arimathea took the body down, wrapped it in a linen sheet, and placed it in a tomb which had been dug out of solid rock and which had never been used.
The Thirteenth Station is also all about the love of Jesus mother for Him. When our Lord expired and when His two disciples Joseph and Nicodemus took him down from the cross, they placed Him in the arms of His afflicted Mother, who received Him with unutterable tenderness, and pressed Him to her bosom (Stations of The Cross). The meditation on the Thirteenth Station therefore focuses on a reflection on Marys sorrow and on asking her to pray to Jesus for ones intentions. There is also the idea of asking God to help one become a gentler and more loving person through ones greater appreciation for those around him. (Thirteenth Station The Body of Jesus)
Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph of Arimathea is described by Matthew as one of the disciples of Jesus (Matt. 2757). He is however defined more specifically by the other Gospels as a respected member of the Council who was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God (Mk. 15 42-43), a good and honorable man who was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom and a member of the Council who opposed their decision and action (Lk. 23 50-51), and a follower of Jesus, but in secret, because he was afraid of the Jewish authorities (Jn. 19 38). In any case, however, Joseph of Arimathea was a rather influential and powerful man to be able to ask Pilate himself for the body of Jesus and to whose request Pilate did not think twice of agreeing.
The tomb where Joseph of Arimathea had decided to have Jesus buried was actually his own tomb. It is believed that Josephs actions provoked both the Roman and the Jewish elders and he eventually did spend time in prison for his support of Jesus. There is also another historical source which says that Joseph of Arimathea went on a preaching mission to Gaul now France with the apostle Philip, Mary Magdalene, Lazarus, and others sometime between AD 37 and AD 63 and it is believed that Joseph built a church Vetusta Ecclesia in Glastonbury, England and decreed that 12 monks should always reside in that most sacred place. (Joseph of Arimathea)
Fourteenth Station Jesus is Laid in the Tomb. The Fourteenth Station is based on the Gospel of John 1941-42
There was a garden in the place where Jesus had been put to death, and in it there was a new tomb where no one had ever been buried. Since it was the day before the Sabbath and because the tomb was close by, they placed Jesus body there.
The Description of the Tomb. The area where the tomb of Jesus was located was actually the garden of Joseph of Arimathea. It was situated near the gate of Bethlehem, at about a seven minutes walk from Calvary it was a very fine garden, with tall trees, banks, and thickets in it, which gave much shade, and was situated on a rising ground extending to the walls of the city (Emmerich 253). At the end of the garden, there was a detached rock, where the cave of the sepulcher was situated (253). The tomb of Jesus is described in the following way
a person wishing to enter the cavern had to descend several steps. Opposite the door was a cavity in the rock, in which the tomb was made. These doors could be closed by a stone being rolled against them and the stone used for this purpose was kept outside the cavern. It was in fact very large, and could not be removed without the united efforts of several men. (253)
Jesus body was then embalmed in the Jewish way in a little cave, southwest of Calvary (258-262) and it is believed that there was a procession for the burial of Jesus from Calvary to the tomb. During this time, the men placed the sacred body on a species of leathern handbarrow, which they covered with a brown-colored cloth, and to which they fastened two long stakes. Nicodemus and Joseph bore on their shoulders the front shafts, while the centurion Abenadar and John supported those behind (263). Among those in the funeral procession included the Blessed Virgin, Mary of Heli, her eldest sister, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Cleophas, and then a group of women who had been sitting at some distance, which included Veronica, Mary the mother of Mark, Salome the wife of Zebedee, and many others. It was Cassius and the soldiers who closed the procession. The procession stopped at the entrance of the garden of Joseph of Arimathea, and after which, four men carried in the body of our Lordthen they covered the sacred body with the extremities of the sheet on which it was lying... (264), and then they closed the sepulcher using the large stone.
The meditation on the Fourteenth Station somehow focuses on the imitation of Joseph of Arimathea, who risked his own life as he accepted Jesus body for burial and for how Joseph loved Jesus so much that he gave Him his own tomb. (Fourteenth Station Jesus is Laid)
The Burial of Jesus. The four Gospels also have slightly different accounts of the burial of Jesus after the Crucifixion. All of them agree however that the burial was done in the evening and that a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph arrived and asked for the body of Jesus (Matt. 2757, Mk. 1542-43, Lk. 2350-52, Jn. 1938). Joseph of Arimathea is said to have arrived only during the evening, which means that he may not have been able to witness the Crucifixion earlier.
Joseph went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus and with the latters approval, the body was given to Joseph. Joseph then took it, wrapped it in a linen sheet, and placed it in his own tomb, which he had just recently dug out of solid rock (Matt. 27 59-60). After which, Joseph rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away (Matt. 27 60). This tomb, which is said to have been new and unused, is said to have been located in a garden in the place where Jesus had been put to death. (Jn. 19 41)
The Gospel of Mark is particularly interesting in that Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead (Mk. 15 44), presumably because he thought the death of Jesus should have taken place so quickly, as those who were crucified usually lived much longer (Emmerich 246). Pilate called the army officer Abenadar (246) and after hearing the report on Jesus loud cry before His death as well as the earthquake that followed, Pilate allowed Joseph to take the body. Pilate is also said to have been so much astonished at seeing a person holding a high position like Joseph so anxious for leave to give honorable burial to a criminalsentenced to be ignominiously crucified (246). It is said that Pilate appeared to endeavor, by his readiness in granting this request, to wish to make up, in a degree, for his previous cruel and unjust conduct, and he was likewise very glad to do what he was certain would annoy the priests extremely, as he knew their wish was to have Jesus buried ignominiously between the two thieves. (246)
The Gospels of Matthew and Mark specifically mention two women present at the tomb Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. They were sitting there and facing the tomb (Matt. 27 61). The other Mary is named by Mark to be Mary the mother of Joseph and James. (Mk. 15 47)
The Gospel of John does not mention the women but rather a man in the name of Nicodemus who at first had gone to see Jesus at night, and who went with Joseph, taking with him about one hundred pounds of spices, a mixture of myrrh and aloes (Jn. 19 39). The two men are said to have taken Jesus body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices. This is, according to John, the Jewish custom of preparing a body for burial (Jn. 1940). It is said that after leaving the office of Pilate, he met with Nicodemus who had been waiting for him at the house of a pious woman, which stood opposite to a large street, and was not far from that alley where Jesus was so shamefully ill-treated when he first commenced carrying his Cross (Emmerich 247). Nicodemus bought so many perfumes from this woman who was a vendor of aromatic herbs. The perfumes were supposed to be used for embalming the body of Jesus. Joseph, on the other hand, went to his servants and asked them to fetch ladders, hammers, pegs, jars of water, and spongesand placed them in a hand-barrow (247). These tools were presumed to have been used during the burial of Jesus. It is also said that previously, the servants of Joseph had already been sent to clean out the tomb and inform the friends of Jesus that their master intended to take the body of Jesus and place it in his new sepulcher (250).
The Seven Last Words of Jesus
One of the events on Good Friday is the reenactment or the joint reflection of the faithful on each of the Seven Last Words of Jesus before He expired.
The Seven Last Words of Christ are
Father, forgive them, for they dont know what theyre doing.
I assure you, today you will be with me in Paradise.
Dear woman, here is your son.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me
I am thirsty.
It is finished.
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
The First Word Father, forgive them, for they dont know what theyre doing. This word comes from the Gospel of Luke 2334. One should take note that even after hours of pain and torture, the first word of Jesus from the cross is not revenge or anger or bitterness, but a word of forgiveness (Roberts). This word speaks of utmost humility for normally, Ignorance of the Law excuses no one but Jesus asks for the forgiveness even of those who were ignorant of the act of kindness. Moreover, forgiveness should be more of a personal obligation but Jesus displayed such a great act of humility by asking God the Father for forgiveness in behalf of those who have persecuted Him.
As one reads the words, Father, forgive them, one should realize that may we understand that we too are forgiven through Christ (Roberts). This word of Christ somehow implies two other things that God the Fathers forgiveness or mercy can only be obtained through Christ (Roberts), just like when Jesus Himself said, I am the real vine and my Father is the gardener (Jn. 151). The other thing is that Christ died on the cross for us, we are cleansed of all wickedness, from every sin (Roberts). The first word of Jesus on the cross was not for Him but for us, which teaches us that His Death and Suffering was not meant for Him but also for us.
Reflections on the First Word center upon repentance, forgiveness and humility.
The Second Word I assure you, today you will be with me in Paradise. This word is taken from the Gospel of Luke 2343. When the good thief Dismas rebuked the bad thief Gesmas and cried out to Jesus Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom (Lk. 2342), Jesus responded to him with a great assurance I promise you that today you will be with me in Paradise (Lk. 2343). The word paradise was derived from the Greek word paradeisos which meant garden and was always associated with the Garden of Eden in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament. (Roberts)
The Second Word was rather one of the most astounding and encouraging verses in all of Scripture (Roberts), for Jesus promised not a good man but a criminal who would be with Him in paradise. Although the Gospels do not claim that this man was once a follower of Jesus or even just a believer in Him, Jesus showed him great compassion and mercy. It is obvious that the good thief did not even repent yet even at the very last moment of His life, Jesus was able to show compassion for someone who was despised as many. Moreover, Jesus kindness toward the good thief must have been a great act of humility for a God to stoop down to the level of lowest, a criminal. Nevertheless, some scholars are not surprised at this compassion shown by Jesus to the thief for many times during Jesus apostolic work, He had embraced those despised by many, such as the lepers, the blind, those with demons, the adulterers and tax collectors. Through the Second Word, Jesus showed the whole of Christianity that being a Christian calls for one to accept everyone without any exceptions.
Reflections on the Second Word focuses on trust in Jesus, which means trusting Him that He will be with you someday in paradise.
The Third Word Dear woman, here is your son. This word was taken from the Gospel of John 1926. These are the very words Jesus said to His own mother while entrusting John, or more precisely the disciple Jesus loved, to her.
Nevertheless, no matter who exactly the beloved disciple was, it is definitely clear that Jesus was forging a relationship between this disciple and his mother and that He simply wanted to make sure she would be in good hands after his death (Roberts). Nevertheless, it was not clear who Jesus was entrusting to whom. Perhaps it was the beloved disciple himself that He was entrusting to His own mother, which now becomes an act of selflessness on the part of our Lord. With His death, Jesus may have given up everything and stripped Himself of all his material attachments, including His emotional attachments to the people around Him, among whom was His own mother. Therefore, in a word that echoed what He Himself told her in Luke 249 Why did you have to look for me Didnt you know that I had to be in my fathers house This rather cold answer to a mother was actually an answer of someone who was not into material and emotional attachment of any nature. The crucified Christ on the cross who addressed His own mother as Woman was clearly the same child Jesus in the Temple who implied to His mother, through His words, that He did not belong to her but rather to His Father in heaven.
Reflections on the Third Word focus on humility and sacrifice. Perhaps Jesus was trying to say, through the Third Word, that only those who can give up even his or her own mother can truly walk with Him.
The Fourth Word My God, my God, why have you abandoned me This word was taken from the Gospel of Mark 1534. This was spoken by Jesus at three oclock in the afternoon at the moment of extreme pain.
The Fourth Word somehow echoes the first verse of Psalm 22, which is a Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come.
In the words of the psalmist, Jesus was able to find a way to pour out the grief in His heart. Perhaps, Jesus knew about His descent into Hell which was going to take place a few moments after He had spoken the last word, for during the Descent to Hell, Jesus knew He would experience separation from God (Roberts). It is also said that the Father abandoned him because Jesus took upon himself the penalty for our sins (Roberts). This was indeed not only the greatest sacrifice but also the most horrible form of pain, which was far more tremendous than physical pain that is separation from the Father. Jesus suffering and death was therefore an act of extreme sacrifice as told by the apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 521 Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.
What is implied therefore from the Fourth Word is the fact that the Father abandoned the Son for our sake, for the salvation of the world (Roberts). This is an evidence of God the Fathers great love for us, which echoes John 316 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. The Son of God died that we may all live. The explanation is in the next verse For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior (Jn. 317). Truly, for God the Father to forsake His own Son, is there any other love greater than that Martin Luther even said once, God forsaking God. Who can understand it (Roberts)
Reflections on the Fourth Word center upon appreciation for Jesus sacrifice and appreciation for the Fathers love for humanity and for each and every single one of us. A line in a reflection on the Fourth Word reads Jesus, thank you for being forsaken by the Father so that I might never be. (Roberts)
The Fifth Word I am thirsty. The Fifth Word is based on the Gospel of John 1928.
There was absolutely no doubt that Jesus had experienced extreme thirst while he was being crucified and he must have lost a great deal of quantity of body fluid, both blood and sweat, from the moment He was scourged to the nailing of the cross. Jesus, despite being the Son of God, recognized His human need for water. Yet, when he said I am thirsty, the soldiers gave Him sour wine, which was a cheap beverage common among lower class people in the time of Jesus (Roberts). However, the physical thirst that Jesus experienced during the crucifixion was not only a mere statement of a physical need but also a fulfillment of the Scripture. Although the Gospel of John does not exactly point out which prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus when he said, I am thirsty, it is highly likely that John was referring to Psalm 6921, which states When I was hungry, they gave me poison when I was thirsty, they offered me vinegar.
The thirst that Jesus was feeling while He was on the cross at that very moment was not only about physical thirst and the fulfillment of the Scripture but also ones own thirst and one souls yearning for the living water that Jesus supplies, which John 738 describes as streams of life-giving water that will pour out from his side. This yearning for this life-fulfilling water is the theme of the Fifth Word of Jesus. Jesus death is therefore described as something that cleanses and the very thing that cleansed the sin of all humanity.
Moreover, the Fifth Word is also a testament to Jesus humanity that Jesus is not only God but also human. This is an act of great humility on the part of Jesus, that after having been scorned and persecuted, He still humbled and begged for water from His persecutors. Normally someone who was persecuted would never beg on his knees to ask for a favor from anyone who has wronged him, but the Son of God had no pride whatsoever in His heart. The Fifth Word therefore calls for humility and courage to throw away the very last trace of pride in ones heart.
Reflections on the Fifth Word focus not only on being humble but also on ones yearning for Jesus living water. One line in a reflection on the Fifth Word states, I need the wine of Your Kingdom to flood my soul and I need to be refreshed by your living water. (Roberts)
The Sixth Word It is finished. The Sixth Word is based on the Gospel of John 1930.
When Jesus said It is finished, He could mean that His suffering was over, or that This is finally done (Roberts). However, the Greek verb for It is finished, which is tetelestai, is slightly different in meaning. The Greek translation means that Jesus had accomplished his mission (Roberts), which means that finally he had announced and inaugurated the kingdom of God and that he had revealed the love and grace of God (Roberts). This Jesus did through His death in order to save the world from sin, thus opening up the way for all to live under the reign of God. (Roberts)
The Sixth Word further says that because Jesus finished his work of salvation, you and I dont need to add to it and in fact, we cant (Roberts). Jesus had personally accomplished what no man ever could which is taking our sin upon himself and giving us his life in return (Roberts). The purpose of Jesus life as echoed by John 316 is so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life, and so with His death, we have lived. Surely, Jesus mission on earth was finished upon His death, which means it was accomplished and fulfilled.
Reflections on the Sixth Word focus on the idea of asking oneself the question Do you live as if Jesus finished the work of salvation for you (Roberts). This means that one has to ask himself whether he has confidence in his heart that God will always finish whatever He has begun in ones heart or in ones life. Trust and gratitude are the two precious things that the Sixth Word seeks to instill in the heart of every Catholic faithful.
The Seventh Word Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. The Seventh Word is based on the Gospel of Luke 2346.
This is another of the Last Words that was somehow lifted from the Book of Psalms. Psalm 315 somehow echoes the Seventh Word as it states, I place myself in your care. You will save me, Lord you are a faithful God. Another verse of the same Psalm also says the same thing But my trust is in you, O Lord you are my God. (Ps. 3114)
It is obvious from the passages above and from the Seventh Word itself that Jesus was putting his post mortem future in the hands of His Heavenly Father (Roberts). This is the same as Jesus saying that His Father is the one responsible for whatever happens to Him after His death. Psalm 315 somehow gives the reason why Jesus entrusts His spirit to God the Father You are a faithful God. Jesus, therefore, not only entrusted his future to his Father, but also implied that he would be delivered and exonerated (Roberts). Somehow Jesus was hopeful in saying the Seventh Word and in the very act of giving up His soul to the care of His Heavenly Father. One of Jesus greatest teachings was therefore taught at this very moment on the cross the idea that death is certainly not the end of everything. Jesus somehow, by uttering the Seventh Word, was looking forward to His Resurrection and more importantly to Everlasting Life that awaits us all after death.
Reflections on the Seventh Word center on entrusting ones life in Gods hands and trusting Him to care for you in times of great trial and suffering, and even at death. Two beautiful lines from a reflection on the Seventh Word are stated as follows I submit to your sovereignty over my life, and seek to live for your glory alone. Here I am, Lord, available to you, both now and in the future. (Roberts)
Passion Play
The Passion Reading refers to the reading of what happened to Christ from the moment He was sentenced to Death until His suffering and death. This dramatic presentation is done particularly in most Catholic Churches.
The usual Passion Reading begins with the assembly standing and singing the acclamation to the Gospel. One should also take note that there is no procession of book, candles and incense for candles and incense are not used in this liturgy until the veneration of the cross (Huck 70). The conclusion to the Gospel, however, is the same usual way The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ. (70)
In an ideal situation, everyone would stand as usual throughout the reading of the Holy Gospel. However, in many places, because of the length of the Passion Reading, everyone is invited to be seated. The Gospel begins with The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (70), and as soon as this is heard, everyone may sit. In many parishes, as the priest begins to read the Gospel, the acclamation of the Gospel may be continued with song verses interspersed through the text (70). The purpose is to give a reflective pace to the reading and to help all to hear what is being read and that the choice of verses for singing should be dictated by the liturgy and by Johns unique telling of the story (70). One more thing that requires attention aside from the choice of verses is the manner in which the passion is sung or recited. One should take note that any approach that has the assembly read the parts of the crowd should be avoided (71), which means that attentive listening to the reading of the passion is much more important.
It was Andrew Ciferni in January 1992 who first discussed the use of acclamatory and reflective songs during the reading of the passion. According to him, the use of a single reader and of assembly song at specified moments within the reading is pastoral and in line with the best of the tradition (71). He also recommended that the places where the songs should be sung must be in accord with the gospel authors own divisions of the story (71) for this approach carries great respect for the text of the Gospel as well as the very nature of the proclamation of the ritual, or a sign of respect for Catholic tradition.
The next question that needs to be answered is Should there be one reader, three readers, many readers (71). Given that not everyone can read the Passion, it can therefore chanted in the traditional tone by three singers where the presider need not be one of the singers (71). One should bear in mind that the purpose of this dramatic reading of Jesus Christs Passion is not so much to impress or awe or move the Church, but rather to transform the Church (71). It is also possible that there is only one single reader who is able to proclaim the story with great strength (72)
Although the reading for Easter Sunday varies, the Gospel read on Good Friday does not vary with the three years of the cycle. It is always the passion according to John (72). The Gospel of John is read by the Church several times during Lent and even toward the end of Lent. The reason is that the church recognized in John the text it needed to unfold around its celebration of the Passover (72). Another reason why the Passion according to John is read is that John does not tell a story that would leave us mourning (72), which means that what is emphasized is that the suffering, crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ are all what one would call the Pasch or the love of God catching hold of our world and whose message is for us to be lifted up on the cross which means to be glorified (72). This is the essence of the Passion of Christ according to John the Pasch, or the revelation of Gods love and glory. Simply speaking, John tells of Jesus Christs Passion with a message of love and hope that the Catholic faithful may not end up mourning but would rather feel hopeful and vindicated for the suffering and death of Jesus meant greater glory.
Perhaps the only problem with the Passion of Jesus according to John is the anti-Jewish character of the language and of the tone (72), which implies that to the listener, it appears that the whole Jewish people stands against Jesus and Jesus against the people. (72)
What follows after the Passion Reading is a homily and a time of silence (74). On the whole, one should keep in mind that the ritual can become boringif the passion was poorly proclaimed, the homily long and careless (74). Therefore, every part of the Passion Reading, from the readers to the homily to the songs, should contribute to its success in transforming the Church.
History of the Passion Play. The Passion play is believed to have started in Oberammergau, Germany in 1633. Its purpose was to deliver a story of life, death, hope and promise (Oberammergau Passion Play 2010). The Thirty Years War in Central Europe from 1618-1648 as well as the plague were two of the worst events of that time and two events which resulted in widespread poverty, disease and loss of lives. It is said that after many months of suffering, the Oberammergauers pledged to perform the Play of the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ every ten years (Oberammergau Passion Play 2010). In 1634, a year after the first Passion Play, the disease halted. The first-ever Passion Play took place on a stage set up in the cemetery above the graves of recent plague victims (Oberammergau Passion Play 2010), perhaps to honor their deaths and as a sort of petition to God that such a trial would stop.
It is said that the villagers have kept their vow ever since and this faith and commitment have been admired and recognized by many around the world. In the year 2010 during the 41st season of the Oberammergau Passion Play, there will be over 100 performances between May and October. Rehearsals last for 10 months or so before the first play starts. (Oberammergau Passion Play 2010)
The modern Oberammergau Passion Play is participated in by around 2,000 villagers and lasts around five hours with an intermission of three hours to allow spectators to have dinner. The play usually begins with the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It continues on to Jesus death on the cross and concludes with the Resurrection. It is said that the message of the Passion Play gives hope and strength to millions. (Oberammergau Passion Play 2010)
Re-enactments of the Crucifixion
Crucifixions are re-enacted in certain Catholic countries especially the Philippines. During Good Friday in the late afternoons or even in the early mornings, men and women in certain towns walk the streets carrying a large wooden cross over their shoulders and often with a homemade crown of thorns. These people usually do the carrying of the cross or the self-flagellation as an annual devotion for personal reasons (Crucifixion re-enactment). Nevertheless, a local Filipino parish priest said the Church does not recommend it, because the Church is against self-flagellation yet the ritual has become a Good Friday tradition in certain villages and that after all we cannot question somebodys faith (Dozens ignore warnings). However, some bishops in the Philippines say that the re-enactments are just a show and that the spiritual dimension is totally lost. (Dozens ignore warnings)
One of the devotees to the crucifixion ritual was a 47-year-old man who donned a crown of thornsbefore being nailed to a cross for the 22nd time (Dozens ignore warnings) said, It is painful and difficultbut I will continue doing this for as long as I can for this is my pledge to God. (Dozens ignore warnings)
Other devotees had other reasons for getting themselves nailed to the cross. Some say they decide to go through the pain in order to pray for a cure for an illness in the family (Crucifixion re-enactment). Aside from the crucifixion re-enactments, scores of men pound their bleeding bare backs with bamboo sticks dangling from ropes in a flagellation rite meant to atone for sins (Crucifixion re-enactment). While many of them would flagellate themselves while walking, some would do it while kneeling or simply standing in public.
In the Philippines, the rites are a part of a culture that goes back to the early Catholic tradition brought by the Spanish to this small country in Southeast Asia about four hundred years ago. Besides, around 80 percent of the Philippine population is Roman Catholic. (Crucifixion re-enactment)
Procession
Certain countries with a predominantly Catholic religion like Mexico, Spain and the Philippines would parade statues, known as pasos or carrozas, on the streets. The longest procession in the Philippines has around 152 pasos and which lasts for many hours, after the Passion Play in the church, which usually lasts until 6, 7 or 8 PM on Good Friday. (Pampanga Good Friday)
The pasos or carrozas usually depict the scenes during the Way of the Cross as well as the characters involved in the suffering and death of Jesus. Between each paso there are usually people holding candles and walking along slowly while praying the Holy Rosary, which is usually led by the owner of the paso. In some cases, there are people with their faces covered by black veils and with wreaths on their heads (Pampanga Good Friday). These people between and beside the pasos, usually carry symbols of Christs death and messages from Jesus passion and death (Pampanga Good Friday). The pasos and carrozas are elaborate, grand and elegant and the processions had no pipe-in music or prayers blasted through sound systems and no pick up trucks, owner jeeps or cars (Pampanga Good Friday).
The word paso is a Spanish word for steps or passage but it refers to beautifully decorated and adorned Easter floats. A paso is usually very heavy and is carried by around 30-50 porters called costaleros. The processions in Spain are organized by a brotherhood of lay people called cofradia and one which is composed of both male and female members. The capataz is the leader of the costaleros and he is usually the one who determines the chicota or the break time between lifting and setting down a paso. The costaleros are usually fully masked and some brotherhood members known as nazareHos wear capirotes or very tall pointed hats. ( Semana Santa)
Common pasos and carrozas include San Pedro or Saint Peter, Ultima Cena or the Last Supper, Corte de Pilato or the Court of Pilate, Nazareno or Jesus Carrying the Cross, Santo Entierro or Jesus in the Sepulcher, and Mater Dolorosa or the Virgin Mary mourning in black. The Santo Entierro, which is usually paraded with the apostles, usually goes back to church at the conclusion of the procession and it is followed by the Mater Dolorosa that also goes back inside the church or church grounds. (Pampanga Good Friday)
Events during Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday is all about the themes of Christs burial and His descent into hell. There are usually brief hymns that form a prolonged meditation on the suffering and death of Jesus while the image of the dead Christ, or the Epitaphion, is carried in procession round the outside of the church (Wybrew 109). Holy Saturday is also all about the Easter Vigil which happens in the evening until around 3 AM of Easter Sunday the following day.
On the eve of the Sabbath, which is the same day as the present Holy Saturday, the disciples of Jesus assembled together in the Cenaculum. They were waiting for the Sabbath and they were clothed in long white dresses (275). When Mary the Mother of Jesus and her companions finished their nocturnal prayer, they heard a knock on the door and John and some of the disciples who had promised to conduct them to the Temple, entered. It was around 3AM and everyone then headed for the Temple, for it was customary among many Jews to go there before day dawned, on the day after they had eaten the Paschal lamb. Because the sacrifices commenced early, the Temple was open from midnight. When they reached the Temple, it was indeed open and the lamps were lighted. (276)
As soon as they reached the Temple, the Blessed Virgin visited all those parts which Jesus had rendered sacred in her eyes she prostrated, kissed them, and with tears in her eyes explained to the others her reasons for venerating each particular spot. (277)
It was about daybreak when the Blessed Virgin and her companions reached the Cenaculum. The apostles and the holy women remained in this room until nightfall and sometimes they gathered round the Blessed Virgin and prayed under the lamp (278). They covered their heads with black veils, and either sat on ashes which are considered a sign of mourning, and prayed with their faces turned towards the wall (277-278). Many of them also took a little food, but many fasted.
This was the first Holy Saturday, and it was during this time that Mary and the apostles and their many other pious companions prayed hard for the soul of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also believed that it was during this time that Jesus descended into hell.
Descent of Jesus into Hell
Before the Resurrection, Jesus is believed to have descended into Hell, and this particular event somehow took place on Holy Saturday. Although the Scriptures do not exactly mention anything about it, the visions of Anna Katharina Emmerich seem to be one of the only available accounts of this brief yet significant journey of our Lord into Hell.
Jesus heavenly soul separated from His body under the form of a bright meteor that pierced the earth at the exact point where the cross stood. Jesus soul was accompanied by the angel Gabriel and many other angels (Emmerich 280). It is said that the place into which the soul of Jesus entered was divided into three parts, which appearedlike three worlds (280).
The first part of the place where Jesus soul descended was a bright and beautiful space opposite to Limbo and enameled with flowers (280) and filled with delicious breezes. It was considered to be the location for the many souls before being admitted into Heaven after their deliverance from Purgatory (280). The place where the souls were waiting for the Redemption was known as Limbo, and it was divided into different compartments and filled with a thick foggy atmosphere. Among the inhabitants of this place as seen by the Lord included the patriarchs who lived before the time of Abraham, andthose who lived between Abraham and John the Baptist (280). There was also a dark spot where Adam and Eve were standing (280) and they prostrated themselves in front of Jesus as He spoke to them. The soul of Jesus then went to right side of Limbo and there he met the soul of the good thief Dismas which angels were carrying to Abrahams bosom, and also that of the bad thief being dragged by demons into Hell (281).
The soul of the Lord then entered Abrahams bosom, where there were also various compartments. There were demons there who were strongly chained (281) and all the just who had lived before the time of Christ were assembled there (281). This included the patriarchs. Moses, the judges and the kings (281), who were all on the left side and the prophets and the ancestors of out Lord such as Joachim, Anna, Joseph, Zacharias, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist (281) on the left.
The next part where Jesus soul went was a species of Purgatory (281), which was filled with good pagansa few demons, and some of the idols of the pagans (282). The demons were compelled to confess the deception they had practiced with regard to these idols (282). It therefore seems that the journey of Jesus into Hell was even considered one that spiritually moved even the demons.
The next part that the soul of Jesus went to was the center of the great abyss or Hell itself (282). The exterior of Hell is described by Emmerich as appalling and frightfulan immense, heavy-looking building, with a granite of metallic brightness (282). One can also hear deep groans and cries of despaireven while the doors were tightly closed (282). Hell was like a city with dismal dungeons, dark caverns, frightful deserts, fetid swamps with species of poisonous and disgusting reptile (282).
It is said that as soon as Jesus entered Hell, there was a tremendous explosion of oaths, curses, cries of despair, and frightful exclamations (283) and that our Lord spoke first to the soul of Judas (283). The demons were also compelled by the angels to acknowledge and adore Jesus (283). The center of Hell housed a dark and horrible-looking abyss, and into this Lucifer was cast, after being first strongly secured with chains. (283)
The next thing Emmerich saw was the innumerable bands of redeemed souls liberated from Purgatory and from Limbo, who followed our Lord to a delightful spot situated about the celestial Jerusalem. (284)
The only thing that Emmerich can perhaps clearly remember with great vividness was the descent of Jesus into Limbo, where he went in order to the souls detained there the grace of the Redemption which he had merited for them by this death and by his sufferings (284). This means that the suffering and death of Jesus on earth freed and pardoned not only the living but also the dead, particularly the poor souls in Purgatory. Emmerich herself was impressed with this kindness and effort of our Lord Jesus Christ. In her own words, she wrote
Our Lorddisplayed before me, at the same time, another picture, in which I beheld the immense mercies which he bestows in the present day on the poor souls in Purgatory for on every anniversary of this great day, when his Church is celebrating the glorious mystery of his death, he casts a look of compassion on the souls in Purgatory, and frees some of those who sinned against him before his crucifixion. I this day saw Jesus deliver many souls and that Our Lord, by descending into Hell, plantedin the spiritual garden of the Church, a mysterious tree, the fruits of which namely, his merits are destined for the constant relief of the poor souls in Purgatory. (285)
This symbolic tree for the intentions of the souls in Purgatory must be cultivated by the Church militant, and its fruits gathered and presented to the suffering portion of the Church.
Jesus Descent into Hell was all about salvation and compassion.
Easter Vigil
The Easter Vigil has been considered the single most important liturgical celebration of the year (Monti 324) since the early days of the Christian Church. The Easter Vigil was once a nocturnal liturgy that began no earlier than sunset on Holy Saturday and continued past midnight, sometimes lasting until dawn on Easter Sunday (324) and this liturgy, also known as the Paschal Liturgy, consists of four basic elements namely the Service of the Light, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of Baptism, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The earliest reference to the Easter Vigil was in AD 140-160 in the apocryphal work entitled Epistula Apostolorum, which states that the vigil takes place during the night until after midnight. (324)
The basis of the Easter Vigil can be found in the 4th century material known as the Didascalia. (Bradshaw 119)
The Service of the Light, or the Lighting of the Paschal Candle is one of the basic elements of the Easter Vigil. Beginning in the 4th century, there was a ceremonial lighting of the evening lamp or lamps, in order to emphasize the light of Christ (119). The procession led by the elevated Easter candle also emphasizes the fact that Christ is our Light and that we should give thanks to God for that. (Days of the Lord Easter Triduum 41)
On another note, Easter Sunday, as proposed by the 2nd century Christian writer Tertullian, was the perfect time for baptism, or Paschal Baptism (122-123). The baptismal liturgy also includes the blessing of the holy water and a renewal of baptismal vows, which includes a profession of belief in the Apostles Creed and a vow to renounce Satan. (Days of the Lord Easter Triduum 40)
The Liturgy of the Word, on the other hand, contains seven readings from the Old Testament as well as one from Pauls Letter to the Romans 63-11, and one from the Gospel which is Matt. 281-10 for Liturgucal Year A Mk. 161-8 for Year B and Lk. 241-12 for Year C. (Days of the Lord Easter Triduum 40). This rather unusually lengthy part of the Easter celebration begins with the first four Old Testament readings, known as the Four Nights of Jewish tradition. The first night is when God created the world. The second night was the time when God appeared to Abraham and Sarah. The third night was the night when God came against the Egyptians in the night when the first born of Egypt died in Exodus 422. Lastly the fourth night is the night when the world will come to an end (42-43). The final reading is from any of the three Gospels Matthew, Mark or Luke depending on the current Liturgical Year. The Gospel is about the dawn when the women find the tomb empty and where they will receive the first announcement of the resurrection. (43)
The Eucharistic Liturgy somehow includes all the other three basic elements of the Easter Vigil.
Events of Easter Sunday
According to early Christian history, there are two quite distinct modes of celebrating Easter. The first one, which ultimately became the universal way of celebrating Easter, was to keep the feast on the Sunday after the Jewish Passover and to focus its celebration upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (Bradshaw 111), which the four canonical Gospels declare to have taken place on the first day of the week, which is Sunday. The first mode of Easter celebration focuses on the Resurrection and not on the Passion of Christ. The other ancient form of the Easter celebration makes Easter a memorial of the death of Jesus, and situates the feast instead at the time of the Jewish Passover itself (111). This mode of Easter celebration focused mainly on the Passion of Jesus and which was celebrated on the 14th day of the Jewish month and whose followers therefore were called Quartodecimans by other Christians. However, it was one which eventually did not become universally accepted. Traditionally, however, it was the Sunday celebration that was the older of the two.
The meaning of Easter, according to both the Quartodecimans and also among the first who kept the feast on Sunday, was all about Christ, the Passover lamb, sacrificed for us (112). The image of Christ as the Passover lamb is mentioned in 1 Cor. 57, which states, For our Passover festival is ready, now that Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. The reference is also found in the Gospel of John, where Jesus is identified as the Lamb of God (Jn. 136). This theme of Jesus as the Passover or Paschal lamb is central in the teachings of the Quartodecimans, whose focus was the suffering and death of Christ. The name of the feast of Easter, Pascha, is actually derived from the Greek verb paschein, which meant to suffer (113). This leads one to conclude that indeed the theme of Easter in the old Christian Church was not Christs Resurrection but rather Christs Passion.
The Easter Sunday celebration of those Christians who did not consider themselves Quartodecimans included a preceding day of fasting and a night vigil culminating in the celebration of the Eucharist. (115)
The Resurrection
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is told in the four canonical Gospels, although there are slight variations in each version. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke had a more similar and shorter version compared to that in the Gospel of John.
Basically the actual Resurrection, or the actual coming back of Jesus Christ to life, was not witnessed by anyone and not mentioned even in the Scriptures. What everyone had seen was the empty tomb, an angel and the risen Christ.
It was the dawn of Sunday morning when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb (Matt. 281). The other Mary was presumably Mary the wife of Zebedee and mother of James and Joseph, for she was the same woman mentioned by Matthew to be present during the crucifixion (Matt. 2756) and the same Mary who was Mary Magdalenes companion in the Gospel of Mark (Mk. 161) and Luke (Lk. 2410). While Matthew mentions only Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to be the ones to look at the tomb, Mark mentions three women in the names of Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome. The purpose of their visit to the tomb was also clarified by Mark to be the anointing of the body of Jesus using spices (Mk. 161) and according to Jewish tradition. Luke, on the other hand, implies that more than three women visited the tomb when he mentions in Luke 2410 that
The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the Mother of James they and the other women with them.
However, unlike the first three Gospels, according to the Gospel of John, only Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb. (Jn. 201)
The events that followed were also slightly different. According to the Gospel of Matthew, there was a violent earthquake an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled the stone away and sat on it (Matt. 282). In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, however, the angel had already rolled the stone when the women saw him (Mk. 163-4 Lk. 242) but this angel was referred to as a man (Mk. 165), two young men (Lk. 244), and two young angels (Jn. 2012). The angel was described as having an appearance like lightning and his clothes were white as snow (Matt. 283), and this made the guards tremble with fear (Matt. 284). The angel then talked to the women, telling them You must not be afraid. He has been raised from death, and now he is going to Galilee ahead of you there you will see him (Matt. 285,7). Nevertheless, the angel was not that exactly right when he told them about meeting Jesus in Galilee for Suddenly Jesus met them and said Peace be with you (Matt. 289), and Jesus repeated the angels orders by telling them Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me (Matt. 2810). However, there was no surprise visit like this in the Gospels of Mark and Luke.
In all Gospels except John, the women were tasked by the angel to tell the apostles about the risen Christ. However, only Luke presented an account of the women telling the apostles about what the angel had told them. When the women told them about what they had seen, the apostles thought that what the women said was nonsense and they did not believe them (Lk. 2411). Both Matthew and Mark do not mention about the women telling the apostles about the risen Christ although the angel had told them to do such. In the Gospel of John, both Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved hurried to the tomb to see for themselves if what Mary Magdalene said was true. She told them, They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we dont know where they have put him (Jn. 202), and Peter and the other disciple believed her. It is, however, interesting to note that Mark implied that the women never told anyone, even the disciples, for the Gospel mentions, So the women went out and ran from the tomb, distressed and terrified. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (Mk. 168)
If fear had dominated the women when they first found out about the Resurrection of Christ, it was doubt that was the initial reaction of the apostles, even when Jesus Himself appeared to them. When Jesus appeared to His disciples on the hill in Galilee, they worshiped him, even though some of them doubted (Matt. 2817), and He even scolded them, because they did not have faith and because they were too stubborn to believe those who had seen him alive (Mk. 1614-16). Similarly, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus asked the apostles questions about why they doubt the Resurrection. He asked them, Why are you alarmed Why are these doubts coming up in your minds Look at my hands and feet, and see that it is I myself (Lk. 2438-39).
However, perhaps there is no more popular account of doubt that an apostle of Christ expressed than that of Thomas. The Gospel of John gives a full account of how Thomas doubted the Lords Resurrection. When Jesus appeared to the eleven, Thomas was not with them and when they told him about it, he simply responded, Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe (Jn. 2025). After a week, Jesus came to see them again and to satisfy Thomas doubt, He asked him, Put your finger here, and look at my hands then reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your doubting and believe (Jn. 2027). And Jesus concluded the encounter by saying, Do you believe because you see me How happy are those who believe me without seeing me (Jn. 2029)
Nevertheless, despite all the doubt, Jesus delivered His message to the apostles upon His resurrection. He addressed apostolic work to the apostles when He said
Go then to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age. (Matt. 2819-20)
This passage about the apostolic work of spreading Christianity throughout the world is echoed by the Gospel of Mark in greater detail. In the Gospel, Jesus emphasized, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved whoever does not believe will be condemned, and that believers will be given the power to perform miracles. (Mk. 1616-17)
Although the Gospel of Luke is silent about such apostolic work, John presents in full detail how Jesus bequeathed to Peter His role of being the Shepherd of Gods people. Jesus asked Peter three times if the latter loved Him and to all of which Peter replied positively. Jesus then told him. Take care of my lambs (Jn. 2115), and Take care of my sheep (Jn. 2116-17). This is believed to be the beginning of the Papacy.
The Appearances of our Lord after the Resurrection
The Very First Appearance of Jesus. When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb on early Sabbath morning, they found it empty. Then, there was a violent earthquake and an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled the stone away, and sat on it (Matt. 282). Then one can remember the angel telling the women Jesus has been raised, just as he saidtell his disciples, He has been raised from death, and now he is going to Galilee ahead of you there you will see him Remember what I have told you. (Matt. 286-7)
The angel of the Lord seemed to be certain at what he said in the passage above. Nevertheless, his words were not exactly true for as the two women left the tomb in a hurry, Suddenly Jesus met them and said, Peace be with youDo not be afraid, Jesus said to them. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me (Matt. 289-10). The angels words may not have been exact as Jesus did not wait to meet the women till they had gone to Galilee. He had met them right there near the tomb. Nevertheless, this was perhaps the very first appearance of Jesus upon His Resurrection. In short, Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, who was most likely Mary the mother of James and Joseph. (Matt. 2756)
The Gospel of Mark, however, disagrees with Matthew on who Jesus first appeared to. Mark offers several versions of Jesus appearances. Nevertheless, Mark mentions that it was not Mary Magdalene and the other Mary that Jesus first appeared to as stated in Matthew 289-10 but that it is explicitly states that he appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mk. 169)
The appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene is mentioned briefly in the Gospel of Mark 169-11 and in full detail in John 2011-18, where Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene alone. Matthew 289 also mentions that our Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene but this time, she was with the other Mary, which was allegedly Mary the mother of James and Joseph. In John 2011-18, which is the more detailed account of Jesus appearance to Mary Magdalene, it was stated that Mary did not at first recognize Jesus until Jesus mentioned her name Mary and upon which she turned towards him and called him Rabboni or Teacher(Jn. 2016). She was then commanded by Jesus to tell His brothers that He was returning to Him who is His Father.
The Appearances of Jesus to His Disciples. The first time Jesus appeared to His apostles was perhaps when He appeared to two followers after appearing to Mary Magdalene.
Perhaps the second time or the last time (Mk. 1614) Jesus appeared to His disciples was on the hill in Galilee, the place where Jesus had told them to go (Matt. 2816). Nevertheless there were only eleven of them at this time, perhaps because Judas Iscariot had passed away and naturally, he was not with them. The more important thing was that it was during this encounter with the 11 apostles that Jesus laid down the plan for their apostolic work and gave His apostles the power to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 2819)
The appearance of Jesus to the eleven disciples was echoed by Mark 1614-18, although, unlike Matthew, it was not Baptism to Christianity that was emphasized by Mark but the preaching of the Gospel to the world and an emphasis on belief or faith. Jesus said, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mk. 1616)
Another of Jesus first appearances to His disciples was the walk to Emmaus, which is presented in full detail in the Gospel of Luke 2413-35. Emmaus was seven miles from Jerusalem and while two of Jesus apostles, who were unnamed, were walking to the village, Jesus joined them. They too, just like Mary Magdalene, were unable to recognize Jesus at first (Lk. 2416). They were talking about the recent Resurrection and the empty tomb but never mentioned that anyone had already seen the risen Lord. Jesus then appeared to have scolded them by saying, How foolish you are, how slow you are to believe everything the prophets said Was it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then to enter his glory (Jn. 2425-26). As soon as they reached the house, Jesus, who they still did not recognize at that point, took the bread, and said the blessing then he broke the bread and gave it to them (Jn. 2430) and then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. (Jn. 2431)
One of the last appearances of Jesus to His apostles was perhaps the one mentioned in Lk. 2436-49, where the apostles gave Jesus a piece of cooked fish, which he took and ate in their presence (Lk. 2442-43). He then explained the Scriptures to them and told them, This is what is written the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later (Lk. 2446), which was actually seemingly opposite to that He stated in John 2426.
Arguments on the Empty Tomb of Christ
Despite the opinion of several theologians that the resurrection is not a historical event (Craig) and that Paul never mentions anything about the empty tomb in any of his epistles, various scholars have advanced several theories that the empty tomb was in fact real and historical. The Resurrection of Christ is the foundation of all Christian faith for as echoed by Paul, If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain (1 Cor. 1514). Furthermore, the Resurrection turned fearful and despondent men into men of courage and confidence (Stein 8), which means that through the Resurrection of Jesus, these men have believed for Jesus had lived up to His promise of defeating death and delivered this promise in the Gospel of John 1420 before His crucifixion and death and fulfilled it through His Resurrection. The passage states, In a little while the world will see me no more, but you will see me and because I live, you also will live
In order to defend the historical validity of the Resurrection, Robert H. Stein, senior professor of the interpretation of the New Testament at Louisville, Kentucky and author of various books on theology such as Jesus the Messiah, formulated a number of theories on the historicity of Jesus empty tomb.
First, according to Stein, the resurrection appearances in the New Testament are the most important of these arguments (9). One remembers that Jesus appeared several times during the Resurrection. First, according to the Gospel of Mark, He appeared to Mary Magdalene (Mk. 169), although Matthew somehow implies that Jesus first appearance was in front of Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph (Matt. 2756). He also appeared several times to eleven of His apostles in Galilee (Matt. 2816-20, Mk. 1614-18, Lk. 2436-49, Jn. 2019-23, Acts 16-8), along the road to Emmaus (Mk. 1612-13, Lk. 2413-35), to the twelve disciples including Thomas (Jn. 2024-29), and to seven of His disciples in the sea, especially to Peter (Jn. 211-24). These various appearances recorded in the Scriptures, although various accounts differ slightly, guarantee that the tomb was indeed empty on the day of Resurrection.
Second, the Christian Church exists. Stein says, The very existence of the Church witnesses to the fact of the resurrection (9). This somehow confirms Pauls statement in 1 Cor. 1513-14 If the resurrection of the dead is not true, it means that Christ was not raised and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe. This statement of Paul somehow implies that the mere fact that Christians now have something to preach and something to believe means that the Church exists and because it exists then the resurrection of the dead is true. This further means that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ was indeed a historical fact.
One more point regarding this argument is that it is very probable that a memorial society might have arisen to commemorate the death of a much-loved teacher and that according to the Book of Acts 246, this celebration takes place with glad and generous hearts (Stein 9). These glad and generous hearts refer to no other than the Christian Church exists because they want to commemorate the resurrection of their teacher. Nevertheless, this second point on the second argument seems relatively weaker than the first for a mere commemoration of death does not necessarily presuppose the occurrence of a resurrection.
Third, another witness to the resurrection is no other than the existential experience of the risen Christ in the heart of the believer (Stein 9). Stein further explains that throughout the history of the Church the single most important witness to the resurrection of Jesus has been the witness of the risen Christ within the heart of the believer (9). One should go back to the Gospel of John 2024-29 where Jesus challenged Thomas doubt by letting him feel His hands and side. When Thomas believed, Jesus declared in a most literal yet profound way, Do you believe because you see me How happy are those who believe without seeing me (Jn. 2029). Now, all those who havent seen yet still believe are those people who have the existential experience of the risen Christ in their hearts.
Fourth but certainly not the least, there were witnesses to the empty tomb. It is a given that every effect has a cause but the question remains as to whether the Resurrection of Christ is indeed the cause of the Empty Tomb
Stein presents various explanations in defense of this argument. Firstly, the story of the empty tomb is told in all Gospels, despite some glaring differences.
Secondly, the mention of some Semitic customs in the gospels relating to the resurrection indicates that these accounts were early and originated most probably in a Palestinian setting (10) and were therefore not merely concocted as a late tradition created by the early Church to help explain the resurrection appearances. (9)
Thirdly, it is a fact that Jewish belief in the resurrection necessitated an empty tomb (10). The Greeks and other groups of people may be opposed to the idea of bodily resurrection but the Jews in Jerusalem, specifically and especially the Pharisees, would associate the idea of a resurrection with the physical resurrection of the body (10). It therefore means that in Jerusalem, it would have been impossible for the existence of apostolic preaching of the resurrection of Jesus had the tomb not been empty.
Fourthly, the mere fact that the first witnesses to the empty tomb were women makes an apologetic fabrication of the account unlikely (10) for women were invalid witnesses according to the Jewish principles of evidence (10). This which simply means that if the Church had used men as the prime witnesses of the Resurrection of Christ, then the Church would have been accused of fabricating evidence in favor of the Resurrection, knowing that men were of a higher or favored status than women in Jewish society (Craig). The Roman writer Josephus, in his Antiquities of the Jews, writes It is probably that women may not speak the truth, either out of hope of gain, or fear of punishment (qtd. in Turner). The Talmud also presents a parallel explanation any evidence which a woman gives is not valid and that sooner let the words of the law be burnt than delivered to women (qtd. in Turner). The problem however is that
Fifthly, the mere reference to Joseph of Arimathea indicates that Jesus tomb was well known, simply because of the name of Joseph of Arimathea which was mentioned n all four Gospels (Matt. 2757-60, Mk. 1543-46, Lk. 2350-53, Jn. 1938-42). The mere fact that the tomb which was associated with the burial of Jesus is Joseph of Arimatheas tomb, which is a well known tomb in Jerusalem, supports the historicity of the empty tomb (Stein 11). There however remains the question why Joseph of Arimathea did not hold a particular position of authority or fame in the early Church. (11)
Sixthly, what Paul mentioned in 1 Cor. 153-4 simply echoes the confession of the early Church about their witness to the resurrection. He mentioned, I passed on to you what I have received, which is one of the greatest importance that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures. This confession may have been made before 40 AD (11). Following Craigs argument that the empty tomb is a sine qua non of the resurrection (Craig), the death-burial-resurrection of Jesus as professed by Paul would have demanded an empty tomb (Stein 11). Although Paul never mentions in any of his epistles that there was an empty tomb, he simply clearly implied its existence. Furthermore, it is believed that what was buried was raised and that the tomb as a result was empty (12). So far, aside from 1 Cor. 153-4, the other most significant and most literal mention by Paul of the resurrection in his epistles is in 1 Cor. 1520, which states, But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death.
Seventhly, what Peter mentioned in Acts 231 where Peter contrasts the experience of David and Jesus upon their deaths and mentions that David said, Jesus was not abandoned in the world of the dead his body did not rot in the grave.
On the whole, the fourth argument in favor of the existence of the empty tomb of Christ was made vis--vis various criticisms and theories such as the allegation that the women went to the wrong tomb, that the apostles or Joseph of Arimathea stole the body of Jesus, that Jesus did not die on the cross but merely swooned, or that the gardener of the tomb removed the body of Jesus and placed it somewhere else. (Stein 9)
Many of these aforementioned theories can be countered by certain passages from the Scripture itself. For example, the claim that Jesus did not die on the cross but merely swooned can be refuted by what was written in the Gospel of John 1933, But when the soldiers came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they did not break his legs. However, the next verse, John 1934, which states, One of the soldiers, however, plunged his spear into Jesus side, and at once blood and water poured out, somehow implies the idea that this soldier either did the act of piercing for no reason at all or to ascertain Jesus death, which means to say that he did not believe that Jesus had died at that point as stated in John 1933. Emmerich stated that the archers indeed still appeared doubtful whether Jesus was really dead (248). This maybe explains the reason why Jesus side was pierced in John 1934.
In a similar way, the claim that the apostles stole the body of Jesus runs counter to what was written in the Gospel of Matthew 2812-13, The chief priests met with the elders and made their plan they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus and said, You are to say that the disciples came during the night and stole his body while you were asleep. In short, through this account of bribery, the claim that the apostles stole the body of Jesus that is why the tomb was empty is in fact very improbable. Nevertheless, there is a weakness even in the proposed argument of the chief priests if the soldiers were actually asleep during the time that Jesus body was stolen, how could have they known that it was the disciples who did it And if they or even just one of them was awake, how come no one tried to stop the disciples from doing such
Lastly, to support the argument in favor of the historicity of the empty tomb, Craig argues
The fact the enemies of Christianity felt obliged to explain away the empty tomb by the theft hypothesis shows not only that the tomb was known which is a confirmation of the burial story but that it was indeed empty.
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