Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 141
4-6 Jeremiah 26:14
9 Mark 15:5
6 Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus: The Man Who Lives, p. 176
11 Jaroslav Pelikan, The Illustrated Jesus through the Centuries, p. 48
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. 2 And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; 3 they came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again, and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid; 9 he entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. 10 Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.” 12 Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend; every one who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar.”
13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.
19:1 τοτε ουν ελαβεν ο πιλατος τον ιησουν και εμαστιγωσεν 19:2 και οι στρατιωται πλεξαντες στεφανον εξ ακανθων επεθηκαν αυτου τη κεφαλη και ιματιον πορφυρουν περιεβαλον αυτον 19:3 και ελεγον χαιρε ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων και εδιδουν αυτω ραπισματα 19:4 εξηλθεν ουν παλιν εξω ο πιλατος και λεγει αυτοις ιδε αγω υμιν αυτον εξω ινα γνωτε οτι εν αυτω ουδεμιαν αιτιαν ευρισκω 19:5 εξηλθεν ουν ο ιησους εξω φορων τον ακανθινον στεφανον και το πορφυρουν ιματιον και λεγει αυτοις ιδε ο ανθρωπος 19:6 οτε ουν ειδον αυτον οι αρχιερεις και οι υπηρεται εκραυγασαν λεγοντες σταυρωσον σταυρωσον αυτον λεγει αυτοις ο πιλατος λαβετε αυτον υμεις και σταυρωσατε εγω γαρ ουχ ευρισκω εν αυτω αιτιαν 19:7 απεκριθησαν αυτω οι ιουδαιοι ημεις νομον εχομεν και κατα τον νομον ημων οφειλει αποθανειν οτι εαυτον υιον θεου εποιησεν
19:8 οτε ουν ηκουσεν ο πιλατος τουτον τον λογον μαλλον εφοβηθη 19:9 και εισηλθεν εις το πραιτωριον παλιν και λεγει τω ιησου ποθεν ει συ ο δε ιησους αποκρισιν ουκ εδωκεν αυτω 19:10 λεγει ουν αυτω ο πιλατος εμοι ου λαλεις ουκ οιδας οτι εξουσιαν εχω σταυρωσαι σε και εξουσιαν εχω απολυσαι σε 19:11 απεκριθη ιησους ουκ ειχες εξουσιαν ουδεμιαν κατ εμου ει μη ην σοι δεδομενον ανωθεν δια τουτο ο παραδιδους με σοι μειζονα αμαρτιαν εχει 19:12 εκ τουτου εζητει ο πιλατος απολυσαι αυτον οι δε ιουδαιοι εκραζον λεγοντες εαν τουτον απολυσης ουκ ει φιλος του καισαρος πας ο βασιλεα εαυτον ποιων αντιλεγει τω καισαρι
19:13 ο ουν πιλατος ακουσας τουτον τον λογον ηγαγεν εξω τον ιησουν και εκαθισεν επι του βηματος εις τοπον λεγομενον λιθοστρωτον εβραιστι δε γαββαθα 19:14 ην δε παρασκευη του πασχα ωρα δε ωσει εκτη και λεγει τοις ιουδαιοις ιδε ο βασιλευς υμων 19:15 οι δε εκραυγασαν αρον αρον σταυρωσον αυτον λεγει αυτοις ο πιλατος τον βασιλεα υμων σταυρωσω απεκριθησαν οι αρχιερεις ουκ εχομεν βασιλεα ει μη καισαρα 19:16 τοτε ουν παρεδωκεν αυτον αυτοις ινα σταυρωθη
24 Psalm 22:18
25-27 Mark 10:29-30
16-18 Imaging the Word, Vol. 2, p. 178-181
24-27 John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 378
25-27 Stephen Mitchell, The Gospel According to Jesus, p. 53 f.
The Gospel According to Jesus
And we feel that someone as largehearted and compassionate as [Jesus] was would surely have been able to fulfill both the commandment to love God with all his heart and the commandment to honor his mother. John the Evangelist was so convinced of this that he imagined Mary at the foot of the Cross, and imagined Jesus, in almost his final words, placing her in the care of the “disciple whom he loved.” This is what gives his account a sense of personal closure that the other three Gospels don’t have. When we love someone, we wish him all possible peace and wholeness of heart. And we want him, before he dies, to have finished his earthly business, which is, after all, his Father’s business as well.
25-27 John Shea, “A Prayer to Mary at the Cross,” The Hour of the Unexpected, p. 84
25 Anonymous, “Lament of Our Lady under the Cross,” Divine Inspiration, p. 477
25 Sheila Cassidy, Sharing the Darkness, p. 64-71
25 Jacopone da Todi, “Stabat Mater,” Divine Inspiration, p. 475
26-27 Kathleen Norris, Amazing Grace, p. 294
Amazing Grace
… my most substantial changes, in terms of religious conversion, come through other people. Even when I become convinced that God is absent from my life, others have a way of suddenly revealing God’s presence. When I think of how the process works, I recall the scene at Calvary, as depicted in John’s Gospel, when Jesus sees his mother standing near a disciple. “‘Woman,’ he says to her, ‘here is your son.’ [And he says] to his disciple, ‘Here is your mother’” (John 19:26-27). It is through Jesus Christ, and the suffering Christ at that, that God seeks us out and gives us to each other.
26-27 Carol Bechtel Reynolds, “Life After Grace: Preaching from the Book of Numbers,” Interpretation (July 1997), p. 272 f.
“Life After Grace: Preaching from the Book of Numbers”
The fact that this group went forward at all is a tribute to the power of God to lead and to heal. It also bears witness, however, to the fact that the community of faith ultimately transcends genetics. Perhaps these were the “family values” Jesus had in mind in Mark 3:31-35 (“Who are my mother and my brothers?”) and John 19:26-27 (“Woman, here is your son”). In any case, Numbers 26 can help us appreciate Jesus’ promise not to leave us “desolate.”
26-27 Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II), “John Beseeches Her,” Divine Inspiration, p. 479
17 So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews then said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom; 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfil the scripture, “They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” 25 So the soldiers did this.
But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
παρελαβον δε τον ιησουν και ηγαγον 19:17 και βασταζων τον σταυρον αυτου εξηλθεν εις τοπον λεγομενον κρανιου τοπον ος λεγεται εβραιστι γολγοθα 19:18 οπου αυτον εσταυρωσαν και μετ αυτου αλλους δυο εντευθεν και εντευθεν μεσον δε τον ιησουν 19:19 εγραψεν δε και τιτλον ο πιλατος και εθηκεν επι του σταυρου ην δε γεγραμμενον ιησους ο ναζωραιος ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων 19:20 τουτον ουν τον τιτλον πολλοι ανεγνωσαν των ιουδαιων οτι εγγυς ην ο τοπος της πολεως οπου εσταυρωθη ο ιησους και ην γεγραμμενον εβραιστι ελληνιστι ρωμαιστι 19:21 ελεγον ουν τω πιλατω οι αρχιερεις των ιουδαιων μη γραφε ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων αλλ οτι εκεινος ειπεν βασιλευς ειμι των ιουδαιων 19:22 απεκριθη ο πιλατος ο γεγραφα γεγραφα 19:23 οι ουν στρατιωται οτε εσταυρωσαν τον ιησουν ελαβον τα ιματια αυτου και εποιησαν τεσσαρα μερη εκαστω στρατιωτη μερος και τον χιτωνα ην δε ο χιτων αραφος εκ των ανωθεν υφαντος δι ολου 19:24 ειπον ουν προς αλληλους μη σχισωμεν αυτον αλλα λαχωμεν περι αυτου τινος εσται ινα η γραφη πληρωθη η λεγουσα διεμερισαντο τα ιματια μου εαυτοις και επι τον ιματισμον μου εβαλον κληρον οι μεν ουν στρατιωται ταυτα εποιησαν
19:25 ειστηκεισαν δε παρα τω σταυρω του ιησου η μητηρ αυτου και η αδελφη της μητρος αυτου μαρια η του κλωπα και μαρια η μαγδαληνη 19:26 ιησους ουν ιδων την μητερα και τον μαθητην παρεστωτα ον ηγαπα λεγει τη μητρι αυτου γυναι ιδου ο υιος σου 19:27 ειτα λεγει τω μαθητη ιδου η μητηρ σου και απ εκεινης της ωρας ελαβεν ο μαθητης αυτην εις τα ιδια
John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 378
28 Psalm 69:21, 22:15
28-29 Jean de la Ceppède, “The Cruel Drink,” Divine Inspiration, p. 488
28-29 Thomas Merton, “The Sponge Full of Vinegar,” Divine Inspiration, p. 489
30 Edwin Muir, “The Killing,” Divine Inspiration, p. 491
30 John Shea, Spirit Master, p. 84 f.
Spirit Master
“He took away the sin of the world,” is an experiential truth before it is a theological conviction. Or as van Beeck puts it, “Loving one’s enemy is suffering for him at his own hands.” This is a type of service only the servant of God understands.
Christians have always connected the death of Jesus with the salvation of the world. But it is fascinating to note that from one perspective Jesus death was salvific for himself… But Jesus victimized into an “unhappy death,” transforms it from a contradiction of his life into its culminating act. This is not life cut short; it is, as the Johannine redactor so clearly saw, life accomplished. (John 19:30)
28 After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
19:28 μετα τουτο ιδων ο ιησους οτι παντα ηδη τετελεσται ινα τελειωθη η γραφη λεγει διψω 19:29 σκευος ουν εκειτο οξους μεστον οι δε πλησαντες σπογγον οξους και υσσωπω περιθεντες προσηνεγκαν αυτου τω στοματι 19:30 οτε ουν ελαβεν το οξος ο ιησους ειπεν τετελεσται και κλινας την κεφαλην παρεδωκεν το πνευμα
John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 378
Venantius Fortunatus, “Vexilla Regis Prodeunt,” Divine Inspiration, p. 499
R. A. K. Mason, “Nails and a Cross,” Divine Inspiration, p. 500
34-37 John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 246
34 Richard Wilbur, “A Christmas Hymn,” New and Collected Poems, p. 225-226
31 Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; 33 but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness — his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth -that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, “Not a bone of him shall be broken.” 37 And again another scripture says, “They shall look on him whom they have pierced.”
19:31 οι ουν ιουδαιοι ινα μη μεινη επι του σταυρου τα σωματα εν τω σαββατω βββην γαρ μεγαλη η ημερα εκεινου του σαββατου ηρωτησαν τον πιλατον ινα κατεαγωσιν αυτων τα σκελη και αρθωσιν 19:32 ηλθον ουν οι στρατιωται και του μεν πρωτου κατεαξαν τα σκελη και του αλλου του συσταυρωθεντος αυτω 19:33 επι δε τον ιησουν ελθοντες ως ειδον αυτον ηδη τεθνηκοτα ου κατεαξαν αυτου τα σκελη 19:34 αλλ εις των στρατιωτων λογχη αυτου την πλευραν ενυξεν και ευθεως εξηλθεν αιμα και υδωρ 19:35 και ο εωρακως μεμαρτυρηκεν και αληθινη εστιν αυτου η μαρτυρια κακεινος οιδεν οτι αληθη λεγει ινα υμεις πιστευσητε 19:36 εγενετο γαρ ταυτα ινα η γραφη πληρωθη οστουν ου συντριβησεται απ αυτου 19:37 και παλιν ετερα γραφη λεγει οψονται εις ον εξεκεντησαν
T. H. S. Wallace, “Here and at Every Door,” Odd Angles of Heaven, p. 278 f.
39 John 3:1-2
38 After this Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds’ weight. 40 They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
19:38 μετα ταυτα ηρωτησεν τον πιλατον [ο] ιωσηφ ο απο αριμαθαιας ων μαθητης του ιησου κεκρυμμενος δε δια τον φοβον των ιουδαιων ινα αρη το σωμα του ιησου και επετρεψεν ο πιλατος ηλθεν ουν και ηρεν το σωμα του ιησου 19:39 ηλθεν δε και νικοδημος ο ελθων προς τον ιησουν νυκτος το πρωτον φερων μιγμα σμυρνης και αλοης ως λιτρας εκατον 19:40 ελαβον ουν το σωμα του ιησου και εδησαν αυτο εν οθονιοις μετα των αρωματων καθως εθος εστιν τοις ιουδαιοις ενταφιαζειν 19:41 ην δε εν τω τοπω οπου εσταυρωθη κηπος και εν τω κηπω μνημειον καινον εν ω ουδεπω ουδεις ετεθη 19:42 εκει ουν δια την παρασκευην των ιουδαιων οτι εγγυς ην το μνημειον εθηκαν τον ιησουν