THE PASSION NARRATIVES The Arrest, Trial and Death of Jesus

PASSIO: SUFFERING  Tacitus: Christ who had been executed by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius’  Josephus: When Pilate..condemned him to be crucified, those who had come to love him did not give up their affection for him’

ARREST DIFFERENCES

ILLEGALITIES WITH THE ARREST  J. Moffat: ‘the dark power has its way’, the forces of evil are attacking God.  The trials are illegal:  Take place in the evening  On the Sabbath evening  At the house of the High Priest  Jesus has NO witnesses to support him

THE ARREST: HUMAN QUALITIES AND DIVINITY

TRIAL DIFFERENCES

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES  Isaiah 53 v 7: He was oppressed and afflicted but he did not open his mouth Mark 15 v 51: Jesus remained silent  Exodus 3 v 14: I am who I am (language of the divine) Mark 14 v 62 “I am” said Jesus  Psalm 110 v 1: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet Mark 15 v 62: “Sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One”  Daniel 7 v 13: “There before me was one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven” Mark 15 v 62: “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven”

THE TRIAL: HUMAN QUALITIES AND DIVINITY

THE CRUCIFIXION  J.H.Roper: Jesus died a criminal’s death to show who he was

MARK’S ACCOUNT  Simon of Cyrene carried Jesus’ cross as Jesus was weak due to the flogging  Crucified at Golgotha: place of the skull  Jesus didn’t take the wine mixed with myrrh  The King of the Jews was written on his cross: Charge of blasphemy  Cruxified between two criminals  Mocked: ‘come down and save yourself’

MARK’S ACCOUNT: JESUS’ DEATH  ‘Darkness came over the land’  ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani?’ cry of despare  ‘With a loud cry Hesus breathed his last’  Temple curtain torn when he died showing througn he death the Kingdom of God was established  Messianic secret: ‘Surely this man was the Son of God’  Universalism as women were watching

MATTHEW’S ACCOUNT  V34: Gall given to jesus instead of myrrh and he tested in then rejected it  V43: ‘For he said I am the Son of God’  V44: Robbers crucified with Jesus heaped insults on him  V50: ‘Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit’ MATTHEW’S ACCOUNT: JESUS’ DEATH  V51&52: Temple curtain rips, earthquake, tombs open and bodies of holy people were raised to life  People are terrified of what they see

LUKE’S ACCOUNT  V27: Extra details of women: ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, weep for yourselves and your children’  ‘Blessed are the barren’ shows it’s better not to haved children thenm to see them suffer  V34: ‘Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’  V39-43: One of the criminals rebukes Jesus as he fears God  V42: Criminal expresses faith: ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom’  V43: ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise’: Jesus’ forgiveness shows universalism

LUKE’S ACCOUNT: JESUS’ DEATH  V45: ‘For the sun stopped shining’ emphasises Jesus’ divinity  No cry of ‘Eloi, Eloi’  V46: ‘Father into your hands I commit my spirit  V47: ‘Surely he was a righteous man’ is spoken by the Centurion  V48: ‘They beat their breasts’ showing anguish and grief

THE CRUCIFIXION: HUMAN QUALITIES AND DIVINITY