1. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
BASIC QUESTIONS
What was the Last Supper?
KEY IDEAS
Christ used the Passover meal’s Cup of Blessing as the occasion to institute the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which he called the Blood of the Covenant.

2. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
BASIC QUESTIONS
What is the Cup of Consummation?
KEY IDEAS
Christ refused to drink the Cup of Consummation during the Passover meal. In Gethsemane, he asked the Father to let him be spared the cup. He drank it to the full in his Passion and Death.

3. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
THE DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST Was Christ surprised by his arrest, Passion, Death, and Resurrection? No; moreover, he made frequent reference to these inevitable events. When did Christ’s “popularity” reach its height? In the third year of his public ministry, upon his entering Jerusalem, the crowd proclaimed him the Messiah, the Son of David. (We celebrate this on Palm Sunday). What were the religious authorities planning when Christ entered Jerusalem? They were deciding how to put him to death.

4. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Why did Christ enter Jerusalem riding a donkey?
This fulfilled Zechariah’s prophesy, in which the people of Jerusalem would be filled with joy because their king is approaching, humble and riding on a donkey (cf. Zec 9:9). 
What were the two stages in the establishment of the New Covenant?
The celebration of the Last Supper
Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross.

5. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
THE MISSING CUP
What was the Passover meal?
the commemoration of the passing of the Israelite people out of slavery
their reception of the Law,
and the establishment of Israel as a nation set apart.

6. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
THE MISSING CUP At the first Passover what did the Jews to do with the blood of the slaughtered lamb? They took hyssop, dipped it in the blood, and touched the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood. What did the blood of the Passover lamb accomplish? It saved the firstborn male of each Hebrew family from death.

7. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Why did the Jews celebrate the ritual meal each year? God had instructed them to celebrate it annually to remember what he had done for them. How did Christ change the Passover meal during the Last Supper? He transformed the Passover ritual into the celebration of the New Covenant. What is the relationship between Christ and the Passover lamb? Christ became the spotless Passover Lamb, and, through his Blood shed on the Cross, all people were freed from the slavery to sin, and the People of God were transformed into the New Israel.

8. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
What did Christ mean by “Blood of the Covenant”? He declared he was establishing a New Covenant, but, instead of the animal blood spilled at Mt. Sinai, it would be his own Body sacrificed and his own Blood to seal the promise between God and man. How did Christ leave the Passover meal unfinished? He did not drink the fourth cup, the Cup of Consummation.

9. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
THE CUP OF CONSUMMATION What did Christ ask the Father in the garden? To “take this cup from” him, meaning his final sufferings. Why should the use of the word “cup” capture our attention? This cup of suffering is identified with the Cup of Consummation that Christ had not drunk earlier that evening at the Last Supper; he was to drink it in his Passion and Death.

10. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
What was the sign of Judas’s betrayal? He gave Christ a kiss, which was the ordinary way a disciple would have greeted his master. What may have been Judas’ motivation to have betrayed Christ? Judas may have been a Zealot who hoped for a political messiah, a military leader who would defeat the Roman occupiers. Judas may have become frustrated with Christ’s teachings (cf. Jn 6:64) of love for neighbor, obedience to authority, and his willingness to suffer death.

11. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
“I AM” What did most of the Sanhedrin believe even before the trial? Christ was a false prophet and blasphemer. What kind of evidence was presented against Christ? Evidence was produced by false witnesses who contradicted each other. How did Caiaphas (the High Priest) gain the final evidence to convict Christ? Caiaphas asked Jesus directly if he was the Messiah (Christ).

12. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
How did Christ respond to the Caiaphas’s direct question? “I am; and you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mk 12:62). What legitimate point did Caiaphas have to condemn Christ? Christ identified himself with the Son of God, which would have been blasphemy were he not the Son of God. How did Caiaphas violate the Mosaic Law? At hearing such blasphemy, he tore his robes, which the high priest was not supposed to do.

13. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
PILATE EXAMINES JESUS Why did the Sanhedrin have to ask the Roman governor to put Christ to death? Under Roman law, they were not allowed to carry out a death sentence, so they had to persuade the Roman authorities Christ was guilty of a secular crime deserving death. How did the Sanhedrin try to convince Pilate that Jesus should be put to death? They said Jesus was a leader among the revolutionary Zealots, who sought to reestablish the Kingdom of Israel. What lie did the Sanhedrin tell Pilate? They said Jesus forbade the Jews from paying taxes to Caesar.

14. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
What was Pilate’s initial reaction to the Sanhedrin’s charge? He wanted nothing to do with the case. What reason did Jesus give Pilate to explain why he would not let his followers fight for him? His kingdom is not of this world. What reason did Jesus give Pilate for his having come into the world? To bear witness to the truth.

15. 5. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (continued)
CONDEMNED TO DEATH How did Pilate see Jesus at this point? Pilate saw Christ as innocent of any crime against Rome. Why did Pilate send Jesus to Herod Antipas? Herod Antipas ruled Galilee, Jesus’ home district. Pilate hoped Herod would make a ruling so he would not have to. What was unjust about Pilate’s decision to flog and release Jesus? Though Pilate acknowledged Jesus was innocent, he still had Jesus flogged – a terrible, life-threatening punishment – perhaps to appease the Sanhedrin.

16. 5. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (continued)
What custom did Pilate invoke to persuade the Sanhedrin to change their mind about Christ? He invoked his custom of pardoning one criminal at Passover. He gave them the choice between Barabbas and Christ. Why did Pilate finally give in to the Sanhedrin’s demands? If he would have released Christ, they would have said he was no friend of Caesar. Pilate knew if he were to allow a rebel to live, he would have been in trouble with Caesar.

17. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (continued)
Guided Exercise
Work with a partner to read the Catechism, no. 598 (below), and then review the paragraph in the student text beginning, “The role that Judas,” and answer the following question in writing: 
Some have blamed the Jews for killing Christ and have used this as a basis for anti-Semitism. According to the Church, who is responsible for having killed Christ?

18. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
ST. PETER AND JUDAS How did Judas betray Christ? He revealed where the chief priests could arrest Christ safely. How did St. Peter betray Christ? After Christ’s arrest, St. Peter denied he even knew him. What was lacking in Judas’s repentance? When he tried to return the money the Sanhedrin had paid him, they refused his offer. He despaired of forgiveness and killed himself. What was right about St. Peter’s repentance? Christ prophesied that St. Peter would deny him three times before the cock crowed. At the third crow, St. Peter wept bitterly out of a sorrow fueled by love.

19. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
JESUS CRUCIFIED Why did Christ need help carrying his Cross? He was weak from having been scourged. Legally, how did the soldiers press St. Simon of Cyrene to carry Christ’s Cross? Soldiers could press a person into service to carry baggage for one Roman mile. When Christ said, “If any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Mt 5:41), to what was he referring? He referred to the same Roman law in the previous question.

20. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Why did someone offer Christ wine mixed with myrrh? It was a painkiller; he refused it. Why did the Jewish authorities object to the sign Pilate had placed above Christ? The sign identified Christ as the King of the Jews. They said it should read, “This man said, ‘I am King of the Jews” (Jn 19:21). What kind of mockery did Christ experience on the Cross? He was mocked both by passersby and by one of the thieves crucified with him.

21. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
In the Roman Empire, for whom was crucifixion reserved? Crucifixion was reserved for the most heinous criminals—for example, rebels and runaway slaves—to deter others from imitating them. Why was crucifixion a terrible punishment? It is both very painful and deeply humiliating. Why does breaking the legs of a crucified man hasten death? The crucified has to use his legs to push himself up to breathe. If the legs are broken, he dies more quickly of asphyxiation.

22. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
THE LAST CUP Why is this not a cry of despair: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” This lamentation begins Psalm 22, which ends in a triumphant delivery by God. What is the connection between the sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop and the Passover? During the Passover, a bunch of hyssop was used to sprinkle the blood of the Passover lamb. Christ’s last drink of wine was administered by a sponge attached to a branch of hyssop. What is the meaning of Christ’s last sip of wine and his declaration, “It is finished”? It meant he was drinking the Cup of Consummation, completing his own Passover. He was the New Lamb sacrificed for all people. What is the connection between the Eucharist and Calvary? The offering of Christ’s Blood on Calvary will be offered until the end of time in the Eucharist. Each time the followers of Christ gather to share in the meal of their salvation, they share in the Blood of the New Covenant established by Christ.

23. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Why was Christ pierced? He appeared to be dead. The soldier wanted to ensure it. How do two Old Testament prophecies come together in Christ’s piercing? First, the Mosaic Law forbade the breaking of any of the bones of the Passover lamb; by not breaking Christ’s legs, the Gospels confirm that Christ is the New Passover Lamb. Second, at the time of Christ, wine was drunk after mixing in water. The Blood and water spilling from the side of Christ refers to the Eucharist, and the Church continues to mix water and wine to prepare the chalice in the celebration of the Eucharist. What does the rending (tearing) of the curtain of the Temple signify? The separation between God and his people was ended.

24. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
THE BURIAL OF CHRIST Why was Christ’s body placed in a tomb rather than a common grave like most crucified criminals? Two secret followers of Christ were St. Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, and St. Nicodemus, a Pharisee. They received permission from Pilate to take Christ’s Body and place it in a new tomb. Why did the chief priests ask Pilate to have Christ’s tomb guarded? They feared Christ’s followers would steal the body and claim he had risen from the dead.

25. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
THE WOMEN WHO MET THE RISEN LORD Why did a group of women go to Christ’s tomb early Sunday morning? They went to anoint the body of Christ properly, as it was done in haste Friday afternoon due to the approach of the Sabbath. Extension: The Jewish day was calculated from sunset; it lasted from sunset Friday evening to sunset Saturday evening. The women, then, went to Christ’s tomb at the break of daylight the following (Sunday) morning. To whom was the Resurrection first announced? An angel, dressed in white, announced the Resurrection to St. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. Why was St. Mary Magdalene weeping at Christ’s tomb? She thought somebody had moved or stolen the body of Christ.

26. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
How did St. Mary Magdalene finally recognize Christ? He called her by name, “Mary.” What did the disciples think of St. Mary Magdalene’s announcement she had seen the Lord? It seemed an “idle tale,” that is, untrue gossip.

27. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Closure Free write for five minutes on the relationship among the Last Supper, Christ’s Death on the Cross, and the Eucharist.