THE CRUCIFIXION

OF JESUS CHRIST
LENTEN TALK SERIES
CHRONOLOGY

• Controversial but Friday the 15th of Nisan (Passover) during the governorship of Pontius
Pilate (26-37) Most consensus is 7th April 30AD or 3rd of April 33AD

• In Mark 15:25 crucifixion takes place at the third hour (9 a.m.) and Jesus' death at the
ninth hour (3 p.m.).However, in John 19:14 Jesus is still before Pilate at the sixth hour

• Observational Calendar based on the moon, sunrise/sunset (roman or jewish) and barley
harvest
HOW IMPORTANT ARE EXACT DATES?

• Early Church for some Pascha correlated with the Jewish month of Nisan- the third Sunday in
Jewish Nisan
• Quartodeciman Custom of consulting the Jewish calculation of Nisan 14 and celebrating
Pascha according to that date was formally rejected by the Church
• Council of Nicea: (1) Pascha was always after the vernal equinox, (2) it was to follow, but not
coincide with, the first full moon of spring, and (3) it was always to be on a Sunday. (4) the
date of Pascha was not to depend on the Jewish dates for Passover in any way.
• Date of Pascha was based on astronomical criterion Metonic lunar cycles with the Julian solar
year. (19 year cycles)
JEWISH PASSOVER BASIC KNOWLEDGE

• Day before Passover- fast of the Firstborn (Wednesday)

• Passover (Thursday evening to Friday Evening)
• Day of Preparation (*mostly meant prior to Sabbath but others refer to Passover)
-Feast of the Unleavened Bread with Passover for one week
• Holy Sabbath (Saturday)
JEWISH PASSOVER BASIC KNOWLEDGE

• Remembrance of the liberation from Egypt

• Rituals with scripture, prayer, blessings, food, and 4 cups of wine
• Cup of sanctification, Cup of Proclaimation, Cup of Blessings (lamb eaten), and Cup of
Praise/Consummation
INTERESTING CONSIDERATIONS

• Synoptics states Christ is crucified on Passover vs John Day of Preparation

• Mystical Supper – there is no lamb present (as would be expected) and there is artos
instead of unleavened bread. The 4th cup is not consumed
EVENTS LEADING TO CRUCIFIXION

• Jesus is anointed for his burial in Bethany

• Judas contracts to betray Jesus 30 pieces of silver
• Jesus warns against religious leaders, calling them hypocrites and snakes; From Mount of
Olives, Jesus mourns Jerusalem's rejection and pending destruction
• Passover meal (establishes the Eucharist and New Covenant Passover Meal)
• Garden of Gethsemane – Jesus prays and waits for his arrest
EVENTS LEADING TO CRUCIFIXION

• Confrontation in Garden and Jesus' Arrest

• Trial 1: Annas, former Jewish High Priest for 16 years - Jesus receives initial physical abuse
• Trial 2: Current Jewish High Priest, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin Court – Jesus bloodied by abuse
• Imprisonment at Caiaphas' palace
• Trial 3: All the Jewish elders, including the High Priest, scribes and whole Sanhedrin. They decide to ask the
Roman government to kill Jesus
• Trial 4: Hearing before Roman governor Pilate, who declares, "I find no guilt in this man.“
• Trial 5: Hearing before Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, who had jurisdiction over Galilee. Jesus
refused to answer any questions so Herod returned him quickly to Pilate
EVENTS LEADING TO CRUCIFIXION

• Trial 6: Pilate repeatedly tried to release Jesus but the Jewish leaders continued to
object. Pilate physically tortured and beat Jesus beyond recognition seeking to satisfy
the Jewish leaders. However the Jews demanded that Jesus be crucified. Pilate
resisted but eventually gave the order to execute Jesus
• 8am to 9am Pilate's Roman soldiers take Jesus into the court ("Praetorium") and
enjoy mockery and continued torture, including driving thorns into his skull

• Jesus forced to carry his own cross, then actual crucifixion

LOCATION

• Golgotha or Gûlgaltâ is "near the city" (John 19:20), and "outside the city wall" (Hebrews
13:12). Matthew 27:39 and Mark 15:29 both note that the location would have been
accessible to "passers-by".

• Place of the skull from either the skull from previous executions, a nearby cemetery, or
the contour of the land

• Also tradition regards it the “skull of Adam”

PEOPLE PRESENT

• The three Synoptic Gospels refer to a man called Simon of Cyrene who is made to carry
the cross,while in the Gospel of John, Jesus is said to "bear" his own cross.[Jn. 19:17]
• daughters of Jerusalem “do not weep for me”
• Repentant Thief (Demas by tradition) and the Unrepentant Thief Gestas (tradition)
• chief priests, with the scribes and elders, the soldiers, the centurion, bystanders, the
crowds that had assembled for this spectacle and "his acquaintances
• After the death of Jesus, of Joseph of Arimathea and of Nicodemus.
7 SAYINGS ON THE CROSS: 3 FROM LUKE 3 FROM
JOHN 1 FROM MATTHEW AND MARK
• Luke 23:34: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. FORGIVE
• Luke 23:43: Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. SALVATION
• John 19:26–27: Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother. RELATIONSHIP/THEOKOTOS
• Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34 My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? THE PSALM
• John 19:28: I thirst. PSALM PROPHECY THE CUP
• John 19:30: It is finished (final completion in the Greek) COMPLETTION
• Luke 23:46: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. VOLUNTRY PASSION MAN REDEEMED
WITH GOD PSALM
MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Scourging and trauma

• Asphyxiation
• Pericardial effusion and Pulmonary Oedema
BURIAL

• Jewish Law and Customs to remove body before sunset

• Joseph of Arimathea and of Nicodemus wrap the body in a cloth and anoint it with a
mixture of myrrh and aloes and included these spices in the burial cloth
• Roman authorities "made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the
guard.“
• Burial = death or that there was a confirmation of death
CRUCIFIXION THEOLOGY

• LOVE
• HUMILITY
• Judgement
• Atonement
• Condescension
HOLY THURSDAY

• Last/Mystical Supper of Christ with His disciples and the betrayal by Judas.
• The meaning of both is in love. The Last Supper is the ultimate revelation of God's
redeeming love for man, of love as the very essence of salvation. And the betrayal by
Judas reveals that sin, death and self-destruction are also due to love, but distorted love.
• light and darkness, joy and sorrow are so strangely mixed
• Love, Life, Communion