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 This most
solemn of all days should be marked by fasting, abstinence, and penance,
leading us to focus on Jesus upon the cross. The bare, stark appearance of
the church serves as a reminder of the solemnity and the sorrow of the day.
The Lord of Life was rejected, mocked, scourged, and then put to death on
the cross. The faithful need to be mindful of the part which their own sins
played in this suffering and agony, as Christ took all sin upon himself, in
obedience to his Fathers will. By the cross we are redeemed, set free from
bondage to sin and death. The cross is a sign of Gods never-ending love for
us. It is a sign of life, in the midst of death.
The service on this day consists of three parts: lessons and prayers,
including the recital of the passion; veneration of the cross, a devotion
showing our love and thankfulness for the gift of life given us by Jesus
death; and it may conclude with the Mass of the Presanctified from the
Sacrament consecrated on Maundy Thursday.
 The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples
across the Kidron valley, where there was a garden, which he and his
disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met
there with his disciples. So Judas, procuring a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief
priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to befall him, came forward and said to
them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he."
Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When he said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of
Nazareth." Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he; so, if you seek me, let these
men go." This was to fulfil the word which he had spoken, "Of those whom thou
gavest me I lost not one." Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's
slave and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink
the cup which the Father has given me?"
Jesus Before the High Priests
So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews
seized Jesus and bound him. First they led him to Annas; for he was the father-in-law of Ca'iaphas,
who was high priest that year. It was Ca'iaphas who had given counsel to the Jews that it was expedient
that one man should die for the people.
Peter Denies Jesus
 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. As this
disciple was known to the high priest, he entered the court of the high
priest along with Jesus, while Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was
known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the maid who kept the door,
and brought Peter in. The maid who kept the door said to Peter, "Are not you also one of this
man's disciples?" He said, "I am not." Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was
cold, and they were standing and warming themselves; Peter also was with
them, standing and warming himself.
The High Priest Questions Jesus
The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his
teaching. Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I have always
taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together; I have
said nothing secretly. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me, what I said to them;
they know what I said." When he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with
his hand, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?" Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the
wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?" Annas then sent him bound to Ca'iaphas the high priest.
Peter Denies Jesus Again
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, "Are
not you also one of his disciples?" He denied it and said, "I am not." One of the servants of the high priest, a kinsman of the man whose ear
Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" Peter again denied it; and at once the cock crowed.
Jesus Before Pilate
Then they led Jesus from the house of Ca'iaphas to the praetorium. It
was early. They themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they might
not be defiled, but might eat the passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring
against this man?" They answered him, "If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have
handed him over." Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own
law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put any man to
death." This was to fulfil the word which Jesus had spoken to show by what death
he was to die.
Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him,
"Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say
it to you about me?" Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have
handed you over to me; what have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were
of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to
the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world." Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I
am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to
bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went out
to the Jews again, and told them, "I find no crime in him.
Jesus Sentenced to Death
But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the
Passover; will you have me release for you the King of the Jews?" They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barab'bas!" Now Barab'bas was a
robber.
Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and
arrayed him in a purple robe; they came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck him
with their hands. 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." So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe.
Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" 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." 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." When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid; he entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?"
But Jesus gave no answer. 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?" 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."
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." 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, Gab'batha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the
sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" 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." Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.
 The Crucifixion of Jesus
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 Gol'gotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side,
and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, "Jesus of
Nazareth, the King of the Jews." 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. 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.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."
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; 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 fulfill the scripture, "They parted my
garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
 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
Mag'dalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near,
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour
the disciple took her to his own home.
After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the
scripture), "I thirst." A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the
vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he
bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
 Jesus' Side is Pierced
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. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other
who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did
not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there
came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness -- his testimony is true, and he knows
that he tells the truth -- that you also may believe. For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not
a bone of him shall be broken." And again another scripture says, "They shall look on him whom they have
pierced."
The Burial of Jesus
After this Joseph of Arimathe'a, 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. Nicode'mus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a
mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' weight. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the
spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 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. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at
hand, they laid Jesus there.
John 18:1-40, 19:1-37 |
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