Mark Lesson*#18* The*Crucifixion* (Mark*15:*21:47)*
Review InLesson#17weexaminedMark sterserenderingofjesus trial beforepon?uspilate.foundguiltyofblasphemybythesanhedrin,a capitaloffenceundermosaiclaw,romanlawforbadethejewsfrom execu?ngjesus;hence,hewastakentotheromanprocurator, Pon?usPilate.TheretheJewishleadershipaccusedJesusnotof blasphemy,butoftreason,acapitaloffenceunderromanlaw. WeexaminedPon?usPilatecarefully,learningofhisiden?tyasthe 5 th PrefectofJudea,servingundertheEmperorTiberiasfromA.D. 26R36.Wealsoplacedhisac?onsunderthemicroscope,learning thatpilatewantedtoavoidhavingjesuscrucified,relen?ngonly whentheriotthateveryonefearedwasimminent. Reflec?ngaveryinsighVulreadingoftheGospels,Danteplaces Pon?usPilatenotinthedeepestpitofHellwithJudasIscariot,butin the ves?bule ofhellwiththosewholackedthecouragetomakea properdecision.
Preview InLesson#18weexamineJesus crucifixion,amethodofcapital punishmentintroducedbythepersiansasearlyasthe6 th centuryb.c. andemployedbythecarthaginians,macedoniansandromansun?lthe EmperorConstan?neoutlawedcrucifixioninA.D.337,outofdeference tochrist. TheGreekshadanaversiontocrucifixion,althoughthehistorian HerodotustellsofthecrucifixionofthePersianGeneralArtayctes,who commandedforcesinthe2 nd PersianinvasionofGreeceunder,Xerxes (amaincharacterinthebookofesther),480r479b.c. TheRomansusedcrucifixionfrequently,however;indeed,Crassus,the RomanGeneralwhodefeatedSpartacusintheslaverevoltof73R71B.C. crucified6,000cap?veslaves,liningtheviaappiawiththem,andthe historiantacitustellsusthatduringthesiegeofjerusalemina.d.70no fewerthan600,000jewsfoughttheromansandthosecapturedwere crucified,upto500perday.
Preview Crucifixioninvolvedaprolonged,excrucia?nglypainfuldeathbybeing nailedtoacrosswithtaperedironspikes,7r9 long,generallytaking threeormoredaysforapersontodie. Jesusdiedinsixhours,havingbeenbeatennearlytodeathpriorto beingcrucified.
CarlHeinrichBloch.Christ*on*the*Cross*(oiloncopper),1870. MuseumofNaturalHistory,Denmark.
Jesus ChiefpriestsandScribes Son*of*God,*Savior * * * * *Jesus *adversaries*and*accusers* SimonofCyrene MaryMagdalene Helps*Jesus*carry*his*cross * * * *Jesus *disciple*from*migdal*in*galilee* AlexanderandRufus Mary,motherofJamesandJoses Sons*of*Simon*of*Cyrene * * * *Disciple*from*Galilee* Romansoldiers Salome Tworevolu?onaries JosephofArimathea Jesus *execunoners * * * * *Apostle*John s*mother,*mary s*sister*(or*sister:in:law)* Crucified*with*Jesus * * * * *Receives*Jesus *body*from*pilate,*buries*jesus*in*his*tomb* Passersby Pon?usPilate The*mocking*crowd * * * * *Roman*Prefect*and*Jesus *judge* Dramatis Personae (Inorderofappearance)
* The Crucifixion They pressed into service a passer-by, * Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. (15: 21) TheTrial 7
Egypt Cyrene,Libya Cyrene*to*Jerusalem*is*a*2:week*journey*by*ship* and*land*of*approximately*1,000*miles.** Jerusalem
Ti?an.Christ*and*Simon*of*Cyrene*Carrying*the*Cross(oiloncanvas),c.1565R1570. ThePradoMuseum,Madrid.
JamesTissot.Simon*of*Cyrene*and*His*Two*Sons,*Alexander*and*Rufus** (opaquewatercolorovergraphiteongraywovenpaper),c.1896. BrooklynMuseum,NewYork.
GreetRufus,chosenin thelord,andhis mother[whohasbeen likeamothertome]. (Romans16:13) BartolomeoMontagna.St.*Paul*(oilonpanel),1482. [imagereversed] MuseoPoldiPezzoli,Milan.
EsquilineGate ThehistorianTacitusrecordsthatinRometheplaceofexecu?onwasinthe Sessorium,outsidetheEsquilineGate,whichledtoRome sgraveyard.there, hesays,uprightbeamswerepermanentlyfixedintheground,sugges?ngthat thosewhowerecrucifiedcarriedthecrossbeam,nottheen?recross.
* The Crucifixion They brought him to the place of Golgotha * (which is translated Place of the Skull). They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take. It was nine o clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, The King of the Jews. With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left. (15: 22-28) TheTrial 13
PeterGertner.Crucifixion*(oilonpanel),1537.* WaltersArtMuseum,Bal?more,Maryland. [This*is*the*portraiNst*Gertner s*only*known*religious*painnng.**note*the*detailed*facial*expressions.]**
Crucifixion Caravaggio.Crucifixion*of*St.*Peter* [upsidedown](oiloncanvas),1601. SantaMariadelPopolo,Rome. OurhistorianJosephus writesinhissiege*of* Jerusalemthat thesoldiers outofrageandhatred nailedthosetheycaught, oneameroneway,and anotherameranother,to thecrosses,bywayofjest, sugges?ngthattherewasno standardizedwaytocrucify aperson:whateverworked atthe?meandplacewould do.
Jesuswaslikelycrucifiedinamannersimilartothis,not?edbythearms,butwithhis wristsnailedtothecrossbeam,suppor?nghisweight.no?ce,too,thathisheels wouldhavebeennailedtothesides*oftheuprightthroughtheheelbones.
HeelboneofJehohanan,acrucifiedmaninthe1 st century,whoseossuary wasdiscoveredin1968ineastjerusalem.israelmuseum,jerusalem. Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
Temple (not*visible*from*this*angle) AntoniaFortress PlaceofCrucifixion
DamascusGate" HolySepulcherChurch" OldCitv Temple (DomeoftheRocktoday)
JesuswascrucifiedneartheDamascusGate.OneofsevengatesleadingintotheOldCity,itis thebusiest.theroadoutsidethegateleadstonablusandfromtheretodamascus,135miles north.thecurrentgate(above)wasbuiltbysuleimanthemagnificentin1537.
ChurchoftheHolySepulcher (siteofthecrucifixion) DomeoftheRock (TempleinJesusDay) EasternWall
ApproachingtheChurchoftheHolySepulcherontheViaDolorosa. Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
JesusontheCross" InsidetheChurchoftheHolySepulcherat Golgotha. Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
Jesus tombbeneaththerotundainthechurchoftheholysepulcher.theaediculewasoriginally builtin1555bythefranciscans,rebuiltin1810amerafiredestroyedtheoriginal, andreinforcedbyironscaffoldingsince1947.
TheEmperorConstan?neandhismotherSt.HelenabuilttheoriginalChurchoftheHolySepulcher ina.d.326.ithasbeendestroyed/damagedandrebuiltmany?mesthroughouthistory.
* The Crucifixion Those passing by reviled him, shaking * their heads and saying, Aha You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross. Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, He saved others; he cannot save himself Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe. Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him. (15: 29-32) TheTrial 26
HieronymusBosch.Christ*Carrying*the*Cross*(oilonpanel),between1510and1535.* MuseumofFineArts,Ghent.
* The Crucifixion At noon darkness came over the whole * land until three in the afternoon. And at three o clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? which is translated, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Some of the bystanders who heard it said, Look, he is calling Elijah. One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, Wait, let s see if Elijah comes to take him down. Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. TheTrial (15: 33-38) 28
Syriac*Rabbula*Gospels*(illuminatedmanuscript),c.586.** BibliotecaMediceaLaurenziana,Florence. [Earliest*crucifixion*in*an*illuminated*manuscript.**The*sun*and*moon*together,*suggest*darkness.]*
Darkness over the Land There is a full moon at Passover, so an eclipse cannot happen. The great Jesuit scholar Joseph Fitzmyer views the darkness as a literary device, one that recalls the 9 th Plague of Darkness in Exodus preceding the 10 th plague, the Death of the First Born and the Israelites redemption from slavery in Egypt. TheTrial 30
TheTabernacle HolyofHoliesandthepresenceofGod Veilsepara?ngthe HolyPlacefromtheHolyofHolies HolyPlace.
Whentheveilinthe Templewas tornintwo fromtoptobopom it providedopenaccessto * God,onceandforall throughchrist sdeathon thecross. TheTrial 32
* The Crucifixion When the centurion who stood facing * him saw how he breathed his last he said, Truly this man was the Son of God There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome. These women had followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him. There were also many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. (15: 39-41) TheTrial 33
TheWomenattheCross MaphewandMarkmen?onthreewomenbynameatthecrossand referto many[other]women. Lukemen?onsnoneindividually. Johnmen?onsfour,includingJesus mothermary. 1) Mary,themotherofJesus(atthecross,John19:25); 2) MaryMagdalene(atthecross,Maphew27:56,Mark15:40,John19:25); 3) Mary,thewifeofClopas the othermary, themotherofjamesthe youngerandjoseph(atthecross,maphew27:56,mark15:40,john19: 25); 4) MarySalome,(Jesus mother ssister)andthemotherofjamesandjohn, Zebedee ssons(atthecross,maphew27:56,mark15:40,john19:25);
NoNce*the*darkness** OtherMarys MaryMagdalene" ApostleJohn Jesus mothermary SimonVouet.Crucifixion*(oilonpanel),1622.* MuseumofFineArts,Lyon,France.
* The Crucifixion When it was already evening, since it * was the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was amazed that he was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had already died. And when he learned of it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. TheTrial 36
* The Crucifixion Having bought a linen cloth, he took him * down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid. (15: 42-47) TheTrial 37
RogiervanderWeyden.The*Descent*from*the*Cross,(oilonpanel),c.1435R1438. PradoMuseum,Madrid.
TombofJesusinsidetheAediculeattheChurchoftheHolySepulcher,Jerusalem.
GardenTombinJerusalem Although*the*Church*of*the*Holy*Sepulcher*has*a*greater*claim*to*authenNcity* as*the*tomb*of*jesus,*the*garden*tomb*(seen*here)*makes*a*much*be\er*visual* aid** Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
Golgotha,the PlaceoftheSkull, oppositethegardentomb,jerusalem Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
A* rolling*stone, *sealed*the*tomb.* Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
Interior*of*the*Garden*Tomb,*where*Jesus *body*would*be*placed.* Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
EmptyGardenTomb: Heisnothereforheisrisen. Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
SalvadorDali.Christ*of*St.*John*of*the*Cross*[detail],(oiloncanvas),1951. KelvingroveArtGalleryandMuseum,Glasgow.
Ques?onsfordiscussionandthought * 1. Jesuswasnailedtothecrossforsixhours,9:00AMto 3:00PM.Typicallyitwouldtake3R5daysforaperson todieofcrucifixion.whydidjesusdiesoquickly? 2. Whatcrimedidtheothertwomencommitwhowere crucifiedwithjesus? 3. Whoshouldhavebeenonthecentercross? 4. JustpriortodyingJesussays, MyGod,myGod,why haveyouforsakenme. WhatdidJesusmeanbythis? 5. WhowasresponsibleforJesus crucifixionanddeath?
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