PASSION OF CHRIST 2 - Passion Sunday Cycle C

Homily for Passion Sunday of (Cycle C)

Based on Lk 22:14-23:56 (Gospel),Is 50:4-7(First Reading) and Phil 2:6-11(Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

PASSION OF CHRIST 2

The Gospel for this Passion Sunday (Cycle C) is taken from Lk 22:14-23:56. The first title is “The Supper.” Verses 14 and 15 say: When the hour came he took his place at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them,^d ‘I have longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. Footnote ^d says “In Lk. Christ’s discourses at the supper play a more important part than in Mt and Mk, preparing us for those in Jn 13:31-17:26.”

Parallel text for verse 15 are:

1.       Lk 12:50 - There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over!

2.       Jr 31:31 - See, the days are coming - it is Yahweh who speaks-when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel (and the House of Judah).

3.       Mt 26:28 For this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

 Verse 16 says: Because, I tell you, I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled^e in the kingdom of God.’Footnote^esays “The first stage of fulfillment is the Eucharist itself, the center of spiritual in the kingdom founded by Jesus: the final stage will be at the end of time when the Passover is to be fulfilled perfectly and in a fashion no longer veiled.”

Parallel text is Mt 8:11 that says: I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob  at the feast^c in the kingdom of heaven…, Footnote ^csays“Basing their idea on Is 25:6, the Jews often described the joyous messianic era as a banquet (cf. 22:2-14; 26:29p; Lk 14:15; Rv3:20; 19:9)”.

Verses 17 and 18 say: And taking the cup,^f he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and share it among you,

because from now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the kingdom of God comes’.  Footnote ^f says “Lk distinguishes the Passover and the cup of vv. 15-18 from the bread and the cup from vv. 19-20 in order to draw a parallel between the ancient rite of the Jewish Passover and the new rite of the Christian Eucharist. Some ancient authorities, failing to understand this theological device, and disturbed to find two cups mentioned, quite mistakenly omitted v. 20, or even v. 20 with the second part of v. 19 (i.e. ‘which will be given…of me’).”

Parallel texts for verse 18 are:

1.        Mt 26:29 - From now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father.’^IFootnoteⁱ  says  “Allusion to the eschatological banquet, cf. 8:11; 22:1f. Jesus and his disciples will never meet at table again.”

2.       Mk 14:25 - I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink anymore wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.

Title 2 is “The Institution of the Eucharist.” Footnote ^gsays“Note the affinity between Luke’s text and Paul’s.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 26:26 – 29 - Now as they were eating,^f Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples. He said, ‘Take it and eat; this is my body’ (v. 26).Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them. He said, ‘Drink all of you from this (v. 27).For this is my blood, the blood of the^g covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins^h(v. 28).From now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of my Fatherⁱ (v. 29)’. Footnote ^f  says: “They have come to the Passover supper itself. The rubrics for this solemn blessing of bread and wine are laid down exactly; on to this ceremony Jesus grafts the sacramental rites of the new religious order of things which he institutes; Footnote^g  says “Add (Vulg.) ‘new’, cf. Lk 22:20; 1 Co 11:25; Footnote ^h says  “As at Sinai, the blood of victims sealed the covenant of Yahweh with his people, Ex. 24:4-8+, so on the cross the blood of Jesus, the perfect victim, is about to seal the ‘new’ covenant, cf. Lk. 22:20, between God  and man - the covenant foretold by the prophets, Jr 31:31+. Jesus takes on himself the task of universal redemption that Isaiah assigns to the ‘servant of Yahweh’, Is. 42:6; 49:6; 53:12, cf. 41:8+. Cf. Heb 8:8; 9:15; 12:24”;  andFootnoteⁱ says “Allusion to the eschatological banquet, cf. 8:11; 22:1f. Jesus and his disciples will never meet at table again.”

2.       Mk 14:22-24 - And as they were eating he took some bread, and when he has said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. He said, ‘Take it, this is my body (v. 22).’Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it (v. 23). And he said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many (v. 24).

3.       1 Co 11:23-25 - For this is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread (v. 23) and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you;ⁱ do this as a memorial of me (v.24).  In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, “This is the cup of the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it,  do this as a memorial of me (v.25).”Footnote^I says “Var. ‘This is my body, broken for you.’”

Verses 19 says: Then he took some bread and when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them saying, ‘This is my body which will be given for you; do this as a memorial of me.’

Parallel text is Jn 6:51 that says: I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone one who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,ⁿfor the life of the world.’^o Footnote ⁿsays“Add ‘that I shall give’; the phrase is, in any case, to be understood”; and Footnote ^osays“Jesus is the true bread because he is God’s Word, vv. 32f, and also because he is a victim whose body and blood are offered in sacrifice for the life of the world, vv. 51-58, cf. 6:22+. The word ‘flesh’ suggests aconnection between the Eucharist and incarnation: the Word made flesh, 1:14, is the food of man.”

Verse 20 says: He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you.’ ^h Footnote ^h says “Or alternatively ‘which has to be given’ and ‘which has to be poured out’.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Jr 31:31 - See, the days are coming - it is Yahweh who speaks-when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel (and the House of Judah)

2.       Mt 26:28 - For this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Title 3 is “Treachery of Judas foretold. Parallels are:

1.       Mt 26:20-25 - When evening came he was at table with the twelve disciples (v.20). And while they were eating,^e he said, “I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me (v.  21). They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, “Not I, Lord,  surely?” (v. 22). He answered, “Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me (v.23). The Son of Man is going to his fate, as scripture say he will, but alas to the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born” (v. 24). Judas, who was to betray him, asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi,  surely?’ ‘They are your own words,’ answered Jesus (v. 25).Footnote ^e  says “The fifth course: it preceded the Passover supper properly so called.”

2.       Mk 14:17-21 - When Evening came,  he arrived with the Twelve (v.17) And while they were at table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me, one of you who is eating with me now (v. 18).”They were distressed and asked him, one after another, “Not I, surely?” (v. 19). He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve, one who is dipping into the same dish with me (v.20). Yes, the Son of Man indeed is  going to his fate as the scripture say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. Better for that man if he had never been born” (v. 22).

3.       Jn 13:21-30 - Having said this, Jesus was troubled and declared, “I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me (v. 21).”The disciples looked at one another, wondering which he meant (v. 22).The disciples Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus(v.23). Simon Peter signed and said, ‘Ask who it is he meant (v.24), so  leaning back on Jesus’ breast he said, “Who is it, Lord?” (v. 25). “It is the one’ replied Jesus ‘to whom I give a piece of breadⁿthat I shall dip in the dish.” He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon the Iscariot (v.26).At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, “What you are going to do, do quickly (v. 27). None of the others at table understood the reason he said this (v.28). Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought  Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or telling him to give something to the poor (v.29). As soon as he had taken the piece of bread he  went out. Night had fallen  (v. 30).”Footnoteⁿ says “Lit ‘morsel’. This particular ‘morsel’ is not the Holy Eucharist; nevertheless, a comparison of 13:2,18 with 6:64,70 seems to show that there was some connection between theinstituion and Judas’ act of treachery. Cf. Lk 22:21.”

Verses 21, 22,and 23 say:  And yet, here with me on the table is the hand of the man who betrays me.The Son of Man does indeed go to his fate as it has been decreed, but alas for that man by whom he is betrayed!”And they began to ask one another which of them it could be who was to do this thing.

Title 4 is “Who is the greatest?”

Verses 24 and 25 say: A dispute arose also between them about which should be reckoned the greatest.

but he said to them, “Among pagans it is the kings who lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are given the title as ‘Benefactor’.

Parallel texts for verse 24 are:

1.       Lk 9:46 - An argument started between them about which of them was the greatest.

2.       Mt 20:25-27 - When the other ten heard this they became indignant with the two brothers(v. 24) But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and the great men make their authority felt (v. 25) This is not happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant (v. 26); and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave(v. 27), just as the Son of Man come not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom^g for many.’^h (v. 28).Footnote ^g says  “By sin man incurs, as a debt to the divine justice, the punishment of death demanded by the Law, cf. 1 Co. 15:56; 2 Co. 3:7,9; Ga. 3:13; Rm. 8:3-4, with notes. To ransom them from this slavery of sin and death, Rm. 3:24+. Christ is to pay the ransom and discharge the debt with the price of his blood, 1 Co. 6:20; 7:23; Ga. 3:13; 4:5, with notes, By thus dying in place of the guilty, he fulfills the prophesied function of the ‘servant of Yahweh’ (Is. 53). The Hebr. word translated ‘many’, Is. 53:11f, contrast the enormous crowd of the redeemed with the one Redeemer: it does not imply that the number of redeemed is limited, Rm. 5:6-21. Cf. Mt. 26:28+”; and Footnote ^h says  “At this point some authorities insert the following passage, derived probably from some apocryphal gospel ‘But as for you, from littleness you seek to grow great and from greatness you make yourselves small. When you are invited to a banquet do not take one of the places of honor, because someone more important than you may arrive and then the steward will have to say, “Move down lower”, and you would be covered with confusion. Take the lowest place, and then if someone less important than you comes in, the steward will say to you, “Move up higher”, and that will be to your advantage.’ Cf. Lk. 14:8-10.”

3.       Mk 10:42-44 - So Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that among the pagans their so-called rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority over them felt (v. 42). This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant (v. 43);And anyone who wants to be first among you will be the slave to all (v. 44).

Verses 25 and 26 say: but he said to them, “Among pagans it is the kings who lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are given the title as ‘Benefactor’.This must not happen with you. No, the greatest among you must behave as if he were the youngest, and the leader as if he were the one who serves.

Parallel for verse 26 is Lk 9:48 that says:  …and said to them, “Anyone  who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the least one among you all is the one who is great.”

Verse 27 says: For who is the greater: the one at table or the one who serves? The one at table, surely. Yet here I am among you as one who serves.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Lk 12:37 - Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them.

2.       Jn 13:4-15 …and he got up from table, remove his outer garment and, and taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist (v.4); he then  poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet^f and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing (v. 5)He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” (v. 6). Jesus answered and said to him, “At the moment you do not understand what I am doing, but later you will understand (v. 7)  ‘Never,‘ said Peter. ‘You will never wash my feet.” Jesus replied, “If I do not wash you, you can have nothing incommon with me.”^g (v. 8). ‘Then, Lord,’ saidSimon Peter, ‘not only my feet, but my hands and head as well’ (v. 9). Jesus said,‘ No one whohas taken a bath has needs washing,^h he is clean all over.ⁱYou too are clean,^j though not all of you are’ (v. 10). He knew who was going to betray him,  that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are’ (v 11).When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table.  “Do you not understand’ he said  ‘what I have done to you? (v. 12).You call me Master and Lord, and rightly so I am (v. 13). If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash one each other’s feet^k (v.14).I have given you an example to follow, so that you may copy  I have done for you (v. 15).Footnote  ^f says “The dress and duty are those of a slave, cf 1 S 25:41”; Footnote^g  says “Lit. ‘you have no share with me, a semitic phrase:  Peter is cutting himself off from his Lord and from all share in his ministry and in his glory, because he does not appreciate his Master’s outlook;Footnote^hsays“Add, ‘except for his feet.’;Footnoteⁱ  says “Peter has understood Christ’s answer, v. 8, superficially, as if a new rite of purification were being instituted. Jesus replies that his sacrifice has already achieved this purification, cf 15:2-3; 1 Jn 1:7; Heb 10:22. He explains the meaning of his action in vv. 12-15”; Footnote^jsays  “The same Greek word is used for ‘clean’ and ‘pure’’ and  Footnote^k  says “i.e. serve one another lovingly and humbly.”

Title 5 is “Reward Promised to his apostles”

Verse 28 says:  You are the men who have stood by me faithfully in my trials;

Parallel texts are:

1.       Jn 6:66-68 - After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him (v.66). Then Jesus said to the Twelve, “What about you, do you want to go away also?” (v. 67). Simon Peter answered, “Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life (v. 68).

2.       Jn 15:27 - And you will be my witnesses, because you have been with me from the outset.

Verse 29 says:and now I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me,

Parallel text is Rv 2:26-28 that says: To those who prove victorious, and keeps working with me until the end,I will give authority over the pagans (v. 26), which I myself had been given by my Father to rule them with an iron scepter, and shatter them like earthen.And I will give him the morning star (vv. 27-28).

Verse 30 says: you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Rv 3:20-21 - Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share his meal; side by side with me (v. 20).Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne just I was victorious and took my place with my Father on his throne (v. 21).

2.       Mt 19:28 - Jesus said to them, “I tell you solemnly, when all is made new^g  and the Son of Man sits on his throne of glory, you will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Footnote ^g  says “`The reference is to the messianic ‘renewal of all things’ which is to be revealed when the world ends but which, on the spiritual plane, will already have begun when Christ rises from the dead as Kyrios in the Church.”

Title 6 is “Peter’s denial and repentance foretold”

Verse 31 says: “Simon, Simon! Satan, you must know, has got his wish to sift you all like wheat;

Parallel text is Rv 20:10 that says: Then the devil, who misled them, will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are; and their torture will not stop, day and night, forever and ever.

Verses 32, 33 and 34 say:  “Simon, Simon! Satan, you must know, has got his wish to sift you all like wheat;but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail, and once you have recovered, you in turn must strengthen your brothers.’‘Lord,’ he answered, ‘I would be ready to go to prison with you and to death.’Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, by the time the cock crows today you will have denied three times that you know me.

Parallel texts of verse 32 are:

1.       Mt 16:19 - I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatsoever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatsoever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.ⁱFootnote^I says “The City of God, like the City of Death, has its gates too; they grant entrance only to those who are worthy of it. Peter has the keys. It is his function, therefore, to open or close to all who would come to the kingdom of heaven through the Church. ‘bind’ and ‘loose’ are technical rabbinic terms; primarily they have a disciplinary reference; one is ‘bound’ (condemned to) o ‘loosed’ (absolved from) excommunication. Their secondary usage is connected with doctrinal or juridical decisions: an opinion is ‘bound’ (forbidden) or ‘loosed’ {allowed). Of the household of God Peter is controller (the keys symbolize this, cf. Is. 22:22). In that capacity, he is to exercise the disciplinary power of admitting or excluding those he thinks fit; he will also, in the administration of the community, make necessary decision in questions of doctrinal belief and of moral conduct. The verdicts he deliver or the pronouncements he makes will be ratified by God i heaven. Catholic exegetes maintain that these enduring promises hold good not only for Peter himself but also for Peter’s successors. This inference, not explicitly drawn in the text, is considered legitimate because Jesus plainly intends to provide for his Church’s future by establishing a regime that will not collapse after Peter’s death. Two other texts, Lk. 22:31f and Jn. 21:15f, on Peter’s primacy emphasize that its operation is to be in the domain of faith; they also indicate that this makes him head not only of the Church after the death of Christ but of the apostolic group then and there.

2.       Jn 21:15-17 - After the meal Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.’Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs (v.15).” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep (v.  16).’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said,  “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep (v.17)

3.       Mt 8:10 - When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith^b like this.Footnote^b says  “The faith that Jesus asks for from the outset of public life (Mk. 1:15) and throughout his subsequent career, is that act of trust and self-abandonment by which people no longer rely on their own strength and policies but commit themselves to the power and guiding word of him in whom they believe (Lk. 1:20,45; Mt. 21:25p,32). Christ asks for this faith especially when he works his miracles(8:13; 9:2p; 22p, 28-29; 15:28; Mk 5:36p;10:52p; Lk 17:19) which are not so much acts of mercy as signs attesting his mission and witnessing to the kingdom (8:3+; cf. Jn 2:11+), hence he cannot work miracles unless he finds the faith without which the miracle lose their true significance (13:58p; 12;38-39; 16:1-4). Since the faith demands the sacrifice of the whole man, mind and heart, it is not an easy act of humility to perform; many decline it, particularly in Israel (8:10p; 15:28; 27:42p; Lk 18;8), or are half-hearted (Mk 9;24; Lk 8;13). Even the disciples are slow to believe (8:26p; 14;31; 18;8; 17:20p) and are still reluctant after the resurrection (28;17; Mk 16:11-14; Lk 24;11,25,41). The most generous faith of all, of the ‘Rock’ (16:16-18), the disciples leader, was destined to the shaken by the outrage of the Passion (26:69-75p) though it was to triumph in the end (Lk 22:32). When faith is strong it works wonders (17:20p; 21:21p; Mk 16:17) and its appeal is never refused (21:22p; Mk 9:23) especially when it asks for forgiveness of sin (9:2p; Lk 7:50) and for that salvation of which it is the necessary condition (Lk 8;12; Mk 16:16, cf. Ac 3:16+).”

Title 7 is “A Time of Crisis”

Verse 35 says: He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse or haversack or sandals, were you short of anything?”

Parallel text is Lk 10:4 that says:  Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road.

Verse 36 says: “No” they said. He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, if you have a haversack, do the same; if you have no sword, sell your cloak and buy one.^jFootnote^jsays“The purse to buy, the sword to procure by force, the necessities of life. All this is symbolic of a mission in a hostile world.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Lk 12:51 - Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

2.       Mt 10:34 – Do you suppose that I have come to bring peace on the earth; it is not peace I have come to bring but a sword.

3.       Lk 23:32 - Now with him they were leading away two other criminals to be executed.

Verses 37 and 38  say: Because I tell you these words of scripture have to be fulfilled in me; ‘He lethimself be taken for a criminal. Yes, what scripture says about me is even reaching to fulfillment.’“Lord,’ they said, ‘there are two swords here now.” He said to them, “That is enough!”^k Footnote ^ksays:“The apostles have taken the words of Jesus too literally and he closes the conversation abruptly.”

Parallel texts for verse 37 are:

1.       Is 53:13 - Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute, he shall divide the spoil with the mighty, for surrendering himself to death and letting himself be taken for a sinner while he was bearing the faults of many, and praying all the time for sinners.

2.       Mt 27:38 - At the same time two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and  one on the left.

Title 8 is “TheMount of Olives”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 26:30, 36-46 - After psalms had been sung they left out for the Mount of Olives (v. 30).  Then Jesus came with them to a small estate called Gethsemane;^l and he said to his disciples, ‘Stay here while I go over there to pray’(v. 36). He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him. And sadness came over him,  and great distress (v.37).  Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful to the point of death.^m Wait here and keep awake with me’  (v. 38).And going on a little further he fell on his face and prayed. ‘My Father,’ he said ‘if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it’ⁿ (v. 39). He came back to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “So you had not the strength to keep awake with me one hour? (v. 40). You should be awake and praying not to be put to the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (v. 41). Again, a second time, he went away and prayed: ‘My Father,’ he said ‘if this cup cannot pass by without my drinking it, your will be done!’ (v. 42) And he came back again and found them sleeping, their eyes were so heavy. (v. 43) Leaving them there, he went away again and prayed for the third time, repeating the same words (v. 44).Then he came back to the disciples and said to them, “You can sleep on now and take your rest.^o Behold, the hour is at hand when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners (v.45). Get up! Let us go. My betrayer is already close at hand (v.46).Footnote^l says “The name means ‘oilpress’. It lies in the Kedron valley at the foot of the Mt. of Olives”; Footnote ^m  says “The turn of phrase recalls Ps. 42:5 and Jon 4:9; Footnote ⁿ  says “Jesus feels the full ‘force of the human fear of death; he feels the instinctive urge to escape, gives expression to it and then stifles it by his acceptance of the Father’s will”; and Footnote ^o says  “Gently ironical reproach. The hour you should have stayed awake with have slipped by. Now the testing time had begun and Jesus must go through it alone; the disciples may go on sleeping if they wish.”

2.       Mk 14:26, 32-42 - After psalms had been sung they left out for the Mount of Olives (v. 26). They came to a small estate called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Stay here while I pray’(v. 32) Then he took Peter and James and John  with him. And sudden fear came over him, and great distress (v.33) And he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to the point of death. Wait here, and keep awake (v.34)  And going on a little further he threw himself to the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, this hour might pass by him(v. 35); “Abba, (Father)!’ he said  ‘Everything is possible for you. Take this cup away from me. But let it be as you, not I, would have it (v.36)” He came back and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Had you not the strength to keep awake one hour (v. 37). You should be awake, and praying not to be put to the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (v. 38).” Again, he went away and prayed, saying the same words. (v. 39). And once more he came back and found them sleeping, their eyes were so heavy; and they could find no answer for him (v.40) He came back a third time and said to them, “You can  sleep on now and take your rest. It is all over. The hour has come. Now the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinners (v.41). Get up! Let us go! My betrayer is close at hand already (v. 42).”

Verses 39 and 40 say:  He then left to make his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, with the disciples following.When they reached the place he said to them, ‘Pray not to be put to the test.’

Parallel texts for verse 39 are:

1.       Lk 21:37 - In the daytime he would be in the Temple  teaching, but would spend   at night on the hill called the Mount of Olives.

2.       Jn 18:2 - Judas the traitor knew the place well, since Jesus had often met his disciples there.

Verse 41 says:   Then he withdrew from them, about a stone’s throw away, and knelt down and prayed.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Lk 3:21 - Now when all the people had been baptized and while Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer,^j heaven opened. Footnote ^jsays  “Jesus at prayer is a favorite theme of Lk., cf. 5:16; 6:12; 9:18,28-29; 11:1; 22:41. “

2.       Jn 12:27-29 - Now my soul is troubled.^fWhat shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? But it was for this very reason that I have come to this hour (v.27) Father, glorify your name!’^g A voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again’ (v. 28).People standing by, who heard this, said it was a clap of thunder; others said, ‘It was an angel speaking to him’ (v. 29).Footnote  ^f says “This episode and Gethsemane have many details in common; the anguish of the ‘hour’ draws near, the appeal to the Father’s pity, the acceptance of death, the comfort from heaven (cf. Lk.). But we should note the dissimilarities: in Jn, Christ’s prayer for pity remains unuttered; nor does he ‘fall to the ground’ (Mt. Mk.) or ‘kneel’ (Lk).  Cf. Jn 18:4-6; 10:18+” and  Footnote^g  says “Var. ‘your Son’. The Father’s name is his person. Jesus worked for the Father’s glory; his death, now freely offered, is the completion of that work because it shows how great is the Father’s love for men, 17:6+.

Verses 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 say: “Father,’he said ‘if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine.Then an angel appeared to him,  coming from heaven to give him strength.In his anguish he prayed even more earnestly, and his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood.^lWhen he rose from prayer he went to the disciples and found them sleeping for sheer grief.‘Why are you asleep?’ he said to them. ‘Get up and pray not to be put the test.’ Footnote ^l   says “Om.Vv 43-44.”

Title 9 is “The Arrest”.   Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 26:47 – 56 - He was still speaking when Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared, and with him a large number of men armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and the elders of the people (v.47). Now the traitor had arranged a sign with them. “The one I kiss’ he had said ‘he is the man. Take him in charge (v. 48).” So he went straight up to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi’, and he kissed him (v.49) Jesus said to him, “My friend, do what you are here for.”^p Then they came forward, seized Jesus and took him in charge (v.50). At that, one of the followers of Jesus grasp his sword and drew it; he struck out at the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear (v.51). Jesus then  said to him, “Put your sword back,  for all who draw the sword will die by the sword (v.  52). Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father who would promptly send more than twelve legions of angels to my defense? (v. 53). But then, how would the scriptures be fulfilled that say this is the way it must be?” (v. 54). I was at this time that Jesus said to the crowds, “Am I a brigands that you had to set out  to capture me with swords and clubs? I sat teaching in the temple  day after day and you never laid hands on me (v.55). Now all this had happened  to fulfill the prophecies of the scriptures.” Then all the disciples deserted him and ran away.Footnote^p  says “Lit. ‘Friend, for what you are here’. To a question (‘Why are you here!’) one may prefer or a reproach (‘For what purpose are you here!) one may prefer to see in this a stereotype phrase meaning ‘do what you are here for’, ‘to your work!’ Jesus cuts short the empty show of greeting it is time for action. Cf. Jn 13:22.”

2.       Mk 14:43-50 - Even while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came up with a number of men armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and the scribes and the elders (v.43). Now the traitor had arranged a signal with them, “The one I kiss’ he had said ‘he is the man; take him in charge, and see he is guarded when you lead him away” (v. 44). So when the traitor came, he went straight up to Judas and said, ‘Rabbi!’ and kissed him (v.45). The others seized him and took him in charge (v.46). Then one of the bystanders drew his sword and struck out at the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear (v.47). Then Jesus spoke, “Am I a brigand’ he said ‘that you had set out to capture me with swords and clubs? (v. 48). I was among you teaching in the Temple day after day and you never laid hands on me. But this to fulfill the scriptures’ (v.49). And they all deserted him and ran away (v.50).

Verse 47 says: He was still speaking when a number of men appeared, and at the head of them the man called Judas, one of the Twelve, who went up to Jesus to kiss him.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Jn 18:3-11 - And he brought a cohort^a to this place together with a detachment of guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns, torches and weapons (v. 3). Knowing everything that was going to happen to him, Jesus then came forward and said, “Who are you looking for?” (v. 4)They answered him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said, “I am he.” Now Judas the traitor was standing among them v. 5). When Jesus said, “I am he,” they moved back and fell to the ground (v. 6). He asked them a second time, “Who are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus the Nazarene (v. 7).’ “I told you that I am he’ replied Jesus, ‘If I am the one you are looking, let these others go.” (v. 8). This was to fulfill the words he had spoken, “Not one of those you gave me have I lost.” (v. 10). Simon Peter, who carried a sword, drew it and wounded the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus (v. 11). Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back in the scabbard;  am I not drink the cup that the Father gave me? (v. 11).Footnote  ^a  says “A detachment from the Roman garrison in Jerusalem.”

2.       Ac 1:16 - “My brothers, the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who arrested Jesus.

Verses 48 to 53 say:Jesus said, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”His followers, seeing what was happening, said, “Lord, shall we use our sword?”And one of them struck out at the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear.But at this Jesus spoke. “Leave off!’ he said that will do!” And touching the man’s ear he healed him.Then Jesus spoke to the chief priests and captains of the Temple guards and elders who had come for him, ‘Am I a brigand‘ he said ‘that you had set out with swords and clubs?When I was among you in the Temple  day after day, you nevermovedto lay hands on me. But this is your hour; this is the reign of darkness.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Lk 19:47 - He taught in the temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried todo away with him..

2.       Lk 21:37 - In the daytime he would be in the Temple  teaching, but would spend   at night on the hill called the Mount of Olives.

3.       Lk 4:13 - Having exhausted all these ways of tempting him,^d the devil left him, to return at the appointed time.  Footnote ^dsays “Rather than ‘finished all the temptations.’”

4.       Jn 8:12 - When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: ‘I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light of life’

Title 10 is “Peter’s denials”. Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 26: 57, 69-75- The men who had arrested Jesus led him off to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled(v. 57). Meanwhile Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard,anda servant girl came up to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean (v.69).”But he denied it in front of them all. “I do not know what you are talking about’, he said (v. 70). When he went out to the gateway another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene^w’(v.71) And again, with an oath, hedenied it. ‘I do not know the man(v. 72)’. A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “You are one of them for sure! Why, your accent^x gives you away (v.73).’ Then he startedcalling down curseson himself and swearing, “I do not know the man.” At that moment the cock crew, (v.74) and Peter remembered what Jesus had said, “Before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times’. And he went outside and wept bitterly (v.75).Footnote ^w says “Nazoraios, var. (cf. Vulg.) Nazarenos.’ and Footnote ^x says “The Galilean accent.”

2.       Jn 18:15-18, 25-27 - Simon Peter,with another disciple^b followed Jesus. The disciple who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus intothe high priest’s palace (v. 15), but Peter stayed outside the door. So the other disciple,  the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who was keeping the and brought Peter in (v.16) Themaid on dutyat the door said to Peter, “Aren’t you another of that man’s disciples?” He answered, “I am not (v. 17).” Now it was cold, and  the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there were warming themselves; so Peter stood there too,  warming himself with the others (v. 18).As Simon Peter stoodthere warming himself, someone said to him,“Aren’t you another of his disciples?” He denied it saying, “I am not.”(v. 25).One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of themanwhose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” And again Peter denied it;andatonce a cock crew (v.27).Footnote  ^b says “Probably the disciple of 20:2f, whom Jesus loved’, the evangelist himself.”

Verses 54 to 65 say: They seized him then^m and led him away; and they took him to the high priest’s house. Peter followed at a distance. They had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and Peter sat down among them. and as he was sitting there by the blaze a servant girl saw him, peered at him, and said, ‘This person was with him too.’ But he denied it. “Woman,’ he said, ‘I do not know him.” Shortly afterwards someone else saw him and said, ‘You are another of them.’ But Peter replied, ‘I am not, my friend.’ⁿAbout an hour later another insisted, saying, “This fellow was certainly with him. Why,  he is a Galilean.’  “My friend,’ Peter said, I do not know what you are talking about.” At that instant, while he was speaking, the cock crew, and the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered what the Lord had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times’. And he went outside and wept bitterly. Meanwhile the men who guarded Jesus were mocking and beating him.They blindfolded him and questioned him. ‘Prophesy!’ they said ’who hit you then?’.And they continued heaping  insults on him. Footnote ^m   says “In Mt and Mk Jesus is seized immediately after Judas’ greeting; the sword episode follows, and finally the discourse by Jesus. Lk makes the arrest follow the discourse, thus emphasizing the control Jesus has over what takes place. Cf for the same emphasis, Jn 10:18+; 18:4-6”; and Footnote ⁿsays “Lit. ‘man’.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 26:57-66 - The men who had arrested Jesus led him off to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled (v. 57).Peter followed him at a distance, and when he reached high priest’s palace, hewent in and sat down with the attendants to see what the end would be (v.58).The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin wereforevidence  againstJesus,however false, on which they might passthe death sentence (v. 59). But they could not find any, though several lying witnesses came forward. Eventually two stepped forward (v. 60), and made a statement, “This man said, ‘I have power to destroy the Temple of God and in three days build it up ^s.’” (v. 61). The high priest then stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer to that? What is this evidence  these men are bringing against you?”^t(v. 62). But Jesus was silent.And the high priest said to him, ‘I put you on oath by the living God  to tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God’ (v. 63) “Yourwords are your own’, answered Jesus, ‘Moreover I tell you that from this time onward you will see ‘the Son of Manseated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’^u (v. 64). At this, the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed.^vWhat need of witnesses have we now? There! You have just heard the blasphemy (v. 65). ‘What is your opinion?” They answered, “He deserves to die! (v. 66).Footnote ^ssays “What Jesus had in fact foretold was the destruction of the Temple and of the Jewish cult of which it was the symbol, ch. 24. A new Temple was to be substituted for the old one, and this was to be, in the first place, his own body risen after three days, 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Jn. 2:19-22, but beyond that, it was to be the Church.”; Footnote ^tsays“Vulg.presents this as one question ‘Do you make no answer to the evidence these men are bringing against you?’; Footnote ^usays“‘The Power’ is equivalent to ‘Yahweh’. At the critical moment Jesus abandons his policy of the ‘messianic secret’, cf. Mk 1:34+, and unequivocally acknowledges - as he had already acknowledged to his intimates, Mt 16:16 - that he is the Messiah. But he goes further and reveals himself, not as the human Messiah of traditional expectation but as the Lord of Ps 110, cf. Mt 22:41f, and the mysterious personage of heavenly origin whom Daniel had seen in vision, cf Mt 8:20+. Henceforth the Jews will not see him except in his glory which will be manifested first in the victory of the resurrection and subsequently in the victory of the Church. Cf 23:39 and 24:30; and Footnote ^vsays“The ‘blasphemy’ lay not in Jesus’ claim to be Messiah but in his claim to divine rank.”

2.       Mk 14:65 - Some of them started spittingat him and, blindfolding him,beganhitting him with their fists and shouting, “Play the prophet.” And the attendants raised blows on him.

Title 11 is “Jesus before the Sanhedrin^o”. Footnote ^o says “Whereas Mt and Mk have two trials, Lk has only one, and that in the morning, probably held in the Tribunal’, a building adjacent to the Temple, cf. Mt 26:57+.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 26:57-66 - The men who had arrested Jesus led him off to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled (v. 57).Peter followed him at a distance, and when he reached high priest’s palace, he went in and sat down with the attendants to see what the end would be (v.58). The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were for evidence  against Jesus, however false, on which they might pass the death sentence (v. 59). But they could not find any, though several lying witnesses came forward. Eventually two stepped forward (v. 60), and made a statement, “This man said, ‘I have power to destroy the Temple of God and in three days build it up ^s.’” (v. 61). The high priest then stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer to that? What is this evidence  these men are bringing against you?”^t (v. 62). But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, ‘I put you on oath by the living God  to tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God’ (v. 63) “Your words are your own’, answered Jesus, ‘Moreover I tell you that from this time onward you will see ‘the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’^u (v. 64). At this, the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed.^vWhat need of witnesses have we now? There! You have just heard the blasphemy (v. 65). ‘What is your opinion?” They answered, “He deserves to die! (v. 66).Footnote ^s says “What Jesus had in fact foretold was the destruction of the Temple and of the Jewish cult of which it was the symbol, ch. 24. A new Temple was to be substituted for the old one, and this was to be, in the first place, his own body risen after three days, 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Jn. 2:19-22, but beyond that, it was to be the Church;”Footnote ^t says  “Vulg.presents this as one question ‘Do you make no answer to the evidence these men are bringing against you?’.”; Footnote ^u says  ”‘The Power’ is equivalent to ‘Yahweh’. At the critical moment Jesus abandons his policy of the ‘messianic secret’, cf. Mk 1:34+, and unequivocally acknowledges - as he had already acknowledged to his intimates, Mt 16:16 - that he is the Messiah. But he goes further and reveals himself, not as the human Messiah of traditional expectation but as the Lord of Ps 110, cf. Mt 22:41f, and the mysterious personage of heavenly origin whom Daniel had seen in vision, cf Mt 8:20+. Henceforth the Jews will not see him except in his glory which will be manifested first in the victory of the resurrection and subsequently in the victory of the Church. Cf 23:39 and 24:30.”; and Footnote ^v says “The ‘blasphemy’ lay not in Jesus’ claim to be Messiah but in his claim to divine rank.”

2.       Mt 27:2 - They had him bound, and led him away to hand him over to Pilate,^a the governor.Footnote^a says “Var ‘Pontius Pilate’, Cf. Lk 3:1+. In Judaea, as in all the provinces of the Empire, Rome reserved to itself power of life and death: the Jews had to approach this magistrate for confirmation and execution of the sentence they had promulgated.”

3.       Mk 14:53-64 -They led Jesus off to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes assembled together (v.53). Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the high priest’s palace, and was sitting with the attendants warming himself at the fire (v.54).The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus on which they might pass the death-sentence. But they could not find any (v.55). Several, indeed, brought false evidence against him, but their evidence was conflicting (v. 56). Some stood up and submitted this false evidence against him(v. 57), “We heard him say, ‘I am going to destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days build another, not made with hands.’” (v. 58). But even on this point their evidence were conflicting (v.59).  The high priest rose before the assembly and questioned Jesus, saying, “Have you no answer? What are these men testifying against you?” (v. 60)  But he was silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him and said to him, “Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?” (v. 61) ‘I am,’ said Jesus ‘and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven(v. 62).The high priest tore his robes, “What  need of witnesses  have we now? (v. 63).You have heard the blasphemy. What is your finding?” And they all gave their verdict: he deserved to die (v.64).

4.       Mk 15:1 - First thing in the morning, the chief priests together with the elders and scribes, in short the whole Sanhedrin, had their plan ready. They had Jesus bound, and took him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

Verses 66 and 67 say: When day broke there was a meeting of the elders of the people,^p attended by the chief priests and scribes. He was brought before their council, and they said to him, “If you are the Christ, tell us.”  “If I tell you,’ he replied ‘you will not believe, Footnote ^p says “‘elder’ here means the whole Sanhedrin, not merely one of its three component bodies (the elders); of these, Lk names the two most influential (chief priests and scribes).”

Parallel text for verse 67  isJn 10:24-25 that says: The Jews gathered round him and said, “How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly”^l (v. 24). Jesus replied, “I have told you,^mbut you do not believe me. The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness; (v.25).Footnote ^lsays “Not, as hitherto, in the enigmatic language of parable, cf. v. 6; 16:25,29. More urgently than before, 2:18; 5:16; 6:30; 8:25, the Jews press Jesus to say if he is the Messiah. In the Synoptics, the question is put by the high priest before the Passion, Mt 26:63p.”; and Footnote ^m says“Christ’s previous statements had made it sufficiently clear that he spoke as God’s envoy, cf. 2:19; 5:17f,39; 6:32f; 8:24,28f,56f; 9:37.

Verses 68 and 69 say: and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man willbe^q seated at the right hand of the power of God.’ Footnote ^q says “Lk omits the ‘you will see’ of Mt and Mk and also the allusion to Dn.”

Parallel text is Ps 110:1 that says: The Messiah: king and priest^a Yahweh’s oracle to you, my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand^b and I will make your enemies a footstool^c  for you. Footnote ^a says“The prerogatives of the Messiah, worldwide sovereignty and perpetual priesthood, cf. 2 S 7:1+; Zc 6:12-13, are no more conferred by earthly investiture than were those of the mysterious Melchizedek (Gn 14:18+. V. 1 is accepted in the NT epistles and elsewhere as a prophecy of the ascension of Christ to the right hand of the Father; and Footnote ^b says “The risen Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, Rm 8:34, Heb 10:12, 1 P 3:22.; and Footnote^csays“Cf. Jos 10:24; Dn 7:14.”

Verses 70 and 71 say: Then they all said, “So you are the Son of God then?” He answered, “It is you who say that I am.”‘What need of witnesses have we now?’  they said, ‘We have heard it for ourselves from his own lips.”

Parallel texts for verse 70 are:

1.       Ws 2:14 - Before us he stands, a reproof to our way of thinking, the very sight of him weighs our spirit down;

2.       Mt 4:3 – And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God,^c  tell these stones to turn into loaves’.Footnote^c  says “The biblical title ‘Son of God’ does not necessarily mean natural sonship but may imply a sonship which is merely adoptive, i.e., which as a result of God’s deliberate choice sets up a very intimate relationship between God and his creature. In this sense the title is given to angels (Jb. 1:6), to the Chosen People (Ex. 4:22, Ws. 18:13), to individual Israelites (Dt. 14:1, Ho. 2:1, cf. Mt. 5:9,48, etc.), to their leaders (Ps. 82:6). Were therefore it is attributed to the royal Messiah (1 Ch. 17:13, Ps. 2:7, 89:26) it does not necessarily imply that he is more than man; nor need we suppose that it has any deeper significance when used by Satan (Mt. 4:3,6) or by the possessed (Mk. 3:11, 5:7, Lk. 4:41), still less when used by the centurion (Mk. 15:39, cf. Lk. 23:47). By itself the sentence at baptism (Mt. 3:17) and at the transfiguration (17:5) suggests no more than the divine predilection for the Messiah-servant, and all probability the High priest’s question (26:63) concerns messiahship only. Nevertheless the title ‘Son of God’ can bear a further, more profound meaning of sonship in the full sense of the word. Jesus clearly insinuated this meaning when he spoke of himself as ‘the Son’ (2:37), ranked above the angels (24:36), having God for his ‘Father’ in a way others had not (Jn. 20:17 and cf. ‘my Father’ in Mt. 7:21, etc.), enjoying with the Father an altogether singular relationship of knowledge and love (Mt. 11:27). These assertions, coupled with others that speak of the Messiah’s divine rank (22:42-46), of the heavenly origin of the ‘son of  man’ (8:20+), assertions finally confirmed by the triumph of the resurrection, have endowed the expression ‘son of God’ with the strictly divine significance which will later be found, e.g. in Paul (Rm. 9:5+). During the lifetime of Christ, it is true his disciples had no clear conception of his divinity – the texts of Mt. 14:33 and 16:16 which add the title ‘Son of God’ to the more primitive text of Mk reflect, in all probability, a later stage in the faith’s development. But it is equally true that Jesus expressed with his own lips and with as much clarity as his audience could support, his own consciousness of being Son of the Father in the fullest sense. On these historical utterances the faith of the disciples rested, a faith that reached its perfection after the resurrection with the help of the Holy Spirit.”

3.       Jn 10:30-33 - The Father and I are one.^q(v. 30) The Jews fetched stones to stone him (v. 31) The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy;you are only a man and you claim to be God (v. 33).”Footnote ^q says  “The Son’s power is not other than the Father’s The context shows that this is the primary meaning, but the statement is deliberately undefined and hints at a more comprehensive and a profounder unity. The Jews do not miss the implication; they sense a claim to godhead, v. 33. Cf. 1;1; 8:24,29; 10:38; 14:9-10; 17:11,21 and 2:11+.”

Title 13 is “Jesus before Pilate^a”.Footnote^a says “Lk’s account lies halfway between the less detailed and less dramatic accounts of Mk and Mt, and the prolonged interview in Jn.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 27:11-14 - Jesus then, was brought before the governor, and the governor put this question, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus said, “It is you who say it.^f (v. 11). But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he refused to answer at all (v.12). Pilate then said to him, “Do you not hear how many charges they have brought against you?”(v. 13). But to the governor’s complete  amazement, he offered no reply him of the charges (v. 14). Footnote ^f  says “By these words Jesus acknowledges as correct, at least in a sense, what he would never have said on his own initiative. See above 26:25,64; and cf. Jn 18:33-37+.”

2.       Mk 15:2-5 - Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “It was you who say it” he answered (v. 2). And the chief priests brought many  accusations against him (v. 3). Pilate questioned him again, “Have you no reply at all? See how many accusations they are brining against you (v . 4).But to Pilate’s amazement, Jesus made no further reply (v. 5).

3.       Jn 18:29-38a - So Pilate came outside  to them and said, “What charge do you bring against this man?” (v. 29). They replied, “If he were not a criminal, we should not have handing him over to you.’ (v. 30). Pilate said, “Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law.” The Jews answered, “We are not allowed to put a man to death” (v. 31).  This was to fulfill the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way he was going to die (v. 32). So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” he asked (v. 33). Jesus replied, “Do you ask this of your own accord, or have spoken to you about me?” (v. 34). Pilate answered, ‘Am I not a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?’ (v. 35). Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom was of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind (v. 36).’‘So you are a king then? said Pilate. “It is you say it’, answered Jesus. ‘Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, and I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of the truth listens to my voice (v. 37).’ ‘Truth’, Pilate said, “What is that? (v. 38).

Chapter 23, verse 1 says: The whole assembly then rose and they brought him before Pilate.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 27:1-2 - When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people met in council to bring about the death of Jesus  (v. 1). They had him bound, and led him away to hand him over to Pilate,^a the governor.Footnote^a  says “Var ‘Pontius Pilate’, Cf. Lk 3:1+. In Judaea, as in all the provinces of the Empire, Rome reserved to itself power of life and death: the Jews had to approach this magistrate for confirmation and execution of the sentence they had promulgated”.

2.       Jn 18:28 - They then led Jesus from the house of Caiphas to the Praetorium.^d It was now morning. They did not go into the Praetorium themselves or they would be defiled^e and unable to eat the passover.Footnote^d says “The Roman procurator’s judicial court”; Footnote ^e  says “To enter a pagan house was to incur legal impurity, cf. Ac 11:2f.”

Verse 2 says: They began their accusation by saying, ‘We found this man inciting our people to revolt, opposing payment of the tribute to Caesar and claiming to be Christ, a king.’

Parallel texts are:

1.       Lk 20:20-26 - So they waited their opportunity and sent agents as men devoted to the Law, and to fasten on something he might say and so enable them to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the government (v. 20). They put to him this question, “Master, we know that you say and teach what is right, you favor no one, but teach the way of God in all honesty (v.21). Is it permissible for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”(v. 22). But he aware of their cunning and said (v. 23),“Show me a denarius. Whose head and name  are on it?” Ceasar’s’ they said.” ‘Well then he said to them, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar- and to God what belongs to God (v.25)”. As a result, they were unable to find fault with anything he had to say in public, his answer took them by surprise and they were silenced (v.26).

2.       Ac 17:7 - …they had been staying at Jason’s. They  had broken everyone of Caesar’s edicts by claiming that there is another emperor,^dJesus.”Footnote^d sys  “Actually the Christians deliberately avoided calling Jesus by the emperor’s title basileus (‘king’); they preferred ‘Christ’ (Messiah) and ‘Lord’.”

3.       Lk 24:5 - Terrified,  the women lowered their eyes. But the two men said to them, ‘Why look among the dead for someone  who is alive?’

Verses 3 to 7 say: Pilate put to him this question, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘It is you who say it,’ he replied. Pilate then said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no case against this man.” But they persisted, ‘He is inflaming the people with his teaching all over Judea; it has come all the way from Galilee, where he started, down to here.’ When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man were a Galilean;And finding that he came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he passed him over to Herod who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

Parallel texts for verse 5 are:

1.       Lk 4:44 - And he continued his preaching in the synagogues of Judaea.^lFootnote^l says “Mk reads ‘Galilee’. Lk uses ‘Judaea’ in the wide sense: the land of Israel. So also in 7:17; 23:5 (?); Ac. 10:37; 28:21.”

2.       Ac 3:14 -It was you who accused^f the Holy One^,g the Just One,^h you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer …Footnote ^f says “Var. ‘disowned’”; Footnote  ^gsays“Cf. with Ac. 4:27,30: Jesus is the ‘holy servant of God’. He is also ‘the holy one of God’ and ‘the holy one’ par excellence; Ac 2:27; Lk 1:35; 3:34; Mk. 1:24+; Jn. 6:69; Rv. 3:7”; and Footnote ^hsays“Cf. Is. 53:11; Ac. 7:52; 22:14. See also Mt. 27:19; Lk. 23:47; 1 P. 3:18; 1 Jn. 2:1.”

Title 14 is “Jesus before Herod^b”.  Footnote ^bsays“Lk only. His information comes perhaps from Manaen, ‘who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, Ac 13:1”.

Verses 8 and 9 say: Herod was delighted to see Jesus; he had heardabout and had been wanting  for a long time to set eyes on him; moreover,  he was hoping to see him some miracle worked by him.So he questioned him at some length, but without getting any reply.

Parallel texts for verse 8 are:

1.       Lk 9:9 - But Herod said, “John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?” And he anxious to see him.

2.       Mt 14:1-2 - At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus (v. 1). and said to his court, “This is John the Baptist himself; he has been risen from the dead, that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’

Verses 10to 12 say: Meanwhile the chief priests and the scribes were there violently pressing their accusations.Then Herod, together with his guards, treated him with contempt and made fun of him; he put a rich cloak^c on him, he sent him back to Pilate.And though Herod and Pilate  had been enemies before, they were reconciled that same day. Footnote ^csays“The ceremonial dress of princes: Herod’s gibe at the royal claim of Jesus, v. 3.”

Parallel text for verse 10 is  Ac 25:7 that says: As soon as Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him, making many serious accusations against him which they were unable to substantiate.

Parallel text for verse 12 is Ac 4:7 that says:  ‘This is what has come true: in this very city Herod and Pontius Pilateⁱ made an alliance with the pagan nations and the peoples of Israel, against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed.^j  Footnote ^h says ‘Anointed’ ; the Greek word is ‘Christ’; it is explained here, v. 27. According to its etymological sense”; Footnote ⁱsays“Representing respectively the ‘kings’ and ‘princes’ the Psalm mentions. For ‘Herod’, cf. Lk. 23:6-16.; and Footnote ^jsays“The ‘anointing’ that has constituted him King Messiah, ‘the Christ’, cf. Mt. 3:16+.”

Title 15 is “Jesus before Pilate again.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 27:15-26 - At festival time it was the governor’s practice to release a prisoner for the people, anyone they chose (v.15). Now there was^g at that time a notorious prisoner whose name was  Barabbas (v.16).So when the crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, “Which do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?” (v. 17). For Pilate knew it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over (v.18).Now as he was  seated in the chair of judgment, his wife sent him a message, “Have nothing to do with that man; I have been upset all day by a dream I had about him (v. 19).”The chief priests and the elders, however, had persuaded the crowds to demand the release of Barabbas and  the execution of Jesus (v.20). So when the governor spoke and asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” they said, “Barabbas!” (v. 21).‘But in that case,’ Pilate said to them, ‘what am I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” (v. 22). “Why? He asked ‘What harm has he done?” But they shouted all  the louder, “Let him be crucified!” (v.  23). Then Pilate saw that he was making no impression, that in fact a riot was imminent. So he took some water, washed his handsⁱ in front of the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.^jIt is your concern(v. 24).”And the people, to a man, shouted back, “His blood be on us and on our children^k (v.25)”Then he released Barabbas for them. He ordered Jesus  to be scourged,^land then handed over to be crucified (v.26). Footnote ^g  say “Vulg. ‘he had’”; Footnote ^h   says “Here and in v. 17, var. ‘Jesus Barabbas’, which would give peculiar point to Pilate’s question but appears to have its origin in apocryphal tradition”; Footnote ^I says “The significance of this gesture must have been well understood by the Jews, cf. Dt 21:6f; Ps 26:6; 73:13” Footnote^j  says “Var. ‘of the blood of the just man’”; Footnote ^k  says “Traditional OT phrase, 2 S 1:16; 3:29, cf. Ac 18:6, by which they accept responsibility for the death they demand”; and Footnote ^l says “In Roman practice the normal prelude to crucifixion”.

2.       Mk 15:6-15 - At festival time Pilate used to release to a prisoner for them, anyone they asked for (v. 6). Now a man called Barabbas was then in prison along with the rioters who had committed murder during the uprising (v. 7). When the crowd came went up and began to ask Pilate the customary favor, (v. 8), Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” (v. 9). For he realized  it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over (v. 10). The chief priests, however, had incited the crowd to demand that he should release Barabbas for them instead (v.11). Then Pilate spoke again, “But in that case’ he said to them ‘what am I to do with the man you call “king of the Jews?”(v. 12).They shouted again, “Crucify him (v.13). ‘Why?’ Pilate asked them, “What harm has he done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him (v.14)”So Pilate, anxious to placate the crowd, released Barabbas for them and,  having ordered Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified (v.15).

3.       Jn 18:38b-19:16 - And with that he went out again to the Jews and  said,  “I find no case against him (v.38b) But according to a custom of yours I should release one prisoner at the Passover, would you like me, then,  to release the King of the Jews?” (v. 39). At this they shouted: “Not this man,’ they said ‘but Barabbas!” Barabbas was a brigand. 19:1 Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged (v. 1); and after this, the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe (v. 2). They kept coming up to him and saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’;and they slapped him on the face (v.3). Pilate came outside again and said to them, “Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case.”^a (v. 4).  Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, “Here is the man (v. 5). When  they saw him the chief priests and the guards shouted, “Crucify him! crucify him!” Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and crucify him. I can find no case against  him (v. 6)” “We have a law,’ the Jews replied,‘and according to that Law he ought to die, because he had claimed to be the Son of God (v. 7). When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased (v. 8). Reentering the Praetorium, he said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?”^bBut Jesus made no answer (v. 9).Pilate then said to him, “Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you? (v. 10) [him], “You would have not power over me’ replied Jesus ‘if it had not been given to you from above;  that is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater guilt.”^c (v. 11) Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out, “If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.* Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” (v. 12). When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and seated him* on the judge’s bench in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha (v. 13). It was Passover Preparation Day^e about the sixth hour^f(v. 14).They cried out, “Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar (v.15)”Then he handed him over to them to be crucified (v. 16).Footnote ^a  says “Add, ‘in him’ or ‘against him’”; Footnote^b  says “i.e. not ‘what district do you come from?’ but ‘what is the secret of your origin’ Who are you?’.  First, the people of Cana, 2:9, then the Samaritan woman, 4:11, the apostles, the multitude, 6:5, the Jewish leaders, 7:27f; 8:14; 9:29f, and now Pilate, are faced with the mystery of Jesus, 16:28, 17:25, which is the theme of the whole gospel, 1:13; Footnote^c says “The Jewish leaders, Caiphas in particular, 11:51f; 18:14, but also Judas who betrayed him to them, 6:71; 13:2,11,21; 18:2,5;Footnote^d  says “Probably meaning ‘elevated place’, mound. Footnote^e  says “In the course of this day, the Passover supper was made ready (it was eaten after sunset, cf. Ex 12:6+) and everything necessary prepared so that the feast could be celebrated without violating the rest prescribed by the Law;  Footnote^f  says “About noon, the time by which all leaven had to be removed from the house; during the Passover unleavened bread (‘azymes’) was to be eaten, cf. Ex 12:15f. It is possible that the evangelist wishes to call attention to this coincidence; cf. 1 Co 5:7.”

Verses 13 to 19 say: Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the leading men and the people.“You brought this man to me,’ he said ‘as apolitical agitator. Now I have gone the matter myself in your presence and not found no case against the man in respect of all the charges you have bring against him.Nor has Herod either, since he sent him back to us. As you can see, the man has done nothing that deserves death,So I shall have him flogged and then let him go.^dBut as one man they howled, “Away with him! Give us Barabbas!”(This man  had been thrown into prison for causing a riot  in the city and for murder). Footnote ^dsays“Add v. 17 ‘He was under obligation to release one man for them every feast day’; this seem to be an explanatory gloss, cf Mt 27:15p.”

Parallel texts for verse 19 are:

1.       Ac 21:36…and indeed the whole mob was after them, shouting, “Kill him!”

2.       Ac 3:14 - It was you who accused^f the Holy One^,g the Just One,^h you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer … Footnote ^fsays“Var. ‘disowned’”; Footnote^g  say “Cf. with Ac. 4:27,30: Jesus is the ‘holy servant of God’. He is also ‘the holy one of God’ and ‘the holy one’ par excellence; Ac 2:27; Lk 1:35; 3:34; Mk. 1:24+; Jn. 6:69; Rv. 3:7.’; Footnote ^h  says “Cf. Is. 53:11; Ac. 7:52; 22:14. See also Mt. 27:19; Lk. 23:47; 1 P. 3:18; 1 Jn. 2:1”

Verses 20 to 22 say: Pilate was anxious to set Jesus free and addressed them again,but they shouted back, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”And for the third time^e he spoke to them, “Why? What harm has this man done? I have found him no case against him that deserves death, so I shall have him punished and then let him go.”^f Footnote ^e says “Lk, like Jn, emphasizes Pilate’s wish to let Jesus go free, and mentions the procurator’s  declaration of Christ’s innocence three times, cf. Jn 18:38; 19:4,6.; and Footnote  ^f says “Cf. v. 16. Lk does not say what the punishment was: in Mt. 27:27-31p it is scourging. Unlike Mt. and Mk, but like Jh, Lk regards the punishment as a conciliatory measure designed to avert a sentence not yet pronounced.”

Parallel texts for verse 22 are:

1.       Jn 18:23 - Jesus replied, “If there is something wrong in what I said point it out; but if there is no offencein it, why do you strike me?

2.       Ac 3:13 - You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham. Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant^c Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over^d and then disowned^e in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him.Footnote^c  says “The Christians see in Jesus the mysterious ‘servant’ of Is. 52:13-53:12 (quoted in part in Ac 8:32-33), cf. Is. 42:1+. See below, v. 26; 4:27,30. His ‘glorification’ by God is his resurrection, v. 15. Cf. Jn. 17:5+; Footnote ^d  says “Cf. Is. 53:12. Same allusion to the Servant Song in Rm 4:25; 8:32; Ga. 2:20; Ep 5:2,25; Ac 7:52; and Footnote ^e  says “As they disowned Moses, 7:35, himself a figure of Christ.”

Verses 23 to 25 say: But they kept on shouting at the top of their voice, demanding that he should be crucified. And their  shouts were growing louder.Pilate then gave his verdict: their demand was to be granted.He released the man they asked for, who had been imprisoned for rioting and murder, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they pleased.

Parallel text for verse 25 is Ac 3:15 which says: While you killed the prince of life.ⁱ God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses; Footnote  ⁱ – says “The one who leads his subject to full life, imparting his own life to them. In the Roman liturgy the Easter Sequence borrows the expression Dux vitae mortuusregnatvivus. This same title of ‘leader’ is given, 7:27.”

Title 16 is “The way to Calvary”. Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 22:31b-34 - And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you never read what God himself said to you (v. 1). ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is God, not of the dead, but of the living (v.32). And his teaching made a deep impression on the people who heard it (v. 33) But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they got together (v. 34).

2.       Mk 15:20b-23 – They led him out to crucify him (v. 20b).They enlisted a passer-by, Simon of  Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus^awho was coming in from the country,  to carry his cross (v.21). They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which is means the place of the skull (v. 22).  They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he refused it (v.23). Footnote ^a says“Alexander and Rufus were doubtless known to the Roman circle in which Mark wrote his gospel. Cf. Rm 16:13.”

3.       Jn 19:17 - They then took charge of Jesus,^hand carrying his own cross he went out of the city to the place of the skull, or, as  it is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.Footnote^h says “Add ‘ and led him away’.”

Verses 26 to 29 say: As they were leading him away they seized on a man, Simon from a Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and made him shoulder the cross  and carry it behind Jesus.Large numbers of people followed him, and of womentoo,^g who mourned and lamented for him.But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep rather for yourselves and for your children.For the days will surely come when people will say, ‘Happy are those who are barren, the wombs that never borne, the breasts that never suckled.’Footnote^gsays “The Talmud records that noblewomen of Jerusalem were accustomed to give soothing drinks to condemned criminals.”

Parallel texts for verse 29 are: 

1.       Lk 11:27 - Now as he was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!

2.       Ho 9:14 - Give them, Yahweh - what are you to give? -give them  wombs that miscarry,and dried breasts!

Verse 30 says: At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!

Parallel text is Ho 10:8 says: The idolatrous high places shall be destroyed - the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall upon us!”

Verse 31 says: For if men use the green wood like this, what will happen when it is dry?^h Footnote ^h says “If greenwood is burnt that is not meant for burning (allusion to Christ’s condemnation), what is to happen to the dry wood (the truly guilty).”

Parallel text is Ezk 21:3,8 that says: Say to the forest in the Negeb: Hear the word of Yahweh ! The Lord Yahweh says this: Listen! I am about to kindle a fire in you that will burn up every green tree as well as every dry one; it will be an unquenchable blaze and every face will be scorched by it from the Negeb to the North (v. 3). No I set myself against you; I am about to unsheathe my sword and to kill both upright man and sinner^b (v. 8). Footnote ^bsays“Ezekiel again enunciates the ancient principle of collective punishment; he confronts it elsewhere, 14:12+, with that of the individual responsibility.”

Verse 32 says: Now with him they were also leading out two other criminals to be executed.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Lk 22:37 - Because I tell you these words of scripture have to be fulfilled in me, namely, ‘He let himself be takenfor a criminal.Yes, what scripturesays about me is even now reaching its fulfillment.’

2.       Is 53:2 - Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute, he shall divide the spoil with the mighty, for surrendering himself to death and letting himself be taken for a sinner while he was bearing the faults of many, and praying all the time for sinners.

Title 17 is “The crucifixionⁱ”. Footnote  ^Isays“A comparison with Mk and Mt shows how Lk has softened the harshness of Calvary: Lk’s crowd, vv. 27,35,48, is more inquisitive than hostile, and repents in the end, v. 48; Jesus does not utter the seemingly despairing cry. ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’; Christ’s ministry  of forgiveness goes on to the last, vv. 34, 39-43; he dies committing his spirit into the hands of his Father, v. 46.”

Parallel texts for the title are: 

1.       Mt 27:35-38 - When they had finished crucifying him, they shared out his garments by casting lots^q (v. 35); and then sat down and stayed there keeping guard ove him (v.36). Above his head was placed the charge against him; it read: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews (v.37). At the same time two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left (v.38). Footnote ^q says “Add. ‘that the saying of the prophet might be fulfilled: they divided my garments between them and for my robe they cast lots’ (Ps 22:18) a gloss taken from Jn 19:24.”

2.       Mk 15:24-28 - Then they crucified him and shared out his clothing, casting lots to decide what each should get (v.24). It was the third hour^bwhen they crucified him (v. 25). The inscription giving charge against him read, “The King of the Jews” (v. 26). And  they crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left^c(v. 27).Footnote^b says“9 a.m. or, more vaguely, sometime between 9 a.m. and noon”; and Footnote ^csays“Add. V. 28 ‘And the text of scripture was fulfilled that says: He was taken for a criminal’ (Is 53:12). CfLk 22:37.”

3.       Jn 19:17-24 - They then took charge of Jesus,^hand carrying his own cross he went out of the city to the place of the skull, or, as  it is called in Hebrew, Golgotha (v.17),where they crucified him with two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle (v.18). Pilate  wrote out a notice and had it fixed on the cross; it ran, “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews (v. 19) ‘. This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was now far from the city, and the writing  was  in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek (v.20). So the  Jewish chief priests said to Pilate, “You should not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but ‘This man said: I am the King of the Jews’ (v. 21).  Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written” (v.  22).  When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus, they took his clothing and divided them into four shares, one for each soldier.  His undergarment was seamless,ⁱ woven in one piece, from neck to hem (v.23);so they said to one another, “Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide who is to have it”. In  this way the words of scripture were fulfilled: “They shared out my clothing among them. They cast lots for my clothes.”  This is exactly what the soldiers did (v. 24).Footnote^h says “Add. ‘and led him away.’”; and Footnote ⁱ  says “Possible allusion to the priesthood of the crucified: the high priestly robe was without seam”.

Verses 33 and 34 says: When they reached the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the two criminals also, one on the right, the other on the left.Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.” Then they cast lots to share out his clothing.

Parallel texts for verse 34 are:

1.       Ps 22:18 - They divided my  garments among them and cast lots for my clothes.

2.       Ac 7:60 –Then he knelt down and said aloud, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and with these words, he fell asleep.

Verse 35 says: The people stayed there watching him. As for the leaders, they jeered at him. “He saved others,’ they said ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God,  the Chosen One.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 27:39-43 - The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads (v. 39) and said, “So you who would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days!Then save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”(v. 40).The chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him in the same way. (v. 41) “He saved others’ they said ‘he cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him (v.42).He puts his trust in God; now let God rescue him if he wants him. For he did say, ‘I am the son of God”’ (v. 43).

2.       Mk 15:29-32a - The passers-by jeered him; they shook their heads and said, “Aha! So you who would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days (v. 30)! Then save yourself and come down from the cross” (v.  31). The chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves in the same way. “He saved others,’ they said he cannot save himself (v.32). Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.”(v. 32a).

3.       Lk 2:26 -It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death until he had set his eyes on the Christ of the Lord.ⁱ Footnote ⁱ says“‘the Christ of the Lord’ is the one whom the Lord anoints, cf. Ex 30:22+, i.e. consecrates for a saving mission: the king of Israel, God’s chosen prince, is thus consecrated and thus, pre-eminently, the messiah who is to establish the kingdom of God.”

4.       Lk 9:35 - And a voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, the chosen One.^hListen to him.”Footnote^h says “Var. ‘the Beloved’; cf. Mt and Mk. The titles ‘Chosen One’, cf. 23:33; Is 42:1, and ‘Son of Man’ alternate in the Parables of Enoch.”

5.       Jn 1:34 -Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God’^z. Footnote^z –says “Var. ‘the Son of God.’

Verse 36 and 37 say: The soldiers mocked him too, and when they approached to offer him vinegar

they said, “If you are king of the Jews, save yourself.

Parallel text for verse 37 is Mt 27:48 that says: And one of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegar^u, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink. Footnote ^u says “Sour drink of the Roman soldier. Probably the gesture was sympathetic, cf. Jn 19:28f; the Synoptics regard it as malevolent (Lk 23:36) and describe it in terms that recall Ps 69:21.”

Verse 38 says: Above him there was an inscription: “This is the King of the Jews. Parallel text is Jn 19:19 that says: Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran, “Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.

Verses 39 to 43 say: Now one of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.” But the other up and rebuked him. “Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it; we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” ‘Jesus,’ he said,  remember me when you come into your kingdom.’^kIndeed, I promise you,’ he replied ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’ Footnote ^k says “Or else ‘in your kingly power’, i.e. to establish your kingdom. Var. ‘when you come with (i.e. in possession of) your kingdom.”

Parallel texts for verse 39 are:

1.       Mt 24:44 - Even the robbers who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

2.       Mk 15:32b -Even those who were crucified with him taunted him

Title 18 is “The death of Jesus.” Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 27:45-50 - From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until  the ninth hour^r (v.45). And about ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”^s (v. 46). When some of the those who stood there heard this, they said, “The man is calling on Elijah^t (v. 47),” and one of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegar^u, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink (v.48). ‘Wait,’said the rest of them ‘let us see if Elijah comes to save him (v.49) ” But Jesus, again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit (v.50).Footnote ^r  says “From noon to three in the afternoon”; Footnote ^s  says “A cry of real distress but not of despair: this lament which Jesus takes from the scriptures is a prayer to God and is followed in the Psalm by an expression of joyful confidence in final victory”;  Footnote ^t  says “Malicious play on words based on the expectation of Elijah as the Messiah’s precursor, cf. 17:10-13+”;  and Footnote ^u says “Sour drink of the Roman soldier. Probably the gesture was sympathetic, cf. Jn 19:28f; the Synoptics regard it as malevolent (Lk 23:36) and describe it in terms that recall Ps 69:21.”

2.       Mk 15:33-37 - When the sixth hour came there was darkness over the whole land until theninth  hour (v.33) And at the ninth hour  Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” whichmeans, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ (v. 34) Whensome of thosewho stood by heard this, they said, “Listen, he is calling on Elijah (v.35). Someone ran and soaked a sponge invinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait and see if Elijah will come to take him down (v. 36). But Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last (v. 37).

3.       Jn 19:25-30 - Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother^j and his mother’s sister,^k Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala (v.25). Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved near her, Jesus said to his mother, “Woman, this  your son (v. 26).’ Then to the disciple he said, “This is your mother.”^l And from that moment the disciple made a place for her into his home (v.27). After this, Jesus knew  that everything had now completed, and to fulfill the scripture perfectly, he said, “I thirst.” (v. 28) A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in vinegar on a hyssop stick^mthey held it up to his mouth (v. 29). After Jesus had taken the vinegar, he said, “It is accomplished”;ⁿ And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.^oFootnote ^j  says “Her presence is mentioned only by John. Cf. 2:1+”; Footnote ^k  says “Either Salome, mother of the sons of Zebedee (cf Mt 27:56p) or else if the phrase refers to what follows, ‘Mary, the wife of Clopas’; Footnote ^l  says “The reference to the OT (vv. 24,28,36,37) and the unusual term ‘woman’ suggest that the evangelist sees more in this than the gesture of a dutiful son: namely, a declaration that Mary, the new Eve is the spiritual mother of all the faithful, here represented by the beloved disciple”; Footnote ^m says “Conj. ‘on a spear’; Footnote ⁿ say  “i.e. the Father’s work as foretold by the scriptures: the salvation of the world through the sacrifice of Christ. Jn does not record the desolate cry of Mt 27:46 and Mk 15:34: it is the calm majesty of Christ’s death that he wishes to emphasize. Cf. Lk 23:46; Jn 12:27+; and  Footnote ^o says “The last breath of Jesus is a token of the outpouring of the spirit, 1:33+; 20:22.”

Verses 44 to 46 say: It was now about the sixth hour and, with the sun eclipsed, a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The veil of the Temple was torn right down the middle, And when Jesus had cried out in a loud voice,  he said ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”. With these words he breathed his last.

Parallel texts for verse 46 are:

1.       Ps 31:5 -…into your hands I commit my spirit, you have redeemed me Yahweh.

2.       Ac 7:60 - Then he knelt down and said aloud, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and with these words, he fell asleep.

Verse 47 says: When the centurion saw what had happened he gave praise to God and said, “This was a great and good man.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 27:51-56 - At that, the veil of the Temple^v was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked; rocks were split;^w (v. 51). The tombs opened, and the bodies of many holy man rose from the dead (v. 52), and these, after his resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to number of people (v.53). Meanwhile, the centurion, together with others guarding Jesus, had seen the earthquake and all that was taking place, and they were terrified and said, “In truth this was the Son of God!” (v. 54). And many women were there, watching from a distance, the same women who had followed Jesus from Galilee, and looked after him (v.55). Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons (v. 56). Footnote  ^v says “Either the curtain which hung in front of the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, cf. Ex 26:31f. Following Heb9:12; 10:20, Christian tradition saw in this tearing of the veil the abrogation of the old Mosaic cult and the way opened up by Christ into the messianic sanctuary.”; Footnote ^w says “This remarkable phenomena, like the darkness mentioned in v. 45, were foretold by the prophets as unmistakable sign of the ‘days of Yahweh’, cf. Am 8:9+. 

2.       Mk 15:38 – 41 -And the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom (v.38).  The centurion, who was standing in front of him, had seen how he had died, and he said, “In  this man was a son of God!”^e(v. 39). There were some women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome.^f (v. 41). These used to follow him and look after him when he was in Galilee. And there were also many other women there who had come up with him to Jerusalem with him (v. 41). Footnote ^e say “For the Roman officer, this admission would not have its full Christian content, but Mk clearly sees in it a pagan’s acknowledgement that Jesus was more than man.”; Footnote ^f  says “Probably the woman whom Mt (27:56) calls ‘the mother of the sons of Zebedee’.”

3.       Jn 19:31-37 - It was Preparation Day, and prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the Sabbath-since that Sabbath was a day of special solemnity-the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken^p and the bodies taken away (v.31). Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man  who had been crucified with him and then of the other (v. 32). When they came to Jesus, they found^q  he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs, (v. 33) one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water.^r(v. 34). This is the evidence of one who saw it^s-trustworthy evidence, and he knows^t he speaks the truth-and he gives it so that you may  believe as well (v.35). Because all this happened to fulfill the words of scripture: “Not one bone of his will be broken.”^u And again in another place scripture says: They will look on the one whom they have pierced.^v (v. 37). Footnote ^p says “ To hasten death.”; Footnote ^q  says “Var. ‘when they saw’.; Footntoe ^r says “Var. ‘water and blood’. The significance of the incident is brought out by two texts of scripture (vv. 36f). The blood shows that the lamb has truly been sacrificed for the salvation   of the world, 6:51; the water, symbol of the spirit, shows that the sacrifice is real source of grace. Many of the Fathers, not without good reason, interpreted the water and blood as symbols of baptism and the Eucharist and these two sacraments as signifying the Church which is born like a second Eve from the side of another Adam, cf. Ep 5:23-32.; Footnote ^s says “The disciple of v. 26, probably the evangelist himself.; Footnote ^t says “Referring either to ‘the one who saw’ or else to God (or Christ) whom the one who saw’ calls to witness; Footnote ^u  says “Two texts are here combined: one from a Psalm describing how God protects the virtuous man persecuted (cf. Ws 2:18-20), of whom the ‘servant of Yahweh’ (Is 53) is the ideal example; the other, a ritual instruction for the preparation of the Passover lamb. Cf. Jn 1:29+ and 1 Co 5:7.; Footnote ^v  says “They will look’, in the Johannine sense of ‘see and understand’, cf. 3:14+. For Jn, the Roman soldier symbolizes the pagans who will be converted, cf. 12:20-21,32 and notes. Similarly, Mt 27:54+ and Mk 15:39+. Cf also Lk 23:47,48; Mt 24:30; Rv 1:7.

Verse 48 says: And when all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they went home beating their breasts.

Parallel text is Ac 3:14 that says: It was you who accused^f the Holy One^,g the Just One,^h you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer …Footnote ^f  say“Var. ‘disowned’”; Footnote ^g  says “Cf. with Ac. 4:27,30: Jesus is the ‘holy servant of God’. He is also ‘the holy one of God’ and ‘the holy one’ par excellence; Ac 2:27; Lk 1:35; 3:34; Mk. 1:24+; Jn. 6:69; Rv. 3:7.  ^h – Cf. Is. 53:11; Ac. 7:52; 22:14. See also Mt. 27:19; Lk. 23:47; 1 P. 3:18; 1 Jn. 2:1.”

Verse 49 says: All his friends stood at a distance; so also did the women who had accompanied him from Galilee, and they saw all this happen.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Lk 8:2-3…as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary, surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out (v. 2). Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their own resources (v. 3).

2.       Lk 24:10 - The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. The other women with them also told  the apostles…

Verse 50 says Then a member of the council arrived, an upright and virtuous man named Joseph.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 27:57-61 - When it was evening, there came a rich man of Arimathea, called Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus (v. 58). This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate thereupon ordered it to be handed over (v.58).Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean shroud (v. 59), and put it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock. He thenrolled a large stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away (v.60). Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulcher (v. 61).

2.       Mk 15:42-47 - It was now evening, and since it was the Preparation Day (that is, the vigil of the Sabbath) (v. 42), there came Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council,^g who himself lived in the hope of seeing the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus (v. 43). Pilate, astonished that he shouldhave  died so soon, summoned the centurion and inquired if he was already dead^h (v.44). Having been assured of this by the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph (v.45), who bought a shroud, took Jesus down from the cross, wrapped him in the shroud and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb (v.46). Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseswere watchingand took note of where he was laid (v.47). Footnote ^g says “i.e. the Sanhedrin.;and Footnote ^h says  “Var ‘if he had been dead for some time.’”

3.       Jn 19:38-42 - After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was  a disciple of Jesus-though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews- asked Pilate tolet him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission,so they^w came and took itaway (v.38). Nicodemus cameas well- the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time-and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about one hundred pounds (v. 39) They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloth, following the Jewish burial custom (v.40). At the place where he had been crucified, there was a garden, and in this garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried (v.41). Since it wasJewish  Day of Preparation and the tomb was near at hand,they laid Jesus there (v. 42). Footnote ^w  says “Var ‘he’.”

Verse 51-56  say: He had not consented to what the others had planned and carried out. He came from Arimathea, a Jewish town, and he lived in the hope of  seeing the kingdom of God.This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.He then took it down, wrapped it in a shroud and put him in a tomb  hewn in a rock in which no one had yet been laid.It was PreparationDay  and the sabbath was imminent.Meanwhile the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus were following behind.They took note of the tomb and the position of the body.Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.  And on the sabbath day they rested, as the Law requires.

Parallel text is Mk 16:1 that says: When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdala, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices with which to go and anoint him.

The First Reading is taken from Is 50:4-7.

Verse 4 says: The Lord Yahweh has given mea disciple’s tongue.So that I may know how to reply^c to the wearied he provides me with speech.Each morning he wakes me to hear, to listen like a disciple.

Parallel is Jn 3:11 that says:Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.

Verse 5 says:The Lord GOD opened my ear;^dI did not refuse, did not turn away.Footnote^d  says“The servant, cf. 42:1+, is here not so much a prophet as a sage inspired by Yahweh.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Ps 40:6 - You, who wanted no sacrifice or oblation, opened^b my ear, you asked no holocaust or sacrifice for sin; then I said, ‘Here I am! I am coming!”Footnote ^b  says “Lit ‘dug out’. God sees to it that his servant knows his will, cf. Is 50:5. A Greek variant, ‘you have fashioned a body for me, was interpreted messianically and applied to Christ, Heb 10:5.”

2.       Is 52:-53:12 - Fourth Song of the Servant of Yahweh^k See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights (v. 13).As the crowds were appalled on seeing him^l, so disfigured did he look that he seemed no longer human^m(v. 14),So will the crowds be astonished at himⁿ, and kings stand speechless before him; for they shall see something never told and witness something never heard before (v. 15); Who could believe what we have heard and to whom has the power of Yahweh revealed? (Chapter 23, v. 1). He grew up in front of us^a like a shoot^b in arid ground; without beauty, without majesty (we saw him), no looks to attract our eyes (v. 2), a thing despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering, a man to make people screen their faces^c; he was despised and we took no account of him (v. 3). And yet ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried. But we, we thought of him as someone punished, struck by God, and brought low (v. 4).Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins. On him lies a punishment that brings us peace, and through his wounds we are healed (v. 5). We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way; and Yahweh burdened him with the sins of us all(v. 6). Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly, he never opened his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughterhouse, like a sheep dumbed before its shearers, never opening his mouth (v. 7). By force and by law, he was taken^d, would anyone plead his cause? Yet, he was torn away from the land of the living; for our^f faults struck down in death (v.8).They gave him a grave with the wicked, a tomb with the rich^g, though he had done no wrong, and there had been no perjury in his mouth (v.9). Yahweh had been pleased to crush him with suffering^h. If he offers his life in atonement, he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life, and through him what Yahweh wishes will shall be done(v.10).His soul’s anguish over he shall see the light;^I and be content;^j By his sufferings shall my servant  justify many, taking their faults on himself (v. 11). Hence I will great whole hordes his tributes, he shall divide the spoil with the mighty, for surrendering himself to death, and letting himself be taken for a sinner while he was bearing the faults of many, and praying all the time for sinners (v.12). Footnote ^k  says “On the meaning of this song, cf. 42:1+. The poem is apparently in dialogue form. First Yahweh delivers an oracle, v. 13, then the kings of the nation speak, vv. 14 f, and next the people; the poem ends with a further oracle, 53:11-12. It is difficult to decide, however, precisely where the speaker changes.”; Footnote ^l says  ‘On seeing him’ Targ, and Syr.; ‘on seeing you’ Hebr.; Footnote ^m  says “A DSIa variant suggests the translation ‘By my anointing I took his human appearance from him;’ Footnote ⁿ says ‘will be astonished’ following Greek and Lat.; ‘he will come to leap’ Hebr.; Is 53:1 -12; Footnote  ^a  says “‘in front of us’ corr,; ‘in front of him’ Hebr.; Footnote ^b  says “In 11:1,10, Immanuel is a ‘root’. Footnote ^c says “The expression was used of lepers.; Footnote ^d  says “Suggesting that the servant has been condemned by process of law; Footnote ^e  says ‘cause’ corr.; ‘generation’, ‘descent’ Hebr. Interpretation uncertain. The ‘who will explain his descent?’ of the Greek and Lat. Has been taken by Christian tradition to refer to the mysterious origin of Christ; the Hebr. dor( a generation) cannot however bear this sense. Footnote ^f  says ‘our’ corr.; ‘of my people’ Hebr. Footnote ^g  says “With DSIa, Hebr. ‘in his death he is with the rich man’. Early Christian preaching seems to have had this text in mind when recording the burial of Jesus in the tomb of Joseph Arimathea, ‘a rich man’, Mt 27:57-60. It is possible to correct to ‘in his death he is with the evil-doers’, Lk. 22:37 which, however, refers rather to v. 12. Footnote ^h  says ‘with suffering’ corr., cf. versions; ‘he has pierced him’ DSIa, cf. v. 5.; Footnote ^I says “‘the light’ Greek, DSIa and DSIb; absent from Hebr.; Footnote ^j  says ‘By his suffering’ corr. following one  Hebr. MS; ‘By his knowledge’ Hebr. Before ‘servant’ Hebr. inserts ‘the just one’.

Verse 6 says:I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who tore out my beard; My face I did not hide from insults and spitting.^e Footnote  ^e  says“The description of the servant’s suffering recurs in the fourth song, 52:13-53:12.”

Verse 7 says:The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; Therefore I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Ezk 3:8-9 - But now I will make you as defiant as they are, and as obstinate as they are; I am going to make your resolutions as hard as diamond, and diamond is harder than flint. So, do not be afraid of them, do not be overwhelmed by them, for they are a set of rebels (vv. 8-9).

2.       Ps 25:3 - No, those who hope in you are never shamed, shame awaits disappointed traitors.

The Second Reading is from Phil 2:6-11.

Verse 6 says: His state was divine,^e  yet he did not cling to his equality with God^fFootnote ^e - Lit. ‘Who subsisting in the form of God’: here ‘form’ means all the attributes that express and reveal the essential ‘nature’ of God; Christ, being God, had all the divine prerogatives by right; and Foonote^f says“Lit. ‘did not deem being on an equality with God as something to grasp’ or ‘hold on to’. This refers not to his equality by nature ‘subsisting in the form of God’, and which Christ could not have surrendered, but to his being publicly treated and honored as equal to God which was a thing that Jesus (unlike Adam, Gn 3:5,22, who wanted to be seen to be like God) could and did give up in his human life.”

Parallel texts  are:

1.       Jn 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word,^athe Word was with God and the Word was God (v . 1). He was in the beginning with God (v.2).Footnote^a says“The O.T. speaks of the Word of God, and of his wisdom, present with God before the world was made, cf. Pr. 8:22+; Ws. 7:22+, by it all things were created, it is sent to earth to reveal the hidden designs of God; it returns to him with its work done, Is. 58:10-11, Pr. 8:22-36, Si. 24:3-22, Ws. 9:9-12.  On its creature role, cf. also Gn. 1:3,6 etc.: Is 40:8,26, 44:24-28; 48:13, Ps. 33:6, Jdt. 16:14, Si.42:15; on its mission, cf. Ws. 18:14-16, Ps.107:20; 147:15-18.  For John, too, 13:3, 16:28, the Word existed before the world in God, 1:1-2, 8:24+, 10:30+. It has come on earth, 1:9-14, 3:19, 12:46, cf. Mk 1:38+, being sent by the Father; 3:17,34,5:36, 43, 6:29, 7:29, 8:42, 9:7, 10:36, 11:42, 17:3,25,cf. Lk 4:43, to perform a task, 4:34+, namely, to deliver 3:11+, 8:21, 12:35, 13:3, 16:5, 17:11, 13, 20:17.  The incarnation enabled the N.T. and especially John, to see this separately and eternally existent Word-Wisdom as a person.”

2.       Jn 17:5 - Now, Father, it is time to glorify me with the glory I had with you^f before ever the world was.Footnote^f  says“Var. ‘the glory which was with you’ or ‘the glory with which I was’ or ‘the glory with you’.

3.       Col 1:15-20 - Christ is the head of all creation^e He is the image of the unseen God, and the firstborn of all creation (v. 15), for him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers - all things were created through him and for him (v. 16). Before any thing was created, he existed, and he holds all things in unity (v.17). Now the church is his body, he is the head, ^f As he is the Beginning, he was first to be born from the dead, so that he should be first in every way(v.18). Because God wanted all perfection to be found in him^g(v. 19), and all things to be reconciled through him and for him,^h everything in heaven and everything on earth,ⁱ when he made peace by his death on the cross ( v. 20).Footnote^e  says “In this poem Paul introduces two ways in which can claim to be the ‘head’ of everything that exists:1. He is the head of creation, of all that exists naturally, vv. 15-17; 2. He is head of the new creation and all that exists supernaturally through having been saved, vv. 18-20. The subject of the poem is the pre-existent Christ, but considered only in so far as he is manifest in the unique historic person that is the Son of God made man, cf. Ph 2:5+. It is as the incarnate God that Jesus is the ‘image of God’, i.e. his human nature was the visible manifestation of God who is invisible, cf.Rm 8:29+, and it is as such, in this concrete human nature, and as part of creation, that Jesus is called the ‘first born of creation’ - not in the temporal sense of having been born first, but in the sense of having been given the first place of honor.”; Footnote ^f says“On the church a Christ’s body, cf. 1 Co. 12:12f, he is called the ‘head’ of his own body both in a temporal sense (v. 18, i.e., he was the first to rise from the dead) and in a spiritual sense (v. 20, i.e. he is the leader of all the saved).”; Footnote ^g  says“Lit. ‘because (God) wanted the pleroma to dwell in him”. The exact meaning of the word ‘pleroma’ (i.e. the thing that fills up a gap or hole, like a patch, cf. Mt. 9:16) is not certain here. Some writers have thought it must mean the same as in 2:9 (the fullness of divinity that filled Jesus) but since vv. 15-18 have already dealt with the divinity of Jesus, it seems likely that the reference here is to the biblical concept of the entire cosmos as filled with the creative presence of God, cf. Is. 6:3, Jr. 23:24, Ps. 24:1, 50:12, 72:19, Ws. 1:7, Sir. 43:27, etc. The concept was also widespread in the Graeco-Roman world. Paul teaches that the incarnation and resurrection make Christ head not only of the entire human race, but of the entire created universe (cosmos), so that everything that was involved in the fall is equally involved in salvation, cf. Rm. 8:19-23, 1 Co. 3:22f, 15:20-28, Ep. 1:10, 4:10, Ph. 2:10f., 3:2f, Heb. 2:5-8, Cf. 2:9+.; Footnote  ^h says“i.e. through and for  Christ, cf. the parallel ‘though him and for him’ of v. 16. Alternatively, it could read “God wanted everything…to be reconciled to himself, though him who made peace…’ cf. Rm 5:10; 2 Co 5:18f.”; and Footnote ⁱ  says“This reconciliation of the whole universe (including angels as well as human beings) means not that every single individual will be saved, but that all who are saved will be saved by their collective return to the right order and peace of perfect submission to God. Any individual who do not join this new creation through grace will be forced to join it, cf. 2:15; 1 Co 15:24-25 (the heavenly spirits) and 2 Th 1:8-9; 1 Co 6:9-10; Ga. 5:21; Rm 2:8; Ep 5:5 (men).”

4.       Heb 1:3 - He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature,^c sustaining the universe by his powerful command; and now that he has destroyed the defilement of sin, he has gone to take his place in heaven at the right hand of divine Majesty.Footnote^c  says  “These two metaphors are borrowed from the Sophia and logos theologies of Alexandria, Ws 7:25-26; they express both the identity of nature between Father and Son, and the distinction of person. The Son is the brightness, the light shining from its source, which is the bright glory, cf. Ex. 24:16+, of the Father (‘Light from Light’). He is also the replica, cf. Col 1:15+, of the Father’s substance, like an exact impression made by a seal on clay or wax, cf. Jn 14:9.”

Verse 7  says: but emptied himself^g to assume the condition of a slave,^h and became as men areⁱ;Footnote^g  says‘He emptied himself’; this is not so much a reference to the fact of the incarnation, as to the way it took place. What Jesus freely gave up was not his divine nature, but the glory to which his divine nature entitled him, and which had been his before the incarnation, Jn 17:5, and, which ‘normally’ speaking would have been observable in his human body (cf. the transfiguration, Mt 17:1-8). He voluntarily deprived himself of this so that it could be returned to him by the Father, cf. Jn 8:50,54, after his sacrifice, vv.9-11.”; Footnote ^h says‘slave’ as opposed to ‘Kyrios’ v. 11, cf. Ga 4:1; Col 3:22f. Christ as man led a life of submission and humble obedience, v. 8. This is probably a reference to the ‘servant’ of Is 52:13-53:12, cf. Is 42:1.; and Footnote ⁱ says“Not just ‘a human being’ but a human being ‘like others’; sharing all the weaknesses of the human condition apart from sin.”

Parallel texts  are:

1.       2 Co 8:9 - Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was:^b he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.Footnote ^b  says“Lit. ‘the generosity (or perhaps ‘grace’) of the Lord Jesus’.”

2.       Rv 5:12 - …shouting, ‘The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power, riches,ⁱ wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.’Footnoteⁱ  says“Vulg. ‘divinity.’

3.       Mt 20:28…just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom^g for many.^h’Footnote^g says“ By sin man incurs, as a debt to the divine justice, the punishment of death demanded by the Law, cf. 1 Co. 15:56; 2 Co. 3:7,9; Ga. 3:13; Rm. 8:3-4, with notes. To ransom them from this slavery of sin and death, Rm. 3:24+. Christ is to pay the ransom and discharge the debt with the price of his blood, 1 Co. 6:20; 7:23; Ga. 3:13; 4:5, with notes, By thus dying in place of the guilty, he fulfills the prophesied function of the ‘servant of Yahweh’ (Is. 53). The Hebr. word translated ‘many’, Is. 53:11f, contrast the enormous crowd of the redeemed with the one Redeemer: it does not imply that the number of redeemed is limited, Rm. 5:6-21. Cf. Mt. 26:28+.”; and Footnote^h says“At this point some authorities insert the following passage, derived probably from some apocryphal gospel ‘But as for you, from littleness you seek to grow great and from greatness you make yourselves small. When you are invited to a banquet do not take one of the places of honor, because someone more important than you may arrive and then the steward will have to say, “Move down lower”, and you would be covered with confusion. Take the lowest place, and then if someone less important than you comes in, the steward will say to you, “Move up higher”, and that will be to your advantage.’ Cf. Lk. 14:8-10.”

4.       Rm 8:3 - God has done what the Law, because of our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. ^c God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body^d God condemned sin.Footnote^c  says“The mosaic Law, imposed from without, could not be an inward principle of salvation, 7:7+. Christ alone, who by his death destroyed our unspiritual nature (lit. ‘flesh’) in his own person, could destroy sin whose domain the ‘flesh’ was. Man formerly carnal is now, though union with Christ, spiritual”; Footnote ^d says“Lit. ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh and in that flesh…’

5.       Ga 4:4 - But when the appointed time^c came, God sent his son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law.Footnote^c  says “Lit. ‘fullness of time’; the phrase indicates how when the messianic age comes it will fill a need felt for centuries, rather like filling up a jug. Cf. Ac 1:7+ and Mk 1:15; 1 Co 10:11; Ep 1:10; Heb 1”2; 9:26; 1 P 1:20.”

6.       Heb 2:17 - It was essential that he should in this way become completely like his brothers so  that he could be a compassionate  and trustworthy high priest of God’s religion, able to atone for human sins

Verse 8  says: and being as all men are,^j he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross

Footnote^j- says“Lit. ‘And in fashion found as man’.”

Parallel texts  are:

1.       Is 49:4 - While I was thinking,‘I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing, and all the while my cause was with Yahweh, my reward with my God.

2.       1 P 5_6 - Bow down, then before the power of God now, and he will raise you up on the appointed day;^gFootnote ^g says “Add (Vulg.) ‘of the coming;’, cf. 2:12”.

3.       Mt 26:39 - And going on a little further he fell on his face and prayed. ‘My Father,’ he said ‘if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it’ⁿFootnoteⁿ  says “Jesus feels the full ‘force of the human fear of death; he feels the instinctive urge to escape, gives expression to it and then stifles it by his acceptance of the Father’s will.”

4.       Rm 5:19 -As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.^mFootnote^m says “Not only at the Last Judgment (for Paul regards justification as a present condition, cf. 5:1, etc.)’ but progressively as each individual becomes reborn in Christ.”

5.       Heb 5:8 - Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering.

6.       Heb 12:2 - Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which was still in the future, he endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it, and from now on has taken his place at the right hand of God’s throne.

Verse 9  says: But God raised him high^k and gave him the name^l which is above all other names^mFootnote^k says “Lit ‘super-raised him’; by the resurrection and ascension”; Footnote ^lsays “Named him ‘Lord’, v. 11; or, at a deeper level, gave him an ineffable and divine name which, through the triumph of the risen Christ, can now be expressed by the title Kyrios, Lord, cf. Ac 2:21; 3:16+.”; and Footnote ^m says“Greater even than the angels, cf. Ef 1:21; Heb 1:4; 1 P 3:22.”

Parallel texts  are:

1.       Is 52:13 - See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights

2.       Mt 23:12 - Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.

3.       Jn 10:17f - The Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again

4.       Ep 1:20-23…at work  in Christ when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven (v. 20), far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power or Dominion,^t or any other name that can be named, not only in this age but also in the age to come (v. 21) He has put all things under his feet, and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church (v. 22), which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation^u (v. 23)Footnote ^t  says “Names traditional in Jewish literature for angelic hierarchies.”; and  Footnote ^u – Lit. ‘fills all in all’. The Church, as the body of Christ, 1 Co. 12:12f, can be called the fullness (pleroma); cf. Infra 3:19, 4:13) in so far as it includes the whole new creation that shares (since it forms the setting of the human race) in the cosmic rebirth under Christ its ruler and head, cf. Col. 1:15-20f. The adverbial phrase ‘all in all’ is used to suggest something of limitless size, cf. 1 Co. 6, 15:28, Col. 3:11.

Verse 10 says: so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and the underworld,ⁿshould bend the knee at the name of Jesus…Footnoteⁿ says“The three cosmic divisions that cover the entire creation, cf. Rv 5:3,13.

Parallel texts  are:

1.       Ep 4:10 - The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things^g is not other than the one who descended.Footnote ^g  says “By ascending through all the cosmic spheres and taking possession of them all one after another, Christ became the head of the whole pleroma or total cosmos, 1:10+, and makes the entire universe acknowledge him as ‘Lord’; cf 1:20-23; Col 1:19; Ph 2:8-11.”

2.       Is 45:23 - By my own self, I swear it; what comes from my mouth is truth, a word irrevocable: before me  every knee shall bend, by me every tongue shall swear.

3.       Rm 14:11 - For scripture says: By my life- it is the Lord who speaks- every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall praise God.”

Verse 11 says that:  and that every tongue should acclaim ^o Jesus Christ as Lord, ^p to the glory of God the Father. ^q

Footnote^o  says“ Var. ‘and every tongue shall acclaim’”; ^p – Om. ‘Christ’. This proclamation is the essence of the Christian creed, Rm. 10:9, 1 Co. 12:3, cf. Col. 2:6. The use of Is. 45:23 (in which this homage is addressed to Yahweh himself) is a clear indication of the divine character that is meant to be understood by the title Kyrios, cf. Jn. 20:28, Ac. 2:36; and Footnote^q  says“Vulg. Interpretation is ‘proclaim that Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father’.”

Parallel texts  are:

1.       Ac 2:36 - For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.

2.       Rm 1:4 - It is about Jesus Christ our Lord who is the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that is in him, was proclaimed^c Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead.^dFootnote ^c  says “Vulg. ‘predestined’.; and Footnote ^d  says “For Paul Christ rose only because God raised him, 1 Th. 1:10; 1 Co. 6:14; 15:15; 2 Co. 4:14; Ga. 1:1; Rm. 4:24; 10:9; Ac. 2:24+; cf. 1 P. 1:21, thus displaying his ‘power’, 2 Cor. 13:4; Rm. 6:4; Ph. 3:10; Col. 2:12; Ep. 1:19f; Heb. 7:16;  and because God raised him to life through the Holy Spirit, Rm. 8:11. Christ is established in glory as Kyrios, Ph 2:9-11+; Ac 2:36; Rm 14:9, deserving anew, this time in virtue of his messianic work, the name he had from eternity, ‘son of God’, Ac 13:33, Heb 1:5; %:5. Cf. Rm 8:11+; 9:5+.”

3.       Rm 10:9 - If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, ^e then you will be saved.Footnote ^e  says “Profession of faith, such as is made at baptism, is the outward expression of the inward commitment of the ‘heart’.”

4.       1 Co 12:3 - It is for that reason that I want you to understand that on the one hand no one can be speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit and say, ‘Curse Jesus’, and on the other hand, no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit.