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 fulfillede in the kingdom of God.’Footnoteesays
“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 feastc
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.”
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 theg
covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sinsh(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; Footnoteg 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).”FootnoteI
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 ransomg
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’ feetf 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 feetk (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”; Footnoteg 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;Footnotehsays“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”; Footnotejsays “The
same Greek word is used for ‘clean’ and ‘pure’’ and Footnotek 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 newg
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.iFootnoteI
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 faithb like
this.Footnoteb 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.jFootnotejsays“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).Footnotel 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 Footnoteg 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.Footnotep 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 cohorta
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
Nazarenew’(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 accentx 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 discipleb 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 thenm
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 Sanhedrino”. 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.Footnotea
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 willbeq 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 priesta Yahweh’s oracle to you, my Lord, ‘Sit at my right
handb and I will make your enemies a footstoolc 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 Footnotecsays“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’.Footnotec 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 Pilatea”.Footnotea 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.Footnotea 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 defilede and unable to
eat the passover.Footnoted 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.”Footnoted
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.lFootnotel 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 accusedf 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 Herodb”. 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 cloakc 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 wasg 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 childrenk
(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”
Footnotej 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 Daye about the
sixth hourf(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’”; Footnoteb 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; Footnotec
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;Footnoted
says “Probably meaning ‘elevated
place’, mound. Footnotee
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;
Footnotef 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 accusedf the Holy One,g the Just One,h
you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer … Footnote fsays“Var. ‘disowned’”; Footnoteg 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 timee 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 servantc Jesus, the same Jesus
you handed overd and then disownede in the presence of
Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him.Footnotec 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
Rufusawho 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.Footnoteh
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.’Footnotegsays
“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 sinnerb (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 lotsq (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 hourbwhen 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 leftc(v. 27).Footnoteb 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).Footnoteh 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.”Footnoteh
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. Footnotez –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 vinegaru, 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 hourr (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 Elijaht (v. 47),” and one of
them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegaru, 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 motherj 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 stickmthey
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
Templev 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 brokenp
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
foundq 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 its-trustworthy evidence,
and he knowst 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 accusedf 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 deadh (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 theyw 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 replyc 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.Footnoted 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, openedb 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 Yahwehk See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be lifted up,
exalted, rise to great heights (v. 13).As the crowds were appalled on seeing
himl, so disfigured did he look that he seemed no longer humanm(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 usa like a shootb 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 facesc; 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 takend,
would anyone plead his cause? Yet, he was torn away from the land of the
living; for ourf faults struck down in death (v.8).They gave him a
grave with the wicked, a tomb with the richg, 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 sufferingh. 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 GodfFootnote
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 Foonotef
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).Footnotea 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 youf
before ever the world was.Footnotef
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
creatione 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 himg(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).Footnotee 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.Footnotec 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 himselfg to assume the condition of a slave,h
and became as men arei;Footnoteg 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
ransomg for many.h’Footnoteg 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 Footnoteh 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 bodyd God condemned sin.Footnotec 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 timec came, God sent his son, born of a woman,
born a subject of the Law.Footnotec
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
Footnotej-
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.mFootnotem
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 highk and
gave him the namel which is above all other namesmFootnotek
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 creationu
(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 thingsg 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
Footnoteo 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 Footnoteq 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 proclaimedc
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.
