St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

 

OUR FAITH

THE PASSION OF JESUS

Matthew 27:27-66 Luke 23:26-56 John 19:17-4

The real agony of Jesus began when Pilate delivered Him into the hands of the angry mob for the crucifixion. The soldiers wanted to amuse themselves with their victim. They stripped Him, put a scarlet rove over His shoulders, placed a crown of thorns on His head and a reed in His right hand.

“Hail, King of the Jews!” they mocked Him, and derisively taunted Him.

When they had tired of their merciless torments, they inhumanly burdened Him with the weight of His own cross of wood, and ordered Him up the long hill to Calvery. The weight of the heavy cross proved as great at one point, that Jesus could not make another step forward. He was exhausted. Then in order not to waste time, they stopped a passerby , whose name was Simon, and commanded him to carry the cross.

When they reached the top of the hill, they nailed Jesus to the cross and raised it between that of two thieves. Pilate had a title written and put on His cross, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” it read.

“He saved others, but He cannot have save Himself!” cried the high priests and their scribes sarcastically.

Hearing them, one of the thieves cried, “If You are the Son of God, save Yourself.”

“Do You not fear God? We receive the due reward for our deeds; but this man has done nothing amiss,” the other thief rebuked him, and turning his head to Jesus said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Hour kingdom.”

“I promise that this day you be with me in paradise, “ answered Jesus.

Now, there stood by the cross, some women, friends of Jesus, consoling His grief-stricken mother. A little further on, John, the beloved disciple, watched the scene sorrowfully.

Seeing His mother, Jesus indicated John to her and said, “Woman, behold your son,” Then, turning to John, He added, “John , behold your mother.”

After a while, as the sun disappeared behind dark clouds, heavy darkness covered the earth. In the commotion that was created, the voice of Jesus was heard to say, “I thirst!”

A heartless soldier, tied a sponge at the end of a reed, dipped it in vinegar and brought it to the mouth of Jesus, while the other soldiers shouted with glee at the clever deed!

“Father, forgive the, for they know not what they do,” said Jesus them, raising His sorrowful eyes to heaven.

The crowd continued to torment Him with curses and threatening taunts. The martyrdom was nearing the end, at last.

“Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.” The voice of Jesus was heard in the midst of the noise, and after a little time He added, “It is finished.”

Then His head fell forward and He gave up the ghost. The darkness became heavier now. A terrible earthquake shook the land. The earth was rented in two, and many graves opened. A frightened centurion confessed before all, “Truly, this was the Son of God.”

It was the eve of the Sabbath, a holy day for all the Jews, and the dead could not remain on the crosses. For this reason, the soldiers broke the bodies of the two thieves ad they hanged on their crosses. But they did not touch Jesus, for He was already dead. A soldier, to be sure, however, pierced the side of Jesus with his spear, and blood and water ran from it.

Late that evening, a secret follower from Arithmes, Joseph the counselor, asked permission of Pilate to bury the body of His teacher. With the help of Nicodemus, a friend of his, he took down the body from the cross, anointed it with perfumes, as was The custom, wrapped it in clean linen and buried it in a new tomb, which he had in his garden. The two rolled a large stone across and closed the grave.

Now, the high priests remembered that Jesus had said that He would arise in three day. Afraid that during the night his disciples might steal the body, and spread rumors, that He had arisen, they went to Pilate and asked him to have the grave sealed and guards placed around it.