Traditions of Jesus – I/II

The Traditional Story

The New Testament (Christian Bible) is the base on which rests the traditional story of Jesus. More information can be found elsewhere, for instance in the Nag Hammadi manuscripts, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Apocrypha and the legends and myths from Christianity and from other cultures. Moreover sciences, archaeology and astronomy are useful in different ways. There are many data on Jesus outside the New Testament, they are not always reliable but they offer a new light on the person; however the New Testament is the main source. The culture of the old Hebrews was such that religion was intermixed with legal and political matters. As a result, the Old Testament refers to the coming of the Messiah in religious or political terms  and in both depending the circumstances. The Messiah assumes then the form of a prophet, a King, a priest or a combination of these three roles. An old Hebrew custom put kings and priest apart of the rest of the population by anointing them with oil.

The first Old Testament prophecy was the promise made by God to Abraham. Abraham, known at first as Abram, was born in Ur in Mesopotamia. The Chaldeans who were living there were worshipping the moon. Abraham was told by God to leave his homeland and go to a land that God would indicate to him in due time. Abraham and his wife Sarah crossed the great Sahara desert, went to Egypt, and finally reached Canaan, a country known by the name of one of the pagan peoples living there. God told him that he would be the ancestor of a great people and that they would be given a land of their own. By this he meant that the land he could see would be his and his descendants’ (Genesis 13:14-15). This land has had different names in different periods of time: Canaan, Israel, Judea, Palestine and, since 1948, the State of Israel. Sarah gave a son to Abraham who called him Isaac. Isaac had many children, including Jacob who became known as Israel. Israel, in his turn, had twelve sons from whom the Twelve Tribes of Israel descended. One of them was called Judah. The second promise of God to Abraham was not fulfilled when, centuries later, the Hebrews left Egypt, where they were slaves, to go to the Promised Land.

At Mount Sinai Moses received the Ten Commandments and the promise from God that a prophet would come from his people (Deuteronomy 18:18). Moses’ successor, Joshua, captured Jericho and led the Twelve Tribes into Canaan, the land promised to Abraham. The next prophet, David, ruled over the twelve tribes and was told by God that one of his descendants would come on earth to build his Kingdom and the house of God (2 Samuel 7:12-13; 1 Chronicles 17:11). Solomon, David’s son, the wisest man who ever lived according to the Old Testament, built the First Temple. David’s grand son entered into a civil war that split the monarchy. A few hundred years later, in 722 BCE, the Assyrians carried away the ten Northern tribes that disappeared forever. In 586 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar, led the Babylonians against Jerusalem, and deported the last two tribes in the land where Abraham was born. The Persians who followed the Babylonians were closer to the Hebrews with whom they believed in monotheism. Their king, Cyrus, allowed some Hebrews to come back to Jerusalem where they became known as Jews after one of Jacob’s son, Judah. Judea was then conquered in succession by the Macedonians under Alexander the Great, the Ptolemies of Egypt and then by the Seleucids of Syria. Under the next conquerors, the Maccabees, the Jews were given some freedom but they were again taken over again, this time by the Romans under Pompey who took Jerusalem in 63 BCE.

Annunciation and Nativity

Both Matthew and Luke trace Jesus’ genealogy to David through Joseph. By the time Jesus was born the expectation for the Messiah was high. The Jews were suffering under the Romans and they studied closely the Scriptures in relation to His coming. According to the Prophets the attributes of the Messiah should be:

• The Messiah would be a descendant of King David as promised by God.
• The Messiah would be born of a virgin as the prophet Isaiah said in 735 BCE (Isaiah 7:14). 
• The Messiah would live awhile in Egypt according to the minor prophet Hosea who lived around 750 BCE (Hosea 11:1).

It was also expected that someone would come ahead of the Messiah and prepare his way, as told by another minor prophet Malachi (Malachi 4:5,6).As the time for Mary’s baby to be born approached, she was in Bethlehem with Joseph where they had come to register for a Roman census. Being a descendant of David, Joseph was registered there. At that time they were engaged but not married. It was the habit for the Hebrews to first get engaged and then married. However the engagement was as binding as the marriage contract. A kind of divorce was required to break the betrothal. A marriage was not considered official before it had been consummated and, although Mary was pregnant, Joseph and Mary had had no sexual relations. An Angel had explained to them that it was the Holy Spirit that had made her pregnant.

Bethlehem was so crowded that they did not find a room, except in a stable where Jesus was born. An Angel announced the birth of the Savior to the shepherds outside (Luke 2:10). They came to see the baby and told everybody they met what they had seen and heard. According to Saint Matthew, some Wise Men or Magi arrived in Jerusalem from the East, probably from Mesopotamia beyond the Sahara desert.

They wanted to worship the newborn King of the Jews as they saw his star in the East (Matthew 2:2). Eventually King Herod, who had killed his sons and wife to keep his throne, became aware of this news. He gathered his chief priests (religious leaders) and scribes (prestigious laymen who worked with the priests and were masters of the Scriptures). Both priests and scribes were members of the High Council of Jerusalem, the Great Sanhedrin. He wanted to know where the Christ was to be born (Matthew 2:4). They didn’t know and were afraid to admit it as Herod, seventy years old at the time, as he had a strong reputation for ruthlessness. They answered that the child was born in Bethlehem in Judea as foreseen by the prophet Micah who lived around 700 BCE about the same time as Isaiah and before Jeremiah (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6). Herod called the Magi and asked them when the star appeared (Matthew 2:7). He also asked them to inform him when they had found the child as he wanted to worship Him too (Matthew 2:8). The Wise men found Jesus with his mother and presented him with gifts. The Magi went back to their homeland without telling Herod where they had seen the child born to be King of the Jews. Herod was very angry and gave the order to his soldiers to kill all the male Jews under the age of two. During that night the Roman soldiers killed all the Jewish boys they found around Bethlehem. But Joseph had followed God’s command to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt where they were safe.

The Judean Jewish historian Josephus, born Yoseph ben Mattityahu ha-Cohen about 38 CE in a priestly family, wrote extensively about Herod. He obtained his information from Nicholas of Damascus, a Greek adviser to the King. Josephus did not like Herod. Herod was born in around 73 BCE. He was a good politician who gained the trust of the Romans. He had been Governor of Galilee, Tetrarch and finally King in 37 BCE. He was really a despot who murdered many thousand people. However Josephus does not say a word about the Massacre of the Innocents. Only Luke mentions the Roman census. He also says that the birth of Jesus took place when Augustus was Emperor and Quirinius was Governor of Syria. It is known that Quirinius was Governor of Syria in 6 CE but there is no proof that he was already in office in 6 BCE when Jesus is assumed to be born. On that account Bible and history do not agree. On the other hand Augustus ruled from 63 BCE to his death in 14 CE. The Romans are known to have taken census to determine the level of taxation in conquered countries. Judea was under the Governor of Syria during Augustus’ reign and Herod was the King of Judea. Herod’s son, Herod Antipas, reigned as Tetrarch in the northern province of Galilee.

As we see most of the Gospel nativity stories are independently confirmed with the exception of the Massacre of the Innocents. It is also true for the Star of Bethlehem. The Astronomer Kepler discovered that on December 4 in 7 BCE there was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces. Such a conjunction occurred before on May 29 and October 3 of the same year. This has been confirmed when P. Schnabel translated some Babylonian writings in this century. But, of course, this would mean that Jesus was born in 7 BCE, that is seven years before the official date recorded by the Church. It is however well known that the monk who set up our calendar made an error.

This monk, Denys le Petit, proposed in 532 CE that the calendar be based on the Christian Era. He calculated that Jesus was born on December 25 of the Roman year 753. The Church later on decided that Jesus was born several years before.

It was then decided that the Common (Christian) Era started on Saturday, January 1. Another mistake was the omission of a year zero between 1 BCE and 1 CE. The result is that scholars at 4, 5, 6 or 7 BCE, or even before now set the year of birth of Jesus according to some people. We also know that Herod died on April 4, 4 BCE and, as Herod was alive when Jesus was born, the conclusion is clear: Jesus was born before April 4, 4 BCE. But exactly when, we do not know yet. According to Matthew, when Joseph heard that King Herod was dead, he returned to Israel with his family. This would tend to prove that Hosea’s prophecy saying that the Messiah would be called out of Egypt had been fulfilled. But Matthew adds that when Joseph heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father, he was afraid to go back to Judea. They all went to live in the village of Nazareth in Galilee, fulfilling another prophecy of the Old Testament that says that the Messiah would be a Nazarene (Matthew  2:22,23). It must be said that the reference to the Old Testament given by Matthew does not exist, as the Old Testament does not mention Nazareth. Of course some parts of the Old Testament can be lost or left out. Luke confirmed this information (Luke 2:39).

Who was Archelaus? His father was King Herod and he was born in about 22 BCE. He inherited the throne –subject to confirmation by Rome – when he was eighteen years old.

He demonstrated his authority to the Jews by killing 3,000 of them over a riot at Passover, soon after Herod’s death. During Archelaus journey to Rome, Quintilius Varus, President of Syria, had to fight in his place a Jewish uprising that began at Pentecost. When he came back, frustrated because he had been nominated an Ethnarch, and not King, he persecuted the Jews even more that before. He was finally deposed in 6 CE. This means that Jesus came back from Egypt before that year.

Jesus early years

It would seem obvious that Jesus spent his boyhood in Nazareth. Unfortunately the Gospels are rather silent on this period of his life. This would explain why some historians say that he went to Britain, India and other countries. According to Matthew the family, after leaving Egypt, went to live in Nazareth, Galilee. The next time Matthew mentions Jesus, he is eighteen years older. On the other hand Luke mentions two incidents during Jesus boyhood. First of all he confirms that Jesus grew in Nazareth, that he became strong and wise, and that the Grace of God was on Him (Luke 2:39,40). All the male Jews were obliged to spend the Passover in Jerusalem and Jesus went there with his mother and father when he was twelve, since that was the age when a Jewish boy came of age. The Passover, commemorating the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, was on the fourteenth day of the sacred month called Nisan.

This would be in March or April of our calendar, depending of the date of the full moon required for the feast. The story of the original Passover is well described in the Torah (meaning “Teaching” or “Law”); the five books of Moses called “Pentateuch”. At this occasion Jesus met Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who will play an important part in his life and death. Luke tells us that on the way back to Nazareth Mary and Joseph noticed, after one full day walk, that Jesus was not in the caravan. They had to go back to Jerusalem where they found Jesus sitting in the Temple with the Teachers, listening and asking questions. One of the presents was Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man and a member of the Jewish High Council, the Sanhedrin. He was amused to hear that Jesus wanted to become a rabbi. Nicodemus, another member of the Sanhedrin, was also present.

He was a Pharisee, the most important Jewish sect. Both of them were most impressed by Jesus knowledge. Finally His father and mother arrived and Mary reproved him. To this Jesus answered: “Why were you looking for me. Didn’t you know I had to be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49). Jesus went back to home to Nazareth with his parents. But how did it happen that they didn’t miss Jesus for one day? Did they think he was with friends in the caravan? This does not seem a good enough reason, as they knew that he was the Son of God. More probably they thought that he was in good hands. The Bible does not tell us the name of Joseph. We only know that he was a descendant from David. Matthew says that his father could be Jacob and Luke calls him Eli or Heli. Mary had a sister and a near relative, Elisabeth, married to the priest Zachariah. They had a son in their old age, Jesus’ cousin, who became John the Baptist. Joseph of Arimathea was also probably a relative of Jesus, as well as Nicodemus, but we have not been told the exact relationship. A legend says that Joseph of Arimathea was Jesus’ uncle. That would mean that he was the brother of Joseph or Mary. It is unlikely that two brothers would be called Joseph so Joseph of Arimathea must be Mary’s brother. We are told that he was a tin merchant. At that time the principal source of this product was England. If this legend is true, then it is quite possible that Jesus went to England with his uncle. This could also explain why Jesus’ parents did not worry not seeing him for one day on their way back from Jerusalem to Nazareth, they probably knew he was with his uncle.

Jesus’ Ministry

Everything Jesus did lead to conflict, even his teaching. The first time he spoke in Nazareth, he did not follow the message from John the Baptist and the mob wanted to kill him. Luke says that Jesus went back to Galilee and the news spread around rapidly (Luke 4:14-15). As usual Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He stood up to read the scroll of Isaiah and read the prophecy about the coming of the Messiah (Luke 4:18-19). He sat down according to the custom and said – “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled by your hearing” (Luke 4:21). By this he meant that he was the Messiah, but the crowd saw it as a blasphemy as only the Messiah could make such a claim (Luke 4:28-29). The congregation threw him out and wanted to stone him to death, the punishment for blasphemy, but in some way he escaped and went his way (Luke 4:30).

Jesus then left his town of Nazareth and went to Capernaum near the Sea of Galilee. He chose twelve disciples and started training them. Four of them are important here: James and John the sons of Zebedee, Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot. The first three were Galilean and Judas was the only Judean among the twelve. Judas was from Kerioth and the son of Simon Iscariot. Peter was known for his outspoken manner. Peter, James and John were the closest to Jesus and Judas would finally betray him. Jesus spoke to the crowd and to single individuals. He offered hope to be saved to the people who came to listen to him (Matthew  4:17 and 5:3-4; Luke 12:32 and 17:21). He preached to individuals too, such as Nicodemus. As we know Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of Sanhedrin, and a rich man. The Sanhedrin was a council of about seventy Jews who had authority over religious matters and, as such, could decide if a person had to be put to death, although the Romans reserved to themselves the execution. He was afraid to be seen to talk to Jesus so he met him at night. It is difficult to imagine a worse candidate for conversion but, little by little, he came to realize that Jesus was the Messiah (John 3:1 to 3). Nicodemus could not understand certain concepts of Jesus’ teaching and this surprised Jesus as Nicodemus was “a teacher of Israel”. As Jesus’ reputation grew so did the opposition to his teaching, especially among the religious leaders and the experts in Jewish laws and traditions. Some believed that he was violating the Mosaic laws that they were entrusted with keeping but, above all, they were afraid to loose their authority to this man who appealed more and more to the people. They asked him if a woman who had committed adultery should be stoned to death as prescribed by the Jewish laws. His well-known answer is still valid today: “He who is without sin among us, let him be the first to throw a stone at her”. Jesus taught compassion in moral as well as in religious matter.

 Jesus was in conflict with the Pharisees but, most of all, with the Sadducees who, in contrary to the Pharisees, did not believe in resurrection. It is a fact that the Scriptures are not clear on this point and Jesus clarified his point of view. In particular, he distinguished between the raising from the dead to return to life on this earth, and the resurrection in a life beyond this one. After the final judgement, when God decides who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell, Jesus said that those who believed in him would have an everlasting life. In addition Jesus said very clearly that after he died he would come back again (John 14:2-3), but his disciples did not understand what he meant. They did not understand either when he said that the time was coming when the Temple would be destroyed (Matthew  24:2). Jesus explained at length what he meant by the Last Judgement and his Second Coming but, again, he was probably not understood (Matthew 24:5-31). Jesus went on teaching and doing miracles for three years and a half among increasing opposition. Only in a few cases was he happily accepted, like when he cured Mary Magdalene of evil spirits; after she became one of his follower according to Luke (Luke 8:2). Very often it looked as if Jesus would be put to death after clashing with the authorities but “His time was not yet come” (John 7:30; 8:20). The situation became more and more dangerous for Jesus as the religious leaders felt that he threatened their laws and traditions. For instance, a blind man he cured was thrown out of the synagogue as he said that a man sent by God cured him.

One day, when he was visiting the Temple, the religious leaders asked him when he would tell them if he was the Christ. Jesus replied that he had already told them and they did not believe it. He added that he was “One with the Father” (John 10:24, 25,29). They wanted to stone him again, as pretending to be God was a blasphemy (John 10:33). It was obvious that his days were counted but he still decided to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Jesus alone knew what was going to happen. He made certain his disciples knew he was the Messiah, but he asked them not to reveal it to anyone (Matthew 16:13-16, 20); he also predicted his own death. He told them that he had to go to Jerusalem, to suffer from the Elders, the chief priests and scribes, that he would be killed but that he would rise on the third day.

His disciples refused to believe it and Peter went as far as saying that this would never happen to him (Matthew 16:21, 22). They were however convinced that he was the Messiah and they thought that he was going to set up a New Kingdom in Jerusalem. Jesus’ death was, for them, in contradiction with being the Messiah. He then tried to prepare his closest disciples. He took Peter, James and John to a mountain where they saw him transfigured, His face shone as the sun, and his clothes became white as the light. He then talked to the prophets Moses and Elijah. Afterwards Peter wanted to build three tabernacles, or memorials, to Jesus, Moses and Elijah. A cloud darkened the sky and they heard a voice coming out of the cloud saying: “This is My Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; hear him!” (Matthew 17:5). The disciples fell on their face but Jesus reassured them and asked them not to reveal the vision until he had risen from the dead (Matthew 17:9). Jesus left Galilee, going first to Samaria, then Jericho and finally to Jerusalem where he would die. In fact a conspiracy started in October to assassinate him and the plotters were only waiting for the right opportunity. This happened when Jesus resuscitated Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha, Lazarus ‘sisters (John 11:1). Jesus and his disciples visited c’s home very often. When told that Lazarus was ill Jesus waited two days before going to Bethany, a village two miles outside Jerusalem near the Mount of Olives. This decision to go to Judea frightened his disciples (John 11:7-8). He first told them that he had to go to waken Lazarus who was dead (John 11:11,14). Someone ran ahead to tell the sisters that Jesus was coming. Martha reproved Jesus to come so late and that now her brother was dead; Jesus replied that he would raise again (John 11.21). She thought that he meant that he would rise again in the resurrection at the last day, but Jesus told her to believe in Him and that Lazarus would live again (John 11:24-25).

Mary joined Jesus and Martha, and they went to the cave where Lazarus’ body had been buried. He ordered to remove the big stone closing the cave, then he prayed the Father and finally ordered Lazarus to come out (John 11:39 to 43). After a moment Lazarus, dressed in burial clothes, came out of the cave. Many of the Jews present knew then that he was the Messiah but others went to report to the Pharisees. The religious leaders met in the council-chamber of the Sanhedrin to decide what to do. After listening to the presents Joseph Caiaphas, who presided, suggested that Jesus should die for the people to appease the Romans (John 11:47 to 50). The Jews did not often condemn people to death but this time all agreed. It has to be done before the Passover to avoid a possible riot as many people believed that Jesus was a prophet (Matthew 26:5). The city of Jerusalem was filled with Jews who had come for the Passover and Pontius Pilate had many soldiers ready for eventual riots. It was decided to have Jesus arrested and killed, but it had to be done quietly so they bribed one of his disciple, Judas Iscariot, to identify him.

The final days

Six days before the Passover Jesus was invited to Lazarus’ house for a supper served by Martha (John 12:12). Mary of Bethany entered the room and anointed Jesus’ bare feet with expensive ointment. Judas said that the ointment should have been sold, and the money given to the poor. Judas was the disciples’ treasurer and it was well known that he was stealing money from the purse. Jesus defended Mary (John 12:5,7-8). Judas did not like to be contradicted in public and it is thought that it is then that he made up his mind to betray Jesus and get some money for it. On Sunday morning, the first day of the Jewish week, Jesus made his triumphal entry in Jerusalem on a donkey’s back. A big crowd greeted him and his disciples. This fulfilled another Old Testament’s prophecy (Matthew 21:5). Some people waved palms, others spread their clothes on the road. Jesus was also hailed as the son of David and the Messiah (Matthew 21.9; Mark 11:9,10; John 12:13). Jesus walked in the white marble Temple built by King Herod as an imitation of the first temple constructed by King Solomon. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the dove sellers, saying that the house of God had to be only a place to pray (Mark 12:17). Jesus remained in the Temple until night, then he left the city while the chief priests were plotting against him. Although he did not say he was the Messiah, the religious leaders thought that it was time to act, if not it would be to late. Two days later, on Tuesday, they challenged his authority as he was teaching. They did not dare to arrest him as he was so popular so they asked him a difficult question: was it proper to pay taxes to the Romans (Matthew 22:16,17)? A negative answer would anger the Romans so he answered in a very devious way after noting that Caesar’s picture was on the coin used then: “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s!” (Mark 12:17) At the end of the day he told his disciples that he would be crucified before Passover that was to begin in two days (Matthew 26:2). In fact the chief priests were consulting Caiaphas on the best way to have him killed without creating riots. They too concluded that he had to be killed before Passover. That night Jesus was the guest of Simon the leper in Bethphage and Judas Iscariot negotiated with the chief priests the reward of his betrayal (Matthew 26:15). They agreed on thirty pieces of silver to deliver Jesus when he would be apart of the people.

On Thursday Jesus told his disciples that when they will arrive in Jerusalem a man carrying a pitcher of water would tell them where the Passover meal would take place. All they had that evening was bread, a cup and some wine. He told them that this would be his last meal. Jesus took the traditional cup of Passover wine and shared it with his disciples. He also shared the bread and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:15 to 19). He also announced that one of his disciples for three years and a half would betray him and, to a specific question, he indicated that it would be Judas Iscariot (John 13:21, 25, 27). At that point Judas left the room and went to talk to the religious leaders and to the guards. After supper Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives with eleven disciples. He gave the final instructions to his three closest disciples, Peter, James and John, and prayed his father (Matthew 26:38,39,44). His disciples were asleep as Judas came back with a Roman cohort of 600 men and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees.

 Judas kissed Jesus’s cheek (Matthew 26:49) to indicate Jesus who was then seized by the officers and taken back to Jerusalem as a prisoner in front of his disciples fully awake by now. Jesus was taken to Annas, the former high priest, to be interrogated. Jesus explained that he did not hide to preach and, hearing that, one of the soldiers hit him (John 18:20,21,23). Jesus was then sent in chains to the present high priest, Caiaphas, Annas’ son-in-law, who resumed the interrogation late on Thursday night. The news of Jesus’ capture had become known and the Scribes and the Elders gathered together, first in the high priest’s home, then in the council chamber (Matthew 26-58; Mark 14:53; John 18:15; Luke 22:6). Peter had escaped with the other disciples but he came back to Caiaphas’ home and, before day time, he had denied three times knowing Jesus. Many witnesses accused Jesus of various crimes but they did not agree between themselves on any specific one and Jesus did not answer. It is not clear who was present at this trial but it seems that Joseph of Arimathea was absent, or that he abstained from the voting.

On the other hand he did not do anything to help Jesus, and this is also true for Nicodemus . Two witnesses accused Jesus of having said that he could destroy the Temple and built it again in three days. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus knew that it was not true but they also knew that the decision to condemn Jesus to death was already taken. Caiaphas also knew that Jesus had said to his disciples that he would be killed by the Jews and that he would rise again three days later (Mark 9-31). He wanted Jesus to incriminate himself but he remained silent, or confirmed his previous statements that he was Chris and that he would rise (Matthew 26:63,64). This was taken as blasphemy by Caiaphas: the mob spat in his face, beat him with their fists, slapped him and condemned him to death (Matthew 26:65,66,68). When morning came the chief priests and the Elders defined their plan to put Jesus to death. Their meeting was illegal, as well as the condemnation, and they needed the Roman Governor’s decision to have Jesus killed. Pontius Pilate would never condemn anybody to death for a religious question. They had to find a civil or military motivation to have him condemn Jesus. Roman soldiers took charge and led him to Pilate in the praetorium (headquarters, or official residence, even if Pilate usually lived in Caesarea on the Mediterranean shores) while the religious leaders waited outside. If they had entered in it they would have been unclean for the Passover meal. Pilate went to talk to the religious leaders who accused Jesus of forbidding his people to pay Roman taxes and that he pretended to be Christ, a King (John 18:29,30,31; Luke 23:2). This Pilate could not refuse to hear; he already had trouble with rebellious Jews before and he had to give in. He did not want another uprising, as this was unacceptable to Rome.

Pilate went back to the Praetorium and faced Jesus who was suffering from the blows he had received. He asked him if he was the King of the Jews (Luke 22:3). The conversation went on with Jesus who said, among other things, “My Kingdom is not of this World”, before admitting that he was a King (John 18:34 to 38). Pilate then told the Jewish leaders that he found no guilt in Jesus but they insisted, pretending that he was creating trouble (Luke 23:4-5). Having been told that Jesus was a Galilean, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas who had jurisdiction over Galilee. Herod was glad to see Jesus and started questioning him, but Jesus did not answer, making Herod angry. The Jewish leaders accused again Jesus of many crimes but this made Herod even more angry and he sent Jesus back to Pilate (Luke 23:11) who repeated that he, as Herod, could not find any guilt in the accused and was ready to free him (Luke 23:14 to 16). The shouts of the Jews made Pilate afraid that this would start a riot. He offered to free Jesus as a gesture of goodwill for Passover but the Crowd asked for Barabbas, a robber, murderer and insurrectionist, to be let free instead (John 18:39-40) and they required that Jesus be crucified (Matthew 27:22-23). Normally the Jews never crucified people and the request astonished Pilate. Moreover the Romans only crucified slaves and insurrectionists since this was considered the lowest form of death. Pilate at that point had no choice if he wanted to avoid a riot. He washed symbolically his hands in a bucket of water saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood! See to it yourself!” (Matthew 27:24). Barabbas was released and Jesus condemned be scourging and crucifying. On this Friday morning, on a spring day in Jerusalem, the Jewish leaders had won. Jesus was to be executed by the Roman soldiers who were not new to this kind of punishment. They could also be very cruel, especially with the Jews.

They striped the beaten Jesus of his robe, dressed him in a purple dress, put a crown of thorns on his head and, mockingly, called him “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Mark 15:17; John 19:2; Matthew 27:30). They spat on him, scourged him as requested by Pilate, and then they led him through the streets of Jerusalem to be crucified together with two criminals known as Dismas (or Dysmas) and Gestas. The three men had to carry the “patibulum” or crossbeam that weighted about 80 pounds. Jesus was weakened by the blows received as well as by the scourging and he fell three times under the weight. A Cyrenean called Simon, probably a black man or a Jew from that country, who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover, was told to carry Jesus’ cross (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). The crucifying place situated on a hill outside the city was called Golgotha in Hebrew (John 19:17) or Calvary in Latin. Many people followed Jesus, among them many women mourning and lamenting, to whom he talked, asking them not to weep (Luke 23:27-31). After they reached the Calvary Jesus was crucified with one criminal on each side (Luke 22:33). The victims had to lie down on their back, they were stripped of their loincloths and their shoulders stretched on the crossbeams. Nails about five inches long were them hammered through the wrists, or the base of the palms, and then one single spike was pushed through both feet put on top of each other. They were then lifted on the crosses after the upright posts had been secured in the ground.

Under the weight of the body the arms would pull down to an angle of about 65 degrees. Respiration would become soon very difficult and asphyxiation would set in. The soldiers offered Jesus the traditional drugged wine. It did not completely cut the pain but it helped. Afterwards they threw dices to decide who would get the garments of the so-called King of the Jews. Pilate, who was still angry with the way the religious leaders obliged him to crucify Jesus, had a sign written in three languages – Hebrew, Greek and Latin - nailed above Jesus’ head. It said “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” John 19:19). Being Jews they could not be left to die over seven days, the Sabbath being sacred. The criminal called Gestas asked Jesus to save himself and them, but the other, Dismas, reproved him to speak badly to Christ and asked Jesus to take him to the Kingdom. Jesus answered that to-night they would all be in Paradise (Luke 23:39-43). The people and the priests mocked Christ and urged him to save himself if he could. A soldier with a mallet was ready to break the victims’ legs. Death would come more quickly by asphyxiation this way. After Jesus had been nearly three hours on the cross he saw among the crowd his mother, his Aunt Mary Magdalene and some others. Jesus looked mainly at his mother and to his disciple, John, who stood near her and talked to them (John 19:26-27). John, the son of Zebedee, understood that he had to take Mary into his household.

 Suddenly, about noon, the sky turned black although there was no storm. We do not know if it was an eclipse or some clouds but we know that the darkness lasted three hours (Mark 15:33). Jesus was thirsty and asked for some water. A soldier plunged a sponge in sour wine and gave it to him. Jesus said “It is finished!” (John 19:30). At three o’clock he cried loudly “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).

His last words were “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 24:46), he sagged on the cross, and died. At that instant an earthquake struck the area. The centurions were much afraid and one of them even said “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54) and, also, “Certainly this man was innocent!” (Luke 23:47). Many people in the crowd beat their breasts in sign of lamentation and went back to Jerusalem. If he was to be buried, this had to be done before sunset, beginning of the Sabbath and the Passover. However, usually, the bodies of criminals crucified by the Romans were not buried. Their corpses were left to rot on the cross or thrown in a common grave, unless someone ransomed it. Only a person with courage and authority could do it with Jesus’ body; Joseph of Arimathea felt that he should do it and rushed to ask an audience from Pontius Pilate.

Burial and Resurrection

The Gospel of Saint John tells us that Joseph of Arimathea, fearing the Jews, was a secret follower of Jesus (John 19:38). His identity is still not well known as none of the four Gospels introduces him before the crucifixion. However we know he was rich and a member of the Sanhedrin. He was also waiting for the kingdom of God (Luke 23:51) as all the Christian believers. After Jesus’ crucifixion he had enough courage to go to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body (Mark 15:43). Being a Jew, Joseph could not enter the praetorium at that time so Pontius Pilate had to come to the courtyard to meet him. Joseph explained that being the day of preparation of the Sabbath and Passover, the bodies could not remain on the cross. He asked permission to take the body and bury it (John 19:31).

A centurion, sent to check that Jesus was dead, reported that it was the case and that he saw the wound of a lance in his side from which blood and water had come out (John 19:34). Having obtained the authorization to bury Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea bought a burial cloth at a stall and went to the crucifixion site were Nicodemus was waiting for him with spices and a donkey (John 19:39). The Jewish burial ritual implied washing and anointing the body, placing myrrh and aloes along the torso, putting a chin strap around the head and lower jaw to keep it in place, and drawing the burial clothe over the body. Some small coins were sometimes placed on the eyelids.

The two men were in a hurry as they had to finish before sundown and the task was even more difficult as rigor mortis set in more quickly in a crucified man. They noticed that Jesus’ legs were not broken although the Roman soldiers had broken the legs of the two criminals crucified with him. They did not touch Jesus as they saw that he was already dead. Jesus’ body was taken, with the help of the disciple John, son of Zebedee, to a new tomb that Joseph of Arimathea had made for himself and located near by in a garden (John 19:41;Luke 23:53; Matthew 27:60).

When they came out of the burial chamber the sun touched the horizon and they only had time to close the entrance with a big stone. 

They then noticed that some women including Mary Magdalene were watching. All of them went back to Jerusalem. The next day the chief priests reminded Pilate that Jesus had said that he would rise again after three days.

They asked Pilate to put some guards in front of the tomb in order to prevent his disciples to steal the body saying then to the people that he had risen from the dead. To avoid possible trouble Pilate agreed (Matthew 27:63,64,65). Some legionnaires were assigned to the guard and the entrance was sealed with Pilate’s own seal. The soldiers were on duty all day and during the next night. When Jesus had been buried for about thirty-six hours and the cock crowed the earth started to shake as it had done the Friday of the crucifixion. The seal broke and a bright light came out of the tomb. The stone blocking the entrance rolled aside. Inside the tomb the soldiers saw the burial cloth but there was no body inside it.

The soldiers were so afraid that they escaped. The silence came back and the tomb was empty. Mary Magdalene came to Jesus’ tomb the day after the Sabbath and saw that it was empty. She ran to Simon Peter and John saying that somebody has taken Jesus’ body out of the tomb to hide it in an unknown place. They both ran to the tomb and saw too that it was empty. Peter first, then John, entered the tomb and only saw the burial cloth (John 20:2-8).

After Peter and John had left, Mary Magdalene looked again at the sepulchre and saw two Angels. They asked her why she was crying and she answered that the body of Jesus had been taken away to an unknown place. She then saw Jesus standing near by, but she did not recognize him at first. He made himself known and told her not to touch him and that “He was ascending to His Father, who is Our Father, to his God, who is Our God”. She then ran to tell the disciples that she had seen the Lord and repeated his message (John 20:10-11, 13, 15-18). The disciples refused to believe that Jesus was alive and that Mary Magdalene had seen him (Mark16:10). In the meantime in Jerusalem everybody talked about the empty tomb and Jesus of Nazareth. The guards reported to the chief priests what happened and those assembled the Elders to talk about the situation. They bribed the soldiers to say that the disciples had stolen the body while they slept and promised that Pilate would not punish them (Matthew  28:13-14).

Jesus was seen by up to 500 people after his resurrection. Some of these people are mentioned in the Gospels, first of all the disciples. To them he appeared in rooms that had be locked by fear of persecution. The first time he appeared one of the disciples, Thomas, was not there and he refused to believe the other who said that Jesus had come among them.

“Doubting Thomas” wanted to see for himself (John 20:25). Jesus appeared again to his disciples’ eight days later and Thomas was there. Jesus told him to look and to touch him  and this time he believed that Jesus had come back. Jesus reproved him for not believing without seeing (John 20:26-29). Jesus’ appeared in closed rooms after his resurrection and he could be seen and touched as a physical being. On Friday morning, after Jesus had been accused before Pilate, Judas returned the thirty pieces of silver that he had been paid to betray Jesus. According to a story he then hanged himself (Matthew  27:5). Another story says that he bought a field with the money, then he fell and died (Acts 1:18). When Jesus appeared again after the crucifixion he asked his believers to make more disciples, to baptize them and to teach them to behave according to His Laws (Matthew 28:18-20). Then he led his apostles to Bethamy and blessed them before he parted forever. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy (Luke 24:50-51).The four Gospels end at this point but the “Book of Acts” goes on with the narrative. Most scholars believe that Luke, after writing his Gospel, wrote also the “Book of Acts”. This document first resumes the end of the Gospels (Acts 1:9-11). Other sources confirm what the New Testament says about Jesus. The Samaritan Thallus, a secular chronicler, wrote in Greek about the eclipse that occurred in April about 30 CE. Josephus made two references to Jesus in his book called “Antiquities of the Jews”. In the second, he indicated that Jesus had a brother called James that was accused of breaking the Law and was condemned to be stoned. The Protestants agree that James was Jesus’ brother while the Catholics now say that he was his cousin. Paul, the Apostle, carried Jesus’ message to the Gentiles while the others remained in Jerusalem to convert the Jews; he mentioned James too and said that he was Jesus’ brother (Gal.1:18-19).

Moreover the Gospels often imply that James was older that Jesus. It is obvious that Jesus’ brothers and sisters, and even his mother, did not believe that he was the Messiah at the beginning of his ministry (Mark 3:21,31). Eusebius, a church historian, indicates that James, who died in about 62 CE, was Bishop of Jerusalem. The Scriptures confirm that he was a leader of the church  before the destruction of the city and the Temple. Many other non-biblical historians have left records that do not prove that Jesus of Nazareth lived, but they state that most people of that time thought he did. Julius Africanus (circa 221 CE) cited Thallus who wrote in around 52 CE and was the first non-Jew to mention Jesus Christ and also the eclipse that occurred the day of Jesus’ death. Cornelius Tacitus (circa 112 CE) wrote of the mad Emperor Neron’s reign and how Christians were blamed for the fire that destroyed Rome in 64 CE. Suetonius (circa 120 CE) and Pliny the Younger (about 112 CE), Justin Martyr (about 150 CE) and Tertullian (about 197 CE) made reference to the Christians and to Jesus. Even the Jewish Talmud confirms that Jesus of Nazareth lived but, of course, it does not agree with the Christian teaching. What is certain is that the person called Jesus Christ, as mentioned in the Gospels has influenced the world for 2000 years as nobody before or after has ever done, and probably never will. However history is vague or silent about him, and we do not know why.