Allison What were the different explanations in each Gospel of Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and death? 12. 2. 14. Introduction Matthew: Crucifixion Matthew: Death Mark: Crucifixion Mark: Death Luke: Crucifixion Luke: Death John: Crucifixion John: Death Differences and Similarities for Crucifixion Differences and Similarities for Death Role of the Jews Conclusion Opening Sentence Jesus’ death and crucifixion were recorded in the Gospels. The Gospels The Gospels were a series of books in the New Testament. They consist of the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel). The Books Themselves The Four Gospels talked about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel). Jesus’ Crucifixion Jesus’ crucifixion was talked about in all four Gospels. Difference in each Gospel The versions of his crucifixion that they explain are all different. They have different details and major points. We don’t know which is Linda Woodhead says, “Christian gospels are also true, or if any of it is propaganda. They tell their readers (or hearers) that Jesus was something special, and they expect them to respond accordingly. No neutral stance is possible in relation to a gospel. Depending on your response, its message will turn out either to be good news for you – or bad” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel#Development_and_c omposition). Closing Sentence The Four Gospels tell us a lot of information about Jesus’ death and crucifixion. Opening Sentence The first Gospel, Matthew, tells the story of Jesus’ crucifixion with a few differences compared to the other Synthetic Gospels. Simon carried the cross A man named Simon carried Jesus’ cross. He was going into the land and the people seized him and forced him the carry the cross that Jesus would later be crucified on. Where? Jesus was brought to the Place of Skulls. In Hebrew, the Place of Skulls is known as Golgotha. Rebels
Jesus was crucified with two rebels. One to his left, and one to his right.
Jesus was thirsty
Clothes Soldiers Notice Chief Priests
Making Fun of Jesus
Closing Sentence Opening Sentence Darkness Called out at 9 p.m. Meaning Quote Psalm 22
Carm.org
Further into Psalm 22 Similarities
Calling to Elijah Wine Vinegar He offered it
Jesus was offered wine with gall (bile from the gallbladder), but didn't like the taste so he refused it (en.wiki/gall). The people took Jesus’ clothes by dividing them and casting them out by lots. The soldiers sat and watched him. Above Jesus was written, “This is Jesus King of the Jews,” making fun of him and being very facetious. The chief priests, or the Jews, said, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” When the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders walked by while the three men were being crucified, they made fun of Jesus (biblegateway.com). This is only one interpretation of Jesus’ crucifixion. Matthew also talks about Jesus’ death. There was a darkness over the land from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. At 9 p.m., Jesus called out to God. He said “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” means, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (biblegateway.com). “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” was quoted from Psalm 22. Psalm 22:1 says, “My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?” Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” (biblegateway.com). Psalm 22 was written around 1000 years before Jesus said this. Carm.org says that when Jesus was being crucifed, he realized that God was abondoning him, or forsekening him, so he quoted Psalm 22 to try to get people to realize God was giving up on him. If you read further into Psalm 22, it is almost the same situation that Jesus was in. He thinks God is giving up on him, and people are making fun of him, his strength is weak, and they tied him at his hands and feet When he called out to God, everyone watching him and around him said he’s “calling Elijah.” One of the people who heard him call out to God ran and got a sponge soaked in wine vinegar. He offered it to Jesus even though everyone else said,
“Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” He was gone Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice and his spirit was gone. Earthquake The earth shook, the rocks split, the curtains fell from the Temple and the tombs opened. The people watching The people watching and guarding Jesus saw Jesus’ cry and replied to the earthquake by saying, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Closing Sentence This is just one of the explainations of how Jesus died. Opening Sentence Mark understands Jesus’ crucifixion with some similarities and differences compared to Matthew. Simon of Cyrene On the way to the place that Jesus was being crucified, they forced Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross. He was traveling in from a different country. Simon was forced The guards forced Simon to carry the cross to Golgotha, Place of Skulls. This is where Jesus was to be crucified. Notice While Jesus was being crucified, there was a notice near him. It read, “The King of the Jews”. Two robbers Two robbers were on either side of him, one to the left and one to the right. Offered him wine and myrrh They offered Jesus wine mixed with myrrh. Myrrh is a spice from the Commiphora myrrha tree (en.wiki/myrrh). Refused the wine Jesus refused the wine that they offered. Lots The people divided Jesus’ clothes by casting lots. Made fun of him As people walked past the three people, they made fun of Jesus. Two robbers made fun of Even the two robbers next to him made fun of him and him mocked him. Crucified Closing Sentence Opening Sentence Darkness Jesus called out Translation Elijah Sponge
Jesus getting vinegar
Then they crucified Jesus. This is how Mark described Jesus’ crucifixion. Mark also talked about Jesus’ death. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. there was a darkness over the whole land. Jesus called out to God and said, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” “My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?” When the people around him heard what he said, they said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” Someone who heard Jesus call out grabbed a sponge, dipped it in vinegar, attached it to a reed, and gave it to Jesus to drink from. While he was giving Jesus the vinegar, he said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”
Breathed his last
Jesus then uttered a loud cry to God and breathed his last and was gone. Curtains After Jesus breathed his last, the curtains to the Temple fell and ripped into two. Centurion The centurion, the officer of the Roman army, who saw Jesus breath his last said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Closing Sentence This was the way that mark interpreted Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Opening Sentence The Gospel of Luke is also very similar to Mark and Matthew. Simon Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry Jesus’ cross behind him. Two criminals Two criminals were also being crucified with Jesus, one to the right and one to the left The Skull They were taken to a place called The Skull. Lots Before they crucified Jesus, they casted lots to see who would get his clothes. People standing around The people standing by watching Jesus insulted him, saying things like, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” Soldiers offered him vinegar The soldiers also made fun of him and offered him vinegar. Notice There was a notice above Jesus that said, “This is the King of the Jews.” Closing Sentence This is how Luke understood Jesus’ crucifixion. Opening Sentence Luke talked about Jesus’ death as well. Darkness From around 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. there was a darkness over the land. The Curtain Before Jesus died, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” Died Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” And he breathed his last. The Centurion When the centurion, the officer of the Roman army, saw that Jesus took his last, he said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” Closing Sentence Although this explanation did not have a lot of detail, many people still agree with it. Opening Sentence The Gospel of John is the most different Gospel of all. Jesus was forced In John, Jesus was forced to carry the cross which he would later be crucified on The Place of Skulls He brought his cross to the Place of the Skulls, also known as Golgotha.
Who he was crucified with
Jesus was in the middle of two other people who were also being crucified with him.
Notice
“Jesus of Nazareth King of The Jews”, was written above Jesus when he was being crucified in three languages, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Many of the Jews saw this sign and saw them being crucified because it was near a big city where many of them lived. The chief priests of the Jews said, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be King of the Jews.” Pilate replied to the people by saying, “What I have written, I have written.” The people separated Jesus’s clothes and set up an auction to give them out to people. Jesus’s family stood near the cross and watched him suffer while he was being crucified. This is how John, not one of the Synoptic Gospels, explained Jesus’ crucifixion. John also explained Jesus’ death differently. Before Jesus died, he was thirsty and asked for a drink. There was a bowl of vinegar near him, so they soaked a sponge in it, attached it to a hyssop branch and put it to his mouth. When he received it, he turned it down, and said, “It is finished.” and bowed his head and died The Jews stood around and watched, some with disgust. This is how John explains Jesus’ death.
Jews walked by
The chief priests
Pontius Pilate Auction Family Closing Sentence Opening Sentence Asked for a drink Drink near by
Turned it down and died. Stood and watched Closing Sentence Opening Sentence
Some of the Gospels interpretations of Jesus’ crucifixion are similar, and some are different.
Simon
In all of the Gospels except John, Simon carries Jesus’ cross, but in John, Jesus carries his own cross. This makes sense because John is not one of the Synoptic Gospels. That means he is not as similar as the others are to themselves. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus was crucified in the Place of Skulls, but in John, he was crucified in The Skulls. In all of the stories, Jesus was crucified with two other rebels. One to his right, and one to his left. In every Gospel, there was a notice near Jesus. In every story, it said King. In every account except for John, the people watching or
John in not synoptic
Place where it happened
Rebels Notice Mocked him
Wine/vinegar
Giving out his clothes
Closing Sentence Opening Sentence Darkness
Eli, Eli,
Elijah After vinegar
Matthew earth shook
Mark curtains Luke and John Matthew response
Mark and Luke response
John response
guarding him make fun of him. They say things like, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” Whether Jesus asked for a liquid to drink, or he was offered it, in every account he got something to drink. Some of them say it was wine, or vinegar, or wine or vinegar mixed with something. In all of the stories, in different words, Jesus refused the wine or did not drink it. In every Gospel, Jesus’ clothes somehow got separated and given out to the people who were guarding him or who were watching. Those are just some of the similarities and differences for Jesus’ crucifixion. Some of the Gospel’s interpretations are also similar and different in Jesus’ death. In every Gospel except for John, there was a darkness over the land for three hours. Luke, Mark, and Matthew all said it was from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus says, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” That means, “My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?” By saying this, he quotes Psalm 22. If you read further into Psalm 22, you notice it is almost the same case as Jesus’. He thinks God is giving up on him, and people are making fun of him, his strength is weak, and they tied him at his hands and feet. Also in Mark and Matthew, after he says this everyone thinks he is calling out to Elijah. After Jesus received his drink that he either asked for our received, he breathed his last and died. This happens differently in each story but he dies in all of them around the same time. After Jesus’ death in Matthew, the earth shook, the rocks split, the curtains fell from the Temple and the tombs were open. In Mark, the curtains to the Temple fell and ripped into two. In Luke and John, it does not mention anything about the curtains or rocks splitting or anything else. In Matthew after the earth shook, the people who were guarding and watching Jesus replied to the earthquake by saying, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Mark and John both agree that the centurion, or the officer of the Roman army, who saw Jesus breath his last said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Although John does not give a response, it says the Jews stood around and watched, some with disgust.
Closing Sentence
This was how Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all explain Jesus’ death. Opening Sentence The Jews also played a huge role in Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. Trial Pharisees After Jesus was arrested, the Pharisees testified against him. Pharisees The Pharisees were also known as the Jews. http://www.lastdays.org.uk/j “They appear to have originated from a group called the esus-and-theHasidim”, talking about the Pharisees pharisees.html (http://www.lastdays.org.uk/jesus-and-thepharisees.html). Trial Jews Without the Pharisees testifying against Jesus, Jesus would not have been crucified and the Jews would be in a different place than they are right now. Chief Priests In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders walked by while the three men were being crucified, and made fun of Jesus. The chief priests were also known as the Jewish people. Biblegateway.com says that the chief priests were “representatives of the Jewish people”. Notice Chief Priests In John, the chief priests protested to Pilate, who wrote on a notice above Jesus, “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews.” The chief priests said, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” Pilate responded to them by saying, “What I have written, I have written.” Jesus Most importantly, Jesus was Jewish. He had a huge impact on Christianity and Judaism. Opening Sentence Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John’s understanding of Jesus’ crucifixion and death were in some ways similar. In other ways they were different. Details Some of the Gospels had more details, and some had less, like John. Where They were all similar with some information, like where Jesus was crucified. Who carried cross But then they had things that they did not agree on, such as who carried the cross or what liquid Jesus received. Closing Sentence
They are all ambiguous explanations of Jesus’ death and crucifixion.
Works Cited •
The Holy Bible: New International Version, Containing the Old Testament and the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible, 1978. Print
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(http://www.lastdays.org.uk/jesus-and-the-pharisees.html)
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(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel)