Friday, May 8, 2015


Reading the Gospels Together

The Death and Burial of Jesus – Part 6

As we turn to John’s gospel it is good for us to note the many things that John shares in common with the synoptic writers. All four gospel writers name the place where Jesus was crucified as Golgotha, the Place of the Skull. All four tell their readers that Jesus was crucified between two others. All state that a sign which listed the accusation against Jesus was attached to his cross and identified Jesus as one who was dying as “The King of the Jews” – though the wording is slightly different among them. All four mention that Jesus clothing was divided among the soldiers who crucified Jesus. All four mention that there were women who witnessed the crucifixion – though John will add a male disciple to the group and place them at the foot of the cross and not at a distance. All four tell their readers that Jesus spoke his last words just before he died – though those words are different from one another. All four mention the short time Jesus was on the cross and that he died rather quickly and before a move was made to hurry his death and remove him from the cross. All four identify Joseph of Arimathea as the one who asked Pilate for the body and the one who took Jesus from the cross and buried him in a rock-hewn tomb. That is a considerable amount of agreement! We can be quite certain that the crucifixion of Jesus happened as these events have unfolded. It is only when we get “inside” these events and look at the details that differences emerge. We can be very sure that Jesus was crucified in the way these four gospel writers come together in telling the story. He was nailed to a cross. He died. And he was buried in rock-hewn tomb, a dead man. All of that is factual information shared by all four gospel writers. And these facts are crucial to the truth of the gospel. They are all that really matters.

Having listed all these things held in common we are now ready to look inside John’s story and note the differences we find there and perhaps begin to think about why John told this common story with a peculiar twist.

First of all, as the trial of Jesus before Pilate was concluding John tells his readers that it was about noon. Mark had told his readers that it was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified Jesus. We have also noted that John has placed the crucifixion of Jesus on the day when Jewish people were preparing to celebrate Passover that evening – in John’s gospel Jesus dies before the Passover feast occurs. Significantly it was at noon on the day of preparation for the Passover that the lambs used in the Passover were slaughtered at the Temple. Jesus dies with the lambs – he is the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” It is most likely that it is for theological reasons and not historical reasons that John has placed the timing of Jesus’ crucifixion at noon on the Day of Preparation for Passover when the lambs are slaughtered. Consequently, if we care about historical accuracy, it is likely that Mark and his synoptic companions are reflecting the actual historical sequence – Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, was betrayed, arrested and tried at night, and crucified in the morning on the day after the Passover was celebrated. Though John is not reflecting historical accuracy – something none of the gospel writers were much concerned about – his story does proclaim a powerful message. Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Jesus is the Passover lamb! To eat his flesh and drink his blood is life-giving. That is what John wants his readers to hear.

As we move forward we notice that Simon of Cyrene is missing from John’s story – Jesus carries his own cross. As we think back over John’s gospel we have noted that Jesus is fully in charge at all times. Jesus marches through John’s gospel as the God-man. Jesus has said that no one takes his life from him but that he lays down his life of his own accord. When those who came to arrest Jesus ask him if he is Jesus of Nazareth, his response, “I Am!” causes them to fall to the ground in worship. Jesus is in charge. Jesus carries his own cross.

Moving along we notice that John makes more of the sign placed on the cross to document the crime for which Jesus is being crucified. John speaks of a debate between the Jewish religious leaders and Pilate regarding what the sign should say. The Jewish leaders want the sign changed to read that Jesus had claimed to be the “king of the Jews” because in their opinion he was not. Pilate insists on keeping the language as he had put it – Pilate was thoroughly enjoying rubbing this humiliation in the face of the Jewish people – this poor, helpless excuse for a man was the best “king” the Jews could put forward. The sign remains.

John makes more of the dividing of Jesus’ clothes among the soldiers who crucified Jesus. He makes the deliberate connection with Psalm 22 – something Mark and the others had only implied.

We might notice two things at this point. John has mentioned that two others were crucified with Jesus but they have receded into the background. And, more importantly, John does not tell of anyone mocking Jesus while he is hanging on the cross. There is no taunting of Jesus. The religious leaders have no role to play. There are no passers-by. No soldiers taunt Jesus. Those crucified with him are silent. That had been a prominent feature of the synoptic writers. Why has John omitted this from his story? Or, maybe we should ask why Mark and the others included it. John is intent on portraying Jesus as the one in charge of what is going on. It is Jesus’ actions on the cross that are important. So, perhaps a scene of humiliation and taunting would have taken away from Jesus autonomy on the cross. In place of his enemies John places Jesus’ mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross. Incidentally there is a question of whether three or four women are listed here. Was Jesus’ mother’s sister Mary the wife of Clopas? That is one way to read the story. But that would mean that there were two sisters both named Mary in the same family. Not impossible, but also not likely, so it is likely John lists four women. Along with the women is another male disciple of Jesus – the mysterious disciple whom Jesus loved. We have met this “beloved disciple” before and we are no closer to providing a name for this disciple here as we were before. His identity must remain a mystery. But his function in John’s story becomes clearer as we listen to the story.

Jesus speaks three times in John’s gospel – none of which match what is said in the others. The first thing Jesus says from the cross is to acknowledge his mother and the beloved disciple and then give them to one another. John has mentioned the mother of Jesus once previously in his gospel at the story of the changing of water into wine at Cana. We may remember that she did not come off very well in that story. Here she is placed in the care of the beloved disciple and he is placed in her care. A community is established. John likely has in mind the community of the church. Jesus’ mother and the beloved disciple – neither of whom are named by John – represent the infant church which will emerge following the resurrection of Jesus.

The second thing Jesus says from the cross is that he is thirsty. John tells us that Jesus said this to fulfill the scripture. A sponge of vinegar is place on a sprig of hyssop and lifted to Jesus lips to drink. Incidentally, it was hyssop that was used to spread the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts of the house. In actuality hyssop would have been too flimsy to lift a sponge to the lips of Jesus but John is not worried about that but rather to make one more connection to Passover. Exactly which scripture John has in mind is not fully clear but most likely he is thinking of Psalm 69 where the psalmist says “they gave me vinegar to drink.” In an even more profound way the thirst of Jesus speaks of God’s thirst for God’s people.

Right after saying that he is thirsty Jesus proclaims his final words from the cross. They are not words of despair (Mark) or even words of resignation (Luke) but words of triumph. “It is finished!” The mission has been accomplished. And with those triumphant words John tells his readers that Jesus “gave up his spirit.” No one took it from Jesus. He gave up his spirit of his own will. Jesus had said to his followers in chapter ten, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.” Jesus is in charge of his own death. He has fulfilled his mission of laying his life down and John’s readers will await his taking it up again. There is no hint of defeat in the death of Jesus in John’s gospel. There is only the victory shout of one who has come from the Father and is now returning to him.

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