Good Friday
image: “Christ on the Cross” - detail of the Romanesque crucifixion group at Seckau Basilica, Styria, Austria, Uoaei1, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Time Stamps for each test discussion:
1:41 - John 18:12-27
34:20 - John 18:28-40
1:03:40 - John 19:1-16a
1:30:36 - John 19:16b-22
Mary Luti’s Excellent Holy Week Note:
As Christians, we live under the burden of a sad and violent history of anti-Semitism, in the sobering shadow of the Shoah (Holocaust). It is critical for us to be clear about what our sacred texts mean when they make reference to “the Jews,” especially during Holy Week, when we contemplate Jesus’ death.
When the crucifixion narratives speak of “the chief priests and leaders of the people,” they are referring to officials who collaborated closely with the Roman systems of oppression, and were viewed with contempt by much of the Jewish community in their time. They should not be identified with the Jewish people of the past as a whole, and certainly not with Jews in the present.
It may be helpful to recall the cultural context of our Christian scriptures, emerging as they did from a small, originally Jewish community of believers in Jesus as the Messiah. All of the Gospels originated from Jewish communities. Jesus himself, was born, lived, and was crucified, a Jew. Any criticism of Jews from Gospel writers should be understood as the expression of differences of opinion among or about their fellow Jews. The gospels’ use of the term “the Jews” therefore, should not be read as a criticism of the Jewish religion, and especially not as a condemnation of an entire people, either then, or now.
It is one of the bitter ironies of history that our sacred texts have been used to justify the persecution of the covenant people, from whom our Savior came, and who are created, as we all are, in the precious image of God.
John 18:12-27
Initial Thoughts
Read John 18:1-12 ( perhaps not in worship, but for context)
Twice Jesus asks those who came to arrest him, who are you looking for, they say, “Jesus of Nazareth” and he replied “I am he”
Peter has just “betrayed” Jesus by violated his way of non-violent love
When Judas betrayed Jesus and the temple soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter attacked Malchus, the slave of the high priest, and cut off his right ear
While this is depicted in the synoptics - only John says it was Peter who did it, and while Luke (22:51) uses this as an opportunity for a miraculous healing- such healing does not take place in John
What’s missing - in John there is no “watch and wait with me one hour” and the disciples falling asleep in the Garden.
Bible Study
Back and forth movement between Jesus being questioned by Annas and Caiaphas and Peter’s repeated denials
vv.12-14 setting the scene- Annas and Caiaphas will preside over the trial
vv. 15-18 Peter’s first denial at the courtyard fire
vv. 19-24 Annas questions Jesus about his teachings
vv. 25-27 Peter denies Jesus twice more
Who’s Who
Caiaphas was the high priest from 18-36 CE
Was there at Lazarus' raising, which is referred to in this passage - John 11:50
Annas was high priest from 6-15 CE
Who is John referring to in v. 19 - Annas is unlikely since he hadn’t been the high priest for over 10 years, no Caiaphas, because he goes from there to Caiaphas - maybe Hanan (who had previously been high priest) - the ambiguity here seems to emphasize that Pilate is the one with the true political authority, not the Jewish leadership. (See Gerard Stephen Sloyan, John, Interpretation, p. 202).
The tensions between Rome and Caiaphas are alluded to here (v.14) which calls back to John 11:47-53
The Pharisees and other Jewish leadership were worried that Rome would retaliate against all the Jews
The first denial
Simon Peter and another disciple follow Jesus like a sheep follows the shepherd (cf. 10:4)
They enter into the “courtyard” which is the same word as “sheepfold” (10:1, 16).
At first Peter is not allowed into the “fold”, when he finally is, the doorkeeper asks his is he is a follower/disciple of Jesus - he denies it
There is an intentional irony here in which Peter is choosing the “fold” of the high priest over Jesus.
Important to note- that Peter is not making any claim about Jesus but about himself. “Peter does not deny Jesus, but denies being a disciple” Karoline Lewis, John, Fortress Biblical Interpretation Commentary, p.222
His gathering around the charcoal fire intentionally connects this passage to John 21. Here he does not understand what it means to be a disciple, he will learn in John 21.
“‘I am not’ perhaps an ironic inversion of Jesus’ use of ‘I am’ as divine self-designation.” (Adele Reinhartz, Jewish Annotated New Testament, p. 212-213)
Jesus before the High Priest
Coming off of Peter’s denial as a disciple, the high priest asks Jesus about his disciples. Jesus tells them to ask those who heard what he said.
To hear Jesus is connected to knowing Jesus and proclaiming Jesus
Peter has already denied hearing Jesus
“In contrast to Matthew, John depicts no trial before Caiaphas or the Sanhedrin; which, if any, of the Gospel trial accounts is historical is impossible to determine.” (Adele Reinhartz, Jewish Annotated New Testament, p. 212-213)
“Jews were not allow to impose the death penalty; thus Jesus is crucifed, a Roman penalty. Whether this is historically accurate is a matter of scholarly debate… [It is implied in several verses of Acts] that the Sanhedrin did have the power to carry out a capital sentence… From a narrative point of view, this verse helps to account for why it was the reluctant Pilate who had jurisdiction in this situation while it was the Jews who retained moral culpability.” (Adele Reinhartz, Jewish Annotated New Testament, p. 212-213)
Peter’s 2nd and third denial
There is a finality - Peter denies being a disciple and then denies even being the garden - he denies the intimacy of the farewell discourse - he denies being a companion with Jesus.
Not only has be abandoned who Jesus is, he has abandoned all they have been through together - their entire relationship
Thoughts and Questions
What does it mean to follow Jesus when it is unpopular -- when it means risking everything? What are the ways in which we proclaim or deny Jesus in the face of war? Of Tyranny? Of injustice?
Peter denies and abandons Jesus, but Jesus never denies or abandons Peter, neither does he abandon Judas. God’s grace enfleshed in Jesus is absolute.
John 18:28-40
Initial Thoughts
Direct continuation of the Passion from last week - we move from Peter’s denial and the questioning of the Jewish leaders to Pilate
We are now firmly in Good Friday from now till Easter
Today’s reading is contains the first 3 scenes of the 7 which encompass Jesus trial before Pilate, the other 4 scenes are next week’s reading
This week: John 18:28-32, 33-38a, 38b-40
Next week: John 19:1-3, 4-8, 8-11, 12-16
Bible Study
Who was Pilate?
“Pilate was of an uncompromising nature and a bully (cf. Josephus, War II, 169–177; Antiquities XVIII, 55–62; 85–89). The softer picture of him which John shares with the Synoptics may result from early Christian attempts to gain concessions from the empire.” Gerard Stephen Sloyan, John: Interpretation, p. 204.
Scene 1 - John 18:28-32 - conversation between Jewish leaders and Pilate
Ritual defilement - associating with Gentiles before the Passover
The Jewish leaders once again refuse to name the charge - they only state Jesus’ guilt
Perhaps this is because they are worried Rome will retaliate against all the Jewish people (cf John 11:47-53)
Unlike the synoptics - there is no blasphemy change brought against Jesus - he is not charged at all
Is it true that Jews were “not permitted to put anyone to death”? This is disputed by several scholars, but most agree the point is to show the collaboration of the Jewish leaders and Rome in Jesus’ execution
While Acts seems to indicate the Sanhedrin did have the power to carry out capital sentences - this is disputed
Scene 2 - John 18:33-38a
Another call back (like last week) to John 10:4 - the sheep know the shepherd’s voice. This are the only two places in the Gospel where voice and listen are paired together
King of the Jews- literally, the King of the Judeans. While there were Jewish Kings (like the puppet Jewish King, Herod Antipas in Galilee) there was no King of the Jews. The term King of Israel (cf. John 1:49) had no meaning to the Romans (Israel and Rome were separated by hundreds of years), but Pilate was governor over Judea (Luke 3:1) so Jesus being the King over the Judeans, was a political threat - and the one he would be executed for (John 19:19)
Whose voice is Pilate listening to? Whose voice are we listening to?
Pilate wants to have a political conversation, Jesus is interested in a theological conversation.
“The latter term (basileia) has been allowed as valid in 3:3, 5. Here it is given new meaning. It is the sphere of belief in him who came into the world to testify to the truth (v. 37). This belief is both a hearing and a heeding of Jesus’ voice. Proclaiming the truth, being the truth (cf. 14:6) is what makes him a king. His dwelling is not in some far off land of Platonic exemplars. He comes from, and brings a knowledge of, a world that is real with the reality of God.” Gerard Stephen Sloyan, John: Interpretation, p. 206.
“Listening to Jesus’ voice is representative of being in relationship with Jesus”, Karoline Lewis, John: Fortress Preaching Biblical Commentary, p.224
“Handed over to the Jews” - Jesus is NOT handed over to the Jews, but to the empire who crucify him
“What is truth?” exposes Pilate’s ignorance to who Jesus is, “that is the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
“The Fourth Evangelist portrays both ‘the Jews’ and Pilate as those who have eyes but do not see and ears but do not hear. Jesus - the truth and the light- stands before them, and they are so caught up in their own political fog that they are unable to see God’s new thing in their midst.” (Barbara Essex, Feasting on the Gospels, John, volume 2, p. 273)
Scene 3 - John 19:38b-40
The release of Barabbas would be humorous if no so tragic
There is no historical evidence that a prisoner was released at the Passover (outside of the biblical narrative).
Bar-abbas, lit. means “son of the father” - so Pilate asks “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews” (a title he gave to Jesus, not one that Jesus ever claimed) and the people shout, “Not this man! Give us the son of the father!” - the tragic irony is nearly overwhelming.
We often think this is a crowd shouting to crucify him - but no crowd is mentioned here. “John conceives of them as a small band of dedicated antagonists against all that Jesus stands for.” Gerard Stephen Sloyan, John: Interpretation. p. 207.
Barabbas is not lifted up by Pilate but by the Jewish authorities, and he is described here as a bandit, which, again, calls back to John 10.
This description of a bandit, may not be the highway robber kind of bandit, but a social revolutionary - potentially a man who was guilty of sedition. This is how the Jewish historian Josephus used the word “bandit”. See Adele Reinhartz, “John”, Jewish Annotated New Testament, p.213
“The Greek word “lestes” points more to a revolutionary than a thief. Bandits in first-century Palestine resisted Roman oppression and often resorted to violence and murder. For the masses, bandits were heroes, because they took decisive action to overthrow Roman dominance.” (Barbara Essex, Feasting on the Gospels, John, volume 2, p. 273)
Thoughts and Questions
A good time to answer/discuss/explore the question - why did Jesus die? Who killed Jesus? And to directly expose and dismantle the anti-semitic messages of these passages.
Whose voice are we listening to? What truth are we believing in?
John 19:1-16a
Initial Thoughts
The final four scenes of Pilate and Jesus
19:1-3 - Jesus is Whipped
19:4-8 - Jesus declared innocent
19:8-11 - Discussion on Authority
19:12-16 - Jesus is handed over
Bible Study
Judgment
“Judgment in the Gospel of John is that which individuals bring upon themselves as a result of their reaction to Jesus’ revelation. God does not condemn or judge and neither does Jesus. Rather judgment is the result of a lack of recognition of who Jesus is…Everyone is on trial and in jeopardy of recognizing who Jesus is.” Karoline Lewis, John, Fortress Biblical Preaching Commentary, p.225
19:1-3 - Jesus is Whipped
Jesus as King
Crown of Thorns and Purple Robe - they dress Jesus in the part they want him to play, but one he refuses to take on. At the same time the thorns mock who he is
Perhaps he is dressed up, beaten, and mocked in order for Pilate to reveal the absurdity of thinking this “man” could be a threat to Pilate or Ceasar. Of course, the absurdity is that in his declaration, Here is the man!” Pilate reminds us that this “man” is the Word made flesh (1:14).
Reversal of Genesis 3 - “When Roman soldiers place a crown of ‘thorns’ on Jesus’s head… this derisive act mirrors the agricultural curse near the end of Genesis 3; namely, that the land will produce ‘thorns’ for Adam outside of Eden. Quite literally, Jesus takes the agricultural curse upon his own head, and the Messiah’s toil begins where Adam’s bliss ends.” (Nicholas Shasser, “Inverting Eden: The Reversal of Genesis 1-3 in John’s Passion,” Word and World, vol. 40, no, 3, Summer 2020, p. 266-7)
Jesus is whipped- a usual form of torture which would weaken Jesus and speed his death
19:4-8 - Jesus declared innocent
Innocence - Despite finding “no grounds for a charge against him”, Pilate still has Jesus beaten, whipped, and mocked
Man and God
Pilate doesn’t recognize the divinity of Jesus, nor the humanity of Jesus
Pilate and the Jewish leaders repeatedly go back and forth about the nature of Jesus: “here is the man” (v.5), “God’s Son” (v. 7) “Where are you from?” (v.9)
The declaration of Jesus as God’s son is new and only mentioned here in John’s Gospel - it seems like they are grasping for straws here. Firstly, a theological charge should have been brought before the high priest, not Pilate. Also, while the Law prohibited blaspheming the name of God (Leviticus 24:16), there was no prohibition to the sentence (of stoning) being carried out. This refusal to take ownership of this mockery of a trial, also reveals the injustice of it.
NOTE - in John is is the chief priests and their deputies who call for Jesus’ crucifixion, not a larger crowd (this is different than Matthew 27:25)
Reversal of Genesis 3, part 2 “When the Roman governor tells the chief priests to crucify Jesus themselves, he hears that Jesus ‘ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.’ The assessment that Jesus should ‘die’ recalls the divine warnings that Adam and Eve will ‘die’ if they eat the arboreal fruit….[what’s more] ‘When Pilate heard this word, he was very afraid.’ In both language and sequence, Pulate’s response echoes Adam’s rationale for hiding from God: ‘I heard… and I was afraid.’... Adam fear’s God’s ‘sound,’ Pilate fears God’s ‘word’.” (Nicholas Shasser, “Inverting Eden: The Reversal of Genesis 1-3 in John’s Passion,” Word and World, vol. 40, no, 3, Summer 2020, p. 267)
19:8-11 - Discussion on Authority
“Where are you from?” v. 9 - calls back to John 1:1 - Jesus is from the beginning, also this word “Where” or “Whence”, pothen in Greek “is the ordinary adverb for “whence,” similar to the enteuthen (hence) of 18:36, and is so used by John in a number of places, for example, to describe where the wine (2:9) or the wind (3:8) or the flowing water (4:11) has come from, or will.” Gerard Stephen Sloyan, John, Interpretation, p. 209.
Pilate wants to know who Jesus is representing - just as Pilate is representing the emperor. Pilate is trying to size up Jesus’ authority and power, but he is out of his league
v.11 - “given to you from above” - the word here is anothen, the same word used with Nicodemus in John 3 and recalls themes of life and death, witness and judgment
Jesus’ response on the “greater sin” focuses back on the fact that Jesus is not on trial, but Pilate, Peter, Judas, and all those who were gathered and have gathered since are on trial. When called to the stand about who Jesus is - what will we say?
Greater sin could refer to Judas, Satan, the ones whom Judas was working for- it is unclear.
19:12-16 - Jesus is handed over
Political and Theological
The juxtaposition of Jesus and the Emperor gets to the crux of the issue for Pilate - his own power, authority and safety.
Pilate cannot allow sedition to go unchecked and retain his status as governor (and potentially his life)
Jesus poses a threat to Pilate’s political power
Like Peter, he too is concerned with his survival (literal or political) and so he acquiesced to the leadership. He denies the divinity and the humanity of Jesus and hands him over to die.
Here is your King
Calls back to John’s proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel (1:29), “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The Greek word used by Pilate “Here” and John “Look/Behold” are the same word.
Preparation Day
It was the day before Passover and Jesus was handed over to be killed in the Gabbatha, which was in the Temple Court, at or after noon
Gabbatha - probably refers to an elevated place in the temple court.
Traditionally, the passover lamb was killed in the Temple court on the eve of Passover (Adele Reinhartz, “John”, Jewish Annotated New Testament, p.214)
Just as Jesus is handed over we get the call back to John’s accurate declaration, “Here is the Lamb of God”, in juxtaposition with Pilate’s false declaration, “Here is your king”
Thoughts and Questions
Pilate and the Jewish leaders agree to something repeatedly declared as untrue - that Jesus has declared himself king of the Jews. They create a lie and then kill Jesus for it. What are all of the ways people have historically agreed to things they knew were not true - in order to serve their own wants, desires, or maintain their power - and had others oppressed, hurt, or killed to preserve that lie? In what ways do we still do this?
John 19:16b-22
Initial Thoughts
There is not a lot here. You might read this at the very end of the Palm Sunday service to ead into Holy Week.
Bible Study
Jesus carries the Cross
Unlike the synoptics, Simon of Cyrene does not carry Jesus’ cross, he carries it himself - similar to how Jesus found his own colt on Palm Sunday.
The crossbeam of the cross - not the whole cross. Adele Reinhartz “John” Jewish Annotated New Testament, p. 214.
Jesus is in control
The Inscription
Written in three languages to represent the entirety of the world- unknown whether this was unusual or typical
“The sign points to two major themes in the Gospel, the reaction of the Jews and the object of God’s love, the world.The fact that many of the Jews would read the description intimates the focus in this Gospel on “coming to believe” (20:31). The three languages represent the whole of the world at that time, emphasizing that the entirety of Jesus ministry is focused on the world that God loves.” Karoline Lewis, John, Fortress Preaching Biblical Commentary, p.228
Often depicted in art in it’s latin form : INRI - J(I)esus of Nazareth, King(Rex) of the J(I)ews
Whether this was a profession of faith (unlikely) or a continuation of his mockery and misunderstanding (more likely) is unknown
Beyond the reading for today
V. 23 - the tunic without seam - may be a reference to the temple curtain (which is torn at Jesus’ death in Matthew), but more likely simply adds to the reference in Psalm 22:6
Only in John are the women and the disciple gathered at the foot of the cross.
In the synoptics they are gathered at a distance
Unknown how many there are:
His mother
His mother’s sister
Mary the wife of Clopas
Mary Magdalene
Were the last three the same woman? Two women? Or three distinct women?
Jesus provides for his mother, and in doing so, established the community of the faithful who will care for one another after he is gone
I am thirsty
Only John refers to the wine and hyssop which most like refers back to the Exodus 12:22 in which hyssop branches were used the take the blood of the lamb and mark the doors.
It is finished
Jesus is in control, Jesus determines when he died, not Judas, not Caiaphas, not Annas, not Pilate - Jesus.
Calls attention to the impotence of those who supposedly have power - like pharaoh who is shown to not have the power of life over death and God, who, through the passover, does reveal the power over life and death
Life is more than breath and a beating heart- abundant life
Thanks to our Psalms correspondent, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan (psalmimmersion.com,@pomopsalmist). Thank you to Scott Fletcher for our voice bumpers, Dick Dale and the Del Tones for our Theme music (“Miserlou”), Nicolai Heidlas (“Sunday Morning”,"Real Ride"and“Summertime”) and Bryan Odeen for our closing music.