Today's Gospel (Jn 11:1—19:42): When Jesus had finished
speaking, He went with his disciples to the other side of the Kidron
Valley. There was a garden there where Jesus entered with his
disciples. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place since Jesus
had often met there with his disciples. He led soldiers of the Roman
battalion and guards from the chief priests and Pharisees, who went
there with lanterns, torches and weapons. Jesus knew all that was
going to happen to him; He stepped forward and asked, «Who are
you looking for?». They answered, «Jesus the Nazarene».
Jesus said, «I am he». Judas, who betrayed him, stood
there with them. When Jesus said, «I am he», they moved
back and fell to the ground. He then asked a second time, «Who
are you looking for?» and they answered, «Jesus the
Nazarene». Jesus replied, «I told you that I am he. If
you are looking for me, let these others go». So what Jesus had
said came true: «I have not lost one of those you gave me».
Simon Peter had a sword; he drew it and struck Malchus, the High
Priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus said to Peter,
«Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup
which the Father has given me?».
The
guards and the soldiers, with their commander, seized Jesus and bound
him; and they took him first to Annas. Annas was the father-in-law of
Caiaphas, who was the High Priest that year; and it was Caiaphas who
had told the Jews: «It is better that one man should die for
the people». Simon Peter with another disciple followed Jesus.
Because this disciple was known to the High Priest, they let him
enter the courtyard of the High Priest along with Jesus, but Peter
had to stay outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to
the High Priest went out and spoke to the maidservant at the gate and
brought Peter in. Then, this servant on duty at the door said to
Peter, «So you also are one of his disciples?». But he
answered, «I am not». Now the servants and the guards had
made a charcoal fire and were standing and warming themselves,
because it was cold. Peter was also with them warming himself. The
High Priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
Jesus answered him, «I have spoken openly to the world; I have
always taught in places where the Jews meet together, either at the
assemblies in synagogues or in the Temple. I did not teach secretly.
Why then do you ask me? Ask those who heard me, they know what I
said». At this reply one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a
blow on the face, saying, «Is that the way to answer the High
Priest?». Jesus said to him, «If I have spoken wrongly,
point it out; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?».
Then Annas sent him, bound, to Caiaphas, the High Priest. Now Simon
Peter stood there warming himself. They said to him, «Surely
you also are one of his disciples». He denied it and answered,
«I am not». One of the High Priest's servants, a kinsman
of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, «Did I not see
you with him in the garden?». Again Peter denied it, and at
once the cock crowed.
Then
they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the court of the Roman
governor. It was now morning. The Jews didn't enter lest they be made
unclean (by coming into the house of a pagan) and be unable to eat
the Passover meal. So Pilate went out and asked, «What charge
do you bring against this man?». They answered, «If He
were not a criminal, we would not be handing him over to you».
Pilate said, «Take him yourselves and judge him according to
your own law». But they replied, «We ourselves are not
allowed to put anyone to death». It was clear from this what
kind of death Jesus was to die, according to what Jesus himself had
foretold. Pilate then entered the court again, called Jesus and asked
him, «Are you the King of the Jews?». Jesus replied,
«Does this word come from you, or did you hear it from
others?». Pilate answered, «Am I a Jew? Your own nation
and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you
done?». Jesus answered, «My kingship does not come from
this world. If I were king like those of this world, my guards would
have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews. But my
kingship is not from here». Pilate asked him, «So you are
a king?». And Jesus answered, «Just as you say, I am a
king. For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to
bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth hears
my voice». Pilate said, «What is truth?». Pilate
then went out to the Jews again and said, «I find no crime in
this man. Now, according to a custom, I must release a prisoner of
yours at the Passover. With your agreement I will release for you the
King of the Jews». But they insisted and cried out, «Not
this man, but Barabbas!». Now Barabbas was a robber.
Then
Pilate had Jesus taken away and scourged. The soldiers also twisted
thorns into a crown and put it on his head. They threw a cloak of
royal purple around his shoulders and began coming up to him and
saluting him, «Hail, king of the Jews», and they struck
him on the face. Pilate went outside yet another time and said to the
Jews, «Look, I am bringing him out and I want you to know that
I find no crime in him». Jesus then came out wearing the crown
of thorns and the purple cloak and Pilate pointed to him saying,
«Here is the man!». On seeing him the chief priests and
the guards cried out, «Crucify him! Crucify him!». Pilate
replied, «Take him yourselves and have him crucified, for I
find no case against him». The Jews then said, «We have a
Law, and according to the Law this man must die because He made
himself Son of God». When Pilate heard this he was more afraid.
And coming back into the court he asked Jesus, «Where are you
from?». But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to him,
«You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to
release you just as I have power to crucify you?». Jesus
replied, «You would have no power over me unless it had been
given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is
more guilty». From that moment Pilate tried to release him, but
the Jews cried out, «If you release this man, you are no friend
of Caesar. Anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar».
When Pilate heard this, he had Jesus brought outside to the place
called the Stone Floor —in Hebrew Gabbatha— and there he
had him seated in the tribune. It was the Preparation Day for the
Passover, about noon. So Pilate said to the Jews, «Here is your
king». But they cried out, «Away! Take him away! Crucify
him!». Pilate replied, «Shall I crucify your king?».
And the chief priests answered, «We have no king but Caesar».
Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.
They
took charge of him. Bearing his own cross, Jesus went out of the city
to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew: Golgotha. There
He was crucified and with him two others, one on either side, and
Jesus was in the middle. Pilate had a notice written and fastened to
the cross that read: Jesus the Nazorean, King of the Jews. Many
Jewish people saw this title, because the place where Jesus was
crucified was very close to the city. It was, moreover, written in
Hebrew, Latin and Greek. The chief priests said to Pilate, «Do
not write: ‘The king of the Jews’; but: ‘This man
claimed to be king of the Jews’». Pilate answered them,
«What I have written, I have written». When the soldiers
crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four
parts, one part for each of them. But as the tunic was woven in one
piece from top to bottom, they said, «Let us not tear it, but
cast lots to decide who will get it». This fulfilled the words
of Scripture: They divided my clothing among them; they cast lots for
my garment. This was what the soldiers did. Near the cross of Jesus
stood his mother, his mother's sister Mary, who was the wife of
Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw the Mother, and the
disciple whom He loved, He said to the Mother, «Woman, this is
your son». Then He said to the disciple, «There is your
mother». And from that moment the disciple took her to his own
home.
With
that Jesus knew all was now finished and He said, «I am
thirsty», to fulfil what was written in Scripture. A jar full
of bitter wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine
on a twig of hyssop, they raised it to his lips. Jesus took the wine
and said, «It is accomplished». Then He bowed his head
and gave up the spirit.
As
it was Preparation Day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on
the cross during the Sabbath, for this Sabbath was a very solemn day.
They asked Pilate to have the legs of the condemned men broken, so
they might take away the bodies. The soldiers came and broke the legs
of the first man and of the other who had been crucified with Jesus.
When they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead; so they
did not break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his
side with a lance and immediately there came out blood and water. The
one who has seen here gives his witness so that you may believe: his
witness is true and he knows that he speaks the truth. All this
happened to fulfill the words of Scripture, «Not one of his
bones shall be broken». Another text says: «They shall
look on him whom they have pierced».
After
this, Joseph of Arimathea approached Pilate, for he was a disciple of
Jesus, though secretly, for fear of the Jews. And he asked Pilate to
let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate agreed, so he came and took
away the body. Nicodemus, the man who earlier had come to Jesus by
night, also came and brought a jar of myrrh mixed with aloes, about a
hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen
cloths with the spices, following the burial custom of the Jews.
There was a garden in the place where Jesus had been crucified, and,
in the garden, a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. As the
tomb was very near, they buried Jesus there because they had no time
left before the Jewish Preparation Day.
