On Golgotha
Jesus’ Heart was pierced by a lance
as a sign of his total self-giving,
of that sacrificial and saving love
with which he “loved us to the end”
(John 13:1), laying the foundation
of the friendship between God and
man.
—
John Paul II
Introduction
The crucifixion was Jesus' enthronement as
King. The inscription that hung above him
on the cross was written in Hebrew, the
language of religion; in Latin, the
language of the empire; and in Greek, the
language of culture – thus serving as a
universal proclamation testifying to the
truth of who Jesus is. As St. Ambrose
explained in his Exposition of the Gospel
of Luke,
The superscription is written and placed
above, not below the cross, because the
government is upon his shoulders [Isaiah
9:6]. What is this government if not his
eternal power and Godhead! ... The
superscription is fittingly above the
cross, because although the Lord Jesus was
on the cross, he shines above the cross
with the majesty of a king.
Jesus' death begins to make sense only
when we recognize the great love that the
Father has for us – so great a longing in
the Father's heart for us to be restored
to full friendship with him that he would
ask his Son to go to such great lengths on
our behalf. The words of the Exsultet, the
proclamation sung at the Easter Vigil [in
the Roman Catholic liturgy], marvel at
God's motive: "Father, how wonderful your
care for us! How boundless your merciful
love! To ransom a slave you gave away your
Son."
We have come full circle now from the time
when Adam and Eve, by partaking of the
fruit of the forbidden tree, brought sin
and death into the world. Jesus Christ,
the new Adam, restored our relationship
with the Father through the tree of the
cross. Paradoxically, it is the death of
the Son of God on this tree that secured
new life for us:
How precious the gift of the
cross, how splendid to contemplate! In the
cross there is no mingling of good and
evil, as in the tree of paradise: it is
wholly beautiful to behold and good to
taste. The fruit of this tree is not death
but life, not darkness but light. This
tree does not cast us out of paradise, but
opens the way for our return.... This was
the tree upon which the Lord, like a brave
warrior wounded in hands, feet and side,
healed the wounds of sin that the evil
serpent had inflicted on our nature....
What an astonishing transformation! That
death should become life, that decay
should become immortality, that shame
should become glory! (St. Theodore the
Studite, Oratio in adorationem crucis)
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John
19:13-22, 25-37
13 [Pilate]
brought Jesus outside and
sat on the judge’s bench at
a place called The Stone
Pavement, or in Hebrew
Gabbatha. 14Now it was the
day of Preparation for the
Passover; and it was about
noon. Pilate said to the
Jews, “Here is your King!”
15They cried out, “Away with
him! Away with him! Crucify
him!” Pilate asked them,
“Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered,
“We have no king but the
emperor.” 16Then he handed
him over to them to be
crucified.
So they took Jesus,
17and carrying the cross by
himself, he went out to what
is called The Place of the
Skull, which in Hebrew is
called Golgotha. 18There
they crucified him, and with
him two others, one on
either side, with Jesus
between them. 19Pilate also
had an inscription written
and put on the cross. It
read, “Jesus of Nazareth,
the King of the Jews.”
20Many of the Jews read this
inscription, because the
place where Jesus was
crucified was near the city;
and it was written in
Hebrew, in Latin, and in
Greek. 21Then the chief
priests of the Jews said to
Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The
King of the Jews,’ but ‘This
man said, I am King of the
Jews.’” 22Pilate answered,
“What I have written I have
written.”
25 . . . [S]tanding near the
cross of Jesus were his
mother, and his mother’s
sister, Mary, the wife of
Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26When Jesus saw his mother
and the disciple whom he
loved standing beside her,
he said to his mother,
“Woman, here is your son.”
27Then he said to the
disciple, “Here is your
mother.” And from that hour
the disciple took her into
his own home.
28 After this, when Jesus
knew that all was now
finished, he said (in order
to fulfill the scripture),
“I am thirsty.” 29A jar full
of sour wine was standing
there. So they put a sponge
full of wine on a branch of
hyssop and held it to his
mouth. 30When Jesus had
received the wine, he said,
“It is finished.” Then he
bowed his head and gave up
his spirit.
31 Since it was the day of
Preparation, the Jews did
not want the bodies left on
the cross during the
sabbath, especially because
that sabbath was a day of
great solemnity. So they
asked Pilate to have the
legs of the crucified men
broken and the bodies
removed. 32Then the soldiers
came and broke the legs of
the first and of the other
who had been crucified with
him. 33But when they came to
Jesus and saw that he was
already dead, they did not
break his legs. 34Instead,
one of the soldiers pierced
his side with a spear, and
at once blood and water came
out. 35(He who saw this has
testified so that you also
may believe. His testimony
is true, and he knows that
he tells the truth.) 36These
things occurred so that the
scripture might be
fulfilled, “None of his
bones shall be broken.”
37And again another passage
of scripture says, “They
will look on the one whom
they have pierced.”
(See Matthew 27:32-54; Mark
15:20b-39; Luke 23:26-49)
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“Behold Your King”
Jesus’ journey led from the house of
Caiaphas to Pontius Pilate’s official
quarters in Jerusalem, most likely located
in the Antonia Fortress (see John 18:28).
It would be Jesus’ last stopping place
before Golgotha.
As the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate
possessed the jus gladii (the
“right of the sword”), the authority to
order an execution. Although the Jewish
religious leaders despised Pilate, they
had to submit their case to him if they
wanted Jesus to be sentenced to death; the
Sanhedrin was under Roman jurisdiction and
had no authority to impose capital
punishment (see John 18:29-31).
Pilate repeatedly declared Jesus innocent
of any crime. In fact, he tried several
times to avoid condemning him; he even had
Jesus scourged in an attempt to appease
the Jewish leaders and win the crowds’
sympathy (see Luke 23:13-16; John
18:28–19:12). Nonetheless, the chief
priests and elders were unyielding, and
Pilate buckled under their pressure.
Although Pilate knew Jesus had done
nothing to deserve the death sentence, he
lacked the courage and integrity to
release him. When the Jews reminded Pilate
that anyone who made himself a king was
Caesar’s rival, he acquiesced to the chief
priests’ demands in order to preserve
crowd control and protect his political
career from the emperor’s displeasure (see
John 19:12-16). Knowing that he was
handing over an innocent man to quell an
impending riot, Pilate tried to salve his
conscience by symbolically washing his
hands of responsibility for Jesus’ death
(see Matthew 27:24).
Mary remained steadfastly by Jesus as he
hung on the cross, demonstrating her
solidarity with him and his mission. How
terrible it must have been for her to see
her son’s agony; yet she would not leave
him without the comfort of her maternal
presence. And even in his suffering, Jesus
thought of his mother, entrusting her to
the beloved disciple’s care. But first he
directed Mary to extend her motherly care
to John, thus creating a new spiritual
family at Golgotha (see John 19:26-27).
Mary’s maternal role now has a universal
dimension; her motherhood extends
spiritually to all humanity.
Standing nearby, John was able to hear
and record for us Jesus’ last words from
the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30).
In colloquial English, we might say, “I
have done it!” This was a declaration of
victory. “Jesus must have died in ecstasy
of joy, knowing that at last he had
completed the work that he was born to
accomplish” (Wendy Beckett, Sister Wendy’s
Nativity). Then he “gave up his spirit”
(19:30), that is, handed himself over to
the Father.
According to Jewish custom, the slaughter
of the Passover lambs in the Temple—male
lambs without blemish (see Exodus
12:5)—began at noon on the day of
Preparation. And it was at that very hour
that Pilate handed Jesus over to be
crucified, even though he had found no
fault in him (see John 19:14). While the
blood of the paschal lambs was being
poured out to commemorate the Israelites’
deliverance from their bondage in Egypt,
the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God (see
John 1:29), was being poured out on
Golgotha to free us from the power of sin
and Satan. And just as the bones of the
Passover lambs were not broken (see Exodus
12:46; Numbers 9:12), neither were Jesus’
legs broken, as was commonly done to
hasten the death of a crucifixion victim
(see John 19:32-33, 36; Psalm 34:20).
Finally, in his eyewitness account John
testifies that water and blood flowed from
Jesus’ side when a lance was thrust into
his body (see John 19:34). Now we have
access to an inexhaustible source of
eternal life: we are cleansed and purified
from our sins by the waters of baptism,
and in the Eucharist we drink from the
fountain that flows from the heart of our
crucified Savior. The Church, born from
Jesus’ pierced side, is continually
invigorated and renewed by these
sacraments. And, as Pope Benedict XVI
notes, it is by contemplating Christ’s
wounded heart that we become “sensitive to
God’s salvific will. It enables us to
entrust ourselves to his saving and
merciful love, and at the same time
strengthens us in the desire to take part
in his work of salvation, becoming his
instruments.”
| “It is
finished”—this was Jesus’
declaration of victory. |
Understand!
- Why, in your opinion, was Pilate so
adamant about the wording of the
inscription placed on Jesus’ cross (see
John 19:19-22)? What does this suggest
about Pilate’s view of Jesus? About
Pilate’s feelings toward the chief
priests? What does this incident add to
your impressions of Pilate?
- Choose several adjectives to
characterize Jesus’ relationship with
his mother. Describe some of the human
and natural dimensions of their
relationship with each other. What
qualities does Mary bring to her role as
mother of the church?
- What similarities do you see between
the Israelites’ Passover deliverance
from Egypt and Jesus’ sacrifice on the
cross at Golgotha? What
differences?
- What is the significance of Jesus’
words, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Read Ephesians 2:13-16 and Hebrews
9:11-15. What did Jesus accomplish by
shedding his blood for us on the cross?
- Why is it so important that the
evangelist John was an eyewitness to the
events of Jesus’ life, ministry, and
passion and so clearly stated this fact
in his gospel (see John 19:35)? Read
John 15:27 and 21:24 to for more insight
into the validity and significance of
John’s testimony.
In
the Spotlight
Jesus of
Nazareth, the King of the Jews
Jesus was
recognized and honored as the
newborn king of the Jews by the
gentile wise men who paid him
homage at his birth (see Matthew
2:1-11), but the leaders of his
own nation did not accept the
truth of his kingship. When the
chief priests and Sanhedrin
brought Jesus before Pilate, they
accused him of sedition and
falsely claiming to be a king: “We
found this man perverting our
nation, forbidding us to pay taxes
to the emperor, and saying that he
himself is the Messiah, a king”
(Luke 23:2). Ironically, it was
the gentile Pilate who defied the
Jewish elders and accorded the
title “King of the Jews” to Jesus
at his death (see John
19:19-22).
It was customary
to write the charge on which the
accused was sentenced on a placard
that was then carried in front of
him as he made his way to the
place of execution, where it was
either affixed to his cross or
hung around his neck. The
inscription that Pilate ordered to
describe Jesus’ “crime”—“Jesus of
Nazareth, the King of the Jews”
(John 19:19)—was written in
Hebrew, the language of the Jews
and their religion; in Latin, the
language of the governing empire
and its law; and in Greek, the
language of culture. Thus, it
universally proclaimed the truth
of Jesus’ divine kingship as he
was “enthroned” on Golgotha. “The
superscription is written and
placed above, not below the
cross,” noted St. Ambrose,
“because the government is upon
his shoulders [Isaiah 9:6]. What
is this government if not his
eternal power and Godhead? . . .
The superscription is fittingly
above the cross, because although
the Lord Jesus was on the cross,
he shines above the cross with the
majesty of a king.”
Grow!
- Like Pilate, have you ever yielded
to fear, social or political pressure,
or self-interest and made a wrong
decision against your better judgment?
Are you sometimes more concerned about
personal advantage and what others
think of you than with upholding God’s
teachings and values? What might you
do to strengthen your resolve to
choose rightly in the future?
- Recall a time when
you comforted and/or remained
faithfully by someone dear to you
when that person was in a time of
deep distress or trial. What did
this effort cost you? What enabled
you to be steadfast? What have you
learned from Mary’s presence
during Jesus’ crucifixion that can
help you support others in their
difficulties or suffering?
- What particular work
or mission has God entrusted to
you? How do you feel about
carrying out this task? How has
this changed your life? Ask the
Holy Spirit to help you fulfill
God’s mission so that you will one
day be able to say, as Jesus did,
“It is finished.”
- Which moment from
John’s account of the events on
Calvary moves you most profoundly?
Why? What impact has Jesus’
crucifixion had on you? How is the
victory of the cross manifested in
your life?
- In what way(s)
do you acknowledge Jesus’ kingship
over you? What could you do to
grow in loving Jesus more deeply?
To respond more actively to his
authority in your life?
In
the Spotlight
Mary
at the Foot of the Cross
Only a consistency
that lasts throughout the
whole of life can be called
faithfulness. Mary’s fiat in
the Annunciation finds its
fullness in the silent fiat
that she repeats at the foot
of the cross.
—Pope John Paul
II
Nor was Mary less
than was befitting the mother
of Christ. When the apostles
fled, she stood before the
cross and with reverent gaze
beheld her Son’s wounds, for
she waited not for her child’s
death, but the world’s
salvation.
—Ambrose of Milan
Just as the Father
gave us the great gift of his
Son to be our Redeemer, so also
the Son gives us the great gift
of his Blessed Mother to be our
Advocate. When he said to John
at the foot of the Cross:
“Behold your Mother!” he said it
to him representing all
Christians.
—John of the Cross
Reflect!
- Reflect on this statement by St.
Josemaría Escrivá:
John, the disciple whom Jesus loved,
brought Mary into his home, into his
life. Spiritual writers have seen
these words of the Gospel as an
invitation to all Christians to bring
Mary into their lives. Mary certainly
wants us to invoke her, to approach
her confidently, to appeal to her as
our mother, asking her to “show that
you are our mother.
- How do you express your relationship
to Mary as your “spiritual mother”? In
what ways can you more consciously bring
Mary into your home and make a place for
her in your life as the apostle John
did?
- Reflect on the following passages to
enhance your understanding of the
significance and power of Christ’s death
on the cross:
Surely
he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and
afflicted.
But he was wounded for our
transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that
made us whole,
and by his bruises we are
healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have all turned to our own
way,
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
—Isaiah 53:4-6
When you
were dead in trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, God
made you alive together with him,
when he forgave us all our
trespasses, erasing the record
that stood against us with its
legal demands. He set this aside,
nailing it to the cross.
—Colossians 2:13-14
Let us run
with perseverance the race that is
set before us, looking to Jesus
the pioneer and perfecter of our
faith, who for the sake of the joy
that was set before him endured
the cross, disregarding its shame,
and has taken his seat at the
right hand of the throne of God.
—Hebrews 12:2
Christ also
suffered for you, leaving you an
example, so that you should follow
in his steps.
“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in
his mouth.”
When he was
abused, he did not return abuse;
when he suffered, he did not
threaten; but he entrusted himself
to the one who judges justly. He
himself bore our sins in his body
on the cross, so that, free from
sins, we might live for
righteousness; by his wounds you
have been healed.
—1 Peter 2:21-24
In the Spotlight
“Pontius” was a
hereditary family name of Roman
origin. The given name “Pilate”
was probably derived from the
Latin pilatus—a “pikeman” or
person armed with a pilum or
javelin. Pontius Pilate’s wife
was Claudia Procula,
granddaughter of the emperor
Augustus Caesar.
Pontius Pilate
was appointed the Roman governor
of Judea, Idumea, and Samaria in
A.D. 26. He held the official
title of prefect (military
commander), but also performed
the duties of a procurator
(civil administrator).
Apparently Pilate was an able
administrator since he remained
in office ten years, while the
region had had four governors in
the previous twenty years. But
he was also a harsh and
insensitive ruler who made
himself unpopular with the
Jewish people by bringing images
of the Roman emperor into the
Temple precincts in Jerusalem
and by using money from the
Temple treasury to pay for the
construction of an aqueduct.
Pilate’s
headquarters were in Caesarea on
the Mediterranean coast in the
palace built by Herod the Great.
Most of the soldiers under his
command were stationed there,
but others manned the Antonia
Fortress, adjacent to the Temple
in Jerusalem. During Passover
Pilate and his Caesarea troops
went to Jerusalem to keep order
among the pilgrims and crowds
gathered for the feast. Pilate
retained Caiaphas as the Jewish
high priest during his whole
term as governor, which suggests
that the two men maintained a
working relationship, most
likely playing off one another’s
political interests and
ambitions.
In A.D. 36 Pilate was
removed as governor after his
troops killed some Samaritans.
Nothing certain is known of his
later history. According to one
tradition, he was executed by the
emperor Nero. Another tradition
holds that Pilate was exiled by
the emperor Caligula to Gaul,
where he committed suicide.
Act!
Teresa of Avila experienced a fuller
conversion and deepening of her prayer
life after seeing an image that
portrayed the wounded Christ. St. John
of the Cross was frequently moved by
depictions of scenes from Christ’s life,
and he taught that religious paintings
should be prized because they point the
heart toward the living image or mystery
that they represent. As art historian
Sr. Wendy Beckett points out, “Gazing
upon sacred art is an exercise in
prayer! The artists, by their very
nature, and perhaps without even knowing
it, teach us to pray!” (In the Midst of
Chaos, Peace).
Kneel or sit quietly before a crucifix,
painting or icon depicting Jesus’
passion. Allow the image to lead you
into prayer. Tell Jesus of your love for
him and express your gratitude for his
death on the cross.
In
the Spotlight
“I
Have Done All You Gave Me to Do”
“It
is consummated.” These are our
Lord’s last words to his Father
cited in St. John [19:30]. “I have
done all you gave me to do.” My God,
may these words also be ours at our
last hour—though they will not then
have the same meaning and the same
perfection. We are only worthless
human beings; but granted our
wretchedness, may they at least be
ours as far as they can be.
What must I do if they
are to be, O God? I must ask you
what it is you have given me to do,
and I must ask you—from whom alone
strength comes—to do it. I beseech
you, my Lord and my God, to let me
see clearly what your will for me
is. Then give me the strength to do
it, fulfilling it loyally till the
end, in thanksgiving and love.
—Charles de Foucauld,
The Spiritual Autobiography of
Charles de Foucauld
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