Maundy Thursday

INTRODUCTION: Does God really love you? In a “dog eat dog” society built on competition and materialism, where you learn to beat the other before the other beats you, you have become cynical and you feel alone. You have the skepticism of a Doubting Thomas, who needs to see it to believe it.

Well, this week is for you. This is Holy Week, a time when we reflect on the saying that “No greater love has a man than to lay down his life for another”. But our reflection is different, unique. While the Passover helps the Jews to remember how in the past the wrath of God passed over the Israelites and struck the first born of Egypt, we do more than just remember. Our Eucharist has as its purpose to not simply remember how Jesus sacrificed his life for our salvation, but rather to relive it. Theologians use the word “Anamnesis”, which roughly translated means, “making effective in the present an event of the past”. When we celebrate the Eucharist, it is as if we are back in 33 AD; it is as if we are standing at the foot of the cross and learning what love really means.

When I was a boy, I can remember looking through my uncle’s bible on his coffee table and finding a picture of Jesus being nailed to the Cross. His back was arched in pain, and he was screaming. It suddenly dawned on me that while Jesus was God, he was also fully human, and that to have gone through the agony of the cross out of love for you and me made my heart well up with love for him. After ordination, I spent a number of years trying to understand the events of the passion well enough to speak to the hearts of parishioners as that picture once spoke to me.

Let us now recall just how much Jesus really loves you:

A NEED FOR FRIENDS: Jesus had predicted his own suffering. At the Last Supper, he looked Judas in the eye, knowing that he was his betrayer. Now, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he hopes to ready himself through prayer with his friends, the Apostles. However, they, exhausted from walking that day from Bethany [where Jesus had left his mother in the care of Martha and Mary] to Jerusalem, have all fallen asleep, and even though he awakens them with a plea, their spirits being willing cannot overcome the weakness of their flesh, and they lapse back into sleep, leaving Jesus all alone.

SWEATING BLOOD (Haematidrosis): He is so scared that veins just beneath his skin (the subcutaneous capillaries) dilate so broadly that, when they come into contact with the sweat glands, they burst. Jesus literally sweats blood.

DEATH COMING FROM A DISTANCE: He then looks out at the scene of Judas coming with Sadducees (the priestly protectors of the law) and Pharisees (the separatists who protect both oral and written tradition), and with both Jewish Temple guards and Roman soldiers, the latter sent by Pilate to appease a very demanding and manipulative Caiaphas, the high priest. The soldiers at the beginning and end of the procession carry torches, it thus being very easy to see them coming from a distance, moving ever closer to the inevitable confrontation.

BETRAYED AT NIGHT: They come at night, because they fear taking Jesus by day will cause a riot among his many supporters, who have seen the miracles and who hope he is the new Messiah.

BETRAYED BY A KISS:

After 3 years of observing these miracle and having the luxury of daily listening to Jesus, how does Judas betray Jesus, with a kiss! Jesus looks straight into his eyes, and says, “Judas, with a kiss you betray the Son of Man?”

As the soldiers move forward to arrest Jesus, broad-shouldered, impetuous Peter lunges forward with a sword, aims at the neck of the servant of the high priest, Malchus, who, seeing Peter coming, turns his head, the result being his ear being sheared off. Jesus tells Peter to sheath his sword, puts his hand over Malchus’ head, who is then instantly healed.

Nonetheless, Jesus is still arrested, all the soldiers drawing their swords, and the disciples quickly scattering, Jesus then has his hands tied behind his back, and rope place around his neck, which is tugged to make him hurry. If he slackens his pace or falls, he is kicked.

WALKING ALL NIGHT: Imagine how tired Jesus must have been, having been up all day, having walked from Bethany to Jerusalem, and whose Last Supper was Thursday evening. Think of his itinerary:

Annas:

The Temple is closed, and so Jesus is first brought to the house of the father-in-law of Caiaphas, Annas, as he is the power behind the High Priest, Caiaphas being the last of 6 high priests to be appointed by Annas, the other 5 being Annas’ sons.

Allowing this to occur is a sign of respect by Caiaphas to Annas, and is not that inconvenient, as time must occur for all the Sanhedrin to be assembled at Caiaphas’ house, which is next-door, a great courtyard being in front of these homes, this being where Peter, who has followed from a distance, now gets questioned himself as to whether he is, or is not, a disciples of the prisoner. It is after Peter has denied Christ a third time that Jesus is now moved from Annas’ home to Caiaphas’, Jesus simply looking sorrowfully into Peter’s eyes illumined by the light of the courtyard fire, who, knowing what he has done, runs away consumed with tears.

Caiaphas:

The law maintained that not less than 23 members of the Great Sanhedrin could try a capital case.

Two members do not attend, Joseph of Arimathia and Nicodemus, because they are friends of the accused.

A few people are brought in to testify against Jesus, but their testimony is contradictory.

Jesus is then asked why he teaches heresy and who and how many are his disciples. Jesus remains silent, and hoping to loosen his tongue, a guard slaps his face.

When finally Caiaphas asks Jesus if he is “the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One”, Jesus answers “I am”, Caiaphas rends his garments and screams, “What further proof do we need, he has blasphemed!”

Judges came by him one by one, some spitting in his face, others clenching their fists in rage and hitting him. He said nothing, but the force of these blows may well have caused him to double over in pain. Some laugh at Jesus, who is now bruised and dirty, his eyes puffy from blows, not at all looking like someone who dares call himself “The King of the Jews”.

Jail Cell:

He must then have been placed in a jail cell to await going before Pilate in the morning, as the Sanhedrin could sentence someone to death, but only Rome had the ability to carry out the verdict.

Before being placed in his cell, it is known that the soldiers mocked him, blindfolding him, slapping his face, and then telling him to reveal who did it, if, indeed, he is a Prophet and the Messiah, the Son of God.

For a time thereafter, he must be alone, waiting for dawn to break, knowing that he will be executed on this final day of his life, and again, filled with fear. He must center himself with prayer, remembering the purpose of life to get through these moments.

Pilate:

When led before the Procurator, Pilate feels caught in a political trap. On one hand, he does not see Jesus as guilty of anything other than being foolish, certainly not a crime punishable by death. On the other hand, two years beforehand, Caiaphas and Annas have both reported Pilate to Tiberius through the Legate of Syria, revealing that Pilate had placed the shield of soldiers bearing the image of Caesar on the outer walls of the Fortress Antonia, in contradiction of an earlier judgment by Tiberius to not carry these votive shields as they unnecessarily offended the Jews and risked rebellion.

Having been embarrassed by Caiaphas and Annas, Pilate decides to return the embarrassment and hopefully delay the death of Jesus until after midnight, as this was the Day of Preparation, the day before the Sabbath, knowing that Jesus could not be executed on the Sabbath, this effectively delaying the execution until the 8-day Passover concluded.

Also, he feared risking another blunder, and so decided to throw the ball to Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee, referring the case to him.

Herod Antipas:

He was staying at the Hasmonean Palace, having arrived from Galilee 3 days earlier to sacrifice at the Temple for the Passover.

While this was only about 2,000 feet away, again Jesus is pulled and kicked, arriving even more exhausted than before, breathing with his mouth wide open as to try to take in more air to survive the moment.

Herod, aptly named “The Fox”, was a man of medium height with a large belly and a square beard. He always wore the trappings of his office: crown, royal cape, and scepter.

He hoped to see a miracle by this man of whom he had so often heard, this miracle then convincing Herod who he really was. When Jesus not only refused to perform a miracle, but also to even speak, Herod became incensed. He insulted him, walking around Jesus, making personal remarks about his shabby clothing, his lacerated face, his dirty garments, and the now unwashed face and swollen eyes.

To even more insult Jesus, he had a royal cape put around Jesus, mocking him with the contrast of a royal garment ontop such a mess of a man. Everyone began to laugh.

Then, Herod ordered Jesus back to Pilate, The Fox not falling for the trap set by Pilate. Jesus, with exhaustion, turns to head back, now having stood for many hours.

Pilate a Second Time: Now, Pilate decides to try one last maneuver, to have Jesus scourged with the hope that the crowd will be moved to pity.

SCOURAGING AT THE PILLAR:

Jesus was stripped to the waist, he is forced to knell in front of a small 3-foot post, to which his hands are tied. A bag was placed over his head so as to increase his fear at not knowing when the blow would come, or from which direction.

The whip was a cat-of-nine tails; this had 2 leather thongs extending from the base, with a jagged stone (or bits of bone) near the end so as to bruise the skin, and with the thong then dividing into 9 parts so as to cut the skin.

The most severe beating was to be 39 lashes, as it was believed that 40 lashes might kill a person. The Shroud of Turin reveals that Jesus had received more than twice the normal beating.

It is believed that the beating was so severe the fluid formed around the heart of Jesus, creating intense pain, and giving the logic for why he would fall with the cross 3 times along the way of the cross, as he would feel like he was having a heart attack.

It also explains why he died in 3 hours instead of 3 days, as was often the case. And, it was this pericardial fluid that came out of his side when it was lanced by the Centurion, not blood and water, but blood and pericardial fluid.

CROWN OF THORNS: The soldiers then sat Jesus up, as he was trying to catch his breath, and made fun of he who would be called “King of the Jews”. They put an old and dirty scarlet, wool cloak over his now open wounds, blindfolded him again, and, again made him guess who was slapping him or spitting at him. Then, they took those long thorns that were often used as kindling for a fire, and fashioned a crown, pressing this crown into the flesh of his head. His face would soon be covered with blood, and it is no miracle that when Veronica wipes the face of Jesus that his image appears on the cloth. His face was literally soaked with blood!

THE UNWAVERING CROWD:

When Jesus is led back to Pilate, even he and the crowd are shocked. As the mood of the crowd has not changed, Pilate tries one last maneuver to attempt saving Jesus, showing him to the crowd and yelling, “Ecce Homo!”, which means, “Behold the man!”

But, the crowd is unwavering, and even when offered the choice of Jesus, who cured their sick, or Barabbas, a common criminal, to be freed as was the custom at Passover, they choose Barabbas, shouting to Pilate that if he does not allow Jesus to be crucified, having before him a man who claimed to be a King rivaling Caesar, it is treason, knowing full well that Caiaphas will spin the story that way to once again embarrass him.

Accordingly, being out of options, Pilate condemns Jesus to death, and symbolically washes his hands of the sentence, the crowd gleefully yelling, “Let it be upon our heads and the heads of our children.”

He then ordered that over the head of Jesus on the cross be placed, as was the custom, both his name and his crime, hence, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”, written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, in that order. We simply see depictions of the initials, “INRI”.

THE WAY OF THE CROSS:

Jesus then has to walk about 3,000 feet up a steep hill through the Gennath Gate and then, once through the gate, about 30 yards to Golgotha, carrying the 30-pound crossbeam (patibulum) over his shoulders.

The upright beam (stipes curcis) was left permanently at the place of execution, the crossbeam being attached when the criminal arrived.

So, Jesus picks up a heavy weight, after no sleep, a long walk, being on his feet for hours, and having endured a savage beating, and proceeds to Calvary (the Latin term for Skull; Golgotha being Aramaic), the crowd easily being able to hear his labored breathing.

The road is not smooth, and in his exhaustion, Jesus falls 3 times, scraping his knees, elbows, and hands as he does. 4 soldiers are assigned to each criminal, but the Centurion, Abenadar, fearing that Jesus will die before arriving at Golgotha, force an onlooker who was a visiting farmer, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross the rest of the way.

GOLGOTHA: They finally arrive at Golgotha, which is Aramaic for “Place of the Skull” (the Latin term being “calvariae locus” from which the English term “Calvary” comes, this being from the Greek “kraniou topos”). It is called that as bodies are frequently left to rot, not being claimed by family, and skulls and bones litter the area. It is just outside a city gate, bodies often being left on the cross, even after death, to have those entering the city each day know that if they break the law, this could happen to them.

STRIPPED NAKED: Jesus is then stripped of all his clothes, part of the punishment being the indignity of hanging naked before others, and knowing that rats, dogs, and birds would pick at your remains, including your genitals. The soldiers will cast lots for his robe, this often being the custom, and serving as a tip for a job well done.

NAILED TO THE CROSS:

Crucifixion is a manner of death for slaves or Non-Romans for such crimes as murder, piracy, treason, or rebellion. So brutal was this form of death that Constantine abolished it.

Jesus is laid on the ground while his wrists vs. his hands are nailed to the crossbeam, as the bone structure of the hands would not support a person’s weight, causing them to fall off the cross. Of the 4 soldiers for each prisoner, 2 soldiers hold down each arm while another pounds the nails into place. The soldiers then elevate and attach the crossbeam to the upright beam, finally nailing his feet with his knees in a bent position.

On the cross would be either a peg to rest his feet, or one to rest his body, or both. This would be for the purpose of extending the death, as the criminal would have to push himself up to be able to breathe, the muscles of his arms and legs in spasm as he tries to survive a moment longer.

The assembled crowd would be mesmerized with alternating horror and glee to see the side show of a man struggling to raise himself so as to breathe. If he passed out, he would slump, be unable to breathe, and quickly awaken. Eventually, being so weak, he would slump and suffocate.

Imagine the feelings experienced by Mary as she watches her son, whom she had bathed and for whom she had cared, who himself had healed others, ending their pain, now being tortured to death.

MANNER OF DEATH: is not from loss of blood, but rather from asphyxiation. For, when you arms are over your head, your diaphragm crowds your lungs, and it becomes increasingly difficult to breathe. To slow the death, pegs to rest the feet and body would be provided. To hurry the death, the legs of the criminal would be broken, forcing the criminal to slump, suffocate, and die. Jesus’ feet are only 1-2 feet off the ground, low enough for a soldier to offer wine mixed with gall, which was a narcotic to dull the pain. Jesus refused it.

“IT IS FINISHED!” 3 hours later, the beating hurries his death, and he cries out in a loud voice, “It is finished!” This is a cry of victory, not of despair. He has triumphed in his struggle to live a life without sin so as to redeem you and me. He has never abandoned his love for his father, and has always shown kindness to all whom he has met, even those who crucified him, with the astounding statement, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. He has, indeed, fought the good fight, run the race, and resisted temptation.

CONCLUSION: But, it is not finished for you and me. And so, when we are tempted to fall, to choose evil over good, we must call to mind the example and love of Christ. Then, we must return to our daily lives with a renewed sense of purpose and hope. In a world that doubts whether anyone really cares, you must be a living sacrament, a living sign of God’s love for us by the way you love each other.

In a few moments, the celebrant will proclaim, “Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us”, to which we shall answer, “Therefore, Let us Keep the Feast”. The question today is: Do you keep the feast? Do you act like a sacrament, a sign of love to your neighbor? Are you a Christian? Are you like Christ?

Be moved by love – be moved to improve your love of others, so that just as the people of Antioch first called the disciples of Christ “Christians”, noting “See how they love one another”, that people who see you will be able to throw away their doubt and cynicism in the face of your love. Let each day of your life demonstrate a life of love to all whom you meet: your parents, your teacher, your spouse, your children, your employer, and even the person sitting next to you in church this morning.

The Reverend Peter K. Stimpson