The last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. Orthodox Faith - Bishop Alexander Mileant Passion Week Last Events in the Life of Jesus Christ

The events of the last week of the Savior's earthly life refer to the Passion of Christ, known in the exposition of the four canonical Gospels.

The events of the Passion of Christ are remembered throughout Holy Week, gradually preparing the faithful for the feast of Easter. A special place among the Passion of Christ is occupied by the events that took place after the Last Supper: arrest, trial, scourging and execution. The Crucifixion is the climax of the Passion of Christ.

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

Before the Entry into Jerusalem, Christ declared himself as the Messiah to individuals, it is time to do this publicly. It happened on the Sunday before Easter, when crowds of pilgrims flocked to Jerusalem. Jesus sends two disciples for a donkey, sits on it and enters the city. He is greeted with singing by the people, who learned about the entry of Christ, and picks up the hosanna to the son of David, which the apostles proclaimed. This great event serves as a prelude to the sufferings of Christ, endured "for the sake of man and ours for the sake of salvation."

Supper in Bethany / Washing of the feet of Jesus by a sinner

According to Mark and Matthew, in Bethany, where Jesus and his disciples were invited to the house of Simon the leper, a woman performed an anointing, which symbolized the subsequent suffering and death of Christ. Church tradition distinguishes this anointing from the anointing that was performed by Mary, the sister of the resurrected Lazarus, six days before Easter and even before the Lord entered Jerusalem. The woman who approached the Lord in order to anoint him with precious chrism was a penitent sinner.

Washing the feet of the disciples

On Thursday morning, the disciples asked Jesus where he would eat the Passover. He said that at the Jerusalem gates they would meet a servant with a jug of water, he would lead them to the house, the owner of which must be informed that Jesus and his disciples would have Passover. When they came to this house for the supper, everyone took off their shoes as usual. There were no slaves to wash the guests' feet, and Jesus did it himself. In embarrassment, the disciples were silent, only Peter allowed himself to be surprised. Jesus explained that this was a lesson in humility, and that they should also treat each other, as shown by their Master. St. Luke reports that at the supper there was a dispute between the disciples, which of them was greater. Probably, this dispute was the reason for showing the disciples a clear example of humility and mutual love by washing their feet.

Last Supper

At the supper, Christ repeated that one of the disciples would betray him. With fear, everyone asked him: "Is it not me, Lord?". He asked to divert suspicion from himself, and Judas heard in response: "You said". Soon Judas leaves the supper. Jesus reminded the disciples that where he would soon go they could not go. Peter objected to the teacher that "he would lay down his life for him." However, Christ foretold that he would disown him before the rooster crowed. As a consolation to the disciples, saddened by his imminent departure, Christ established the Eucharist - the main sacrament of the Christian faith.

The path to the Garden of Gethsemane and the prediction of the coming renunciation of the disciples

After supper, Christ and his disciples went outside the city. Through the hollow of the Kidron stream they came to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Prayer for a cup

At the entrance to the garden, Jesus left the disciples. Taking with him only three chosen ones: James, John and Peter, he went to the Mount of Olives. After instructing them not to sleep, he retired to pray. The premonition of death overwhelmed the soul of Jesus, doubts seized him. He, succumbing to his human nature, asked God the Father to carry the Cup of Passion past, but humbly accepted His will.

Kiss of Judas and Arrest of Jesus

Late on Thursday evening, Jesus descending from the mountain wakes the apostles and tells them that the one who betrayed him is already approaching. Armed servants of the temple and Roman soldiers appear. Judas pointed out to them the place where they could find Jesus. Judas comes out of the crowd and kisses Jesus, giving the guards a signal.

They grab Jesus, and when the apostles try to prevent the guards, Malchus, the servant of the high priest, is wounded. Jesus asks to release the apostles, they run away, only Peter and John secretly follow the guards, who lead away their teacher.

Jesus before the Sanhedrin (high priests)

On the night of Good Thursday, Jesus was brought to the Sanhedrin. Christ appeared before Anna. He began to ask Christ about his teachings and his followers. Jesus refused to answer, he claimed that he always preached openly, did not spread any secret teaching and offered to listen to the witnesses of his sermons. Anna did not have the power to pass judgment and sent Christ to Caiaphas. Jesus kept silent. The Sanhedrin, gathered at Caiaphas, condemns Christ to death.

Renunciation of the Apostle Peter

Peter, who followed Jesus to the Sanhedrin, was not allowed into the house. In the hallway, he went to the hearth to warm himself. The servants, one of whom was a relative of Malchus, recognized the disciple of Christ and began to question him. Peter disowns his teacher three times before the rooster crows.

Jesus before Pontius Pilate

On the morning of Good Friday, Jesus was taken to the praetorium, which was located in the former palace of Herod near the tower of Anthony. It was necessary to get confirmation of the death sentence from Pilate. Pilate was not pleased to be involved in this matter. He retires with Jesus to the praetorium and discusses with him in private. Pilate, after a conversation with the condemned, decided on the occasion of the feast to invite the people to release Jesus. However, the crowd, incited by the high priests, demands to release not Jesus Christ, but Barabbas. Pilate hesitates, but in the end sentences Christ, however, he does not use the wording of the high priests. Pilate washing his hands is a sign that he does not want to interfere in what is happening.

Flagellation of Christ

Pilate ordered Jesus to be scourged (usually scourging preceded crucifixion).

Reproach and crowning with thorns

The time is the late morning of Good Friday. The scene is a palace in Jerusalem near the tower of Anthony's castle. To ridicule Jesus, the “King of the Jews,” they put on him a red sackcloth, a crown of thorns, and put a rod in his hands. In this form, he is taken out to the people. Seeing Christ in a purple robe and crown, Pilate, according to John and the weather forecasters, says: "Behold the man." In Matthew, this scene is combined with the "washing of hands."

Way of the Cross (Carrying the Cross)

Jesus is sentenced to a shameful execution by crucifixion along with two thieves. The place of execution was Golgotha, located outside the city. The time is around noon on Good Friday. The place of action is the ascent to Golgotha. The condemned had to carry the cross himself to the place of execution. Forecasters indicate that crying women and Simon of Cyrene followed Christ: since Christ was falling under the weight of the cross, the soldiers forced Simon to help him.

Ripping off Christ's clothes and playing them with dice by the soldiers

The soldiers cast lots to share Christ's garment.

Golgotha - Crucifixion of Christ

According to Jewish custom, wine was offered to those condemned to death. Jesus, having taken a sip of it, refused the drink. Two thieves were crucified on both sides of Christ. Above the head of Jesus, a tablet was affixed to the cross with an inscription in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin: "King of the Jews." After a while, crucified, thirsty, he asked for a drink. One of the soldiers guarding Christ dipped it in a sponge in a mixture of water and vinegar and brought it to his lips on a cane.

Descent from the Cross

To speed up the death of the crucified (it was the eve of Easter Saturday, which should not have been overshadowed by executions), the high priests ordered to break their legs. However, Jesus was already dead. One of the soldiers (in some sources - Longinus) hits Jesus with a spear in the ribs - blood mixed with water flowed from the wound. Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Council of Elders, came to the procurator and asked him for the body of Jesus. Pilate ordered the body to be handed over to Joseph. Another worshiper of Jesus, Nicodemus, helped bring the body down from the cross.

Position in the coffin

Nicodemus, brought the scents. Together with Joseph, he prepared the body of Jesus for burial by wrapping it in a shroud of myrrh and aloes. At the same time, Galilean wives were present, who mourned Christ.

Descent into hell

In the New Testament, this is reported only by the Apostle Peter: Christ, in order to bring us to God, once suffered for our sins ... having been put to death according to the flesh, but revived by the spirit, by which He and the spirits in prison, having descended, preached. ().

Resurrection of Jesus Christ

On the first day after Saturday, in the morning, women with peace came to the tomb of the resurrected Jesus to anoint his body. Shortly before their appearance, an earthquake occurs, and an angel descends from heaven. He rolls away the stone from the tomb of Christ to show them that it is empty. The angel tells the wives that Christ has risen, "... the inaccessible to any look and incomprehensible has happened."

In fact, the Passion of Christ ends with His death and the ensuing mourning and burial of the body of Jesus. In itself, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the next cycle of the story of Jesus, also consisting of several episodes. However, there is still an opinion that "the descent into hell represents the limit of Christ's humiliation and at the same time the beginning of His glory."

THE LAST WEEK OF THE EARTHLY LIFE OF JESUS. IMPORTANT!!! READ MY DEARS! OPEN THE ENTIRE TOPIC. The events of the last week of the Savior's earthly life refer to the Passion of Christ, known in the exposition of the four canonical Gospels. The list below is based on the description of the last days of Christ's earthly life in all four Gospels. The events of the Passion of Christ are remembered throughout Holy Week, gradually preparing the faithful for the feast of Easter. A special place among the Passion of Christ is occupied by the events that took place after the Last Supper: arrest, trial, scourging and execution. The Crucifixion is the climax of the Passion of Christ.

THE ENTRY OF THE LORD INTO JERUSALEM

At the supper, Christ repeated that one of the disciples would betray him. With fear, everyone asked him: “Is it not me, Lord?”. He asked to divert suspicion from himself, and Judas heard in response: "You said." Soon Judas leaves the supper. Jesus reminded the disciples that where he would soon go they could not go. Peter objected to the teacher that "he would lay down his life for him." However, Christ foretold that he would disown him before the rooster crowed. As a consolation to the disciples, saddened by his imminent departure, Christ established the Eucharist - the main sacrament of the Christian faith. THE PATH TO THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE AND THE PREDICTION OF THE COMING DISCIPLE

After supper, Christ and his disciples went outside the city. Through the hollow of the Kidron stream they came to the Garden of Gethsemane. PRAYER FOR THE BOWL

Pilate ordered Jesus to be scourged (usually scourging preceded crucifixion). DISCLAIMER AND CROWNING WITH THORNS

Passion of Christ

The totality of events that brought physical and spiritual suffering to Jesus Christ in the last days and hours of his earthly life is called Passion of Christ.

Gospel(Greek "good news") - a biography of Jesus Christ; which tells about the divine nature of Jesus Christ, his birth, life, miracles, death, resurrection and ascension. According to the creed
In most Christian churches, Jesus Christ combines in himself the divine and human nature, being not an intermediate being below God and above man, but is God and man in his essence. Incarnated as a man, He healed human nature, damaged by sin, by His sufferings on the Cross, then resurrected and raised into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Sunday

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

« And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them: Go to the village that is right in front of you; and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a young donkey with her; untie, bring to Me; and if anyone says anything to you, answer that the Lord needs them; and immediately send them. Nevertheless, this happened, so that what was spoken through the prophet would come true, who says: Say to the daughter of Zion: behold, your King is coming to you meek, sitting on a donkey and a young donkey, the son of a jock. The disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them: they brought a donkey and a colt and put their clothes on them, and he sat on top of them. And many people spread their clothes along the road, while others cut branches from trees and spread them along the road: the people. preceded and accompanied, exclaimed: Hosanna to the Son of David! blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! hosanna in the highest!"

The people, knowing about the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus, first solemnly meet Jesus as the coming King.

Wednesday
Supper at Bethany

But Christ did not immediately enter the Holy City. For a while He stopped at Bethany. This village was located near Jerusalem, on one of the slopes of the Mount of Olives.

A pious family lived there, which the Savior gladly visited when he was in Bethany.

Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, each time greeted the Divine Guest with love in their home.

Both sisters tried to show respect to the distinguished Guest. Martha, who was distinguished by her lively and active disposition, immediately began to take care of preparing the treat.

Her sister Maria, a quiet and contemplative person, also took care of the worthy reception of the Divine Teacher. But Mary showed Him her love and respect in a different way. She sat down at the feet of the Savior in deep humility and listened to His words.

But when Martha was preparing a meal, it seemed to her that Mary was "idly" sitting at the feet of Christ, and all the worries were about the housework. lay down on her alone.“Lord, or is there no need for you that my sister left me alone to serve? Tell her to help me"

There was reproach in her words. However, instead of complying with Martha's request, Jesus says:“Martha, Martha, you care and fuss about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

The washing of Jesus by a sinner

Jesus spent Wednesday night in Bethany. Here in the house of Simon the leper, at a time when the council of the chief priests, scribes and elders had already decided to take Jesus Christ by cunning and kill Him, a certain “sinner” wife poured precious ointment on the head of the Savior and thereby prepared Him for burial, as He Himself judged It's about her behavior.

« When Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to Him with an alabaster vessel of precious ointment and poured it out to Him who was reclining on His head. Seeing this, His disciples were indignant and said: Why such a waste? For this myrrh could be sold at a high price and given to the poor. But Jesus, understanding this, said to them, Why do you trouble the woman? she has done a good deed for me: for you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me; pouring this ointment on my body, she prepared me for burial; Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, it will be said in her memory and what she has done.».

Maundy Thursday
Washing the feet of the disciples

“Before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, showed by deed that, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” This love was especially manifested in the fact that the Lord personally fulfilled the custom that existed among the Jews. Before supper it was supposed to wash the feet. This was usually done by a servant, going around all the guests with a washbasin and a towel.

“And during the supper, when the devil had already put in the heart of Judas Simon Iscariot to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, got up from the supper, took off His outer garment and, taking a towel, girded himself. Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. Approaches Simon Peter, and he says to Him: Lord! Do you wash my feet? Jesus answered and said to him: What I am doing, you do not know now, but you will understand later. Peter says to Him, You will never wash my feet. Jesus answered him: unless I wash you, you have no part with me. Simon Peter says to Him: Lord! not only my feet, but also my hands and my head. Jesus tells him: He who has been washed only needs to wash his feet, because he is all clean; and you are clean, but not all. For He knew His betrayer, therefore He said: You are not all pure.

The Last Supper
On the eve of the suffering and death on the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ served His last meal with His disciples, the Last Supper. In Jerusalem, in the Upper Room of Zion, the Savior and the Apostles celebrated the Old Testament Jewish Passover, established in memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery.

According to the Old Testament tradition, on this day it was supposed to slaughter and eat the Paschal lamb. The Lamb was a type of the incarnate Son of God, slain on the Cross for the sins of the whole world.

« When evening came, He lay down with the twelve disciples; and as they ate, he said:
I tell you truly, one of you will betray me. They were very sad, and began to say to Him, each one of them: Is it not I? God? He answered and said, He who dips his hand with me into the dish, this one will betray me; however. The Son of Man goes as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: it would have been better for this man not to have been born. At the same time, Judas, betraying Him, said: Is it not I, Rabbi? Jesus says to him: You said. And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and having blessed it, broke it, and giving it to the disciples, he said, Take, eat: this is my body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: drink all of you from it, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. I tell you that from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father.»

The Apostle John, the beloved disciple of Christ, who was reclining at the Paschal meal next to Him, quietly asked: "God! Who is this?" The response was : "The one to whom I, having dipped a piece of bread, will serve." And, having dipped a piece of bread in salt (a special sauce made from dates and figs), Christ gave it to Judas.

Usually, at the Easter supper, the head of the family handed out pieces of bread - as a sign of special goodwill. In doing so, Christ wanted to awaken in Judas a sense of repentance. But the opposite happened. As the Evangelist John testifies, "after this piece Satan entered into him"

So Christ establishes the Sacrament of Holy Communion in the Zion Room in Jerusalem. This is the main ceremony in which Christians partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ the Redeemer and, thus, are united with God. Communion is necessary for every Christian for salvation:

“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you.”

The path to the Garden of Gethsemane and the arrest

P After the Last Supper, His last meal, at which the Lord established the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, He went with the apostles to the Mount of Olives. Descending into the hollow of the Kidron Stream, the Savior entered with them into the Garden of Gethsemane. He loved this place and often gathered here to talk with his students.

Jesus desired solitude so that in prayer to His Heavenly Father he would pour out His heart. Leaving most of the disciples at the entrance to the garden, three of them - Peter, James and John - Christ took with Him.

“Then Jesus comes with them to a place called Gethsemane, and says to the disciples: Sit here while I go and pray there. And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grieve and yearn. Then Jesus said to them: My soul is grieving to death; stay here and watch with me."

Prayer for a cup

« And going a little way, he fell on his face, prayed and said: My Father! if possible, let this cup pass from me; however, not as I want, but as You. And he comes to the disciples and finds them sleeping, and says to Peter, Could you not watch with me one hour? watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again, going away another time, he prayed, saying: My Father! if this cup cannot pass me by, lest I drink it, Thy will be done. And when he comes, he finds them sleeping again, for their eyes are heavy. And leaving them, he went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same word. Then he comes to his disciples and says to them: do you still sleep and rest? behold, the hour has drawn near, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners; Get up, let's go: behold, the one who betrays me has come».

Rising from prayer, the Lord returned to His three disciples. He wanted to find comfort for Himself in their willingness to watch with Him, in their sympathy and devotion to Him. But the students were sleeping...

Twice more the Lord departed from the disciples into the depths of the garden and repeated the same prayer.

The grief of Christ was so great, and the prayer was so intense that drops of bloody sweat fell from His face to the ground...

In these difficult moments, as the Gospel tells, "an angel appeared to him from Heaven and strengthened him" Prayer for a cup with a request to avert imminent death is one of the proofs of the union in Christ of two natures, Divine and human: When the human will refused to accept death, and the Divine will allowed this to happen.

Kiss of Judas and arrest

« And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a multitude of people with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. And the one who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying: Whom I kiss, he is, take him. And immediately coming up to Jesus, he said: Rejoice, Rabbi. And kissed him. Jesus said to him, friend, why have you come? »

“Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus, stretching out his hand, drew his sword, and striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, Return your sword to its place, for all who take sword by sword will perish; Or do you think that I cannot now implore My Father, and He will present Me more than twelve legions of angels? how
the Scriptures come true, that it must be so? At that hour Jesus said to the people: You have come out as if against a robber with swords and clubs to take Me; every day I sat with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not take Me. All this happened, so that the writings of the prophets come true. Then all the disciples, leaving Him, fled»

Good Friday
Jesus before the Sanhedrin (high priests)

Sanhedrin(the highest religious institution, as well as the highest judicial body in each Jewish city, consisting of 23 people), headed by the high priests Anna and Caiaphas, condemned Jesus Christ to death.

“And those who took Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed Him afar off, to the court of the high priest; and going inside, he sat down with the attendants to see the end. The chief priests and the elders and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus,

To put Him to death, and they did not find; and although many false witnesses came, they were not found. But at last two false witnesses came and said: He said: I can destroy the temple of God and build it in three days. And the high priest stood up and said to him, “Why don’t you answer anything? what do they testify against you? Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him: I conjure you by the living God, tell us. Are you the Christ, the Son of God? Jesus tells him; You said, I even say to you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his clothes and said: He blasphemes! what else do we need witnesses for? Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy! what do you think? And they answered and said: Guilty of death.

The Sanhedrin recognized Jesus as a false prophet based on the words of Deuteronomy: “But the prophet who dares to speak in My name what I did not command him to say, and who speaks in the name of other gods, put such a prophet to death.” Those. Jesus Christ was condemned to death for calling Himself the Son of God.

The Jewish high priests, having condemned Jesus Christ to death at the Sanhedrin, could not carry out the sentence themselves without the approval of the Roman governor. After unsuccessful attempts by the high priests to accuse Jesus of a formal violation of Jewish law), Jesus was handed over to the Roman procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate (25-36).

« From Caiaphas they led Jesus to the praetorium. It was morning; and they did not enter the praetorium, lest they be defiled, but that they might eat the passover. Pilate went out to them and said: What do you accuse this Man of?»

At the trial, the procurator asked: « Are you the King of the Jews?» . This question was due to the fact that the claim to power as the King of the Jews, according to Roman law, qualified as a dangerous crime against the Roman Empire. The answer to this question was the words of Christ: « You say that I am the King. I was born for this and came into the world for this, to testify to the truth.» . Pilate, finding no fault in Jesus, bent over to let him go and said to the chief priests: « I find no fault in this man» .
The decision of Pontius Pilate aroused the excitement of the Jewish crowd, directed by the elders and high priests. Trying to prevent riots, Pilate turned to the crowd with a proposal to release Christ, following the old custom of releasing one of the criminals at Easter: "Behold the man (Ecce homo)"

But the crowd shouted: "Let him be crucified". Seeing this, Pilate passed a death sentence - he sentenced Jesus to be crucified, and he himself « washed his hands before the people, and said: I am innocent of the blood of this righteous» . To which the people exclaimed: « His blood is on us and on our children»
“From that time on, Pilate sought to let Him go. And the Jews cried out: If you let him go, you are not a friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself a king is opposed to Caesar. Pilate, hearing this word, brought Jesus out and sat down at the judgment seat, at the place called Lifostroton, and in Hebrew Gawbath. Then it was the Friday before Easter, and the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews: Behold, your King! But they cried out: take it, take it, crucify Him! Pilate says to them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar. Then at last he handed him over to them to be crucified.”

The end of the traitor Judas Iscariot

When Judas the traitor found out about the death sentence, he understood the horror of his insane act. Blinded by the love of money, he did not think about what his betrayal would lead to. Painful remorse took possession of him.
soul. But this repentance was combined in him with despair, and not with hope for God's mercy and forgiveness.
Judas went to the chief priests and elders and returned to them the thirty pieces of silver that he had received from them for betraying the Son of God. They treated Judas coldly and mockingly. "What do we care," they said
they, answer for your own deeds." Torment of conscience without hope for God's forgiveness and faith in His love
were infertile. Judas could not correct what he had done with his human strength. Unable to find the strength to deal with mental anguish, he hanged himself that very night.
The high priests decided to buy with the money returned by Judas a plot of land for the burial of the wanderers.

“Then Judas, who had betrayed Him, seeing that He was condemned, and repenting, returned thirty
pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned, I have betrayed innocent blood. And they said to him: What is it to us? take a look yourself. And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he went out, went and hung himself.

Renunciation of the Apostle Peter

“And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken to him: Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times. And going out, weeping bitterly.

It was deep night. Armed soldiers and temple guards brought the bound Savior to the high priests for trial: to the elderly Anna and his son-in-law, the current high priest Caiaphas.
The Apostle John, who was familiar to the high priest, entered the courtyard, and then led Peter in. Seeing Peter, the maid who was standing at the door asked him: "And are you not one of this man's disciples?" Peter replied, "No."

The night was cold. The servants lit a fire in the yard and warmed themselves. Together with them stood by the fire and Peter. Suddenly another maid again, pointing to Peter, said to the servants: "and this one was with Jesus of Nazareth". But Peter denied it again, saying he didn't know the Man.

Dawn was approaching, and the servants who were standing in the courtyard again began to say to Peter: "It was as if you were with Him: for your speech reproves you: you are a Galelian". Immediately a relative of the same Malchus, to whom Peter cut off his ear, came up and said that he had seen Peter together with Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then Peter began to swear and swear: "I don't know the Man you're talking about"
At this time the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the words of the Savior, spoken by Him at the Last Supper: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times" At that very moment, Jesus, who had been led out of the house, looked at Peter. The sight of the Savior penetrated the very heart of the disciple. Shame and burning repentance seized his soul. The apostle left the court of the high priest and wept bitterly over his sin.

“They took him, led him and brought him to the house of the high priest. Peter followed from afar. When they lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter also sat down between them. One maid saw him sitting by the fire, and looking at him, she said, This one was with him. But he denied Him, saying to the woman: I do not know Him.
Soon after another, seeing him, said: You are one of them. But Peter said to the man: No! An hour passed, and someone else insistently said: as if this one was with Him, for he was a Galilean. But Peter said to that man, I don't know what you're talking about. And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. Then the Lord, turning, looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, as He said to him: Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. And, going out, wept bitterly.

Flagellation of Christ

"Then Pilate took Jesus and ordered them to beat him."

Reproach and crowning with thorns

“And the soldiers took Him inside the courtyard, that is, into the praetorium, and gathered the whole regiment, and dressed Him in purple, and, having woven a crown of thorns, they laid it on Him; and began to greet Him: Hail, King of the Jews! And they struck him on the head with a reed, and they spat on him, and, kneeling down, bowed down to him.”

After the trial, the Savior was handed over to the Roman soldiers. The soldiers undressed Him and dressed Him in purple. This red military cloak was supposed to depict the royal purple of the King of the Jews. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and laid it on the head of the Savior, gave Him a cane in His right hand and, kneeling before Him, mocked Him, saying: “Hail, King of the Jews” . They spat on him and took a stick and beat him on the head.
And when they mocked Him, they took off the purple robe from Him, dressed Him in their own clothes, and led Him to be crucified.
Putting on a purple robe, laying on a crown of thorns and turning Hail, King of the Jews!" parody the appeal to the emperor and are a desecration of the royal dignity of Christ (Son of David)

Way of the Cross

Those condemned to be crucified were supposed to carry their own cross to the place of execution. Therefore, the soldiers, having laid the Cross on the shoulders of the Savior, led Him to the hill, which was called Golgotha, or the Place of the Skull. According to legend, this
the place where the progenitor of the human race, Adam, was buried. Golgotha was located west of Jerusalem, not far from the city gates, called Judgment.
A great crowd of people followed Jesus. The very identity of the Prisoner and all the circumstances of his trial excited the whole city with its numerous pilgrims. The road was rocky. The Lord was tormented by terrible tortures. He could hardly walk, falling under the weight of the Cross.
“And, carrying His cross, He went out to a place called the Skull, in Hebrew Golgotha”.
« And a great multitude of people and women followed Him, weeping and weeping for Him. Jesus,
turning to them, he said: Daughters of Jerusalem! do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."

Ripping off Christ's clothes and playing them with dice by the soldiers

Meanwhile, the soldiers who had crucified Jesus were dividing His clothes among themselves. They tore the outer garment into four pieces. And the lower one - a chiton - was not sewn, but whole-woven. Therefore, the soldiers cast lots about him - to whom
will get. According to legend, this tunic was woven by the Most Pure Mother of the Savior.

Golgotha - Crucifixion of Christ

Execution by crucifixion was the most shameful, the most painful and the most cruel in the East. So in ancient times only notorious villains were executed: robbers, murderers, rebels and criminal slaves. Except
unbearable pain and suffocation, the crucified one experienced terrible thirst and deadly mental anguish.
According to the verdict of the Sanhedrin, approved by the Roman procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was condemned to be crucified. According to the verdict of Pontius Pilate, Jesus was crucified on Calvary, where, according to the gospel story, he himself carried his cross.
Death came into the world with Adam's sin. Christ the Savior had no sin, but took upon himself the sins of all mankind. To save people from death and hell, Jesus Christ went to his death voluntarily.

Christ's clothes were taken off, and the most terrible moment of the execution followed - nailing him to the Cross. When the soldiers raised the Cross, at that terrible moment the voice of the Savior was heard with a prayer for His ruthless killers: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing".
“It was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And there was an inscription of His guilt: King of the Jews. Two thieves were crucified with Him, one on His right and the other on His left. And the word of Scripture came true: and numbered among the wicked»

Two thieves were crucified with him: Dismas and Gestas who received the nickname prudent and Mad robbers.
“Lead with Him to death and two villains. And when they came to the place called Skull, there they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on the right, and the other on the left… One of the hanged villains slandered Him and said: "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." The other, on the contrary, calmed him and said: “Or are you not afraid of God when you yourself are condemned to the same thing? and we are justly condemned, because we received what was worthy according to our deeds, but He did nothing wrong. And he said to Jesus: Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom! And Jesus said to him truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

And the repentant robber received in the Christian tradition the nickname " Reasonable And, according to legend, he was the first to enter paradise. This is interpreted by the church as God's willingness to grant forgiveness to the dying even at the very last moment.

When Jesus Christ was brought to the place of execution, to Golgotha, the Roman soldiers, the executioners, gave Him vinegar mixed with bile to drink. This drink dulled the feeling of pain and somewhat reduced the painful
the suffering of the crucified. But Jesus refused. He wanted to drink the whole cup of suffering in full consciousness.
Near the Cross were not only the enemies of Christ. Here stood His Most Pure Mother, the Apostle John, Mary Magdalene and several other women. They looked with horror and compassion at the torments of the Crucified Savior.
« Jesus, seeing the Mother and the disciple standing there, whom he loved, says to His Mother: Woman! behold, thy son. Then he says to the student; behold, your mother! And from that time on, this disciple took Her to him. After that, Jesus, knowing that everything had already happened, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, said: I thirst. There was a vessel full of vinegar. The soldiers, having drunk a sponge with vinegar and put it on hyssop, brought it to His mouth. When Jesus tasted the vinegar, he said: It is done! And, bowing his head, he betrayed the spirit.

Beginning at the sixth hour, the sun was darkened, and darkness covered the whole earth.
About the ninth hour of Jewish time, that is, at the third hour in the afternoon, Jesus loudly exclaimed: My God, My God! Why did you leave me? » This experience of being abandoned by God was the most terrible torment for the Son of God.
« thirsty » the Savior said. Then one of the soldiers filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a cane and brought it to the withered lips of Christ.
« When Jesus tasted the vinegar, he said: It is done!» . The promise of God has been fulfilled. The salvation of the human race has been accomplished.
Following this, the Savior exclaimed: « Father, into your hands I commend my spirit", - and, « bowed his head, breathed his last»
The Son of God died on the Cross. And the earth shook. The veil in the temple, which covered the Holy of Holies, was torn in two, thereby opening up for people the entrance to the hitherto closed Kingdom of Heaven.

Spear of Longinus (Spear of Destiny, Spear of Christ)

- the peak that the Roman warrior Longinus plunged into the hypochondrium of Jesus Christ, crucified on the Cross. Like all Instruments of the Passion, the spear is considered one of the greatest relics of Christianity. By voluntarily accepting suffering, crucifixion and death on the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished the salvation of the human race from sin and eternal death.
The crucifixion took place on Friday, on the eve of the great Jewish holiday of Passover. In order not to leave the bodies of the executed on the crosses, the Jews asked Pilate to hasten their death. Pilate agreed. The soldiers who came broke the legs of two robbers: after that, the crucified man died almost instantly. But, approaching Jesus and making sure that He had already died, the soldiers did not break His legs. So that there would be no doubt about the death of Jesus Christ, one of the soldiers, the centurion Longinus, pierced Him in the ribs with a spear. From the wound immediately flowed blood and water. It was a clear sign of death.
« But since [then] it was Friday, the Jews, in order not to leave the bodies on the cross on Saturday - for that Saturday was a great day - they asked Pilate to break their legs and take them off. So the soldiers came, and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. »

Water and blood - symbols of the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, pointed to the divine origin of Jesus Christ.

According to legend, the Roman centurion Gaius Cassius Longinus suffered from cataracts. During the execution of Christ, blood splashed into his eyes, and Cassius is healed. From that moment on, he himself became a Christian ascetic. As a Christian great martyr, he patronizes all those suffering from eye diseases.
Longin went with a sermon to his homeland, to Cappadocia (two other soldiers went with him). Tradition reports that Pilate, on the conviction of the Jewish elders, sent soldiers to Cappadocia in order to kill Longinus and his associates. They were beheaded, the bodies were buried in the native village of Longinus, and the heads were sent to Pilate, who ordered them to be thrown into a garbage dump. The Orthodox Church venerates Longinus as a martyr

Descent from the Cross

“Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, but secret from fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to remove the body of Jesus; and Pilate allowed it. He went and removed the body of Jesus."
That same evening, one of the members of the Sanhedrin, a secret disciple of Jesus Christ, Joseph of Arimathea, came to Pilate. He was a man of a righteous life and did not participate in the condemnation of the Savior. Joseph asked Pilate for permission to remove the body of Jesus from the Cross and bury Him. Having received permission, he bought a burial cloth - a shroud - and went to Golgotha. Nicodemus also came there. Joseph and Nicodemus removed the body of Jesus from the Cross, anointed Him with spices and wrapped him in a shroud.

« After this, Joseph and Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, but secret from fear from the Jews, asked
Pilate to take down the body of Jesus; and Pilate allowed it. He went and removed the body of Jesus. Nicodemus also came, who used to come to Jesus at night, and brought a composition of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred liters. So they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen with spices, as is customary to bury
Jews. There was a garden in the place where He was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. They laid Jesus there for the sake of the Jewish Friday, because the tomb was close.”

Position in the coffin

“... wrapped him in a shroud and laid him in a coffin carved [in the rock], where no one had yet been laid”.
Near Golgotha there was a garden that belonged to Joseph. There, in the stone rock, he carved a new burial cave for himself. In it, the disciples reverently placed the body of the Lord Jesus Christ and rolled a large stone to the door of the tomb.
The burial of the Savior was watched by women who stood at His Cross. Among them were the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Mary Josiah. The sun was setting. On the eve of the coming Sabbath, the great day of rest,
all left the burial place of Christ. Returning home, the women bought precious myrrh. After the Sabbath, they wanted to come back to the tomb and anoint the body of the Savior with myrrh in order to adequately complete the burial.

Meanwhile the chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate and said to him: « Mister! We remembered that the deceiver, while still alive, said: after three days I will rise. "Therefore, order to guard the tomb for three days," so that His disciples, coming at night, do not steal Him and say to the people: He is risen from the dead; and the last deception will be worse than the first."
"The first deception" they called what Jesus Christ taught about Himself as the Son of God, about the Messiah. And the last is a sermon about His Resurrection from the dead and His victory over hell.
Pilate answered them: « You have guards; go, guard, as you know".
Having received this permission, the chief priests with the Pharisees went to the tomb of Jesus Christ. After carefully examining the place of burial, they placed a guard of Roman soldiers, who were at their disposal during the holidays. Then they applied the seal of the Sanhedrin to the stone that closed the entrance to the cave and left, leaving the body of the Savior under guard.

Saturday
Descent into hell

In the New Testament, this is reported only by the apostle Peter: “Christ, in order to bring us to God, once suffered for our sins… being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit, by which He came down and preached to the spirits in prison”
When the body of Christ lay in the tomb, with His soul He descended into hell, proclaiming to the dead victory over sin and death. For all the Old Testament righteous, all who expected the coming of the Savior, the Lord opened the Kingdom of Heaven and brought their souls out of hell.

From that moment on, the Kingdom of God is open to all who believe in Christ and keep His commandments. Hell is defeated
by the power of the crucified Son of God, and together with the apostle we can say: "Death! where is your pity? hell! where is your victory?

Sunday
Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The peace of Great Saturday was the beginning of the transition from death to life.
After the Sabbath, at night, on the third day after His suffering and death, Jesus Christ came to life by the power of His divinity. He rose from the dead. His human body was transformed. The Savior came out of the tomb without rolling off the stone that closed the burial cave. He did not break the seal of the Sanhedrin and was invisible to the guards, who from that moment guarded the empty tomb.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven. He rolled away a stone from the empty tomb and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The warriors who stood guard at the tomb were trembling and became like the dead, and then, waking up, fled in fear.

Meanwhile, the women who were at Golgotha and at the burial of Christ hurried to the tomb of the Savior. It was very early. Dawn hasn't come yet. Taking precious ointment with them, the women went to fulfill the last duty of love towards their Teacher and Lord: to anoint His body with ointment. These were Mary Magdalene, Mary Jacobleva, Joanna, Salome and some other women. The Orthodox Church calls them myrrh-bearing women.

Not knowing that guards were assigned to the tomb of the Savior, they asked each other : "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" . The stone was very large, and they are weak.

“After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Jacob and Salome bought perfumes to go and anoint Him. And very early, on the first day of the week, they come to the tomb, at sunrise, and say among themselves: who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us? And looking, they see that the stone has been rolled away; and he was very big. And going into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe; and were horrified. He says to them: do not be afraid. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene crucified; He is risen, He is not here. Here's the place where He was laid. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is ahead of you in Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you. And going out, they fled from the tomb; they were seized with trepidation and horror, and they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.»

Outstripping the rest of the women, Mary Magdalene is the first
came to the grave. She saw that the stone had been rolled away from the door, and the coffin was empty.
“And behold, there was a great earthquake, for the Angel of the Lord, who descended from heaven, came, rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it ... turning his speech to the women, he said: do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus crucified; He is not here - He is risen, as He said.

With this news, she ran to Christ's disciples Peter and John. Hearing her words, the apostles hurried to the tomb. Mary Magdalene followed them.

Shortly thereafter, Peter and John ran to the tomb of the Lord. John was young, so he ran faster than Peter and was the first to be at the tomb. Leaning down, he saw the burial sheets of Jesus, but being afraid, he did not go inside the cave. Peter went into the tomb. He also saw the shrouds and the sir lying separately - the bandage that was on the head of Jesus Christ. I saw and believed in the Resurrection of the Lord.
« And Mary stood at the tomb and wept. And, when she was crying, she leaned into the tomb, and sees two angels, in a white robe, sitting, one at the head of the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus lay. And they say to her: wife! Why are you crying? He says to them, They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.

The angels say to her:

“What are you looking for alive among the dead? He is not here: He is risen; Remember how He told you when He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful people, and be crucified, and rise again on the third day.

Mary Magdalene stood in front of the entrance to the cave and wept. Her soul was in turmoil. The woman thought that someone had taken away the body of her beloved Master and Lord. Looking back, Magdalene saw Christ, but did not recognize Him, but
thought it was a gardener. With tears she turned to Him: " Mister! if you carried it tell me where you put it and i will take it" . Then Jesus said to her: " Maria! " At this moment the spiritual eyes were opened
" Teacher! " she exclaimed, and in indescribable joy threw herself at the feet of Christ. But the Lord forbade her to touch Him: "Sir! if you carried him, tell me where you put him, and I will take him". Then Jesus said to her: " Mary!" At that moment, spiritual eyes were opened
Magdalene - she recognized the Savior. " Teacher! " she exclaimed, and in indescribable joy threw herself at the feet of Christ. But the Lord forbade her to touch Him, and commanded her to go and tell all the disciples about what she had seen.
Meanwhile, the soldiers guarding the tomb came to the leaders of the Jews and announced to them everything that had happened in the garden of Joseph. Not wanting to believe in the Resurrection of Christ, the Pharisees and high priests bribed the soldiers, saying:
"Say that His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we were sleeping."
The soldiers, taking the money, acted as they were taught. And the disciples of Christ went all over the world preaching about the Resurrected Savior. This main message proclaimed by the Christian faith is at the very center of
sermons, worship and the spiritual life of the Church. Christ is Risen!

Apparitions of the Risen Jesus Christ

On the third day after the death of the Cross, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. And for forty days, until His glorious Ascension into heaven, He appeared to His disciples.

After that, Jesus appeared separately to Peter and assured him of His Resurrection. On the same day, two of Christ's disciples, Luke and Cleopas, were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a village located not far from the city. Dear they
they talked about the events of the last days — the suffering and death of the Savior on the Cross.
And then the Lord Jesus Christ Himself approached them. But they, like Magdalene, did not recognize the Savior, but thought that this was one of the pilgrims who had come to the holy city for the feast.
Luke and Cleopa shared with the unfamiliar Companion their sadness, perplexity and, as it seemed to them, the unfulfilled hopes that they placed on their Teacher. "However," they said, "some of our women say He's alive, and they've seen Him." Then Jesus began to explain to them all the Old Testament prophecies of Holy Scripture about His suffering on the Cross and the glorious Resurrection. The students marveled. Everything became clear to them. They begged their Companion not to leave, but to stay at Emmaus and share the evening meal with them. And when He was at table with them, He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were "opened" and they recognized the Lord Jesus Christ, but He became invisible to them. Luke and Cleopa immediately got up and went back to Jerusalem to announce to the disciples of Christ about the Resurrection of the Savior.
Late that evening, ten of the Lord's closest disciples gathered together. Only Thomas was missing. The doors of the house where they were staying were locked for fear of the Jews. And suddenly Jesus Christ Himself stood in the midst of them and said: " Peace to you! " They got scared, thinking it was a ghost. The disciples did not yet know that the transfigured body of the Lord acquired new, miraculous properties. No walls and closed doors could no longer be an obstacle for him. To strengthen the disciples in faith, the Savior showed them His hands and feet, pierced with nails. But the apostles still doubted. Then, in order to completely eradicate their unbelief, the Lord eats in front of them the part of the baked fish and honey left from their evening meal. The disciples' doubts dissipated. They were overwhelmed with extraordinary joy.

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The last days of our Lord Jesus Christ are called the Passion of Christ. The New Testament contains information about life and deeds, which are called miracles. The Bible goes into more detail about how the savior died.

The last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ

The people heard about the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus, so they began to solemnly welcome the new king. On the way to Jerusalem, he stayed in the settlement of Bethany in the family of Lazarus, where he was given a respectable reception. I spent the night from Tuesday to Wednesday in this house. Before supper, he personally washed his feet with water, which was done by the servants of the Jews.

On the eve of his coming suffering, Jesus and his followers celebrated Passover in honor of the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian slavery. On this day it was necessary to taste the Passover lamb. Christ wanted Judas to feel a sense of repentance, so he gave him a piece as a token of respect. But the opposite happened, he betrayed him. After supper, Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. The guards burst in with Judas and seized him.

A religious court led by Annas and Caiaphas sentenced Jesus to death for blasphemy. But it was possible to bring the sentence to execution only with the permission of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. However, the procurator did not find anything illegal for the Roman Empire in his actions and offered to release an innocent person according to one of the traditions for Easter. But the crowd of Jews was indignant. Fearing unrest, Pontius ordered the crucifixion.

Passion of Christ

When Judas found out what his betrayal for 30 silver coins had led to, he went to the priests and returned the money. They laughed and said that he should be responsible for his own affairs. Torment and remorse did not allow him to cope with himself, he hanged himself.

Jesus was taken out into the courtyard, passing by Peter, who refused to be a disciple of the Savior, he looked at him without reproach.

The Savior was handed over to the soldiers:

they undressed him;
gave a red cloak;
a crown of thorns was put on his head;
beaten with whips.

When they mocked him enough, they gave him his clothes, gave him a cross and took him to the place of execution. Many people followed the prisoner, such an event excited the whole city. The road was made of stone, and Jesus himself was exhausted and could hardly walk. When he brought the cross, the soldiers tore off his clothes, leaving only a loincloth.

Crucifixion was the most shameful and painful execution, to which terrible villains and murderers were sentenced, but Christ was not one of them. At the time of death, the sun disappeared for three hours, and the earth trembled from the terrible torments of this man.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers itself the only Christian organization on earth. It was founded by Joseph Smith in the USA in the middle of the nineteenth century.

May the Lord keep you!

Indeed, he went, accompanied by his disciples, to visit the unbelieving city for the last time. The hopes of those around him became more and more exalted. Climbing the mountain in Jerusalem, everyone was sure that the Kingdom of God would open there. Human wickedness reached its highest dimensions, and this was a great sign of the imminent end of the world. In this regard, everyone had such confidence that there were already disputes about primacy in the Kingdom of God. They say that it was at this time that Salome turned to Jesus with a request to give her sons places on the right and left sides of the Son of Man. On the contrary, the teacher himself was immersed in deep thought. Sometimes he expressed a gloomy feeling of vexation against his enemies; he told a parable about a noble man who went to distant countries to obtain a kingdom for himself; As soon as he had time to leave, his fellow citizens wished to get rid of him altogether. The king returns, orders to bring to himself those who did not want him to be king over them, and puts them all to death. At other times, he directly destroys the illusions of his students. As they passed along the rocky roads north of Jerusalem, Jesus pensively moved forward from his companions. Everyone silently looked at him, feeling a sense of fear for him and not daring to speak to him. Earlier, he had repeatedly told them about the coming suffering, and they listened to him with a heavy heart. Finally, he broke the silence and, no longer concealing his forebodings, told them his imminent death. Everyone present was very upset. The disciples waited from hour to hour for a sign to appear in the clouds. Already among their crowd, joyful cries began to be heard, announcing the opening of the Kingdom of God: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" The bloody prospect opened before them by Jesus confused them. At every step of this fateful path, the Kingdom of God either approached or receded from them in the mirage of their dreams. He was affirmed in the thought that he was to die, but that his death would save the world. From minute to minute their mutual misunderstanding, him and his students, became deeper.

According to custom, one had to come to Jerusalem a few days before Passover to prepare for the feast. Jesus arrived later than the others, and there was a moment when his enemies lost hope of capturing him. Finally, six days before the feast (on Saturday, Nizan 8 or March 28, he reached Bethany. As usual, he stopped at the house of Martha and Mary or Simon the leper. He was given a big reception. Simon the leper had a feast, which gathered a lot of attracted by the desire to see a new prophet, and, it is said, also Lazarus, about whom many rumors have been circulating in the last days.Perhaps many mistook Simon the leper, who was reclining at the table, for the person whom Jesus supposedly resurrected.Martha, as As a rule, she served at the table. Apparently, the hosts tried, by an intensified display of outward signs of respect, to overcome the coldness of the crowd and sharply note the high dignity of the guest they received. In order to give the feast the character of a great celebration, Mary during the feast entered and washed the feet of Jesus with them.Then she broke the vessel, according to the ancient custom of breaking the dishes that served at the reception of especially honored guests. her. Finally, she went to extremes in her cult, which had never been seen before: she prostrated herself at the feet of her teacher and wiped them with her long hair. The room was filled with the fragrance of perfumes, to the great delight of all present, with the exception of stingy Judas of Kerioth. Indeed, given the humble lifestyle of the community, this was a major waste. The miserly treasurer immediately calculated how much this aromatic composition could be sold for and how much money would thus go to the poor's treasury. But this calculation aroused the displeasure of Jesus: this seemed to admit the idea that there is something higher than it. He loved honors, for they served his purpose, securing him the title of son of David. And when the beggars were mentioned on this occasion, he rather sharply replied: "You always have the poor with you, but you don't always have me." And, becoming more and more excited, he promised immortality to the woman who, at this critical moment, showed her love to him.

The next day (Sunday, Nisan 9) Jesus descended from Bethany to Jerusalem. When, at the turn of the road on the top of the Mount of Olives, the view of the city unfolded before him, he, as they say, shed tears and turned to him for the last time with an appeal. On a hillside near the suburb, inhabited mainly by priests and called Bethphage, Jesus once again received the satisfaction of his human senses. Word of his arrival had already spread. The Galileans, who came to the feast, were extremely happy about this and prepared a small celebration for him. They brought him a donkey with a colt, as required by custom. The Galileans covered her back instead of a blanket with their best clothes and put him on her. Meanwhile, others were spreading the road ahead of him with their cloaks and green branches. The crowd, walking in front and behind him, with palm branches in their hands, exclaimed: "Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!", Some even called him the king of Israel. "Rabbi, command them to be silent," the Pharisees told him. “If they keep silent, the stones will cry out,” Jesus answered, and thus entered the city. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, who knew him little, asked who he was. "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee," they answered. In Jerusalem at that time there were about 50,000 souls of inhabitants. Under ordinary conditions, the rumor of a small event, such as the arrival of a foreigner of some note, or a crowd of provincials, or some kind of popular disturbance in the streets of the city, quickly spread among the inhabitants. But during the holidays, the bustle in the city reached its extreme limits. These days, Jerusalem belonged to aliens. And the excitement was especially strong, apparently, precisely between them. The Greek-speaking converts who came to the feast were very interested and wanted to see Jesus. They turned to his disciples; it is not known exactly how this meeting ended. Jesus, as was his custom, went for the night to his favorite place, Bethany. During the next three days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) he came to Jerusalem in the same way and after sunset he retired either to Bethany or to the farms that lay on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, where he had many friends.

In these last days, great sorrow apparently overwhelmed the soul of Jesus, usually so joyful, clear. All the stories are similar in that before his arrest he had a moment of embarrassment, longing. According to some, he suddenly exclaimed:

"My soul is now troubled; Father, deliver me from this hour!" They assured that then a voice was heard from heaven; others said that an angel came to console him. According to one very common version, this happened in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus allegedly departed from his sleeping disciples "to throw a stone", taking with him only Cephas and the two sons of Zebedee. Then he fell face down on the ground and prayed. His soul grieved mortally; a terrible longing crushed him; but devotion to the will of God prevailed. Thanks to the artistic flair with which the weathermen edited, and which often forced them to obey the demands of convention or effect in the conduct of the story, they refer this scene to the last night of Jesus and to the moment of his arrest. If this were true, it would be difficult to understand how John, who allegedly witnessed such a touching fact, did not tell his disciples about it and how the editor of the fourth Gospel did not convey this episode in his extremely lengthy account of Thursday evening. All that can be said is that the terrible burden of the mission assumed by Jesus severely oppressed him during his last days. For a moment, human nature spoke to him. Perhaps he doubted his case. Fear, doubts took possession of him and plunged him into a state of weakness, which is worse than death itself. A man who has sacrificed his tranquility and the legitimate gifts of life to a great idea always looks sadly at himself when the image of death rises before him for the first time and tries to convince him that everything is in vain. Perhaps at that moment he was visited by those touching memories that can be preserved in the strongest soul and which at certain moments pierce the soul like a sharp sword. Did he remember the transparent streams of the fountains in Galilee, in which it would be so pleasant to refresh himself; vineyards and fig trees under which he could rest; young girls who, perhaps, would agree to give him their love? Did he curse his cruel fate, which forbade him the joys granted to all others? Did he regret that he was endowed with too exalted nature, did he mourn, a victim of his own greatness, that he did not remain a simple Nazarene artisan? This is unknown. All these inner disturbances apparently remained a mystery to his students. They did not understand anything about this and supplemented with their naive assumptions everything that remained dark for them in the great soul of their teacher. At least, it is certain that the divine essence soon won the victory in him. He could have avoided death, but he didn't want to. His love for his work captivated him. He decided to drink the cup to the bottom. And indeed, from that moment on, we see him again whole and without the slightest speck. All the tricks of the polemicist, the credulity of the miracle worker and the exorcist of demons are now forgotten. Only the incomparable hero of the Passion remains, the founder of the rights of freedom of conscience, the most perfect example, the memory of which will henceforth strengthen and comfort all suffering souls.

The triumph in Bethany, this audacity of the provincials, celebrating the arrival of their King-Messiah at the gates of Jerusalem, finally embittered the Pharisees and the temple aristocracy. On Wednesday (Nizan 12) a new meeting was held with Joseph Caiaphas. It was decided to immediately arrest Jesus. All events were guided by a sense of order and conservatism. Noise had to be avoided. Since the Easter holiday, which began this year on Friday evening, was a moment of crowds and excitement, it was decided to finish everything by that time. Jesus was popular; riot could be feared. Although it was customary to open celebrations to which the whole nation gathered, by executions of criminals against the high priestly authority, some kind of auto-da-fé, designed to instill religious horror in the people, nevertheless, it was probably desirable that such spectacles should not occur on holidays. ". Thus, the arrest was scheduled to be made the next day, Thursday. It was also decided not to take him to the temple, where he was daily, but to track him down and arrest him in some remote place. The agents of the high priests questioned the disciples, hoping, using their weakness or simplicity, to obtain from them the necessary information. They found what they were looking for in the person of Judas of Kerioth. This unfortunate, for completely inexplicable motives, betrayed his teacher, gave all the necessary instructions, and even undertook (although such an extreme degree of meanness scarcely probable) to be the conductor of the detachment on which the arrest was made.A terrible memory that has been preserved in the Christian a rumor about the stupidity or wickedness of this person, should have introduced some exaggeration here. Until then, Judas had been just as much a student as anyone else; he even bore the title of apostle; he performed miracles and cast out demons. A legend that admits only harsh colors may admit that there were eleven saints and one outcast in all. But in reality there are no absolute categories. The stinginess that the forecasters put forward as the cause of the crime does not explain anything. It would be strange for a person who was in charge of the cash desk and understood that he would lose with the death of his head, would exchange the benefits of his position for a very insignificant amount of money. Was Judas' pride hurt by the reprimand he received at the banquet at Bethany? But that, too, would not be enough. The fourth evangelist would like to present him as a thief, a man who from the very beginning was an unbeliever, which is already completely implausible. Rather, one can assume some kind of feeling of jealousy, some kind of internal rupture. This hypothesis is confirmed by that particular hatred of Judas, which is noticed in the Gospel attributed to John. Being not as pure of heart as others, Judas, without noticing it himself, perhaps adopted the narrow views of his office. Having succumbed to a perverted view, which is very common among people in active positions, he may have gone so far as to put the interests of the fund above the business for which it was intended. The administrator killed the apostle in him. From his murmuring in Bethany, one might have guessed that at times he found that the teacher was costing their spiritual family too dearly. No doubt such base thrift could cause friction more than once in a small community.

Without denying the fact that Judas of Kerioth assisted in the arrest of his teacher, we still think that the curses heaped upon him are to some extent unjust. In this matter, perhaps, there was more haste on his part than deceit. The judgments of a man of the people in the field of morality are distinguished by liveliness and justice, but they are fickle and inconsistent. His morality cannot resist affect. The secret societies of the Republican Party hid in their depths much conviction and sincerity, and yet the scammers among them were very numerous. A slight indignation was enough to turn a sectarian into a traitor. But if the insane desire to receive a few silver coins turned the head of poor Judas, then it is still not clear that he completely lost his moral sense, for, seeing the consequences of his misconduct, he repented and, according to legend, ended in suicide.

From this moment on, all minutes of Jesus' life take on a solemn character, and each of them can be considered in the history of mankind for a whole century. We have reached in our story until Thursday, Nizan 13 (April 2). The next day, in the evening, the Passover feast began, which begins with dinner, and a lamb is served on the table. The feast then continues for seven days during which unleavened bread is eaten. The first and last days of the holiday are distinguished by special solemnity. The disciples were already busy preparing for the feast. As for Jesus, it can be assumed that he knew about the betrayal of Judas and did not doubt the fate that awaited him. In the evening he dined for the last time with his disciples. It was not a ceremonial Easter table, as it was supposed later, with which there was a mistake for one day; but for the first Church, Thursday's supper was the real Easter, the seal of the new union. Each of the disciples retained his dearest memories of this supper, and they also focused many touching features of the teacher, imprinted in their memory, on this meal, which became the cornerstone of Christian piety and the starting point of the most fruitful institutions.

Indeed, there can be no doubt that at that moment the heart of Jesus was overflowing with tender love for the little Church that surrounded him. His strong and calm soul now felt at ease under the weight of gloomy forebodings that besieged it. He had a kind word for each of his friends. Two of them, John and Peter, received especially tender outpourings of love from him. John was reclining on the couch next to Jesus, his head resting on the teacher's chest. At the end of the supper, the secret that weighed on the soul of Jesus almost escaped him. "Truly I tell you," he said, "one of you will betray me." These naive people felt at that moment a mortal anguish; they exchanged glances, and each inwardly asked himself a question. Judas was there too; perhaps Jesus, who for some time now had reason to distrust him, meant by these words to snatch from him a confession of his guilt, to read this confession in his eyes or in his confusion. But the unfaithful disciple did not lose his temper; he even dared, as they say, to ask him along with others: "Is it not me, rabbi?"

Meanwhile, the kind and straightforward Peter was also tormented. He made a sign to John, so that he would try to find out from the teacher whom he was hinting at. John, who had the opportunity to converse with Jesus without being heard by others, asked him for the clue to this mysterious allusion. Jesus, who harbored only suspicions, did not want to give any name, he only told John to take a good look at the one to whom he would give a piece of bread dipped in sauce. At the same time he dipped a piece of bread and gave it to Judas. Only John and Peter understood what was the matter. Jesus addressed Judas with words that contained a bloody rebuke, incomprehensible to the rest of those present. They thought that Jesus was giving orders for tomorrow's feast; After that, Judas went out.

At that moment, this dinner did not surprise anyone, and apart from the hints that Jesus gave to his disciples, who only half understood their meaning, nothing out of the ordinary happened at the dinner. But after the death of Jesus, this evening began to attach especially solemn significance, and the imagination of believers gave it a touch of tender mystery. In the memories of a dear person, his last minutes are most of all imprinted. Thanks to an inevitable illusion, they attribute to the conversations that took place with him at that time the meaning that they could only take on due to his death: memories accumulated over many years are grouped around a few hours. Most of the disciples, after the supper in question, no longer saw their teacher. It was a farewell party. At this table, as on many other occasions of this kind, Jesus also performed his mystical rite of breaking bread. Since from the earliest years of the Church's inception it was assumed that this supper took place on the very day of Pascha and was an Paschal meal, the idea naturally arose that the establishment of the Eucharist refers to this last moment. Starting from the hypothesis that Jesus knew in advance the hour of his death quite definitely, the disciples must have come to the assumption that he had postponed many important acts into his last hours. Moreover, since one of the main ideas of the first Christians was that the death of Jesus has the meaning of a sacrifice that replaces all the sacrifices established by the ancient Law, then the "Last Supper", regarding which it was decided once and for all that it took place on the eve of the "Passion" , received the meaning of sacrifice par excellence, the main act of a new unity, a sign of blood shed for the salvation of all people. Bread and wine, in connection with death itself, became the image of the New Testament, which Jesus sealed with his sufferings, a reminder of the sacrifice made by Jesus, which had to be repeated until his coming.

From a very early epoch, this sacrament was fixed in a small narrative, which has been preserved with us in four forms that are very similar to each other. But the fourth evangelist, who was so preoccupied with the idea of the Eucharist, who spoke so extensively about the last supper, connected so many details and teachings with it, did not know this story. This proves that the sect whose tradition this story is presented did not at all consider the institution of the Eucharist to be a special feature of the Last Supper. For the fourth evangelist, the rite of the Last Supper is the washing of the feet. It is very likely that this rite in some primitive Christian communities had a well-known, later lost, meaning. No doubt Jesus used it on certain occasions to show his disciples an example of brotherly humility. It was attributed to the eve of the death of Jesus by virtue of the same desire to concentrate in the Last Supper all the most important moral and ritual prescriptions of Jesus.

In the end, the memories that have been preserved of the last supper of Jesus are inspired by a high feeling of love, harmony, mercy, mutual respect. And the soul of all the symbols and teachings that Christian tradition relates to this blessed hour is always the unity of the Church created by him or his spirit. "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Therefore, everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." At this sacred moment, there was still rivalry among some of the disciples, disputes over primacy. Jesus, in response to this, made it clear that if he, the teacher, was their servant among his students, then all the more they should have humbled themselves before each other. According to some, he said, after taking a sip of wine: "From now on I will not drink from the fruit of this vine until the day when I drink new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father." According to others, he promised them in the near future a meal in his kingdom, where they would sit next to him on thrones.

Apparently, by the end of the evening, the premonitions of Jesus were communicated to the disciples. Everyone felt that the teacher was in serious danger and that the denouement was approaching. There was a moment when Jesus thought about taking some precautions and talked about swords. There were two swords. "Enough," he said. But he didn't expand on it anymore; he saw perfectly well that the timid provincials would not resist the armed force of the Jerusalem supreme power. Kepha, as a man with a courageous heart and self-confident, swore that he would follow him to prison and death. Jesus, with his usual insight, expressed some doubts about this. According to tradition, probably originating with Peter himself, Jesus timed Peter's denial of him to the crow of the rooster. Everyone swore, like Peter, that they would not succumb to weakness.

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