Jesus taken down from the cross

John 19:38-42

38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed his body. 39 Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. 40 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now 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 ever been laid. 42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there

The crucifixion of Jesus is the climax of a series of events taking place after the Last Supper, a Passover meal celebrated by Jesus and his disciples. After the dinner, Jesus and his disciples go to a nearby “garden,” a grove of olive trees called Gethsemane. This was likely after sundown, so in the Jewish reckoning, it now be Friday. (The old day ended at sundown and so the new day began). There Jesus prays and then is arrested after being treacherously identified by one of his disciples, Judas. He is subjected to various “trials” before the High Priests, before a ruler named Herod, and before Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate condemns Jesus to death by crucifixion. After a sadistic beating, Jesus becomes the “Dead Man Walking” as he carries his cross (with help) to the place of execution. There, he is nailed to the cross at about 9 am (Mark 15:25).

Crucifixion was a torture execution designed to cause maximum pain. This was both to punish the criminal and to serve as a deterrent to any potential criminals in the audience. There was no incentive for the Romans to avoid “cruel and unusual punishment” as we might have in our modern laws and practices. Death by crucifixion might take several days of utter agony.

In Jesus’ case, he dies about 3 pm (Mark 15:34) after only six hours on the cross. This would be about three hours before sundown, and the setting sun marked the end of Friday and the beginning of Saturday, the Sabbath day. To avoid trouble with the Jews of Jerusalem, the Romans did not want bodies hanging on crosses on the Passover Sabbath, so the executioners go to break the legs of the three men being crucified to hasten their deaths. They find that Jesus is already dead and confirm this by thrusting a spear into his rib cage and piercing his heart. Out comes blood from the wound and “water,” clear liquid from his pericardial sac. If he wasn’t quite dead, he surely is now.

Two secret disciples of Jesus, Joseph and Nicodemus, ask Pilate for his body to bury it. In so doing, they reveal their allegiance to Jesus and put themselves at risk, but they do it anyway. They are surely doing this our of respect for Jesus, their teacher, but also as a proper thing for conscientious Jewish men to do for their community. They prepare his body lavishly with linen burial clothes and spices. He is placed in a new tomb belonging to Joseph (Matthew 27:60). This tomb had been carved into the limestone hillside by professional masons, prepared for the eventual burial of Joseph himself. A stone is rolled in front of the tomb entrance, and this is given a wax seal stamped by the signet ring of an official to secure it. Finally, a guard is posted (Matthew 27:66).

La Pieta, Vatican City, Michelangelo

Taking Jesus down from the cross is referred to as the “Deposition” and has often been portrayed by artists. According to tradition, his body is briefly given to his mother, Mary, before being wrapped and placed in the tomb. This scene of a mother cradling the body of her son is called “La Pieta” (the pity or compassion) and has also been a frequent subject of artists, especially sculptors. The most celebrated of these is a sculpture by Michelangelo now housed in the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican City. Michelangelo finished this when he was only 23 years old. It is a masterwork of the Renaissance and one of the most famous sculptures in the world.

Michelangelo’s interpretation was controversial at the time because it depicts Mary as a young woman, more like the Mary of the nativity stories. The triangular design of the statue draws the viewers attention to the face of Mary, and this is a remarkable feature. The artist’s genius portrays her with her eyes nearly closed. It combines an expression of resignation and peace with deep sorrow. The words of Simeon have found fulfillment here, “… a sword will pierce your own soul, too,” Mary.

Life teaches us that the natural order of things is that children should not die before their parents. I have always found that funerals in these situations cause our hearts to be very heavy and sorrowful. And that is the case here. We cannot view Michelangelo’s masterpiece without feeling the sadness of Mary. Her son, her great hope, is dead. We know that Mary was present at the cross, so this scene is plausible, even likely. There is no time for a funeral, but a hurried preparation for the body to be entombed. But, perhaps, enough time for Mary to hold her son one last time.

This is the sixth sorrow of Mary.

Journaling Questions

1.     What sort of emotions come out at the death of a loved one? Why are these sometimes more intense when the person is young and his or her parents are still living?

2.     We say “Rest in Peace” to a loved one who dies. How does peace enter in to our sorrow? Have you ever experienced this?

3.     Mary would have seen Jesus’ death as an end to his suffering. How do we understand death as an end to suffering for some people? Is this the right way to understand it?

Mark S. Krause
Wildewood Christian Church