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The Great & Holy Friday

Apolytikion

As the glorious disciples, in the washing of the feet,

were enlightened, the profane Judas, ravaged by greed, was benighted. And to the lawless judges he

surrenders You the just judge. Consider, you who love money, the one who hanged himself for the sake of it.

Shun the insatiate heart that could dare such a deed

against the Teacher. Lord, benevolent above all humans, glory to You.

Kontakion

Come, let us all praise Him Who was crucified for us.

(Ακολουθία Επιταφίου)

Holy Friday Family Activities

1) Participate in as many of today's services with your children and family as possible (depending on their age and school schedule - many schools are closed or end classes early today).

 

2) Reflect on Christ's supreme sacrifice and His victory over death.

 

3) Use the Troparion and the Kontakion hymns as prayers before lunch and dinner.

 

THE GREAT AND HOLY FRIDAY

Τη Αγία και Μεγάλη Παρασκευή, τα Άγια και σωτήρια και φρικτά πάθη του Κυρίου και Θεού και Σωτήρος ημών Ιησού Χριστού επιτελούμεν. Τούς εμπτυσμούς, τα ραπίσματα, τα κολαφίσματα, τας ύβρεις, τους γέλωτας, την πορφυράν χλαίναν, τον κάλαμον, τον σπόγγον, το όξος, τους ήλους, την λόγχην, και προ πάντων τον σταυρόν και τον θάνατον, ά δι’ ημάς εκών κατεδέξατο. Έτι δε και την του ευγνώμονος ληστού, του συσσταυρωθέντος αυτώ σωτήριον εν τω σταυρώ ομολογίαν.

 

 

The Man of Sorrows

On the Cross Jesus thus became "the man of sorrows; acquainted with grief' whom the prophet Isaiah had foretold. He was "despised and forsaken by men" and "smitten by God, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:3-4). He became the one with "no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2). His appearance was "marred beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men" (Isaiah 52:14). All these Messianic prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus as he hung from the Cross.

As the end approached, He cried: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). This cry indicated His complete identification with the human condition. He had totally embraced the despised, forsaken and smitten condition of suffering and death - alienation from God. He was truly the man of sorrows.

Yet, it is important to note that Jesus' cry of anguish from the Cross was not a sign of His loss of faith in His Father. The words which He exclaimed are the first verse of Psalm 22, a messianic Psalm. The first part of the Psalm foretells the anguish, suffering and death of the Messiah. The second part is a song of praise to God. It predicts the final victory of the Messiah.

The Formal Charges

The death of Christ had been sought by the religious leaders in Jerusalem from the earliest days of His public ministry. The formal charges made against Him usually fell into the following two categories:

1) violation of the Law of the Old Testament, e.g., breaking the Sabbath rest; 2) blasphemy: making Himself equal with God.

Matters were hastened (consummated) by the moment of truth which followed His entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He had the people behind Him. He spoke plainly. He said that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. He chastised the scribes and Pharisees for reducing religion to a purely external affair;

"You are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matthew 23:27-28).

It was the second formal charge; however, that became the basis for His conviction.

The Religious Trial

Christ's conviction and death sentence required two trials: religious and political. The religious trial was first and took place during the night immediately after His arrest. After considerable difficulty in finding witnesses for the prosecution who actually agreed in their testimony, Caiaphas, the high priest, asked Jesus the essential question: "Are you Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus, who had remained silent to this point, now responded directly:

"I am; and you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (Mark 14:61-62).

Jesus' reply recalled the many other statements He had made beginning with the words, "I am." "I am the bread of life . . . I am the light of the world. . . I am the way, the truth, and the life. . . before Abraham was, I am." (John 6 through 15). The use of these words themselves was considered blasphemous by the religious leaders. The words were the Name of God. By using them as His own Name, Jesus positively identified Himself with God. From the burning bush the voice of God had disclosed these words to Moses as the Divine Name: "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:13-14).

Now Jesus, as He had done on many other occasions, used them as His own Name. The high priest immediately tore his mantle and "they all condemned Him as deserving death" (Mark 14:64). In their view He had violated the Law of the Old Testament:

"He who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall be put to death" (Leviticus 24:16).

The Political Trial

The Jewish religious leaders lacked the actual authority to carry out the above law: to put a man to death. Such authority belonged to the Roman civil administration. Jesus had carefully kept His activity free of political implications. He refused the temptation of Satan to rule the kingdoms of the world by the sword (Luke 4: 1-12). He often charged His disciples and others to tell no one that He was , the Christ, because of the political overtones that this title carried for many (Matthew 16: 13-20). He rebuked Peter, calling him Satan, when the disciple hinted at His swerving from the true nature of His mission (Matthew 16:23). To Pilate, the spineless and indifferent Roman Governor, He said plainly: "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). Jesus was not a political revolutionary who came to free the people from Roman control and establish a new kingdom based on worldly power.

Nevertheless, the religious leaders, acting in agreement with the masses, devised political charges against Him in order to get their way. They presented Christ to the Romans as a political , leader, the "King of the Jews" in a worldly sense, a threat to Roman rule and a challenge to Caesar. Pilate became fearful of his own position as he heard the charges and saw the seething mobs. Therefore, despite his avowed testimony to Jesus' innocence, he passed formal sentence, "washed his hands" of the matter, and turned Jesus over to be crucified (John 19:16).

Crucifixion - The Triumph of Evil

Before succumbing to this cruel Roman method of executing political criminals, Jesus suffered still other injustices. He was stripped, mocked and beaten. He wore a "kingly" crown of thorns on His head. He carried His own cross. He was finaIly nailed to the cross between two thieves at a place called Golgotha (the place of the skull) outside Jerusalem. An inscription was placed above His head on the Cross to indicate the nature of His crime: "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." He yielded up His spirit at about the ninth hour (3 p.m.), after hanging on the Cross for about six hours.

On Holy Friday evil triumphed. "It was night" (John 13:30) when Judas departed from the Last Supper to complete his act of betrayal, and "there was darkness over all the land" (Matthew 27:45) when Jesus was hanging on the Cross. The evil forces of this world had been massed against Christ. Unjust trials convicted Him. A criminal was released to the people instead of Him. Nails and a spear pierced His body. Bitter vinegar was given to Him to quench His thirst. Only one disciple remained faithful to Him. Finally, the tomb of another man became His place of repose after death.

The innocent Jesus was put to death on the basis of both religious and political charges. Both Jews and Gentile Romans participated in His death sentence.

"The rulers of the people have assembled against the Lord and His Christ." (Psalm 2 - the Prokeimenon of the Holy Thursday Vesperal Liturgy)

We, also, in many ways continue to participate in the death sentence given to Christ. The formal charges outlined above do not exhaust the reasons for the crucifixion. Behind the formal charges lay a host of injustices brought, on by hidden and personal motivations. Jesus openly spoke the truth about God and man. He thereby exposed the false character of the righteousness and smug security, both religious and material, claimed by many especially those in high places. The constantly occurring expositions of such smugness in our own day teach us the truly illusory nature of much so-called righteousness and security. In the deepest sense, the death of Christ was brought about by hardened, personal sin - the refusal of people to change themselves in the light of reality, which is Christ.

"He came to His very own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11).

Especially we, the Christian people, are Christ's very own. He continues to come to us in His Church. Each time we attempt to make the Church into something other than the eternal coming of Christ into our midst, each time we refuse to repent for our wrongs; we, too, reject Christ and participate in His death sentence.

The Vespers

The Vespers, celebrated in the Church on Holy Friday afternoon, brings to mind all of the final events of the life of Christ as mentioned above: the trial, the sentence, the scourging and mocking, the crucifixion, the death, the taking down of His body from the Cross, and the burial. As the hymnography indicates, these events remain ever-present in the Church; they constitute the today of its life.

The service is replete with readings from Scripture: three from the Old Testament and two from the New. The first of the Old Testament readings, from Exodus, speaks of Moses beholding the "back" of the glory of God - for no man can see the glory of God face to face and live. The Church uses this reading to emphasize that now, in the crucifixion and death of Christ, God is making the ultimate condescension to reveal His glory to man - from within man himself.

The death of Christ was of a wholly voluntary character. He dies not because of some necessity in His being: as the Son of God He has life in Himself! Yet, He voluntarily gave up His life as the greatest sign of God's love for man, as the ultimate revelation of the Divine glory:

"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

The vesperal hymnography further develops the fact that God reveals His glory to us in this condescending love. The Crucifixion is the heart of such love, for the One being crucified is none other than He through whom all things have been created:

Today the Master of creation stands before Pilate. Today the Creator of all is condemned to die on the cross. . . The Redeemer of the world is slapped on the face. The Maker of all is mocked by His own servants. Glory to Thy condescension, 0 Lover of man! (Verse on "Lord I call", and the Apostikha)

The verses also underscore the cosmic dimensions of the event taking place on the Cross. Just as God who revealed Himself to Moses is not a god, but the God of "heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible," so the death of Jesus is not the culmination of a petty struggle in the domestic life of Palestine. Rather, it is the very center of the epic struggle between God and the Evil One, involving the whole universe:

All creation was changed by fear when it saw Thee hanging on the cross, 0 Christ! The sun was darkened, and the foundations of the earth were shaken. All things suffered with the Creator of all. 0 Lord, who didst willingly endure this for us, glory to Thee! (Verse I on 'Lord, I Call')

The second Reading from the Old Testament (Job 42:12 to the end) manifests Job as a prophetic figure of the Messiah Himself. The plight of Job is followed in the services throughout Holy Week, and is concluded with this reading. Job is the righteous servant who remains faithful to God despite trial, humiliation, and the loss of all his possessions and family. Because of his faithfulness, however, "The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning" (Job 42: 12)

The third of the Old Testamental readings is by far the most substantial (Isaiah 52:13 to 54:1). It is a prototype of the Gospel itself. Read at this moment, it positively identifies Jesus of Nazareth as the Suffering Servant, the Man of Sorrows; the Messiah of Israel.

The Epistle Reading (I Corinthians 1:18 to 2:2) speaks of Jesus crucified, a folly for the world, as the real center of our Faith. The Gospel reading, a lengthy composite taken from Matthew, Luke and John, simply narrates all the events associated with the crucifixion and burial of Christ.

All the readings obviously focus on the theme of hope. As the Lord of Glory, the fulfillment of the righteous Job, and the Messiah Himself, humiliation and death will have no final hold over Jesus. Even the parental mourning of Mary is transformed in the light of this hope:

When she who bore Thee without seed saw Thee suspended upon the Tree, 0 Christ, the Creator and God of all, she cried bitterly: "Where is the beauty of Thy countenance, my Son? I cannot bear to see Thee unjustly crucified. Hasten and arise, that I too may see Thy resurrection from the dead on the third day! (Verse IV on "Lord I call.")

Near the end of the Vespers, the priest vests fully in dark vestments. At the appointed time he lifts the Holy Shroud, a large icon depicting Christ lying in the tomb, from the altar table. Together with selected laymen and servers, a procession is formed and the Holy Shroud is carried to a specially prepared tomb in the center of the church. As the procession moves, fhe troparion is sung:

The Noble Joseph, when he had taken down Thy most pure body from the tree, wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices, and placed it in a new tomb.

At this ultimate solemn moment of Vespers, the theme of hope once again occurs - this time more strongly and clearly than ever. As knees are bent and heads are bowed, and often tears are shed, another troparion is sung which penetrates through this triumph of evil, to the new day which is contained in its very midst:

The Angel came to the myrrh-bearing women at the tomb and said: "Myrrh is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption.

A new Age is dawning. Our salvation is taking place. The One who died is the same One who will rise on the third day, to "trample down death by death," and to free us from corruption.

Therefore, at the conclusion of Holy Friday Vespers, at the end of this long day of darkness, when all things are apparently ended, our eternal hope for salvation springs forth. For Christ is indeed a stranger to corruption:

"As by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ." (I Cor. 15:21-32)

"If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." (Mark 8:35)

 

Source: OCA

 

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GOSPEL READINGS

 

Gospel Readings:

1) John 13:31-38,

2) John 18:1-28

3) Matthew 26:57-75

4) John 18:28-40 19:1-16

5) Matthew 27:3-32

6) Mark 15:16-32

7) Matthew 27:33-54

8) Luke 23:32-49

9) John 19:25-37

10) Mark 15:43-47

11) John 19:38-42

12) Matthew 27:62-66

 

GOSPEL 1

   ³¹Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

   ³²If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

   ³³Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

   ³⁴A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

   ³⁵By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

   ³⁶Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.

   ³⁷Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.

   ³⁸Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

 

GOSPEL 2

   ¹When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.

   ²And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.

   ³Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.

   ⁴Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?

   ⁵They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.

   ⁶As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

   ⁷Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.

   ⁸Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:

   ⁹That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

   ¹⁰Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

   ¹¹Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

   ¹²Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,

   ¹³And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

   ¹⁴Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

   ¹⁵And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.

   ¹⁶But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.

   ¹⁷Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.

   ¹⁸And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.

   ¹⁹The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.

   ²⁰Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.

   ²¹Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

   ²²And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?

   ²³Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

   ²⁴Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.

   ²⁵And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.

   ²⁶One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?

   ²⁷Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.

   ²⁸Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.

 

GOSPEL 3

   ⁵⁷And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

   ⁵⁸But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.

   ⁵⁹Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;

   ⁶⁰But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,

   ⁶¹And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

   ⁶²And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

   ⁶³But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

   ⁶⁴Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

   ⁶⁵Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

   ⁶⁶What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

   ⁶⁷Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,

   ⁶⁸Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?

   ⁶⁹Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.

   ⁷⁰But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

   ⁷¹And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.

   ⁷²And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.

   ⁷³And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.

   ⁷⁴Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

   ⁷⁵And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

 

GOSPEL 4

   ²⁸Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.

   ²⁹Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?

   ³⁰They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.

   ³¹Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:

   ³²That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.

   ³³Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?

   ³⁴Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?

   ³⁵Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?

   ³⁶Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

   ³⁷Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

   ³⁸Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

   ³⁹But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

   ⁴⁰Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

 

GOSPEL 5

   ¹Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

   ²And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,

   ³And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

   ⁴Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

   ⁵Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

   ⁶When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

   ⁷The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

   ⁸When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;

   ⁹And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.

   ¹⁰Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

   ¹¹Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

   ¹²And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

   ¹³When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.

   ¹⁴And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

   ¹⁵But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

   ¹⁶Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

 

GOSPEL 6

   ¹⁶And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.

   ¹⁷And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,

   ¹⁸And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

   ¹⁹And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.

   ²⁰And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

   ²¹And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

   ²²And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.

   ²³And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

   ²⁴And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.

   ²⁵And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

   ²⁶And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

   ²⁷And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

   ²⁸And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

   ²⁹And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

   ³⁰Save thyself, and come down from the cross.

   ³¹Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

   ³²Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

 

GOSPEL 7

   ³³And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

   ³⁴They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

   ³⁵And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

   ³⁶And sitting down they watched him there;

   ³⁷And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

   ³⁸Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

   ³⁹And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

   ⁴⁰And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

   ⁴¹Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

   ⁴²He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

   ⁴³He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

   ⁴⁴The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

   ⁴⁵Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

   ⁴⁶And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

   ⁴⁷Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

   ⁴⁸And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

   ⁴⁹The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

   ⁵⁰Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

   ⁵¹And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

   ⁵²And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

   ⁵³And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

   ⁵⁴Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

 

GOSPEL 8

   ³²And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

   ³³And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

   ³⁴Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

   ³⁵And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

   ³⁶And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,

   ³⁷And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

   ³⁸And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

   ³⁹And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

   ⁴⁰But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

   ⁴¹And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

   ⁴²And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

   ⁴³And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

   ⁴⁴And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

   ⁴⁵And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

   ⁴⁶And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

   ⁴⁷Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

   ⁴⁸And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

   ⁴⁹And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

 

GOSPEL 9

   ²⁵Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

   ²⁶When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

   ²⁷Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

   ²⁸After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

   ²⁹Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

   ³⁰When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

   ³¹The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

   ³²Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

   ³³But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

   ³⁴But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

   ³⁵And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

   ³⁶For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

   ³⁷And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

 

GOSPEL 10

   ⁴³Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

   ⁴⁴And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

   ⁴⁵And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

   ⁴⁶And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.

   ⁴⁷And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

 

GOSPEL 11

   ³⁸And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

   ³⁹And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

   ⁴⁰Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

   ⁴¹Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

   ⁴²There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

 

GOSPEL 12

   ⁶²Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

   ⁶³Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

   ⁶⁴Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

   ⁶⁵Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

   ⁶⁶So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.