Crucifixion

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The crucifixion of Jesus is an event described in all four gospels[1] which takes place immediately after his arrest and trial. In Christian theology, the death of Jesus by crucifixion is a core event. It represents a critical aspect of the doctrine of salvation, portraying the suffering and death of the Messiah as necessary for the forgiveness of sins. According to the New Testament, Jesus rose from the dead after three days and appeared to his Disciples on different occasions during a forty day period before his ascension to heaven.[2]


In Mark, Jesus is crucified along with two rebels, and the day goes dark for three hours.[3] Jesus calls out to God, then gives a shout and dies.[3] The curtain of the Temple is torn in two.[3] Matthew follows Mark, adding an earthquake and the resurrection of saints.[4] Luke also follows Mark, though he describes the rebels as common criminals, one of whom defends Jesus, who promises that the two of them will be together in paradise.[5] Luke portrays Jesus as impassive in the face of his crucifixion.[6] John includes several of the same elements as those found in Mark, though they are treated differently


Jesus' redemptive suffering and death by crucifixion are referred to as the Passion, from the Latin verb patior, to experience. In the Christian tradition, Jesus is said to have died for the sins of the world, a doctrine generally known as atonement, and in some cases as substitutionary atonement. Jesus' suffering is said to be foretold in Hebrew scripture, such as in Isaiah's songs of the suffering servant.[8]


Historians regard Jesus' crucifixion under Pontius Pilate as a historical event.[9] Early Christians are considered unlikely to have invented Jesus' crucifixion because it would have embarrassed them.

[edit] Overview

The following picture is what emerges from taking jointly the (non-identical, but often overlapping) accounts in the four gospels. Following the Last Supper with the twelve Apostles, Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane and forced to stand trial before the Sanhedrin, Pontius Pilate, and Herod Antipas, before being handed over for crucifixion. After being flogged, Jesus was mocked by Roman soldiers as the "King of the Jews", clothed in a purple robe, crowned with thorns, beaten and spat on. Jesus then had to make his way to the place of his crucifixion.

Once at Golgotha, Jesus was stripped and nailed to the beam and hung for some hours, from the third hour (Mark 15:25) to the ninth hour (Mark 15:34-37), between two convicted thieves. The soldiers affixed a sign above his head stating "King of the Jews" in three languages, divided his garments and cast lots for his seamless robe, and offered him wine mixed with gall to drink, before eventually piercing his side with a spear to be certain that he had died. The gospels mention a total of seven statements that Jesus made while he was being crucified, as well as several supernatural events that occurred. Following his death, his body was removed from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and buried in a rock-hewn tomb, with Nicodemus assisting.