Joshua Madl
June 23, 2020
The four gospels all include the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Though
none are identical accounts they all are true and inspired scripture. Between the four gospels,
we can piece together a very clear picture of what transpired during the “passion of the cross”.
All four accounts include the opening scene of Jesus’ crucifixion which is Jesus carrying his
cross toward his place of death. Jesus carried his cross until he collapsed and could not carry it
anymore and Simon was “persuaded” to carry it for him. It was at this time that Jesus spoke to
the people following him in lament, saying, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but
weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say,
Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ then
they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do
these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Jesus spoke these
things as a word of the prophecy of what was to come with the destruction of Jerusalem and
also the judgment that we read Revelation.
After this scene, we are introduced to the place in which Jesus would die, Golgatha.
Jesus is crucified next to two criminals who deride and mock him. The Pharisees and priests
who were watching the crucifixion also mocked him. Above the head of Jesus, nailed to His
cross, was an inscription that read, “King of the Jews”. All the gospels give the reader the
impression that Jesus is mocked throughout his entire crucifixion. It is highlighted, however,
while he is hanging on the cross. Those mocking Him, are making fun of His claim to be the Son
of God. They say, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, chis Chosen
One!” (Luke 23:25) Most shockingly among the mockers are the two criminals also being
crucified on each side of Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel, we read the salvation of one of them. With a
short exchange, Jesus validates His salvation by saying “today you will be with me in paradise”.
In John’s Gospel, he includes the dividing of Jesus’s belongings and the casting of lots
for his tunic. Jesus had not yet died in the timeline given by John, but yet the soldiers began
pillaging Jesus’ belongings. John’s account includes an exchange between Jesus and His
mother, in which, He tells her that John will take care of her. It is sometime after this exchange
that Jesus cries out, “‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?’” (Matt. 27:46). After this, Jesus says, “I thirst” (John 19:28), and therefore, is
given a sponge filled with sour wine. Using this wine to clear his parched throat He yelled and
said, “it is finished” (John 19:30). It was after He proclaimed that it was finished that he gave up
His spirit.
Jesus was then buried by a wealthy man named Joseph, who was part of the Sanhedrin
council but did not approve of Jesus’ crucifixion. He is wrapped in a linen shroud and laid to
rest. Women, who were disciples of Jesus, watched from afar so that they may return after the
sabbath and apply spices to Jesus’ body. The chief priests and Pharisees placed guards at the
tomb of Jesus, for fear that His disciples might steal His body and claim He rose from the dead.
As dawn was just approaching on Monday, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary approached
the tomb to apply spices. As they entered to the place of the tomb, they found the stone rolled
away and two men, who were revealed to be angels there. They told the women that Jesus had
risen from the grave. The two women returned to the other disciples and told them all that they
saw. Peter and John proceeded to run to the tomb and found the linen cloths lying there. John
saw them but did not go in, Peter saw them, entered the tomb, began to weep, and then left.
The disciples at this time still did not understand what Jesus meant when he told them that he
would rise after three days. The two disciples, therefore, believed that someone had taken
Jesus’ body. Mary Magdelene remained at the tomb, and while she was there encountered a
man who she assumed to be a gardener, but was in fact, Jesus. He revealed himself to her and
she began to cling to him. Jesus then instructs her to return and tell the disciples.
After this, Jesus reveals himself many more times to the disciples and teaches them
many things. Most notably, however, most notably was his appearance to tow of His disciples
on the road to Emmaus, and His appearance to the eleven disciples, in which doubting Thomas
saw the scars in His wrists. Lastly was when Jesus appeared to them on a mountain in Galilee.
It here where Jesus gives the great commission saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that pI
have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt.
28:18-20) Jesus then ascends into heaven before their eyes. We can gather from the writings of
Paul that the resurrected Jesus appeared to over 500 people before ascending into heaven.
