The Passion of Jesus

As Jesus begins the final days of his life, some well documented events take place. The Last Supper and Crucifixion have been painted by the world's greatest masters and it is daunting to even attempt these themes.

Less well know passages such as Washing the Disciples' Feet and the Death of Judas are, in a sense, equally as difficult but in a different way - you have less to refer to when thinking about how you might tackle them.

Reading about who Judas was, and the political situation within the group was incredibly interesting, although this passage was eventually dropped from the book as it was considered 'unsuitable' for children.

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Jesus prays

Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives, as he often did, and his disciples went with him. When he got there, he told them “Pray that you won't be tested.”

Jesus walked on a little way before he knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you will, please don't make me suffer by making me drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want.”

Then an angel from heaven came to help him. Jesus was in great pain and prayed so sincerely that his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood.

Jesus got up from praying and went over to his disciples. They were asleep and worn out from being so sad. He said to them “Why are you asleep? Wake up and pray that you won't be tested. Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here.”

Luke 22:39-45

Artists notes

The Lord's supper

When Jesus was eating with his twelve disciples that evening, he said, “One of you will hand me over to my enemies.”

The disciples were very sad, and each one said to Jesus, “Lord, you can't mean me!”

He answered, “One of you men who has eaten with me from this dish will betray me. The Son of Man will die, as the Scriptures say. But it's going to be terrible for the one who betrays me! That man would be better off if he had never been born.”

Judas said, “Teacher, surely you don't mean me!”

"That's what you say!" Jesus replied. But later, Judas did betray him.

During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body.”

Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and drink it. This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven. From now on I am not going to drink any wine, until I drink new wine with you in my Father's kingdom.”

Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Matthew 26: 20-30

Artists notes

Jesus is arrested

Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nation's leaders.

Judas had told them beforehand, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.”

Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Hello, teacher.” Then Judas kissed him.

Jesus replied, “My friend, why are you here?”

The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. One of Jesus' followers pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting. Don't you know that I could ask my Father, and straight away he would send me more than twelve armies of angels? But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say that this must happen?”

Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? Day after day I sat and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. But all this happened, so that what the prophets wrote would come true.”

Matthew 26: 47-56

Artists notes

Jesus is brought before Pilate

Jesus was brought before Pilate the governor, who asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Those are your words!” Jesus answered.

Pilate asked him, “Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?” But Jesus did not say anything, and the governor was greatly amazed.

During Passover the governor always freed a prisoner chosen by the people. At that time a well-known terrorist named Jesus Barabbas was in jail. So when the crowd came together, Pilate asked them, “Which prisoner do you want me to set free? Do you want Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate knew that the leaders had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.

While Pilate was judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Don't have anything to do with that innocent man. I have had nightmares because of him.”

But the chief priests and the leaders convinced the crowds to ask for Barabbas to be set free and for Jesus to be killed.

Pilate asked the crowd again, “Which of these two men do you want me to set free?”

“Barabbas!” they replied.

Pilate asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”

They all yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”

Pilate answered, “But what crime has he done?”

“Nail him to a cross!” they yelled even louder.

Pilate saw that there was nothing he could do and that the people were starting to riot. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of them and said, “I won't have anything to do with killing this man. You are the ones doing it!” Pilate set Barabbas free.

Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross.

Matthew 27: 11-26

Artists notes

The death of Judas

Judas had betrayed Jesus, but when he learnt that Jesus had been sentenced to death, he was sorry for what he had done. He returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and leaders and said, “I have sinned by betraying a man who has never done anything wrong.”

“So what? That's your problem,” they replied. Judas threw the money into the temple and then went out and hanged himself.

The chief priests picked up the money and said, “This money was paid to have a man killed. We can't put it in the temple treasury.”

Then they had meeting and decided to buy a field that belonged to someone who made clay pots. They wanted to use it as a graveyard for foreigners. That's why people still call that place 'Field of Blood'. So the words of the prophet Jeremiah came true,

“They took the thirty silver coins,
the price of a person among the people of Israel.
They paid it for a potter's field,
as the Lord had commanded me.”

Matthew 27: 3-10

Artists notes

Jesus is crucified

When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross. On the way they met a man from Cyrene named Simon, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross.

They came to a place named Golgotha, which means 'Place of a Skull'. There they gave Jesus some wine mixed with a drug to ease the pain. Jesus refused to drink it. The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes. Then they sat down to guard him. Above his head they put a sign that read, 'This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.' The soldiers also nailed two criminals on crosses.

People who passed by shook their heads and shouted, “So you're the one who claimed you could tear down the temple and built it again in three days! If you are God's Son, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

The chief priests and the teachers of the Law also made fun of Jesus.

At midday the sky turned dark and stayed that way until three o'clock. About that time Jesus shouted, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”

Some of the people standing there heard Jesus. One of them ran and grabbed a sponge. He soaked it in wine, then put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus. Once again Jesus shouted, and then he died.

At once the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and rocks spilt apart. The officer guarding Jesus saw everything that happened and said, “This man really was God's Son!"”

Matthew 27: 32-54

Artists notes

Jesus washes the disciples feet

During the meal Jesus got up, removed his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He put some water into a large bowl. Then he began washing his disciples' feet and drying them with the towel he was wearing.

But when he came to Simon Peter, that disciple asked, “Lord, are you going to was my feet?”

Jesus answered, “You don't really know what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“You will never wash my feet!” Peter replied.

“If I don't wash you,” Jesus told him, “you don't really belong to me.”

Peter said, “Lord, don't wash just my feet. Wash my hands and my head.”

Jesus answered, “People who have bathed and are clean all over need to wash just their feet. And you, my disciples, are clean, except for one of you.” Jesus know who would betray him. That is why he said, “except for one of you.”

After Jesus had washed his disciples' feet and had put his outer garment back on, he sat down again.

John 13:4-12

Artists notes