Not So Known Details about the Crucifixion and Why We Must Trigger Our Resurrection

Primary among the aspects of crucifixion that I learned the first time is the tearing of the temple veil, which coincided with an earthquake and, most dramatically, the resurrection of "many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep... and went to the holy city and appeared to many" (Mt 27:52-53). Blomberg raised questions about the identities and circumstances of this event.[1] Second, according to Croteau, Jesus must have been flogged twice: the least severe (fustigatio) in John 19:1 and (verberatio) in Matt 27:26.[2]

There is agreement among Matthew, Mark, and Luke that points to "Jesus' demonstration in the temple (Mt 21:12-13; Mk 11:15-17; Lk 19:45-46), along with his pronouncement of the temple's destruction (Mt 24:2; Mk 13:2; Lk 21:6), amounted to the last straw for the chief priests."[3] Although blasphemy is the official recorded criminal charge[4] against Jesus, the four gospel writers painted a uniquely iniquitous plight of Jesus to whom extreme cruelty mixed with unspeakable mockery that the OT phrase aptly describes what we Christians feel: abomination that causes desolation.

In Mark, mockery emerges very apparent,  “treatment of Jesus in Mark 15:17-19 is aimed at mocking his kingly aspirations;”  “royal parody by genuflecting before Jesus (while Jesus was nailed on the cross) as if he were a king (Mk 15:19)”[5] (parenthesis, mine). In Matthew, the scarlet color of the robe placed on Jesus was a cheaper representation than Mark's purple cloak. Both robe and cloak, however, “functions a mock royal garb.”[6] As with the robe, the drink given to Jesus, wine with gall[7] or mirth[8] (though a delicacy), both were neither relieving nor restoring value like water to Jesus, which was what he needed.

These four gospel writers agree on Jesus’ extreme punishment as a result of “Satan’s conspiracy through willing human subjects” such as Judas and the Jewish religious leaders. Unique to John is the claim that the Jews in general just want to stone and to kill Jesus as much as they can.[9]

The “resolution to this conflict” for Mark and Matthew comes in the culmination of the story in “Jesus’ passion and resurrection.” J. Dennis claims: But for Luke, the resolution is not yet realized; it must await Jesus’ parousia at the end of the age (Kingsbury 1991) (cf. Acts 1:11). [10] In John’s Gospel Jesus’ death is ultimately the expression of God’s love for the world in that it mediates eschatological life to others and inaugurates a new-exodus redemption.[11]

[1] "Again, there are many unanswerable questions surrounding this mysterious scene. Blomberg, (p. 405).

[2] Croteau, pp. 82-83)

[3] J. Dennis p. 176)

[4] Blomberg p. 406)

[5] J. Dennis p. 180 

[6] J. Dennis P. 184.

[7] Matthew 27:34

[8] Mk 15:23

[9] Jn 10:31, 32, 33; 11:8  and Jn 8:44. J. Dennis, p. 187.

[10] J. Dennis, p. 185.

[11] J. Dennis p. 187