According to the verdict of the Sanhedrin, approved by the Roman procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was condemned to be crucified.
Death came into the world with Adam's sin. Christ the Savior - the New Adam - had no sin, but took upon himself the sins of all mankind. To save people from death and hell, the Lord Jesus Christ went to death voluntarily.
When the Savior was brought to the place of execution, to Golgotha, the Roman soldiers, the executioners, gave Him vinegar mixed with bile to drink. This drink dulled the feeling of pain and somewhat reduced the painful suffering of the crucified. But the Lord refused. He wanted to drink the whole cup of suffering in full consciousness.
They took off their clothes from Christ, and the most terrible moment of execution followed - nailing to the Cross. "It was the third hour," the Evangelist Mark testifies, "and they crucified Him." According to our time it was about nine o'clock in the morning.
When the soldiers raised the Cross, then at that terrible moment the voice of the Savior was heard with a prayer for His ruthless killers: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Two thieves were crucified next to Christ - one on the right and the other on the left side.
Meanwhile, the soldiers who had crucified Jesus were dividing His clothes among themselves. They tore the outer garment into four pieces. And the lower one - a tunic - was not sewn, but whole-woven. Therefore, the soldiers cast lots about him - who will get it. According to legend, this tunic was woven by the Most Pure Mother of the Savior. The enemies of Christ - the scribes, Pharisees and elders of the people - did not cease to slander the Lord hanging on the Cross. Scoffing, they said, "If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross... You saved others... save Yourself."
The thief, crucified to the left of Christ, also blasphemed the Divine Sufferer.
The other thief, on the contrary, calmed him and said: "We are justly condemned ... but He did nothing wrong." Having said this, the robber turned to Jesus: "Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom!"
The merciful Lord accepted the heartfelt repentance of this sinner and answered the prudent thief: "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." Near the Cross were not only the enemies of Christ. Here stood His Most Pure Mother, the Apostle John, Mary Magdalene and several other women. They looked with horror and compassion at the torments of the Crucified Savior.
Seeing His Mother and her beloved disciple, the Lord Jesus Christ said to Her: "Woman, here is Your Son." Then, turning His gaze to John, He said, "Behold, your mother." From that time on, the Apostle John took the Mother of God into his home and took care of Her until the end of Her life.
Beginning at the sixth hour, the sun was darkened, and darkness covered the whole earth.
About the ninth hour of Jewish time, that is, at the third hour in the afternoon, Jesus loudly exclaimed: "My God, My God! Why did You leave Me?" This experience of being abandoned by God was the most terrible torment for the Son of God.
"I thirst," said the Savior. Then one of the soldiers filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a cane and brought it to the withered lips of Christ.
"And when Jesus had tasted the vinegar, he said, It is finished!" The promise of God has been fulfilled. The salvation of the human race has been accomplished.
Following this, the Savior exclaimed: “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit,” and, “bending his head, gave up his spirit.”
The Son of God died on the Cross. And the earth shook. The veil in the temple, which covered the Holy of Holies, was torn in two, thereby opening up for people the entrance to the hitherto closed Kingdom of Heaven. And as a sign of the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ over death, many bodies of the reposed saints were resurrected and after the Resurrection of the Lord entered Jerusalem.
Seeing what happened at Golgotha, all the inhabitants of Judah were seized with fear. And even for the pagan crucifiers, the great truth of the Divinity of Christ became obvious.
Among all Christians, only Orthodox and Catholics venerate crosses and icons. They decorate the domes of churches, their houses with crosses, they wear them around the neck.
The reason why a person wears a pectoral cross is different for everyone. Someone thus pays tribute to fashion, for someone the cross is a beautiful piece of jewelry, for someone it brings good luck and is used as a talisman. But there are also those for whom the pectoral cross worn at baptism is indeed a symbol of their infinite faith.
Today, shops and church shops offer a wide variety of crosses of various shapes. However, very often, not only parents who are about to baptize a child, but also sales assistants cannot explain where the Orthodox cross is and where the Catholic one is, although it is actually very simple to distinguish them. In the Catholic tradition - a quadrangular cross, with three nails. In Orthodoxy, there are four-pointed, six-pointed and eight-pointed crosses, with four nails for hands and feet.
cross shape
four-pointed cross
So, in the West, the most common is four-pointed cross. Starting from the III century, when such crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, the entire Orthodox East still uses this form of the cross as equal to all others.
Eight-pointed Orthodox cross
For Orthodoxy, the shape of the cross does not really matter, much more attention is paid to what is depicted on it, however, eight-pointed and six-pointed crosses have received the greatest popularity.
Eight-pointed Orthodox cross most corresponds to the historically reliable form of the cross on which Christ was already crucified. The Orthodox cross, which is most often used by the Russian and Serbian Orthodox churches, contains, in addition to a large horizontal bar, two more. The top symbolizes the plate on the cross of Christ with the inscription " Jesus of the Nazarene, King of the Jews» (INCI, or INRI in Latin). The lower slanting crossbar - the support for the feet of Jesus Christ symbolizes the "righteous measure", weighing the sins and virtues of all people. It is believed that it is tilted to the left, symbolizing that the repentant robber, crucified on the right side of Christ, (first) went to heaven, and the robber, crucified on the left side, by his blasphemy of Christ, further aggravated his posthumous fate and ended up in hell. The letters IC XC are a Christogram symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ.
Saint Demetrius of Rostov writes that " when Christ the Lord carried a cross on His shoulders, then the cross was still four-pointed; because there was still no title or footstool on it. There was no footstool, because Christ had not yet been lifted up on the cross, and the soldiers, not knowing where Christ's feet would reach, did not attach the footstools, finishing it already at Golgotha". Also, there was no title on the cross before the crucifixion of Christ, because, as the Gospel reports, at first " crucified him"(John 19:18), and then only" Pilate wrote an inscription and put it on the cross"(John 19:19). It was at first that the soldiers divided “His clothes” by lot. crucified Him"(Matt. 27:35), and only then" They placed an inscription over His head, signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.» (Matthew 27:37).
The eight-pointed cross has long been considered the most powerful protective tool against various kinds of evil spirits, as well as visible and invisible evil.
six pointed cross
Widespread among Orthodox believers, especially in the days of Ancient Russia, was also six-pointed cross. It also has an inclined crossbar: the lower end symbolizes unrepentant sin, and the upper end symbolizes liberation by repentance.
However, not in the shape of the cross or the number of ends lies all its power. The cross is famous for the power of Christ crucified on it, and all its symbolism and miraculousness lies in this.
The variety of forms of the cross has always been recognized by the Church as quite natural. In the words of the Monk Theodore the Studite - “ a cross of every form is a true cross”and has an unearthly beauty and life-giving power.
« There is no significant difference between Latin, Catholic, Byzantine, and Orthodox crosses, as well as between any other crosses used in the service of Christians. In essence, all crosses are the same, the differences are only in form.”, says Serbian Patriarch Irinej.
crucifixion
In the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, special significance is attached not to the shape of the cross, but to the image of Jesus Christ on it.
Until the 9th century inclusive, Christ was depicted on the cross not only alive, resurrected, but also triumphant, and only in the 10th century did images of the dead Christ appear.
Yes, we know that Christ died on the cross. But we also know that He later resurrected, and that He suffered voluntarily out of love for people: to teach us to take care of the immortal soul; so that we too can be resurrected and live forever. In the Orthodox Crucifixion, this Paschal joy is always present. Therefore, on the Orthodox cross, Christ does not die, but freely stretches out his hands, the palms of Jesus are open, as if he wants to embrace all of humanity, giving them his love and opening the way to eternal life. He is not a dead body, but God, and his whole image speaks of this.
The Orthodox cross above the main horizontal bar has another, smaller one, which symbolizes the tablet on the cross of Christ indicating the offense. Because Pontius Pilate did not find how to describe the guilt of Christ, the words “ Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews» in three languages: Greek, Latin and Aramaic. In Latin in Catholicism, this inscription looks like INRI, and in Orthodoxy - IHCI(or ІНHI, “Jesus of the Nazarene, King of the Jews”). The lower oblique crossbar symbolizes a leg support. It also symbolizes two thieves crucified to the left and right of Christ. One of them repented of his sins before his death, for which he was awarded the Kingdom of Heaven. The other, before his death, blasphemed and reviled his executioners and Christ.
Above the middle crossbar are the inscriptions: "IC" "XC"- the name of Jesus Christ; and below it: "NIKA"- Winner.
Greek letters were necessarily written on the cross-shaped halo of the Savior UN, meaning - "Truly Existing", because " God said to Moses: I am who I am”(Ex. 3:14), thus revealing His name, expressing the self-existence, eternity and immutability of the being of God.
In addition, the nails with which the Lord was nailed to the cross were kept in Orthodox Byzantium. And it was precisely known that there were four of them, not three. Therefore, on Orthodox crosses, the feet of Christ are nailed with two nails, each separately. The image of Christ with crossed feet, nailed with one nail, first appeared as an innovation in the West in the second half of the 13th century.
Orthodox Crucifix Catholic Crucifix
In the Catholic Crucifixion, the image of Christ has naturalistic features. Catholics depict Christ as dead, sometimes with streams of blood on his face, from wounds on his arms, legs and ribs ( stigmata). It manifests all human suffering, the torment that Jesus had to experience. His arms sag under the weight of his body. The image of Christ on the Catholic cross is plausible, but this is the image of a dead person, while there is no hint of the triumph of victory over death. The crucifixion in Orthodoxy just symbolizes this triumph. In addition, the feet of the Savior are nailed with one nail.
The Significance of the Savior's Death on the Cross
The emergence of the Christian cross is associated with the martyrdom of Jesus Christ, which he accepted on the cross at the forced verdict of Pontius Pilate. Crucifixion was a common method of execution in ancient Rome, borrowed from the Carthaginians, the descendants of the Phoenician colonists (it is believed that crucifixion was first used in Phoenicia). Usually thieves were sentenced to death on the cross; many early Christians, persecuted since the time of Nero, were also executed in this manner.
Roman crucifixion
Before the sufferings of Christ, the cross was an instrument of shame and terrible punishment. After His suffering, he became a symbol of the victory of good over evil, life over death, a reminder of God's infinite love, an object of joy. The incarnated Son of God sanctified the cross with His blood and made it a vehicle of His grace, a source of sanctification for believers.
From the Orthodox dogma of the Cross (or Atonement), the idea undoubtedly follows that the death of the Lord is the ransom of all, the calling of all peoples. Only the cross, unlike other executions, made it possible for Jesus Christ to die with outstretched arms calling "to all the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 45:22).
Reading the Gospels, we are convinced that the feat of the Cross of the God-man is the central event in His earthly life. By His sufferings on the Cross, He washed away our sins, covered our debt to God, or, in the language of Scripture, “redeemed” (ransomed) us. In Golgotha lies the incomprehensible mystery of the infinite truth and love of God.
The Son of God voluntarily took upon Himself the guilt of all people and suffered for it a shameful and most painful death on the cross; then on the third day he rose again as the conqueror of hell and death.
Why was such a terrible Sacrifice needed to cleanse the sins of mankind, and was it possible to save people in another, less painful way?
The Christian doctrine of the death of the God-man on the cross is often a "stumbling block" for people with already established religious and philosophical concepts. Both many Jews and people of the Greek culture of the apostolic times seemed contradictory to the assertion that the almighty and eternal God descended to earth in the form of a mortal man, voluntarily suffered beatings, spitting and shameful death, that this feat could bring spiritual benefit to mankind. " It's impossible!”- some objected; " It is not necessary!' - said others.
The Holy Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians says: Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in the wisdom of the word, so as not to abolish the cross of Christ. For the word about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will put away the understanding of the prudent. Where is the sage? where is the scribe? where is the questioner of this world? Has not God turned the wisdom of this world into folly? For when the world through its wisdom did not know God in the wisdom of God, it pleased God with the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. For the Jews also demand miracles, and the Greeks seek wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, for the Jews a stumbling block, and for the Greeks folly, but for the called ones themselves, Jews and Greeks, Christ, God's power and God's wisdom"(1 Cor. 1:17-24).
In other words, the apostle explained that what in Christianity was perceived by some as temptation and madness, is in fact the work of the greatest Divine wisdom and omnipotence. The truth of the atoning death and resurrection of the Savior is the foundation for many other Christian truths, for example, about the sanctification of believers, about the sacraments, about the meaning of suffering, about virtues, about achievement, about the goal of life, about the coming judgment and resurrection of the dead and others.
At the same time, the redemptive death of Christ, being an event inexplicable in terms of earthly logic and even “seductive for those who perish,” has a regenerating power that the believing heart feels and strives for. Renewed and warmed by this spiritual power, both the last slaves and the most powerful kings bowed with trepidation before Golgotha; both dark ignoramuses and the greatest scientists. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles became convinced by personal experience of what great spiritual benefits the atoning death and resurrection of the Savior brought them, and they shared this experience with their disciples.
(The mystery of the redemption of mankind is closely connected with a number of important religious and psychological factors. Therefore, in order to understand the mystery of the redemption, it is necessary:
a) to understand what actually is the sinful damage of a person and the weakening of his will to resist evil;
b) it is necessary to understand how the devil's will, thanks to sin, got the opportunity to influence and even captivate the human will;
c) one must understand the mysterious power of love, its ability to positively influence a person and ennoble him. At the same time, if love reveals itself most of all in sacrificial service to one's neighbor, then there is no doubt that giving one's life for him is the highest manifestation of love;
d) one must rise from understanding the power of human love to understanding the power of Divine love and how it penetrates the soul of a believer and transforms his inner world;
e) in addition, in the atoning death of the Savior there is a side that goes beyond the limits of the human world, namely: On the cross there was a battle between God and the proud Dennitsa, in which God, hiding under the guise of weak flesh, emerged victorious. The details of this spiritual battle and Divine victory remain a mystery to us. Even Angels, according to ap. Peter, do not fully understand the mystery of redemption (1 Pet. 1:12). She is a sealed book that only the Lamb of God could open (Rev. 5:1-7)).
In Orthodox asceticism, there is such a thing as bearing one's cross, that is, the patient fulfillment of Christian commandments throughout the life of a Christian. All difficulties, both external and internal, are called "cross." Each bears his life's cross. The Lord said this about the need for personal achievement: Whoever does not take up his cross (shirks the feat) and follows Me (calls himself a Christian), he is not worthy of Me» (Matthew 10:38).
« The cross is the guardian of the whole universe. Cross of beauty of the Church, Cross of kings power, Cross of faithful affirmation, Cross of an angel glory, Cross of a demon plague”, - affirms the absolute Truth of the luminaries of the feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross.
The motives for the outrageous desecration and blasphemy of the Holy Cross by conscious crusaders and crusaders are quite understandable. But when we see Christians involved in this heinous deed, it is all the more impossible to be silent, for - according to the words of St. Basil the Great - "God is given up in silence"!
Differences between the Catholic and Orthodox cross
Thus, there are the following differences between the Catholic cross and the Orthodox:
Catholic cross Orthodox cross
- Orthodox cross most often has an eight-pointed or six-pointed shape. catholic cross- four-pointed.
- Words on a plate on the crosses are the same, only written in different languages: Latin INRI(in the case of a Catholic cross) and Slavic-Russian IHCI(on an Orthodox cross).
- Another fundamental position is the position of the feet on the Crucifixion and the number of nails. The feet of Jesus Christ are located together on the Catholic Crucifix, and each is nailed separately on the Orthodox cross.
- different is image of the Savior on the cross. On the Orthodox cross, God is depicted, who opened the way to eternal life, and on the Catholic one, a person experiencing torment.
Material prepared by Sergey Shulyak
It is difficult to find a person who has never heard of Jesus Christ. Children and adults discuss his personality, scientists argue about how he lived on Earth and whether he existed at all, priests preach Christ's thoughts.
Many people are always interested in various questions about Christ, and one of the most important is the question of his crucifixion. To understand why Jesus Christ was crucified, you need to know who he was and what he did in his life.
Who is Jesus Christ
People who are sure that Jesus Christ existed believe that he is the son of God and the earthly woman Mary, the Messiah, sent to Earth to teach people a righteous life. In it, the divine and earthly principles merged together. Jesus called people to repentance before God, talked about the Eternal Kingdom in heaven, taught people to love themselves, each other and the Lord. His speeches inspired and attracted many, he had students and followers. The most famous among them are the 12 apostles - the closest disciples to Jesus, who helped him preach the truth on Earth. Jesus was also considered a great healer and prophet.
Why was Christ crucified
The sermons and activities of Jesus Christ more than once attracted the attention of the high priests of Judea. They perceived him as a heretic and a blasphemer, because Jesus declared that he was the Son of God and came to speak on behalf of the Lord. They did not believe him and believed that with his “false” speeches he offends God and misleads believers, and this is considered a crime against faith. In the end, it came to the point that Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death, but it was impossible to carry out the crucifixion procedure without the consent of the procurator.
Therefore, Jesus was brought before the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate asked Jesus if he considered himself king of Judea. Christ replied that he had come into this world to bear witness to God's truth. Pontius Pilate decided that Jesus was not guilty of anything and was ready to let him go.
According to tradition, on Easter (namely, during this period the described events took place) one of the criminals was released. Pontius Pilate wanted to let Jesus go, but in order to avoid riots, he asked the people if they wanted his acquittal. People demanded execution, so Pontius Pilate had to sentence Christ to crucifixion, which was a form of the death penalty.
How Jesus Christ was crucified
Many are interested in where Christ was crucified. Traditionally, this place is considered Golgotha (the second name is Kalvaria) - a small hill in the form of a skull, which was located in the northwest near the city of Jerusalem. Scholars also debate the exact location of this hill. Now Golgotha is considered one of the main shrines in Christianity.
When was Christ crucified? There is also heated debate about this issue, scientists are trying to determine the exact date of the death penalty. It is known that the crucifixion took place on Easter Friday at three o'clock, on that day an eclipse occurred. It is believed that Jesus was crucified in the year 33, when he was 33 years old (the modern calendar counts from the Nativity of Christ), but no eclipses were observed on Easter Friday of this year. The most likely dates for the crucifixion are as follows: April 8, 23, May 21, 30, May 10, 31, or April 19, 41.
Jesus and the two criminals, who were executed on the same day, were tied to large wooden crosses and their bodies were nailed with large nails. Shortly after the execution took place, an eclipse occurred, and in the temple of Jerusalem the veil that separated the holiest place of the temple from the rest of it was torn in the middle.
After the death of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea, together with the disciples of Christ, performed the rite of burial of the body of the saint in a tomb near the garden next to Golgotha. Three days after his death, Jesus Christ resurrected and bequeathed to his apostles to preach his teaching on Earth.
The death of Jesus Christ in religion is considered a great act of sacrifice, because God, in order to atone for human sins, allowed his Son to be killed. Jesus Christ died for all the past, present and future sins of mankind, so that repentant sinners after the end of earthly life could enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
The execution of crucifixion on the cross was the most shameful, the most painful and the most cruel. In those days, only the most notorious villains were executed with such a death: robbers, murderers, rebels and criminal slaves. The suffering of a crucified man is indescribable. In addition to unbearable pain in all parts of the body and suffering, the crucified one experienced terrible thirst and mortal spiritual anguish.
When they brought Jesus Christ to Golgotha, the soldiers served Him to drink sour wine mixed with bitter substances in order to alleviate suffering. But the Lord, having tasted it, did not want to drink it. He did not want to use any remedy to relieve suffering. He voluntarily accepted these sufferings upon Himself for the sins of people; That's why I wanted to endure them.
The execution of crucifixion on the cross was the most shameful, the most painful and the most cruel. In those days, only the most notorious villains were executed with such a death: robbers, murderers, rebels and criminal slaves. The suffering of a crucified man is indescribable. In addition to unbearable pain in all parts of the body and suffering, the crucified one experienced terrible thirst and mortal spiritual anguish. Death was so slow that many were tormented on the cross for several days.
Crucifixion of Christ - Upper Rhine master
Even the executioners - usually cruel people - could not coolly look at the suffering of the crucified. They prepared a drink with which they tried either to quench their unbearable thirst, or, with the admixture of various substances, to temporarily dull their consciousness and alleviate their torment. According to Jewish law, a person hung from a tree was considered cursed. The leaders of the Jews wanted to disgrace Jesus Christ forever by condemning Him to such a death.
When everything was ready, the soldiers crucified Jesus Christ. It was about noon, in Hebrew, at the 6th hour of the day. When they were crucifying Him, He prayed for His tormentors, saying: “Father! forgive them because they don't know what they're doing."
Two villains (thieves) were crucified next to Jesus Christ, one on the right and the other on the left side of Him. Thus, the prediction of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled, who said: “And he was counted among the wicked” (Is. 53 , 12).
By order of Pilate, an inscription was nailed to the cross over the head of Jesus Christ, signifying His guilt. On it was written in Hebrew, Greek and Roman: Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews' and many have read it. Such an inscription did not please the enemies of Christ. Therefore, the high priests came to Pilate and said: “Do not write: King of the Jews, but write that He said: I am the King of the Jews.”
But Pilate answered: "What I have written, I have written."
Meanwhile, the soldiers who crucified Jesus Christ took His clothes and began to divide among themselves. They tore the outer garment into four pieces, one piece for each warrior. The chiton (underwear) was not sewn, but all woven from top to bottom. Then they said to each other: "We will not tear it apart, but we will cast lots for it, whoever gets it." And casting lots, the soldiers sitting guarded the place of execution. So, here, too, the ancient prophecy of King David came true: “They divided My garments among themselves, and they cast lots for My garments” (Psalm. 21 , 19).
Enemies did not stop insulting Jesus Christ on the cross. As they passed, they slandered and, nodding their heads, said: “Eh! Destroying the temple and building in three days! Save Yourself. If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
Also the chief priests, scribes, elders and Pharisees, mockingly, said: “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. If He is the Christ, the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, that we may see, and then we will believe in Him. Trusted in God; may God deliver him now, if he pleases him; for He said: I am the Son of God.
Following their example, the pagan warriors, who sat at the crosses and guarded the crucified, mockingly said: "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself."
Even one of the crucified thieves, who was to the left of the Savior, slandered Him and said: “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.”
The other robber, on the contrary, calmed him and said: “Or are you not afraid of God when you yourself are condemned to the same thing (that is, to the same torment and death)? But we are justly condemned, because we received what was worthy according to our deeds, but He did nothing wrong.” Having said this, he turned to Jesus Christ with a prayer: “P wash me(remember me) Lord, when you come into your kingdom!”
The merciful Savior accepted the heartfelt repentance of this sinner, who showed such wondrous faith in Him, and answered the prudent thief: “ I tell you truly, today you will be with me in paradise“.
At the cross of the Savior stood His Mother, the Apostle John, Mary Magdalene and several other women who revered Him. It is impossible to describe the sorrow of the Mother of God, who saw the unbearable torment of Her Son!
Jesus Christ, seeing His Mother and John standing here, whom He especially loved, says to His Mother: “ Geno! behold, thy son“. Then he says to John: here, your mother“. From that time on, John took the Mother of God to his house and took care of Her until the end of Her life.
Meanwhile, during the suffering of the Savior on Calvary, a great sign occurred. From the hour the Savior was crucified, that is, from the sixth hour (and according to our account from the twelfth hour of the day), the sun darkened and darkness fell over all the earth, and lasted until the ninth hour (according to our account until the third hour of the day) , i.e. until the death of the Savior.
This extraordinary, universal darkness was noted by pagan historian writers: the Roman astronomer Phlegont, Phallus and Junius Africanus. The famous philosopher from Athens, Dionysius the Areopagite, was at that time in Egypt, in the city of Heliopolis; observing the sudden darkness, he said: “Either the Creator suffers, or the world is destroyed.” Subsequently, Dionysius the Areopagite converted to Christianity and was the first Bishop of Athens.
Around the ninth hour, Jesus Christ loudly exclaimed: Or or! lima savahfani!” that is, “My God, My God! Why did you leave me?” These were the opening words from the 21st Psalm of King David, in which David clearly foretold the suffering on the Savior's cross. With these words the Lord reminded people for the last time that He is the true Christ, the Savior of the world.
Some of those who stood on Golgotha, hearing these words spoken by the Lord, said: “Behold, He is calling Elijah.” And others said, "Let's see if Elijah comes to save Him."
The Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that everything had already happened, said: “I thirst.” Then one of the soldiers ran, took a sponge, soaked it with vinegar, put it on a cane and brought it to the withered lips of the Savior.
Having tasted the vinegar, the Savior said: “It is finished,” that is, the promise of God has been fulfilled, the salvation of the human race has been completed. Then He said in a loud voice, “Father! into your hands I commend my spirit.” And, bowing his head, he betrayed the spirit, that is, he died. And behold, the veil in the temple, which covered the holy of holies, was torn in two, from the top to the bottom, and the earth shook, and the stones split; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they went into Jerusalem and appeared to many.
The centurion (the head of the soldiers) and the soldiers with him, who guarded the crucified Savior, seeing the earthquake and everything that happened before them, were frightened and said: “Truly, this man was the Son of God.” And the people, who were at the crucifixion and saw everything, began to disperse in fear, striking their breasts. Friday evening came. Easter was to be eaten that evening. The Jews did not want to leave the bodies of those crucified on the crosses until Saturday, because Easter Saturday was considered a great day. Therefore, they asked Pilate for permission to kill the legs of the crucified, so that they would die sooner and could be removed from the crosses. Pilate allowed. The soldiers came and broke the shins of the robbers. When they approached Jesus Christ, they saw that He had already died, and therefore they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers, so that there would be no doubt about His death, pierced His side with a spear, and blood and water flowed from the wound.
Text: Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy. "Law of God".
Dismas
Between two robbers- an expression describing the particularly shameful nature of the death of Jesus Christ, whose cross, according to the accounts of the Gospels, was erected between the crucifixions of criminals who received the nickname prudent and Mad robbers.
In a figurative sense - a person who finds himself in a dishonoring situation (company), but at the same time retains his positive qualities.
Texts
Gospel description
| Led with Him to death and two villains. And when they came to the place called Skull, there they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on the right, and the other on the left… One of the hanged villains slandered Him and said: "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." |
The repentant thief received in the Christian tradition the nickname " Reasonable And, according to legend, he was the first to enter paradise. The robber is remembered in Orthodox chants of Good Friday when reading twelve gospels: « Thou didst honor the prudent thief in a single hour of heaven, O Lord”, and his words on the cross became the beginning of the Lenten following of the pictorial: “ Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom».
Interpretation in Christianity
The prudent thief was the first saved person of all those who believed in Christ and was the third inhabitant of paradise from people (after Enoch and Elijah, taken to heaven alive). The story of the Prudent Thief's entry into heaven is not just an illustration of the villain's remorse. It is interpreted by the church as God's willingness to grant forgiveness to the dying even at the very last moment.
The most detailed question of the pious robber was considered by John Chrysostom in his conversation “ About the cross and the thief, and about the second coming of Christ, and about unceasing prayer for enemies". The saint, studying the repentance of the robber and the church tradition that he was the first to enter paradise, draws the following conclusions:
- Christ, being crucified, insulted, spit upon, reviled, inglorious, performs a miracle - he changed the vicious soul of the robber;
- The greatness of the thief's soul Chrysostom derives from his comparison with the apostle Peter: when Peter renounced the valley, then the thief confessed grief". At the same time, the saint, without blaming Peter, says that the disciple of Christ could not endure the threat of an insignificant girl, and the robber, seeing how the people scream, rage and blaspheme the crucified Christ, did not pay attention to them, but with the eyes of faith " know the Lord of heaven»;
- Chrysostom draws attention to the fact that the pious robber, unlike other people, " I did not see the resurrected dead, nor the exorcised demons, I did not see the obedient sea; Christ told him nothing about the kingdom or hell", but at the same time he" confessed Him first».
In addition, this precedent formed the basis of the Catholic concept of Baptism of Desire (Baptismus Flaminis), which is interpreted as follows: if someone wished to be baptized, but could not, due to insurmountable circumstances, be properly baptized, he can still be saved by the grace of God.
The faith of the prudent thief as a model for all Christians to follow is one of the oldest in church sermons (the earliest was written no later than 125 by Saint Aristides).
Prophecies
The prophecies about the crucifixion of Christ between two thieves were made by the prophet Isaiah in the cycle of his prophecies about the coming of the Messiah:
- « He was assigned a coffin with villains but he was buried with the rich man, because he did no sin, and there was no deceit in his mouth.» (Isaiah 53:9)
- « Therefore I will give him a share among the great, and with the mighty he will share the booty, because he gave his soul to death, and was numbered among the villains while He bore the sin of many and became an intercessor for transgressors.» (Isaiah 53:12)
Hans von Tübingen. "Crucifixion", fragment, ca. 1430. The soul of the Crazed Robber flies from his mouth and is taken by the devil.
Apocryphal stories
The origin of the robbers
Unlike the Gospels, which do not provide details about the people between whom Christ was crucified, apocryphal literature contains an extensive set of traditions.
Arabic "Gospel of childhood of the Savior" reports that the Prudent Thief prevented his comrades from attacking Mary and Joseph with the baby during the Flight into Egypt. Then Jesus prophecies: Crucified, O mother, In thirty years the Jews in Jerusalem will crucify Me, and these two robbers will be hanged with Me on the same cross: Titus on the right hand, and on the left - Dumach. On the next day, Titus will enter before Me into the Kingdom of Heaven».
Apocrypha "Word of the Cross Tree" includes a description of the origin of the two robbers: during the flight to Egypt, the Holy Family settled in the desert next to the robber, who had two sons. But his wife, who had only one breast, could not nurse them both. The Virgin Mary helped her in feeding - she fed that child, who was then crucified on the right side of Christ and repented before death:
A common legend about Mysterious drop tells that the Holy Family was captured by robbers, and Mary, seeing the dying baby in the arms of the robber's wife, took him, and only a drop of her milk touched his lips, he recovered.
"Word of the Cross Tree" does not give the names of these robbers, unlike "Gospel of Nicodemus" who calls them Dijman- a prudent robber, and Gesta- blasphemed Christ. Also in this "Gospels" contains a description of the astonishment of the Old Testament righteous, who were led out of hell by Christ and saw the thief, who had entered paradise before them. The author of the apocrypha gives the following story of Dijman:
... I was a robber, doing all sorts of evil deeds on earth. And the Jews nailed me to the cross along with Jesus, and I saw everything that was done by the cross of the Lord Jesus, on which the Jews crucified Him, and I believed that He is the creator of all things and the Almighty King. And I asked Him: “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom!” And immediately accepting my prayer, He said to me: “Amen, I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” And He gave me the sign of the cross, saying: “Carry this, going to paradise.”.
A prudent thief in paradise. Fragment of a five-part icon of the 17th century. The robber is met by Enoch and Elijah, on the right - a cherub with a fiery sword guarding paradise
In medieval art, the Prudent Thief is sometimes depicted as accompanying Jesus during the Descent into Hell, although this interpretation is not supported by any surviving text.
Cross of the Prudent Thief
There is an apocryphal version of the origin of the tree for the cross of the prudent thief. According to legend, Seth received from an angel not only a branch from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but also another one, which he later lit on the banks of the Nile and which burned with unquenchable fire for a long time. When Lot sinned with his daughters, God told him to atone for planting three firebrands from that fire and watering them until a large tree grew. It was from this tree that the cross of the pious robber was then made.
The Cross of the Prudent Robber, according to the traditional version, was installed in 327 by Empress Helena on the island of Cyprus. A particle of the Life-Giving Cross and one of the nails with which the body of Christ was pierced were embedded in it. This cross is reported by St. Daniel in his "Walk of Abbot Daniel"(XII century):
Daniel repeats the earliest surviving record from 1106 about the monastery of Stavrovouni, which tells of a cypress cross supported in the air by the Holy Spirit. In 1426, the robber's cross was stolen by the Mamelukes, but a few years later, as the monastery tradition says, it was miraculously returned to its original place. However, then the shrine disappeared again and remains unfound to this day.
A small particle of the prudent robber's cross is kept in the Roman Basilica of Santa Croce in Jerusalemmme. Her appearance in Rome is associated with Empress Elena.
Cross of the Mad Robber
The history of the material for the cross on which the Mad Robber was crucified is contained in the Russian apocrypha “ Word of the Cross Tree"(-XVI century). According to him, the cross was made from a tree planted by Moses at the bitter-salty spring of Merra (Ex. 15:23-25) from three branches of a tree woven together, brought from paradise during the Flood. The further fate of the Crazed Robber's cross is unknown.
The names of the robbers
The names of the Prudent and Mad Robbers are known from Apocrypha, which, however, call them differently:
"The prudent robber Rakh." Icon of the Moscow school, XVI century. Rach is represented in paradise, as evidenced by the trees of paradise against the background of the icon
Discreet Robber Dismas
Dizhman and Gesta(in the western version - Dismas and Gestas (Dismas and Gestas)) - the most common form of the names of robbers in Catholicism. The name "Dismas" is derived from the Greek word for "sunset" or "death". Spelling options are Dysmas, Dimas and even Dumas (Dumas).
The feast day of St. Dismas is celebrated on March 25. A city in California, San Dimas, is named after him. Saint Dismas is the patron saint of prisoners; many prison chapels are dedicated to him.
Prudent Rogue Rach
"Rah"- the name of the robber, most often found in Orthodox iconography. Domestic researchers cannot find literary sources for the origin of this name. Possibly an evolution of the name Barbarian-Varah-Rah. The icon with his image was placed on the northern altar doors of the iconostasis.
Iconography
"Crucifixion", Emmanuel Lampardos, 17th century, Cretan school. Hermitage
Art historians note that robbers on the sides of Christ in the scenes of the Crucifixion appeared from the 5th-6th centuries.
The prudent thief was crucified on the right side of Christ (right hand), so the head of the Savior is often written bowed to this side. This indicates his acceptance of the repentant criminal. In Russian icon painting, the sloping crossbar under the feet of Jesus is also usually directed upwards towards the Prudent Thief. The prudent thief was written with his face turned towards Jesus, and the Mad one - with his head turned away or even his back turned.
Artists sometimes emphasized the difference between Jesus and the thieves on both sides of him, as well as the difference between the two criminals:
| Jesus Christ | Rogues | |
|---|---|---|
| clothes | loincloth | perisoma |
| cross | life-giving cross, clear geometric shapes |
ugly, wild, curved trunks, T-cross |
| fastening | nails | tied with ropes |
| arms | straight, stretched | tied behind the cross |
| pose | peaceful | writhe |
| shins | kept intact | slaughtered by warriors who brandish hammers |
One can also trace the differences between the two robbers, the Prudent and the Mad: in the first centuries of Christianity, when the memory of the ancient beardless ideal of male beauty was still preserved, the Prudent Robber