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122-1012: Good Friday is a Christian holy day observing the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary . It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum . It is also known as Black Friday , Holy Friday , Great Friday , Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord , Great and Holy Friday (also Holy and Great Friday ). Members of many Christian denominations , including the Catholic , Eastern Orthodox , Lutheran , Anglican , Methodist , Oriental Orthodox , United Protestant and some Reformed traditions (including certain Continental Reformed , Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches), observe Good Friday with fasting and church services . In many Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist churches,

244-487: A spear to be certain that he had died, then blood and water gushed from the wound. The Bible describes seven statements that Jesus made while he was on the cross, as well as several supernatural events that occurred. Collectively referred to as the Passion , Jesus's suffering and redemptive death by crucifixion are the central aspects of Christian theology concerning the doctrines of salvation and atonement . Paul

366-465: A Thursday crucifixion based on a "double sabbath" caused by an extra Passover sabbath falling on Thursday dusk to Friday afternoon, ahead of the normal weekly Sabbath. Some have argued that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, not Friday, on the grounds of the mention of "three days and three nights" in Matthew 12:40 before his resurrection, celebrated on Sunday. Others have countered by saying that this ignores

488-475: A class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus. Scholars generally consider the Tacitus reference to the execution of Jesus by Pilate to be genuine, and of historical value as an independent Roman source. Eddy and Boyd state that it

610-607: A contraction of 'God be with ye'. In Old English, the day was called Long Friday ( langa frigedæg [ˈlɑŋɡɑ ˈfriːjedæj] ), and equivalents of this term are still used in Scandinavian languages and Finnish. According to the accounts in the Gospels, the royal soldiers, guided by Jesus' disciple Judas Iscariot , arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane . Judas received money ( 30 pieces of silver ) for betraying Jesus and told

732-515: A hope of the Resurrection: The Angel stood by the tomb, and to the women bearing spices he cried aloud: 'Myrrh is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption. Then the priest may deliver a homily and everyone comes forward to venerate the epitaphios. In the Slavic practice, at the end of Vespers, Compline is immediately served, featuring a special Canon of

854-538: A later hour. The celebration consists of three parts: the liturgy of the word, the adoration of the cross, and the Holy communion. The altar is bare, without cross, candlesticks and altar cloths . It is also customary to empty the holy water fonts in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil. Traditionally, no bells are rung on Good Friday or Holy Saturday until the Easter Vigil. The liturgical colour of

976-485: A literary and theological creation. Geza Vermes noted the verse is cited in Aramaic rather than the usual Hebrew, and that by the time of Jesus, this phrase had become a proverbial saying in common usage. Compared to the accounts in the other Gospels, which he describes as "theologically correct and reassuring", he considers this phrase "unexpected, disquieting and in consequence more probable". He describes it as bearing "all

1098-533: A meal is offered nor do we eat on this day of the crucifixion. If someone is unable or has become very old [or is] unable to fast, he may be given bread and water after sunset. In this way we come to the holy commandment of the Holy Apostles not to eat on Great Friday." (cf. Black Fast ) The Byzantine Christian observance of Holy and Great Friday, which is formally known as The Order of Holy and Saving Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ , begins on Thursday night with

1220-466: A new tomb. an epitaphios or "winding sheet" (a cloth embroidered with the image of Christ prepared for burial) is carried in procession to a low table in the nave which represents the Tomb of Christ; it is often decorated with an abundance of flowers. The epitaphios itself represents the body of Jesus wrapped in a burial shroud, and is a roughly full-size cloth icon of the body of Christ. The service ends with

1342-426: A number of analytical scenarios of that topic. In the 20th century, forensic pathologist Frederick Zugibe performed a number of crucifixion experiments by using ropes to hang human subjects at various angles and hand positions. His experiments support an angled suspension, and a two-beamed cross, and perhaps some form of foot support, given that in an Aufbinden form of suspension from a straight stake (as used by

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1464-446: A physical substance, denied that he was crucified. In response, Ignatius of Antioch insisted that Jesus was truly born and was truly crucified and wrote that those who held that Jesus only seemed to suffer only seemed to be Christians. In scholarship on the historical Jesus, the baptism of Jesus and his crucifixion are considered to be the two most certain historical facts about Jesus. Various criteria are used to determine

1586-449: A pious woman of Jerusalem who, moved with pity as Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, gave him her veil that he might wipe his forehead. The precise location of the crucifixion remains a matter of conjecture, but the biblical accounts indicate that it was outside the city walls of Jerusalem, accessible to passers-by and observable from some distance away. Eusebius identified its location only as being north of Mount Zion , which

1708-626: A riot. The sentence written was "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus carried his cross to the site of execution (assisted by Simon of Cyrene ), called the "place of the Skull", or " Golgotha " in Hebrew and in Latin "Calvary". There he was crucified along with two criminals. Jesus agonized on the cross for three hours, from noon to 3 pm, darkness fell over the whole land . In the gospels of Mathew and Mark, Jesus

1830-498: A secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his condemnation, went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus. Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus brought about a hundred-pound weight mixture of spices and helped wrap the body of Jesus. Pilate asked confirmation from the centurion of whether Jesus was dead. A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out, and

1952-561: A sentence of death . Peter, waiting in the courtyard, also denied Jesus three times to bystanders while the interrogations were proceeding just as Jesus had foretold. In the morning, the whole assembly brought Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate under charges of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to Caesar, and making himself a king. Pilate authorized the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus according to their own law and execute sentencing; however,

2074-515: Is a composite taken from three of the four the Gospels (Matthew 27:1-38; Luke 23:39-43; Matthew 27:39-54; John 19:31-37; Matthew 27:55-61), essentially the story of the crucifixion as it appears according to St. Matthew, interspersed with St. Luke's account of the confession of the Good Thief and St. John's account of blood and water flowing from Jesus' side. During the Gospel, the body of Christ (the soma )

2196-516: Is consistent with the two most popularly suggested sites of modern times. Calvary as an English name for the place is derived from the Latin word for skull ( calvaria ), which is used in the Vulgate translation of "place of a skull", the explanation given in all four Gospels of the Aramaic word Gûlgaltâ (transliterated into the Greek as Γολγοθᾶ (Golgotha)), which was the name of the place where Jesus

2318-466: Is crucified along with two rebels, and the sun goes dark or is obscured for three hours. Jesus calls out to God , then gives a shout and dies. The curtain of the Temple is torn in two. Matthew follows Mark, but mentions an earthquake and the resurrection of saints. Luke also follows Mark, although he describes the rebels as common criminals, one of whom defends Jesus, who in turn promises that he (Jesus) and

2440-494: Is described in the four canonical gospels , referred to in the New Testament epistles , and later attested to by other ancient sources . Scholars nearly universally accept the historicity of Jesus's crucifixion, although there is no consensus on the details. According to the canonical gospels, Jesus was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin , and then sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged , and finally crucified by

2562-488: Is generally agreed by biblical scholars that it was on a Friday on or near Passover ( Nisan 14), during the governorship of Pontius Pilate (who ruled AD 26–36). Various approaches have been used to estimate the year of the crucifixion, including the canonical Gospels, the chronology of the life of Paul, as well as different astronomical models. Scholars have provided estimates in the range AD 30–33, with Rainer Riesner stating that "the fourteenth of Nisan (7 April) of

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2684-553: Is never celebrated on Great Friday, except when this day coincides with the Great Feast of the Annunciation , which falls on the fixed date of 25 March (for those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar , 25 March currently falls on 7 April of the modern Gregorian Calendar ). Also on Great Friday, the clergy no longer wear the purple or red that is customary throughout Great Lent , but instead don black vestments . There

2806-620: Is no "stripping of the altar" on Holy and Great Thursday as in the West; instead, all of the church hangings are changed to black, and will remain so until the Divine Liturgy on Great Saturday . The faithful revisit the events of the day through the public reading of specific Psalms and the Gospels , and singing hymns about Christ's death. Rich visual imagery and symbolism, as well as stirring hymnody, are remarkable elements of these observances. In

2928-693: Is now "firmly established" that Tacitus provides a non-Christian confirmation of the crucifixion of Jesus. Another possible reference to the crucifixion ("hanging", cf. Luke 23:39 ; Galatians 3:13 ) is found in the Babylonian Talmud : On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practised sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy . Anyone who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf." But since nothing

3050-570: Is removed from the cross, and, as the words in the Gospel reading mention Joseph of Arimathea, is wrapped in a linen shroud, and taken to the altar in the sanctuary. The Aposticha reflects on the burial of Christ. Either at this point (in the Greek use) or during the troparion following (in the Slav use): Noble Joseph, taking down Thy most pure body from the Tree, wrapped it in pure linen and spices, and he laid it in

3172-410: Is said to have spoken from the cross , quoting the messianic Psalm 22 : "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" With a loud cry, Jesus gave up his spirit. There was an earthquake, tombs broke open, and the curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declared, "Truly this was God's Son!" Joseph of Arimathea , a member of the Sanhedrin and

3294-501: Is sent from Annas to Caiaphas the high priest. Both Matthew and Mark say that another consultation was held among the priests the next morning. The second interview with Jesus was "evidently held in the house of Caiaphas, rather than in the Chamber of Hewn Stone ". According to Luke 22:63 , at Caiaphas's house, Jesus is mocked and beaten. He is accused of claiming to be both the Messiah and

3416-467: Is still before Pilate at the sixth hour. Scholars have presented a number of arguments to deal with the issue, some suggesting a reconciliation, e.g., based on the use of Roman timekeeping in John, since Roman timekeeping began at midnight and this would mean being before Pilate at the 6th hour was 6 a.m., yet others have rejected the arguments. Several scholars have argued that the modern precision of marking

3538-618: Is that the name was derived from the physical contour, which would be more consistent with the singular use of the word, i.e., the place of "a skull". While often referred to as "Mount Calvary", it was more likely a small hill or rocky knoll. The traditional site, inside what is now occupied by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian Quarter of the Old City , has been attested since

3660-462: Is the earliest surviving source (outside of the Gospels ) to document Jesus's crucifixion. Scholars have used Paul's chronology as evidence for the date of the crucifixion. However, the earliest detailed accounts of the death of Jesus are contained in the four canonical gospels . In the synoptic gospels, Jesus predicts his death in three separate places. All four Gospels conclude with an extended narrative of Jesus's arrest , initial trial at

3782-417: Is the longest Gospel reading of the liturgical year , and is a concatenation from all four Gospels . Just before the sixth Gospel reading, which recounts Jesus being nailed to the cross, a large cross is carried out of the sanctuary by the priest, accompanied by incense and candles, and is placed in the center of the nave (where the congregation gathers) Sēmeron Kremātai Epí Xýlou : Today He who hung

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3904-556: The Enkōmia comes during the third stásis , with the antiphon "Ω γλυκύ μου ἔαρ", a lamentation of the Virgin for her dead Child ("O, my sweet spring, my sweetest child, where has your beauty gone?"). Later, during a different antiphon of that stasis ("Early in the morning the myrrh-bearers came to Thee and sprinkled myrrh upon Thy tomb"), young girls of the parish place flowers on the Epitaphios and

4026-594: The Hadassah Medical School estimated that he died in his late 20s. Another relevant archaeological find, which also dates to the 1st century AD, is an unidentified heel bone with a spike discovered in a Jerusalem gravesite, now held by the Israel Antiquities Authority and displayed in the Israel Museum . There is no consensus regarding the exact date of the crucifixion of Jesus, although it

4148-626: The Historical Jesus did believe he might die. Geza Vermes also views the crucifixion as a historical event, but provides his own explanation and background for it. Bart Ehrman states that Jesus portrayed himself as the header of the future Kingdom and that a number of criteria- the criterion of multiple attestation and criterion of dissimilarity - establishes the crucifixion of Jesus as an enemy of state. Although almost all ancient sources relating to crucifixion are literary, in 1968, an archeological discovery just northeast of Jerusalem uncovered

4270-508: The IHS monogram and a cross to symbolize the crucifixion. The placing of the nails in the hands, or the wrists is also uncertain. Some theories suggest that the Greek word cheir ( χείρ ) for hand includes the wrist and that the Romans were generally trained to place nails through Destot's space (between the capitate and lunate bones ) without fracturing any bones. Another theory suggests that

4392-663: The Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) evening and the Easter Vigil unless a special exemption is granted for rare solemn or grave occasions by the Vatican or the local bishop . The only sacraments celebrated during this time are Baptism (for those in danger of death), Penance , and Anointing of the Sick . While there is no celebration of the Eucharist, it is distributed to

4514-631: The Matins of the Twelve Passion Gospels . Scattered throughout this Matins service are twelve readings from all four of the Gospels which recount the events of the Passion from the Last Supper through the Crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Some churches have a candelabrum with twelve candles on it, and after each Gospel reading one of the candles is extinguished. The first of these twelve readings

4636-558: The Nazis in the Dachau concentration camp during World War II ), death comes rather quickly. The Gospels describe various last words that Jesus said while on the cross, as follows: The only words of Jesus on the cross mentioned in the Mark and Matthew accounts, this is a quotation of Psalm 22 . Since other verses of the same Psalm are cited in the crucifixion accounts, some commentators consider it

4758-464: The Orthodox understanding, the events of Holy Week are not simply an annual commemoration of past events, but the faithful actually participate in the death and the resurrection of Jesus . Great and Holy Friday is observed as an absolute fast , and adult Byzantine Christians are expected to abstain from all food and drink the entire day to the extent that their health permits. "On this Holy day neither

4880-547: The Romans . The Gospel of John portrays his death as a sacrifice for sin . Jesus was stripped of his clothing and offered vinegar mixed with myrrh or gall (likely posca ) to drink after saying "I am thirsty". At Golgotha , he was then hung between two convicted thieves and, according to the Gospel of Mark , was crucified at the 3rd hour (9 a.m.), and died by the 9th hour of the day (at around 3:00 p.m.). During this time,

5002-767: The Service of the Great Three Hours' Agony is held from noon until 3   p.m.—the hours the Bible records darkness covering the land until Jesus' death on the cross. Communicants of the Moravian Church have a Good Friday tradition of cleaning gravestones in Moravian cemeteries . The date of Good Friday varies from one year to the next in both the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Eastern and Western Christianity disagree over

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5124-874: The Seven Last Words from the Cross begins at noon and ends at 3 pm, the time that the Christian tradition teaches that Jesus died on the cross. The Good Friday liturgy consists of three parts: the Liturgy of the Word , the Veneration of the Cross, and the Holy Communion . Crucifixion of Jesus The crucifixion of Jesus was the death of Jesus by being nailed to a cross . It occurred in 1st-century Judaea , most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It

5246-524: The Son of God . Although the Gospel accounts vary with respect to some of the details, they agree on the general character and overall structure of the trials of Jesus. Mark 14:55–59 states that the chief priests sought witnesses to testify against Jesus but did not find any. Matthew characterizes these as false witnesses. Many gave false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. Finally two came forward and accused him of saying "I am able to destroy

5368-525: The Testimonium . Early in the second century another reference to the crucifixion of Jesus was made by Tacitus , generally considered one of the greatest Roman historians. Writing in The Annals (c. AD 116), Tacitus described the persecution of Christians by Nero and stated ( Annals 15.44 ) that Pilate ordered the execution of Jesus: Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on

5490-459: The Trisagion is sung, the epitaphios is taken in procession around the outside the church, and is then returned to the tomb. Some churches observe the practice of holding the epitaphios at the door, above waist level, so the faithful most bow down under it as they come back into the church, symbolizing their entering into the death and resurrection of Christ. The epitaphios will lay in the tomb until

5612-409: The framing narrative of Peter's aggrieved denials (Mark 14:53–54, 14:66–72). Luke 22 ( Luke 22:61 ) states that as Jesus was bound and standing at the priest's house Peter was in the courtyard. Jesus "turned and looked straight at him", and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." In John 18 ( John 18:24 ), Jesus

5734-511: The 1st century AD, the time when the gospel accounts of the death of Jesus were written, likened it to the letter T (the Greek letter tau , which had the numeric value of 300), and to the position assumed by Moses in Exodus 17:11–12 . Justin Martyr (100–165) explicitly says the cross of Christ was of two-beam shape: "That lamb which was commanded to be wholly roasted was a symbol of the suffering of

5856-446: The 3rd century AD. The letter includes no Christian themes and the author is presumed to be neither Jewish nor Christian. The letter refers to the retributions that followed the unjust treatment of three wise men: Socrates , Pythagoras , and "the wise king" of the Jews. Some scholars see little doubt that the reference to the execution of the " king of the Jews " is about the crucifixion of Jesus, while others place less value in

5978-531: The 4th century. A second site (commonly referred to as Gordon's Calvary ), located further north of the Old City near a place popularly called the Garden Tomb , has been promoted since the 19th century. The Gospels describe various women at the crucifixion , some of whom are named. According to Mark, many women were present, among them Mary Magdalene , Mary, mother of James and Mary of Clopas , commonly known as "

6100-428: The 6th to the 9th hour, and the temple veil being torn from top to bottom. The Synoptic Gospels also mention several witnesses, including a centurion , and several women who watched from a distance, two of whom were present during the burial . The Gospel of Luke is the only gospel to omit the detail of the sour wine mix that was offered to Jesus on a reed, while only Mark and John describe Joseph actually taking

6222-556: The Apostles says that Jesus remained with the apostles for 40 days, whereas the account in the Gospel of Luke makes no clear distinction between the events of Easter Sunday and the Ascension. Most biblical scholars agree that the author of Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a follow-up volume to the Gospel of Luke account, and the two works must be considered as a whole. In Mark, Jesus

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6344-644: The Cross, and death, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother , of our holy and God-bearing fathers , and of all the saints , have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind. The next day, in the forenoon on Friday, all gather again to pray the Royal Hours , a special expanded celebration of the Little Hours (including the First Hour, Third Hour , Sixth Hour , Ninth Hour and Typica ) with

6466-419: The Crucifixion of our Lord and the Lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos by Symeon the Logothete. On Friday night, the Matins of Holy and Great Saturday , a unique service known as The Lamentation at the Tomb (Epitáphios Thrēnos) is celebrated. This service is also sometimes called Jerusalem Matins . Much of the service takes place around the tomb of Christ in the center of the nave. A unique feature of

6588-407: The Gospel of John just says that Jesus "bears" his own cross. Luke's gospel also describes an interaction between Jesus and the women among the crowd of mourners following him, quoting Jesus as 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

6710-409: The Gospel of John, the Roman soldiers did not break Jesus's legs, as they did to the two crucified convicts (breaking the legs hastened the onset of death), as Jesus was dead already. Each gospel has its own account of Jesus's last words, seven statements altogether. In the Synoptic Gospels , various supernatural events accompany the crucifixion, including darkness , an earthquake, the tearing of

6832-403: The Gospel of Luke as the penitent thief and the impenitent thief . The Gospel of John mentions the soldiers and "the disciple whom Jesus loved ", who is with the women. The Gospels also tell of the arrival, after the death of Jesus, of Joseph of Arimathea (in the four Gospels) and of Nicodemus (only in John). Whereas most Christians believe the gibbet on which Jesus was executed

6954-449: The Gospel of Mark, he endured the torment of crucifixion from the third hour (between approximately 9 a.m. and noon), until his death at the ninth hour, corresponding to about 3 p.m. The soldiers affixed a sign above his head stating "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" which, according to the Gospel of John , was in three languages (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek), and then divided his garments and cast lots for his seamless robe. According to

7076-432: The Greek word for hand also includes the forearm and that the nails were placed near the radius and ulna of the forearm . Ropes may have also been used to fasten the hands in addition to the use of nails. Another issue of debate has been the use of a hypopodium as a standing platform to support the feet, given that the hands may not have been able to support the weight. In the 17th century Rasmus Bartholin considered

7198-401: The Jewish elders ask Pontius Pilate to judge and condemn Jesus, accusing him of claiming to be the King of the Jews . Such a claim would be considered treasonous for being a direct challenge to the Roman authorities. The historicity of the gospel narratives has been questioned by scholars, who suggest that the evangelists' accounts reflect the later antagonism that arose between the Church and

7320-427: The Jewish idiom by which a "day and night" may refer to any part of a 24-hour period, that the expression in Matthew is idiomatic, not a statement that Jesus was 72 hours in the tomb, and that the many references to a resurrection on the third day do not require three literal nights. In Mark 15:25 crucifixion takes place at the third hour (9 a.m. ) and Jesus's death at the ninth hour (3 p.m.). In John 19:14 Jesus

7442-443: The Jewish leaders replied that they were not allowed by the Romans to carry out a sentence of death. Pilate questioned Jesus and told the assembly that there was no basis for sentencing. Upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate referred the case to the ruler of Galilee , King Herod , who was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Herod questioned Jesus but received no answer; Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate told

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7564-399: The Paschal Service early Sunday morning. In some churches, the epitaphios is never left alone, but is accompanied 24 hours a day by a reader chanting from the Psalter. When the procession has returned to the church, a troparion is read, similar to hthe ones read at the Sixth Hour throughout Lent, focusing on the purpose of Christ's burial. A series of prokimena and readings are then said: At

7686-489: The Passion of the Lord"). The Catholic Church regards Good Friday and Holy Saturday as the Paschal fast, in accordance with Article 110 of Sacrosanctum Concilium . In the Latin Church , a fast day is understood as having only one full meal and two collations (a smaller repast, the two of which together do not equal the one full meal) – although this may be observed less stringently on Holy Saturday than on Good Friday. The Roman Rite has no celebration of Mass between

7808-415: The Sabbath); threatening to destroy the Jewish Temple ; practicing sorcery , exorcising people by the power of demons; blasphemy; and claiming to be the Messiah . He is then taken to Pontius Pilate , the governor of Roman Judaea , to be tried for claiming to be the King of the Jews . In the narrative of the synoptic gospels, after the arrest of Jesus, he is taken to the private residence of Caiaphas ,

7930-456: The Sanhedrin and final trial at Pilate's court , where Jesus is flogged, condemned to death, is led to the place of crucifixion initially carrying his cross before Roman soldiers induce Simon of Cyrene to carry it, and then Jesus is crucified, entombed , and resurrected from the dead. In each Gospel these five events in the life of Jesus are treated with more intense detail than any other portion of that Gospel's narrative. Scholars note that

8052-414: The Sanhedrin 43a reference to Jesus can be confirmed not only from the reference itself, but from the context that surrounds it. Sanhedrin 43a relates that Yeshu had been condemned to death by the royal government of Judaea – this lineage was stripped of all legal authority upon Herod the Great 's ascension to the throne in 37 BC, meaning the execution had to have taken place close to 40 years before Jesus

8174-456: The Synagogue. They show a tendency to minimize the actions of Pilate and emphasize the responsibilities of the Jews. Pilate's effectiveness as governor depended on cooperation with the aristocratic Jewish leadership. Provincial governors "had full jurisdiction over capital cases, even when they worked in conjunction with local courts". The following comparison table is primarily based on the New International Version (NIV) English translation of

8296-414: The Three Marys ". The Gospel of Matthew also mentions several women being present, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of James and the mother of Zebedee's children. Although a group of women is mentioned in Luke, neither is named. The Gospel of John speaks of women present, among them the mother of Jesus , Mary Magdalene and Mary of Clopas. Aside from these women, the three Synoptic Gospels speak of

8418-435: The addition of scripture readings ( Old Testament , Epistle and Gospel) and hymns about the Crucifixion at each of the Hours (some of the material from the previous night is repeated). This is somewhat more festive in character, and derives its name of "Royal" from both the fact that the Hours are served with more solemnity than normal, commemorating Christ the King who humbled himself for the salvation of mankind, and also from

8540-415: The appearances of a genuine cry". Raymond Brown likewise comments that he finds "no persuasive argument against attributing to the Jesus of Mark/Matt the literal sentiment of feeling forsaken expressed in the Psalm quote". Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus Jesus is generally quiet, does not defend himself, rarely responds to the accusations, and is found guilty of: violating the Sabbath law (by healing on

8662-536: The assembly that neither he nor Herod found Jesus to be guilty; Pilate resolved to have Jesus whipped and released. Under the guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asked for Barabbas , who had been imprisoned for committing murder during an insurrection. Pilate asked what they would have him do with Jesus, and they demanded, "Crucify him." Pilate's wife had seen Jesus in a dream earlier that day, and she forewarned Pilate to "have nothing to do with this righteous man." Pilate had Jesus flogged and then brought him out to

8784-417: The body down off the cross. There are several details that are only mentioned in a single gospel account. For instance, only the Gospel of Matthew mentions an earthquake, resurrected saints who went to the city and that Roman soldiers were assigned to guard the tomb, while Mark is the only one to state the time of the crucifixion (the third hour, or 9 a.m. – although it was probably as late as noon) and

8906-449: The body of a crucified man dated to the 1st century, which provided good confirmatory evidence that crucifixions occurred during the Roman period roughly according to the manner in which the crucifixion of Jesus is described in the gospels. The crucified man was identified as Yehohanan ben Hagkol and probably died about AD 70, around the time of the Jewish revolt against Rome. The analyses at

9028-469: 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?" The Gospel of Luke has Jesus address these women as "daughters of Jerusalem", thus distinguishing them from the women whom the same gospel describes as "the women who had followed him from Galilee" and who were present at his crucifixion. Traditionally,

9150-670: The burial of Christ. Psalm 50 (51) is then immediately read, and then followed by a much loved-canon, written by Mark the Monk, Bishop of Hydrous and Kosmas of the Holy City, with irmoi by Kassiani the Nun. The high-point of the much-loved Canon is Ode 9, which takes the form of a dialogue between Christ and the Theotokos, with Christ promising His Mother the hope of the Resurrection. This Canon will be sung again

9272-409: The centurion informed Pilate that Jesus was dead. Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body, wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and placed it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock in a garden near the site of the crucifixion. Nicodemus also brought 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes , and placed them in the linen with the body, in keeping with Jewish burial customs. They rolled a large rock over

9394-462: The centurion's report of Jesus's death. The Gospel of Luke's unique contributions to the narrative include Jesus's words to the women who were mourning, one criminal's rebuke of the other, the reaction of the multitudes who left "beating their breasts", and the women preparing spices and ointments before resting on the Sabbath. John is also the only one to refer to the request that the legs be broken and

9516-405: The computation of the date of Easter and therefore of Good Friday. Good Friday is a widely instituted legal holiday around the world, including in most Western countries and 12 U.S. states . Some predominantly Christian countries , such as Germany, have laws prohibiting certain acts—public dancing, horse racing—in remembrance of the somber nature of Good Friday. The term Good Friday comes from

9638-511: The criminal will be together in paradise. Luke portrays Jesus as impassive in the face of his crucifixion. John includes several of the same elements as those found in Mark, though they are treated differently. The comparison below is based on the New International Version . An early non-Christian reference to the crucifixion of Jesus is likely to be Mara Bar-Serapion's letter to his son, written some time after AD 73 but before

9760-417: The cross which Christ would undergo. For the lamb, which is roasted, is roasted and dressed up in the form of the cross. For one spit is transfixed right through from the lower parts up to the head, and one across the back, to which are attached the legs of the lamb." Irenaeus , who died around the end of the 2nd century, speaks of the cross as having "five extremities, two in length, two in breadth, and one in

9882-467: The cross ... Most modern scholars agree that while this Josephus passage (called the Testimonium Flavianum ) includes some later interpolations , it originally consisted of an authentic nucleus with a reference to the execution of Jesus by Pilate. James Dunn states that there is "broad consensus" among scholars regarding the nature of an authentic reference to the crucifixion of Jesus in

10004-507: The crowd to release him. The chief priests informed Pilate of a new charge, demanding Jesus be sentenced to death "because he claimed to be God's son." This possibility filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus back inside the palace and demanded to know from where he came. Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declared Jesus innocent and washed his own hands in water to show he had no part in this condemnation. Nevertheless, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall

10126-580: The crucifixion. In Western Christianity , before the Renaissance usually four nails would be depicted, with the feet side by side. After the Renaissance most depictions use three nails, with one foot placed on the other. Nails are almost always depicted in art, although Romans sometimes just tied the victims to the cross. The tradition also carries to Christian emblems , e.g. the Jesuits use three nails under

10248-646: The earth upon the waters is hung upon the Cross (three times) . He who is King of the angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns. He who wraps the Heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery. He who in Jordan set Adam free receives blows upon His face. The Bridegroom of the Church is transfixed with nails. The Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear. We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ (three times) . Show us also Thy glorious Resurrection. The readings are: During

10370-735: The end of the service, a final hymn is sung as the faithful come to venerate the Epitaphios. In Latin, the name used by the Catholic Church until 1955 was Feria sexta in Parasceve ("Friday of Preparation [for the Sabbath]"). In the 1955 reform of Holy Week, it was renamed Feria sexta in Passione et Morte Domini ("Friday of the Passion and Death of the Lord"), and in the new rite introduced in 1970, shortened to Feria sexta in Passione Domini ("Friday of

10492-533: The entrance of the tomb. Then they returned home and rested, because Shabbat had begun at sunset. Byzantine Christians ( Eastern Christians who follow the Rite of Constantinople : Orthodox Christians and Greek-Catholics ) call this day "Great and Holy Friday", or simply "Great Friday". Because the sacrifice of Jesus through his crucifixion is recalled on this day, the Divine Liturgy (the sacrifice of bread and wine)

10614-729: The fact that this service was in the past attended by the Emperor and his court. In the afternoon, around 3 pm, all gather for the Vespers of the Taking-Down from the Cross, commemorating the Deposition from the Cross . Following Psalm 103 (104) and the Great Litany, 'Lord, I call' is sung without a Psalter reading. The first five stichera (the first being repeated) are taken from the Aposticha at Matins

10736-493: The faithful only in the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord , but can also be taken at any hour to the sick who are unable to attend this celebration. The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord takes place in the afternoon, ideally at three o'clock; however, for pastoral reasons (especially in countries where Good Friday is not a public holiday), it is permissible to celebrate the liturgy earlier, even shortly after midday, or at

10858-519: The following night at the Midnight Office. Lauds follows, and its stichera take the form of a funeral lament, while always preserving the hope of the Resurrection. The doxasticon links Christ's rest in the tomb with His rest on the seventh day of creation, and the theotokion ("Most blessed art thou, O Virgin Theotokos...) is the same as is used on Sundays. At the end of the Great Doxology , while

10980-523: The former term meant an upright stake or pole, but in Koine Greek it was used also to mean a cross. The Latin word crux was also applied to objects other than a cross. Early Christian writers who speak of the shape of the particular gibbet on which Jesus died invariably describe it as having a cross-beam. For instance, the Epistle of Barnabas , which was certainly earlier than 135, and may have been of

11102-474: The guards that whomever he kisses is the one they are to arrest. Following his arrest, Jesus was taken to the house of Annas , the father-in-law of the high priest , Caiaphas . There he was interrogated with little result and sent bound to Caiaphas the high priest where the Sanhedrin had assembled. Conflicting testimony against Jesus was brought forth by many witnesses, to which Jesus answered nothing. Finally

11224-606: The high priest adjured Jesus to respond under solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus testified ambiguously, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven." The high priest condemned Jesus for blasphemy , and the Sanhedrin concurred with

11346-692: The high priest tore his own robe in anger and accused Jesus of blasphemy. In Matthew 26:63 , the high priest said, "Tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus responded, "You have said it", and added, "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven", prompting the High Priest to tear his own robe, breaking Mosaic Law ( Leviticus 21:10 ) , and to accuse him of blasphemy. According to Luke, Joseph of Arimathea

11468-626: The high priest. Matthew 26 ( Matthew 26:57 ) states that Jesus was taken to the house of Caiaphas the High Priest of Israel , where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. Mark 14 ( Mark 14:53 ) states that Jesus was taken that night "to the high priest" (without naming the priest), where all the chief priests and the elders gathered. According to John's gospel, Jesus was taken not to Caiaphas but to Annas, who questioned him only privately. A former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas, Annas remained very influential. The fact that Jesus

11590-447: The historicity of the crucifixion, they differ on the reason and context for it. For example, both E. P. Sanders and Paula Fredriksen support the historicity of the crucifixion, but contend that Jesus did not foretell his own crucifixion and that his prediction of the crucifixion is a "church creation". On the other hand, Michael Patrick Barber argues that the Historical Jesus predicted his violent death. Tucker Ferda argues that

11712-557: The historicity of the elements of the New Testamentical narratives, and help to establish the crucifixion of Jesus as a historical event. The criterion of embarrassment argues that Christians would not have invented the painful death of their leader. The criterion of multiple attestation is the confirmation by more than one source, including multiple non-Christian sources, and the criterion of coherence argues that it fits with other historical elements. Although scholars agree on

11834-519: The lack of response from Jesus prompts the high priest to ask him, "Answerest thou nothing?" In the Gospel accounts, the men holding Jesus at the high priest's house mock, blindfold, insult and beat him, sometimes slapping him and asking him to guess who had hit him. Mark 14:61 states that the high priest then asked Jesus, "Art thou the Christ , the Son of the Blessed?" And Jesus said, "I am", at which point

11956-542: The letter, given the ambiguity in the reference. In the Antiquities of the Jews (written about AD 93) Jewish historian Josephus stated ( Ant 18.3 ) that Jesus was crucified by Pilate, writing that: Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, ... He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles ;... And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to

12078-421: The middle, on which [last] the person rests who is fixed by the nails." The assumption of the use of a two-beamed cross does not determine the number of nails used in the crucifixion and some theories suggest three nails while others suggest four nails. Throughout history, larger numbers of nails have been hypothesized, at times as high as 14 nails. These variations are also present in the artistic depictions of

12200-557: The night before, but the final 3 of the 5 are sung in Tone 2. Three more stichera in Tone 6 lead to the Entrance. The Evening Prokimenon is taken from Psalm 21 (22): 'They parted My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.' There are then four readings, with Prokimena before the second and fourth: An Alleluia is then sung, with verses from Psalm 68 (69): 'Save Me, O God: for the waters are come in, even unto my soul.' The Gospel reading

12322-556: The path that Jesus took is called Via Dolorosa ( Latin for "Way of Grief" or "Way of Suffering") and is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem . It is marked by nine of the fourteen Stations of the Cross . It passes the Ecce Homo Church and the last five stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre . There is no reference to a woman named Veronica in the Gospels, but sources such as Acta Sanctorum describe her as

12444-445: The presence of others: "the chief priests, with the scribes and elders", two crucified criminals, to Jesus's right and left, "the soldiers", "the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus", passers-by, "bystanders", "the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle", and "his acquaintances". The two criminals are described as λῃσταί (variously translated as robbers, rebels or thieves) and further discussed in

12566-472: The priest sprinkles it with rose-water. The author(s) and date of the Enkōmia are unknown. Their High Attic linguistic style suggests a dating around the 6th century, possibly before the time of St. Romanos the Melodist . The Evlogitaria (Benedictions) of the Resurrection are sung as on Sunday, since they refer to the conversation between the myrrh-bearers and the angel in the tomb, followed by kathismata about

12688-423: The reader receives an almost hour-by-hour account of what is happening. After arriving at Golgotha , Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh or gall to drink. Both the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Matthew record that he refused this. He was then crucified and hanged between two convicts. According to some translations of the original Greek, the convicts may have been bandits or Jewish rebels. According to

12810-402: The sanctuary's veil and the resurrection of saints (in the Gospel of Matthew). Following Jesus's death, his body was removed from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and buried in a rock-hewn tomb , with Nicodemus assisting. The three Synoptic gospels also describe Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross, a crowd of people mocking Jesus along with the other two crucified men, darkness from

12932-567: The sense 'pious, holy' of the word good . Less common examples of expressions based on this obsolete sense of good include 'the good book" for the Bible, 'good tide' for Christmas or Shrovetide , and Good Wednesday for the Wednesday in Holy Week. A common folk etymology incorrectly analyzes Good Friday as a corruption of God Friday , similar to the linguistically correct description of goodbye as

13054-606: The service is the chanting of the Lamentations or Praises ( Enkōmia ), which consist of verses chanted by the clergy interspersed between the verses of Psalm 119 (which is, by far, the longest psalm in the Bible). The Enkōmia are the best-loved hymns of Byzantine hymnography, both their poetry and their music being uniquely suited to each other and to the spirit of the day. They consist of 185 tercet antiphons arranged in three parts ( stáseis or "stops"), which are interjected with

13176-529: The service, all come forward to kiss the feet of Christ on the cross. After the Canon , a brief, moving hymn, The Wise Thief is chanted by singers who stand at the foot of the cross in the center of the nave. The service does not end with the First Hour , as usual, but with a special dismissal by the priest: May Christ our true God, Who for the salvation of the world endured spitting, and scourging, and buffeting, and

13298-634: The soldier's subsequent piercing of Jesus's side (as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy), as well as that Nicodemus assisted Joseph with burial. According to the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:4), Jesus was raised from the dead ("on the third day" counting the day of crucifixion as the first) and according to the canonical gospels, appeared to his disciples on different occasions before ascending to heaven. The account given in Acts of

13420-473: The soldiers affixed a sign to the top of the cross stating " Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews " which, according to the Gospel of John (John 19:20), was written in three languages (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek). They then divided his garments among themselves and cast lots for his seamless robe, according to the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John also states that, after Jesus's death, one soldier (named in extra-Biblical tradition as Longinus ) pierced his side with

13542-476: The temple and raise it again in three days". Theologian Eckhard J. Schnabel points out that if the Sanhedrin had wished to contrive false testimony they would have prepared the witnesses so that their statements would have confirmed rather than contradicted each other. In the Gospel accounts, Jesus speaks very little and gives very infrequent and indirect answers to the priests' questions, according to John 18:22, prompting an officer to slap him. In Matthew 26:62 ,

13664-426: The time of day should not be read back into the gospel accounts, written at a time when no standardization of timepieces, or exact recording of hours and minutes was available, and time was often approximated to the closest three-hour period. The three Synoptic Gospels refer to a man called Simon of Cyrene whom the Roman soldiers order to carry the cross after Jesus initially carries it but then collapses, while

13786-507: The verses of Psalm 119, and nine short doxastiká (" Gloriae ") and Theotókia (invocations to the Virgin Mary). The three stáseis are each set to its own music, and are commonly known by their initial antiphons: Ἡ ζωὴ ἐν τάφῳ , "Life in a grave", Ἄξιον ἐστί , "Worthy it is", and Αἱ γενεαὶ πᾶσαι , "All the generations". Musically they can be classified as strophic , with 75, 62, and 48 tercet stanzas each, respectively. The climax of

13908-551: The vestments used is red. Before 1970, vestments were black except for the Communion part of the rite when violet was used. If a bishop or abbot celebrates, he wears a plain mitre (mitra simplex) . Before the reforms of the Holy Week liturgies in 1955, black was used throughout. The Vespers of Good Friday are only prayed by those who could not attend the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord. The Three Hours' Devotion based on

14030-490: The year 30 AD is, apparently in the opinion of the majority of contemporary scholars as well, far and away the most likely date of the crucifixion of Jesus." Another preferred date among scholars is Friday, 3 April, AD 33. The consensus of scholarship is that the New Testament accounts represent a crucifixion occurring on a Friday, but a Thursday or Wednesday crucifixion have also been proposed. Some scholars explain

14152-417: Was a counsellor, a member of the Sanhedrin who dissented from the decision. According to John, Nicodemus was with Joseph of Arimathea to recover and bury Jesus' body, leading to the inference that he also dissented. Luke 22:66 states that, "as soon as it was day", the chief priests and scribes gathered together and led Jesus away into their council. John 18:28 states that, early in the morning, Jesus

14274-531: Was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover. Although the question of the equivalence of the identities of Yeshu and Jesus has at times been debated, many historians agree that the above 2nd-century passage is likely to be about Jesus, Peter Schäfer stating that there can be no doubt that this narrative of the execution in the Talmud refers to Jesus of Nazareth. Robert Van Voorst states that

14396-419: Was crucified. The text does not indicate why it was so designated, but several theories have been put forward. One is that as a place of public execution, Calvary may have been strewn with the skulls of abandoned victims (which would be contrary to Jewish burial traditions, but not Roman). Another is that Calvary is named after a nearby cemetery (which is consistent with both of the proposed modern sites). A third

14518-529: Was even born. Muslims maintain that Jesus was not crucified and that those who thought they had killed him had mistakenly killed Judas Iscariot , Simon of Cyrene , or someone else in his place. They hold this belief based on various interpretations of Quran   4:157–158 , which states: "they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them [or it appeared so unto them], ... Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself". Some early Christian Gnostic sects, believing Jesus did not have

14640-613: Was led from Caiaphas to Pontius Pilate in the Praetorium . In Luke 22:67 , Jesus is asked: "If thou art the Christ, tell us. But he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe". But, in 22:70 , when asked "Are you then the Son of God?", Jesus answers "You say that I am", affirming the title Son of God. At that point, the priests say "What further need have we of witness? for we ourselves have heard from his own mouth", and they decide to condemn Jesus. Thereafter, in Pilate's Court ,

14762-603: Was taken not to Caiaphas but to Annas is explained on the ground that the latter's palace was nearer the place of arrest than that of the former. Peter and other disciples, however, being ignorant of the state of affairs, went to Caiaphas's house in the night. In all four Gospel accounts, the trial of Jesus before the priests and scribes is interleaved with the Denial of Peter narrative, where Apostle Peter , who has followed Jesus, denies knowing him three times. The intercalated narrative of Jesus' resolute determination offers contrast to

14884-461: Was the traditional two-beamed cross, the Jehovah's Witnesses hold the view that a single upright stake was used. The Greek and Latin words used in the earliest Christian writings are ambiguous. The Koine Greek terms used in the New Testament are stauros ( σταυρός ) and xylon ( ξύλον ). The latter means wood (a live tree, timber or an object constructed of wood); in earlier forms of Greek,

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