Significant People in the Passion Stories

Notes on the Passion

Significant People in the Passion Stories

Apostles and Disciples

Peter - The leader of Apostles who is eventually appointed by Jesus to become the leader of the early Church.

- Although he denies knows Jesus and makes many mistakes, he is able to admit his faults and constantly grow from his experiences.

- He is the first to acknowledge and understand Jesus as the Messiah.

John - The Apostle of Jesus known as the "Beloved Disciple," he was also one of the four evangelists - Gospel writers. In his Gospel, John is the only one to stay with Jesus during his crucifixion.

Matthew - One of the twelve Apostles who becomes one of the four evangelists.

- He originally began as a tax collector before leaving his old ways and following Jesus.

Thomas - One of the twelve who often experiences and doubts about his faith unless he can see or have proof.

Judas - He originally began as a zealot before he became an Apostle.

- He betrays Jesus because he wants to put Jesus in a situation where he is forced to accept his role as a strong powerful savior.

- His real mistake is not fully accepting or understanding who Jesus was.

Joseph of Arimathea - He originally is one of the leaders of the Pharisees. He eventually becomes a follower of Jesus, who took care of Jesus' burial after the crucifixion.

Mary Magdalene - Seen as a sinful woman with a bad reputation in Israel, she later comes to Jesus seeking forgiveness. After her conversion experience she becomes a very dedicated disciple, staying with Jesus during his crucifixion and is one of the first to witness him after the Resurrection.

Other Individuals involved:

Barabbas - One of the zealots who was a convicted criminal for crimes against the Romans. During Jesus' trial he is selected to be released.

Simon of Cyrene - A spectator in the crowd during Jesus' crucifixion. He is chosen by the Romans to help Jesus carry his cross. He later converts and becomes a disciple.

Pontius Pilate - The Roman Governor who oversees Jesus' trial and ultimately decides to condemn him to death.

Notes on the Passion of Jesus

- The Pharisees' plan is to have Jesus convicted as criminal so that he will be executed by the Romans. They try to show that he spoke of destroying the temple and blasphemed - taught untrue beliefs about God. However, to get the Romans involved they had to show that he broke Roman laws. They do this by saying that Jesus claimed to be a king.

- Jesus' prediction about Peter comes true and even as the leader of the disciples he too is going to betray Jesus and prove to be flawed.

Jesus on Trial with Pontius Pilate

- Jesus is brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Jerusalem. His job was to keep the Jews under control and maintain peace between them and the Romans. This was a very difficult task since many of the Jews were eager to rebel and very volatile.

- The Pharisees plan begins to unravel. Jesus doesn't give them clear answers and they cannot prove that he was a criminal.

- Pilate sees this and continually tries to get Jesus set free: 1) By finding Jesus to be innocent; 2) sending him to Herod to try him; 3) Agreeing to release one prisoner (Jesus or Barabbas).

- Despite his efforts, in the end Pilate agrees to give in to the crowd and to crucify Jesus. He tries to deny responsibility by saying "I am innocent of this man's blood. Look to it yourselves (Matthew 27:24)," but still had a role in Jesus' death.

Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (Matthew 27:33-61)

- After his conviction Jesus was beaten and mocked by the Roman soldiers.

- A man named Simon of Cyrene was sent to help Jesus carry his cross.

- Right before his death Jesus cries out to God his last words which the Gospel writers don't agree on. (Matthew and Mark quote him saying, "My God my God, why have you forsaken me?") (Luke quotes, "Into your hands I commend my Spirit") (John quotes, "It is finished.")

- The only one's to stay by Jesus' side during his death were Mary his mother, Mary Magdalene, and the Apostle John.

- After his death there was a great earthquake and storm possibly demonstrating that Jesus was really God.

- Jesus' body was given to the disciple Joseph of Arimathea and was buried in a tomb. A large boulder was rolled in front of the entrance to block anyone from entering.

Resurrection and Ascension (Matthew 27:62-66, 28:1-20)

- 3 days after his death, Jesus' tomb was found to be empty with the boulder rolled aside. The women to first witness this were visited by the risen Jesus and told that he was resurrected.

- Eventually the rest of the disciples and Apostles learn that Jesus has risen. Some doubt this at first but come to accept it. Eventually Jesus appears to his disciples several times. Thomas the most skeptical one, finally comes to believe when he sees Jesus' risen body with the wounds from his crucifixion.

- After continuing to appear and teach his disciples for several more stories, Jesus officially commissions them to spread the word of God and faith, finally ascending into heaven.

- Following the Ascension, the disciples got scared and hid. As Jesus promised, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to the disciples giving them the courage to continue God's mission and the ability to "speak" and communicate to all people.

Implications from the Resurrection (According to the Catholic Church)

1) God forgives us from all of our sins. Despite being rejected, betrayed, abandoned and killed, Jesus still forgave all.

2) God gives us eternal life. The Resurrection shows that death is not the end of existence but the transformation into a new deeper life with God.

3) Jesus shows us the best way to live; which is to allow ourselves to become vulnerable and truly love by giving of ourselves to others.

How the Groups Reacted to Jesus as a Savior

Pharisees

Thoughts towards Jesus:

They were originally curious about Jesus but eventually turn against him because he criticized them and taught beliefs different from theirs. They not only supported but helped to lead the effort to have Jesus killed.

Sadducees

Thoughts towards Jesus:

They find him to be a threat to their way of life and support his death. They help to manipulate the situation to have Jesus killed in a way that won't upset the balance of power.

Zealots

Thoughts towards Jesus:

They originally supported Jesus to become their king and leader against the Romans. After they find out he was different they become seriously disappointed and turn against Jesus.

Sanhedrin

Thoughts towards Jesus:

Most of the Sanhedrin were made up of the High Priests and Sadducees. They found Jesus to be a threat and disruption and help coordinate the effort to have him killed.