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John 19:1. Then Pilate took Jesus and ordered him to be beaten. Pilate scourges Him, wanting at least to calm and tame their rage. Since he could not free Him from their hands with words, he scourges him, hoping to limit their fury by this. John 19:2. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and clothed Him in scarlet robe, Allows him to put a mantle on Him and lay a crown, also in order to quench their anger. John 19:3. And they said: Rejoice, King of the Jews! and they struck Him on the cheeks. But the soldiers do everything to please the Jews. They heard Pilate say: “I will release the King of the Jews”; therefore they mock Him as if they were a king. For those who went against Jesus at night did not do this by order of Pilate, without the knowledge of the governor, but to please the Jews, because of money. John 19:4. Pilate went out again and said to them: Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, so that you may know that I do not find any guilt in Him. Pilate is weak-hearted and unvindictive towards the Jews. He brings Jesus out, once again wanting to quench their rage. John 19:5. Then Jesus came out wearing a crown of thorns and a scarlet robe. And Pilate said to them: Behold, Man! John 19:6. When the high priests and ministers saw Him, they shouted: Crucify Him, crucify Him! Pilate says to them: Take Him and crucify Him; for I find no fault in Him. But they were not tamed even by this, but shouted: “Crucify, crucify Him!” . Pilate, seeing that everything he did remains in vain, says: “Take and crucify; for I find no guilt in Him." He says this, urging them to do something they were not allowed to do, so that Jesus would be released. “I,” he says, “who have the power to crucify, find no guilt; and you, who do not have the power to crucify, say that He is guilty. So take Him and crucify Him. But you have no power." So, This Man must be released. This is Pilate's goal. He is more merciful, but he is not persistent for the truth. John 19:7. The Jews answered him: We have a law, and according to our law He must die, because He made Himself the Son of God. And they, being put to shame by this, say: “According to our law, He must die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” Look how anger disagrees with itself. Before, Pilate had told them: “Take Him and judge Him according to your law”; they did not agree to this. Now they say that according to our law He must die. Previously, they accused Him of presenting Himself as the King, and now, when this lie has been exposed, they accuse Him of presenting Himself as the Son of God. And what is the fault here? If He does the works of God, then what prevents Him from being the Son of God? Look at the Divine economy. They handed the Lord over to many courts in order to discredit Him and darken His glory; but this dishonor is directed at their head, for with the most accurate examination of the matter, His innocence is even more proven. How many times even Pilate declared that he found nothing in Him worthy of death. John 19:8. Pilate, hearing this word, became more afraid. Pilate, having heard only one word that He was the Son of God, was afraid. And they saw His divine deeds, however, they put Him to death for the very thing for which they had to worship Him. John 19:9. And again he entered the praetorium and said to Jesus: Where are you from? He asks Him not as before - “What have you done?”, but - “Who are you?” Then they accused Him as a king, so naturally they asked, “What have you done?” And now, when they slander that He presents Himself as the Son of God, He asks: “Where are You from”? But Jesus did not give him an answer. Jesus is silent, for He had already declared to Pilate: “For this purpose I was born,” and “My kingdom is not from here.” However, Pilate did not take advantage of this at all and did not stand for the truth, but yielded to the demand of the people. Therefore, the Lord, despising his questions as being asked in vain, does not answer anything. John 19:10. Pilate says to Him: Do you not answer me? Don’t you know that I have the power to crucify You and the power to release You? It turns out that Pilate has no firmness at all, but any random danger can shake him. He was afraid of the Jews; He also trembled at Jesus as the Son of God. Let's see how he condemns himself with his words: “I have the power to crucify You and the power to release You.” If everything depended on you, why didn’t you let go of Him Whom you found innocent? John 19:11. Jesus answered: You would not have any power over Me if it had not been given to you from above; The Lord, overthrowing his arrogance, says: “You would not have any power over Me if it had not been given to you from above.” For I am not just dying, but I am doing something mysterious, and this is predestined from above for the common salvation. therefore there is greater sin on him who delivered Me to you. And so that you, having heard “given from above,” do not think that Pilate is not subject to responsibility before God, he adds: “He who betrayed Me to you has more sin.” This shows that Pilate is also guilty of sin, albeit a lesser one. For because Christ was “given from above” to die, that is, allowed, Pilate and the Jews no longer become innocent; but their free will chose evil, and God allowed it and allowed them to put it into action. So, because God allows evil to come into play, the evil ones are not free from guilt; but because they choose and commit evil, they are worthy of all condemnation. The Lord frightened Pilate with these words and presented a clear justification about Himself: if I had not given Myself up voluntarily, and if the Father had not allowed this, then you would not have had power over Me; the sin is also on you, and even greater on Judas, who betrayed Me, or the people, because he added a new disease to the disease of My wounds and did not remember the duty to show mercy, but, finding Me unrequited and helpless, he handed Me over to the cross; I was not even ashamed of the fact that I emerged innocent from so many trials, but shouted: “Crucify, crucify!” John 19:12. From that time on, Pilate sought to release Him. The Jews shouted: if you let Him go, you are not a friend of Caesar; Anyone who makes himself a king is an opponent of Caesar. So, when the Lord frightened Pilate with these words, from that time on he sought even more to let Him go. The Jews, having been convicted of the slander that He was presenting Himself as a king, did not have time to refer to their own law (for Pilate was even more afraid from that time and wanted to let Him go, so as not to irritate God), they again resorted to foreign laws, and Pilate, as a fearful one, was frightened. For, as they saw that he reverently feared that he would sin by condemning Jesus, the Son of God, they put fear in him from Caesar and, having accused the Lord of stealing royal power, they threatened Pilate that he would offend Caesar if he let go of the rebel against him. And where is He caught in stealing royal power? How will you prove this? Porphyra? Tiara? Warriors? But isn’t everything poor with Him? And clothes, and food, and a home? I'm not even at home. John 19:13. Pilate, having heard this word, brought Jesus out and sat down at the judgment seat, in a place called Liphostroton, and in Hebrew Gavvatha. But how little courage Pilate had when he considered it dangerous for himself to leave such an accusation without investigation! He goes out, as if with the intention of investigating the matter, for this is what the words “sat down at the judgment seat” mean; meanwhile, without making any research, he betrays Him, thinking thereby to bow them down. John 19:14. Then it was the Friday before Easter, and it was six o’clock. Evangelist Mark says that when Christ was crucified, “it was the third hour” (Mark 15:25), and John says that then it was the “sixth hour.” How is this possible? Some people think to resolve this by saying that there is a scribe's error. And that this could happen, and that John also wrote the third hour, and not the sixth, as now, this can be seen from the following. The three evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke, agree that from the sixth hour darkness fell over the whole earth until the ninth hour. Obviously, our Lord was crucified before the sixth hour, before the onset of darkness, namely: about the third hour, as Mark noted, as well as John, although the error of the scribes changed the gamma into the mark of the episimon. This is how this disagreement is resolved. Others say that Mark clearly and undoubtedly indicated the hour of judgment regarding the crucifixion of the Lord. For it is said that the judges crucified and executed from the time at which they pronounced the sentence, because in words he received the power of punishment and death. Therefore, Mark says that He was crucified at the third hour, the one at which Pilate pronounced the sentence. And as Mark notes the time of the sentence, John wrote down the hour at which the Lord was crucified. Moreover, look how much happened between Pilate’s sentence on crucifixion and the hour at which the Lord ascended to the cross. Having released Barabbas, he scourged Jesus and decisively handed Him over to be crucified; for the remission of Barabbas was the condemnation of the Lord. The warriors mock. And look how much time it would take to continue ridiculing. Pilate brought Him out and talked with the Jews; enters again and judges Jesus; goes out again and talks to the Jews. All this could take from the third hour to the sixth. Therefore, John, who accurately stated this, as he followed everything, mentions the sixth hour, when Pilate completely betrayed him, “to be crucified,” no longer talking with the Jews, nor condemning Jesus, but pronouncing the final decision about Him. If anyone can tell why, after about the third hour, having pronounced the sentence of crucifixion, he again wanted to let Him go? First, let him know that, forced by the crowd, he pronounced the sentence; then he was embarrassed by his wife’s dream, for she warned him: “Do not do anything to that Righteous One” (Matthew 27:19). With all this, notice how John put it: “It was six o’clock.” He didn’t say affirmatively, “it was six o’clock,” but, as if hesitantly and not with confidence, “it was six o’clock.” Therefore, it should not be at all important to us that the evangelists, apparently, do not completely agree with each other, even if we allow this disagreement. For see if they did not all say that Jesus was crucified; and what they say about the hour: one that it was the third, and the other the sixth, does this in any way harm the truth? But it has been quite sufficiently proven that there is not even a disagreement. And Pilate said to the Jews: Behold, your King! We have said many times that Pilate is more weak and fearful than malicious. And now, look: he gives the matter the appearance of research and trial, but acts weakly in everything. “Behold,” he says, “your King”: he neither condemns Jesus nor directly denounces the Jews, but, as it were, secretly reproaches them for slander. “Here,” he says, “what kind of person are you accusing of claiming the kingdom over you, a poor person who does not think to look for it. The accusation is false. For what is characteristic of Him as the thief of power? Warriors? Wealth? Nobility? "Behold your King". What good is it if you kill Him, a Man Who cannot do the slightest harm?” This is what Pilate says, but without persistence and firmness, and without fighting for the truth. John 19:15. But they shouted: take him, take him, crucify him! And they say: “Take it, take it, crucify”; they force and demand the cross because they want to give Christ a bad name. For such a death was the most shameful and cursed, as it is said: “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Deut. 21:23). But they did not know that just as the fall was a tree, so the correction will be a tree. Pilate says to them: Shall I crucify your king? The high priests answered: We have no king except Caesar. Note also how they themselves declare that they have no other king than Caesar, and through this they themselves voluntarily submit to the power of the Romans and tear themselves away from the Kingdom of God. Therefore, God handed them over to the Romans, whom they themselves called kings, renouncing the Providence and Patronage of God. John 19:16. Then finally he handed Him over to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him away. "Then at last he delivered Him over to them." Insane! it would be necessary to investigate whether He could really have assumed royal power to Himself, and you betray Him, yield out of fear and end the trial in a manner unworthy of a husband. John 19:17. And, bearing His cross, He went out Since they considered touching the tree of the cross to be a dishonorable act, they place the cursed tree on Him, as already condemned and damned. Note also that this is done in accordance with the Old Testament prototype. Just as there Isaac, carrying firewood, went to the slaughter, so here the Lord goes, carrying the Cross, and, like some kind of warrior, carries a weapon with which he overthrows his enemy. That Isaac served as the image of the Lord is clear. Isaac means laughter or joy. Who else became our joy, if not the One who, through an Angel at the very conception, gave joy to human nature? For the gospel that the Virgin heard received all human nature. Isaac's father Abraham means the father of many nations and is the image of the God of all, who is the Father of Jews and Gentiles, by whose good will and determination His Son bears the cross. Only in the Old Testament was the matter limited to the will of the father, since that was a foreshadowing, but here it was actually fulfilled, because it was the truth. There may be other similarities. Just as there Isaac was released and the lamb was slain, so here the Divine nature remained impassive, and human nature was slain, which is called the Lamb, like the birth of the lost sheep - Adam. How does another evangelist (Mark 15:21) say that “they forced Simon to bear the Cross”? It was both. At the beginning, the Lord went, Himself carrying the Cross, since everyone disdained this tree and did not even allow themselves to touch it. And when they left, they met Simon coming from the field, and then they laid this tree on him. to a place called Lobnoe, in Hebrew Golgotha; This place was called “Place of Execution”, for there was a rumor that Adam was buried here, so that where death began, its abolition would also take place there. For there is a church tradition that after a person was expelled from paradise, his first home was Judea, given to him as a consolation after heavenly bliss, as the best and most abundant country of all others. She was the first to accept a dead person. The people of that time, surprised by the dead forehead, skinned it and buried it here, and from it they gave the name to this place. And after the flood, Noah told everyone a legend about this. Therefore, the Lord accepts death where the source of death is, in order to dry it up. John 19:18. There they crucified Him and two others with Him, on one side and the other, and Jesus in the middle. They crucify two others with Him. The Jews wanted to spread a bad rumor that He was also a robber. Meanwhile, they unwittingly fulfill the prophecy, which says: “And he was numbered among the evildoers” (Is. 53:12). Notice the Wisdom of God, how She turned to the glory of the Lord what they did to His dishonor. For He saved the thief on the Cross itself, which is no less wonderful, and even more proves His Divinity. For He alone was glorified, although others were crucified with Him. This would not have happened if He were guilty and a lawbreaker, but He Himself was not above the law and the Judge of the lawless. John 19:19. Pilate also wrote the inscription and placed it on the cross. It was written: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Pilate writes a title on the cross, that is, a guilt, an inscription, an announcement. The inscription indicated whose cross it was. So, Pilate makes this inscription, on the one hand, in order to take revenge on the Jews for not listening to him, and to show their malice, which is why they rebelled against their own king, and on the other, in order to protect the glory of Christ. They crucified Him with the thieves, wanting to dishonor His name. John 19:20. This inscription was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Roman. Pilate declares that He was not a robber, but their King, and he declares this not in one, but in three languages. For it was natural to assume that because of the holiday many pagans also came with the Jews. Above, the evangelist (John 12:20–21) mentions some Greeks who came to see Jesus. So, so that everyone would know about the fury of the Jews, Pilate announced Him in all languages. The inscription, made in three languages, also gives a hint of something higher, namely: it shows that the Lord is the King of active, natural and theological wisdom. Roman letters serve as an image of active wisdom, for the power of the Romans is the most courageous and active in military matters; Greek - an image of natural wisdom, for the Greeks were engaged in the study of nature; Jewish - theological, for the Jews were entrusted with the knowledge of God. So, glory to the One who, through the Cross, revealed Himself to have such a Kingdom, Who conquered the world, and strengthened our activity, and gives knowledge of nature, and through it introduces us into the inner veil, into His own knowledge and contemplation, that is, theology. John 19:21. The chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate: Do not write: King of the Jews, but what He said: I am the King of the Jews. The Jews were jealous of Jesus even after He was crucified. Because what do they say? Write what He Himself said. For now the inscription appears to be the general opinion of the Jews, and if “He called Himself a King” is added, then the fault will be in His insolence and pride. John 19:22. Pilate answered: What I wrote, I wrote. But Pilate did not agree, but remained with his previous opinion. That’s why he says: “What I wrote, I wrote.” However, something else, something important, is also happening here. Since three crosses buried in the ground will lie in the same place, so that it does not remain unknown which of them is the Cross of the Lord, it was arranged so that it alone has a title and an inscription, and by this sign can be recognized. For the crosses of the robbers had no inscriptions. John 19:23. The soldiers, when they crucified Jesus, took His clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier, and a tunic; The tunic was not sewn, but entirely woven on top. The words “woven on top” are added with meaning. But some say that these words allegorically express that the Crucified One was not an ordinary Man, but also had a Divinity “from above.” Some say that the evangelist describes the very appearance of the tunic. Since in Palestine, connecting two pieces of material, that is, two linens, they weave clothes, using weaving instead of a seam, John, to show that this was exactly what the tunic was, said that it was “all woven from the top,” that is, woven from beginning to top to bottom. This remark indicates the poverty of Christ’s clothes. Others say that in Palestine they weave canvas differently from us: we have the warp and weft on top, and the linen is woven from below and thus goes to the top; there, on the contrary, the warp is at the bottom, and the fabric is woven at the top. This, they say, was the tunic of the Lord. Without a doubt, there is a mystery here too. The body of the Lord is woven from above, for the Holy Spirit came and the power of the Most High overshadowed the Virgin (Luke 1:35). For, although He accepted the existing and fallen human nature, the Divine Flesh was formed and woven by the highest grace of the Holy Spirit. So, the Holy Body of Christ, divided and distributed in the four parts of the world, remains indivisible. For, being given to each one individually and sanctifying each one with His body, the Only Begotten by His flesh dwells entirely and inseparably in all. For, being everywhere, He is in no way divided, just as the Apostle Paul cries (1 Cor. 1:13). Since everything is composed of four elements, then by the clothing of Jesus we can understand this visible and created nature, which the demons share when they kill the Word of God that is in us; They try to attract us to their side through attachment to worldly goods, but they cannot tear apart the robe, that is, the Word that exists in everything that exists, according to which everything exists. For, no matter how many times I am deceived by current blessings, I still know that they are current, I know both the quality and the essence of deceptive and transitory things. John 19:24. So they said to each other: Let us not tear it apart, but let us cast lots for it, whose it will be, so that what is said in the Scripture may be fulfilled: They divided My garments among themselves, and cast lots for My clothing. This is what the warriors did. Whatever the devil deceives, prophecies are fulfilled. And see the truth. There were three crucified, and yet the words of the prophets are fulfilled on Him alone. And notice the accuracy of the prophecy. The Prophet spoke not only about what they divided, but also about what they did not share. They divided the other clothes into parts, but not the tunic, but they left the matter of it to lots (Ps. 21:19). The warriors acted out of their own foolishness. John 19:25. Standing at the cross of Jesus were His Mother and His Mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. Why is Mary of Cleopas called the sister of His Mother, while Joachim had no other child? Cleopas was Joseph's brother. When Cleopas died childless, then, according to some, Joseph took his wife for himself and bore his brother children. One of them is the now mentioned Mary. She is called the sister of the Mother of God, that is, a relative. For Scripture is in the habit of calling relatives brothers. For example, Isaac says about Rebekah that she is his sister, although she was his wife. So here, too, the imaginary daughter of Cleopas is called the sister of the Mother of God by kinship. In the gospels there are four Marys: one is the Mother of God, who is called the Mother of James and Josiah, for they were the children of Joseph, born from his first wife, perhaps the wife of Cleopas. The Mother of God is called their Mother, like a stepmother, for She was considered the wife of Joseph. The other is Magdalene, from whom the Lord cast out seven demons; the third is Cleopas, and the fourth is Lazarus’ sister. John 19:26. Jesus, seeing His Mother and the disciple standing there, whom He loved, said to His Mother: Woman! Behold, Your son. He cares about the Mother, teaching us to take every possible care for our parents until our last breath. And look, while there are other wives here, He cares about only the Mother. For parents who interfere in the matter of reverence should not be paid attention to, but those who do not interfere should be taken care of in every possible way. So He, since He Himself departed from life, and it was natural for the Mother to grieve and seek protection, entrusts the care of Her to the disciple. The evangelist hides his name out of modesty. For if he wanted to boast, he would have presented the reason why he was loved, and, probably, it was some great and wondrous one. Oh! how He honored the disciple by making him His brother. It is so good to be with Christ for those who suffer, for it brings them into brotherhood with Him. Marvel at how He does everything on the Cross without embarrassment, takes care of the Mother, fulfills prophecies, opens paradise to the thief, while before the crucifixion He experiences spiritual anguish and exudes sweat. It is clear that the latter belongs to human nature, and the former to Divine power. Let Marcion and all the others be ashamed who talked idlely that the Lord appeared to the world in a ghostly manner. For if He was not born and did not have a Mother, then why does He take such great care of Her? John 19:27. Then he says to the disciple: Behold, your Mother! And from that time on, this disciple took Her to himself. So, this disciple took Mary to himself, for the Pure was entrusted to the pure. Look how the female sex stands firm in troubles, but the men have all abandoned the Lord. Truly He has come who strengthens the weak and accepts the humiliated. John 19:28. After this, Jesus, knowing that everything had already been accomplished so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, says: I thirst. “Knowing,” Jesus says, “that everything has already been accomplished,” that is, that nothing remains unfulfilled in the plan of God’s economy. Thus was His death free. For the end of His body did not come before He Himself wanted it, but He wanted it after He had fulfilled everything. That is why he said: “I have power to lay down my life” (John 10:18). “He says: I thirst,” and in this case he again fulfills the prophecy. John 19:29. There was a vessel full of vinegar. The soldiers filled a sponge with vinegar and put it on hyssop and brought it to His lips. And they, showing their villainous disposition, will give Him vinegar to drink, as they did with criminals. For the reason why hyssop is added is that it is harmful. Some say that the reed is called hyssop, because that is the top of the reed. The sponge was applied to the reed because Jesus' mouth was high. And thus the prophecy was fulfilled, saying: “And in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink” (Ps. 68:22). John 19:30 . When Jesus tasted the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!” After drinking He said “It is finished!” , that is, this prophecy and all the others have come true, nothing remains, it’s all over. He does everything without embarrassment and with authority. This can be seen from what follows. And, bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. For, when everything was done, He, “bowing his head,” since it was not nailed down, “gave up his spirit,” that is, he gave up his last breath. The opposite happens to us: first our breathing stops, and then our head bows. He first bowed his head, and then gave up his ghost. From all this it is clearly revealed that He was the Lord of death and did everything according to His authority. The Lord gave up his spirit to God and the Father to show that the souls of saints do not remain in tombs, but flow into the hands of the Father of all, and the souls of sinners are brought down to a place of torment, that is, to hell. John 19:31. But since it was Friday then, the Jews, so as not to leave the bodies on the cross on Saturday - for that Saturday was a great day - asked Pilate to break their legs and take them off. And those who swallow a camel and strain out a mosquito (Matthew 23:24), having committed such a great atrocity, show special care for the day. “For,” he says, “in order not to leave the bodies on the cross, they asked Pilate,” that is, they asked to take them down. So, they did not want to appear on the day of the holiday as avengers and murderers. Otherwise: the law also commanded that the sun should not set on man’s anger (Eph. 4:26). See how prophecies are fulfilled through the inventions of the Jews. Here two prophecies are fulfilled at once, as the evangelist further says. John 19:32. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with Him. Why are they asking for their legs to be broken? So that, even if they remained alive, they would be incapable of doing business (for they were robbers). John 19:33. But when they came to Jesus, when they saw Him already dead, they did not break His legs, John 19:34. But one of the soldiers pierced His ribs with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. Although they did not crush Jesus’ legs, nevertheless, to please the Jews, they pierced Him, and blood and water flowed out. And this is amazing. They thought of insulting the dead body, but the insult turns into a miracle for them. It is also worthy of surprise that blood flows from a dead body. However, some of the incredulous will say that there was probably still some vital force in the body. But when the water flowed out, the miracle was indisputable. This happened for a reason, but because life in the Church begins and continues through these two things: we are born with water, and we are nourished with Blood and Body. So, when you approach the cup of communion with the Blood of Christ, position yourself as if you were drinking from the rib itself. Note, perhaps, how the wound of the rib, that is, Eve, is healed through a perforated rib. There Adam, having fallen asleep, lost a rib; and here the Lord, having fallen asleep, gives a rib to the warrior. The warrior's spear is an image of a sword that turns and drives us out of paradise (Gen. 3:24). And just as everything that spins does not stop in its movement until it hits something, then the Lord, showing that He will stop that sword, substitutes His edge for the warrior’s sword, so that it is clear to us that just as the warrior’s spear, having struck the edge, stopped, so the flaming sword will stop and will no longer frighten with its rotation and bar the entrance to paradise. Let the Arians be ashamed who do not add water to the wine in the sacrament of communion. For they, it seems, do not believe that water also flowed out of the rib, which is more surprising, but they believe that only blood flowed out, and thereby reduce the greatness of the miracle. For the blood shows that the Crucified One is a man, and the water that He is higher than man, namely, God. John 19:35. And he who saw it bore witness, and his testimony is true; he knows that he speaks the truth so that you may believe. “I did not hear from others,” he says, “but I myself was here and saw, and my testimony is true.” He rightly notes this. He talks about a reproach, and not about something great and honorable, so that you would suspect this legend. “For this reason,” he says, “I describe this in detail and do not hide what is apparently dishonest, so that you believe that all this is undoubtedly true, and not composed for someone else’s benefit.” For whoever speaks in someone's favor puts forward something more glorious. John 19:36. For this happened, that the Scripture might be fulfilled: Let not His bone be broken. And since Moses was considered more reliable than him, he brings him as a witness. What Moses said about the lamb slain on Passover: “the bone will not be broken” (Ex. 12:10, 46), then, according to the explanation of the evangelist, was fulfilled in Christ. For that lamb was His image, and there are many similarities between it and the Truth. So, “a bone shall not be broken” in Jesus; and His side sheds upon us the sources of being and life. Water is the source of existence, for through it we become Christians, and Blood is the source of life, for we feed on it. And the Word of God is the Lamb. By eating Him from head to toe (the head of the deity, for it is the head, and the feet of the flesh, for it is the lowest part), also His innards, that is, the secret and hidden, reverently taking into food, we do not crush the bones, that is, difficult to understand and sublime thoughts. For what we cannot understand, we do not crush, that is, we do not try to understand badly and pervertedly. So, when we understand sensibly, then we do not crush, for we preserve the divine intact. And when we strive to understand and accept heretical understanding, then we crush and break hard and inaccessible thoughts. Such objects, that is, those that are incomprehensible, must be burned with fire, that is, handed over to the Spirit, and He will shape and refine them, because He comprehends everything, “even the depths of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). John 19:37. Also in another place the Scripture says: they will look at Him whom they have pierced. Another prophecy will also be fulfilled, saying: “They will look at Him whom they have pierced” (Zech. 12:10). For when He comes to judge, then they will see Him in a better and more God-like body, and those who pierced will recognize Him and weep. Moreover, this daring deed of the enemies of Jesus will be a door of faith and proof for unbelievers, as, for example, for Thomas. For he was convinced of the resurrection by touching the rib. John 19:38. After this, Joseph from Arimathea - a disciple of Jesus, but secretly out of fear from the Jews - asked Pilate to remove the body of Jesus; and Pilate allowed it. He went and took down the body of Jesus. Why did not one of the twelve come to Pilate, but Joseph, perhaps one of the seventy, dared to do such a thing? If someone says that the disciples (12) hid from the Jews out of fear, then he too was overcome by the same fear. We can say that he (Joseph) was a very famous man and was known to Pilate by his celebrity. John 19:39. Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also came and brought a composition of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred liters. Thinking that the anger of the Jews had been tamed when Jesus, whom they hated, had already been crucified, Joseph fearlessly comes and, together with Nicodemus, performs a magnificent burial. John 19:40. So they took the body of Jesus and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes with spices, as the Jews are wont to bury. Both of them did not imagine anything Divine about Him, but were disposed towards Him only as a person, because they brought such incense, which primarily had the power to preserve the body for a long time and not allow it to quickly succumb to decay. And this showed that they did not imagine anything great about Him. However, they show great love for Him, because they bury him not like a criminal, but magnificently, according to Jewish custom. John 19:41. In the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden there was a new tomb, in which no one had yet been laid. The “coffin” was “new, in which no one had yet been laid.” This was done so that it would not be possible to reinterpret the resurrection as if someone else, and not Jesus, was resurrected. And otherwise. The new tomb figuratively showed that through the tomb of the Lord there will be renewal from death and corruption, and in it we will all be renewed. John 19:42. They laid Jesus there for the sake of the Friday of Judea, because the tomb was close. Time forced them to hurry. For the death of Jesus followed at the ninth hour. Then, while they were going to Pilate and while they were removing the body, naturally evening came, when it was impossible to build a tomb. Therefore they place Him in the nearest tomb. For “in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb.” It is arranged so that the coffin is close; therefore, students can come and be spectators and witnesses of what happened, soldiers can be assigned to guard it and talk about abduction will be inappropriate. All this could not have happened if Jesus had been buried far away. Notice, I ask you, how much the Lord has become poor for us. During his life He did not have a home; after death he does not have a coffin, but is placed in someone else’s; He is naked, and Joseph clothes Him. Even now Jesus is dead when He is killed by people who commit violence or are passionate about acquisitions; He also suffers from hunger; He also happens to be naked, for whatever the poor man suffers, Christ endures everything. And now imitate Joseph, add good to good (for Joseph means addition), clothe the nakedness of Christ, that is, the poor. Do this not just once, but put your souls in the coffin and always remember, always think and care about such matters. Mix myrrh and scarlet. For we must bear in mind the bitter and strict judgments of the present age and that Voice that will call the unmerciful cursed and send them into the fire (Matthew 25:41). In my opinion, there is nothing more terrible than this Voice.