In the liturgy for Good Friday, the account of the Passion of the Lord is taken from the Gospel according to Saint John. His perspective of the Crucifixion is unique among the four evangelists. He sees Christ crucified not as tormented victim, but as victorious king.
If anything is clear in Saint John’s Passion, it is that Jesus is in control of the events that transpire. This is evident at the very outset when a band of soldiers from the chief priests and Pharisees was accompanied by Judas to the garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus. Knowing everything that was going to happen, Jesus asked them who they were looking for. When they said it was Jesus the Nazorean, he simply replied, “I AM.” (18:5) By so doing, he clearly identified himself as God, appropriating to himself the very same name by which God had identified himself to Moses in the Book of Exodus. Immediately, as if compelled by the awesome power of that name, they turned away (since no one could look upon the face of God and live) and fell to the ground as if in worship.
When Pontius Pilate interrogated Jesus and tried to intimidate him with his power, Jesus said, “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above.” (19:11) As a result, it was Pilate who was intimidated by Jesus and thus tried to release him. It was only out of fear of the Jewish authorities, who pointed out to Pilate that Jesus said he was a king and, therefore, no friend of Caesar’s, that Pilate did not carry out his intention.
The supreme irony occurred when Pilate reluctantly delivered his verdict that Jesus was to be handed over to the people for crucifixion. In a way that was meant to be a mockery, but was, nevertheless, true, Jesus was royally attired in a purple cloak and crowned, albeit with thorns. Then, he was seated by Pilate himself on the judge’s bench and presented to the crowd: “Behold your king.” (19:14) Therefore, it was Jesus who was portrayed as the real king and judge of his accusers and executioners.
When Jesus was crucified, Pilate had a placard inscribed with his “crime” affixed to the top of the Cross: “Jesus the Nazorean, King of the Jews.” (19:19) This inscription was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek to show the universality of Jesus’ kingship over Jew and Gentile alike. Again, this was all supposed to be a mockery, but was ironically true.
An excellent artistic portrayal of Christ reigning victorious from the Cross is a painting by Salvador Dali titled “Christ of Saint John of the Cross.” It was partly inspired by a 16th century drawing of the Crucifixion by the Spanish mystic. The artist was especially impressed by the Carmelite friar’s view from above of Christ crucified and leaning forward. This, Dali made his own view and posture of Christ, too, but changed everything else.
Gone are the large nails and the crown of thorns. Gone is the sweat and blood. The crucified body is no longer bent, writhing in pain. Christ the victim no longer appears gaunt and tortured, gasping for air as he hangs dying from the Cross. Now the Cross becomes visibly the throne of a king who is hale and hearty. His body is muscular, without blemish, and perfect.
This throne-cross looms large over the earth, high above the clouds, as Christ the King, impelled by love, leans forward and gazes downward, embracing the whole of creation with his outstretched arms. He is portrayed as the sole source of all light against the background of an otherwise dark and bleak cosmos.
Dali’s painting can be a fruitful help to prayer and meditation as part of our Good Friday devotions, particularly as we seek for meaning in the personal crosses we have been given to bear. Saint Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians: “May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.” (6:14) Finally, it is good to recall the words of the entrance antiphon of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday: “We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, through whom we have been saved and set free.”
Father Edward Kolla is a retired priest of the Diocese.
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