View source for Passion of Jesus

{{short description|Final period in the life of Jesus, before his crucifixion and death}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2019}}

[[File:Matthias Stom - Christ Crowned with Thorns.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|''Christ Crowned with Thorns'' by [[Matthias Stom]] (c. 1633–1639) shows [[Jesus]] in his Passion as the "Lord of Patience" with the crown of thorns and sceptre reed, being mocked by Roman soldiers.]]
{{Gospel Jesus|expanded=Passion}}
The '''Passion''' (from [[latin language|Latin]] {{lang|la|patior}}, "to suffer, bear, endure")<ref>{{cite book|title=Cassell's Latin Dictionary|editor-last1=Marchant|editor-first1=J. R. V. |editor-last2=Charles|editor-first2=Joseph F. |edition=Revised|year=1928|page=396}}</ref> is the short final period before the death of [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus]], described in the four [[canonical gospels]]. It is commemorated in [[Christianity]] every year during [[Holy Week]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Judas|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/thepassion/articles/judas.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921093246/https://www.bbc.co.uk/thepassion/articles/judas.shtml |archive-date=2022-09-21 |access-date=2023-04-07 |website=The Passion |publisher=BBC|language=en-GB}}</ref>

The ''Passion'' may include, among other events, Jesus's [[triumphal entry into Jerusalem]], his [[cleansing of the Temple]], [[anointing of Jesus|his anointing]], the [[Last Supper]], [[agony in the Garden|his agony]], [[Arrest of Jesus|his arrest]], [[Sanhedrin trial of Jesus|his trial]] before the [[Sanhedrin]] and [[Pilate's court|his trial]] before [[Pontius Pilate]], [[Crucifixion of Jesus|his crucifixion and death]], and [[burial of Jesus|his burial]]. Those parts of the four canonical [[Gospel]]s that describe these events are known as the Passion narratives. In some Christian communities, commemoration of the Passion also includes remembrance of the sorrow of [[Mary, the mother of Jesus]], on the [[Friday of Sorrows]].

The word ''passion'' has taken on a more general application and now may also apply to accounts of the suffering and death of [[Christian martyrs]], sometimes using the Latin form ''passio''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sheingorn|first1=Pamela|title=The Book of Sainte Foy|date=1 January 1995|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=0-8122-1512-5|page=3}}</ref>

== Narratives according to the four canonical gospels ==
Accounts of the Passion are found in the four [[canonical gospels]]: [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]], [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]], [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] and [[Gospel of John|John]]. Three of these, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, known as the [[Synoptic Gospels]], give similar accounts. The Gospel of John account varies significantly.<ref name="Puskas"/>

Scholars do not agree on which events surrounding the death of Jesus should be considered part of the Passion narrative, and which ones merely precede and succeed the actual Passion narrative itself. For example, Puskas and Robbins (2011) commence the Passion after Jesus's arrest and before his resurrection, thus only including the trials, crucifixion and death of Jesus.<ref name="Puskas">{{Cite book |last1=Puskas |first1=Charles B. |last2=Robbins |first2=C. Michael |date=2011 |title=An Introduction to the New Testament, Second Edition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FYlJAwAAQBAJ |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |pages=122, 129 |isbn=978-1-62189-331-8 |access-date=26 October 2019 |archive-date=7 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407153810/https://books.google.com/books?id=FYlJAwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[Pope Benedict XVI]]'s ''[[Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week]]'' (2011), the term ''Passion'' completely coincides with the crucifixion and death of Jesus; it does not include earlier events and specifically excludes the burial and resurrection.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Benedict XVI |first=Pope |author-link=Pope Benedict XVI |date=2011 |title=Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection |chapter=Chapter 8: Crucifixion and Burial of Jesus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C9IwDwAAQBAJ |location=San Francisco |publisher=Ignatius Press |isbn=978-1-68149-276-6 |access-date=26 October 2019 |archive-date=7 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407153804/https://books.google.com/books?id=C9IwDwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> Others such as Matson and Richardson (2014) take a broader approach and consider the triumphal entry, the last supper, the trial before Pilate, the crucifixion, the burial, and the resurrection collectively as constituting the so-called "Passion Week".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Matson |first1=David Lertis |last2=Richardson |first2=K.C. |date=2014 |title=One in Christ Jesus: Essays on Early Christianity and "All That Jazz," in Honor of S. Scott Bartchy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KTtgBQAAQBAJ |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publisher |page=114 |isbn=978-1-62564-174-8 |access-date=26 October 2019 |archive-date=7 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407153811/https://books.google.com/books?id=KTtgBQAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Comprehensive narrative ===
[[File:Bolestný Kristus (poč. 16. stol.), Cheb.jpg|thumb|upright|16th century Pained Christ of [[Cheb]], Czech Republic]]
Taking an inclusive approach, the "Passion" may include:
*  [[Triumphal entry into Jerusalem]]: some people welcome Jesus when he enters Jerusalem.
* The [[Cleansing of the Temple]]: Jesus expels livestock merchants and money-changers from the [[Second Temple|Temple of Jerusalem]].
* The [[Anointing of Jesus]] by a woman during a meal a few days before Passover. Jesus says that for this she will always be remembered.
* The [[Last Supper]] shared by Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem. Jesus gives final instructions, [[Jesus predicts his betrayal|predicts his betrayal]], and tells them all to remember him.
* Jesus predicts the [[Denial of Peter]]: on the path to [[Gethsemane]] after the meal, Jesus tells the disciples they will all fall away that night. After [[Saint Peter|Peter]] protests he will not, Jesus says Peter will deny him thrice before the cock crows.
* The [[Agony in the Garden]]: later that night at Gethsemane, Jesus prays while the disciples rest. [[Luke 22:43–44]] adds that Jesus was terrified, and sweating blood. However, the oldest manuscripts of the Gospel of Luke do not contain these two verses, the other three canonical gospels do not mention this event either, and various manuscripts contain these verses elsewhere, even in the Gospel of Matthew (suggesting repeated attempts at insertion);{{further explanation needed|date=October 2025}} thus, most modern scholars consider this tradition a later [[Christian interpolation]], probably to counter [[docetism]].<ref name=Aland>{{Cite book |last1=Aland |first1= Kurt |author-link=Kurt Aland |last2=Aland |first2=Barbara |author-link2=Barbara Aland |others=Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.) |title=The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism |publisher=[[William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company]] |year=1995 |location=Grand Rapids |page=[https://archive.org/details/textnewtestament00kurt/page/n332 310] |url=https://archive.org/details/textnewtestament00kurt|url-access=limited |isbn=978-0-8028-4098-1}}</ref><ref>[[Bruce M. Metzger]], ''The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration'' ([[Oxford University Press]]: 2005), p. 286.</ref><ref>[[Bart D. Ehrman]], ''The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture'' ([[Oxford University Press]]: 1993), pp. 187–194</ref>
* The [[Arrest of Jesus]]: then [[Judas Iscariot]] leads in either "a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and [[Pharisees]]"<ref>{{bibleverse||John|18:3}}</ref> (accompanied according to Luke's Gospel by the chief priests and elders),<ref>{{bible verse||Luke|22:52}}</ref> or a "large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people,"<ref>{{bible verse||Matthew|26:48}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse||Mark|14:43}}</ref> which arrests Jesus; all his disciples run away. During the arrest in Gethsemane, someone (Peter according to John) takes a sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant, Malchus.
* The [[Sanhedrin trial of Jesus]] at the high priest's palace, later that night. The arresting party brings Jesus to the [[Sanhedrin]] (Jewish supreme court); according to Luke's Gospel, Jesus is beaten by his Jewish guards prior to his examination;<ref>{{bible verse||Luke|22:63}}</ref> the court examines him, in the course of which, according to John's Gospel, Jesus is struck in the face by one of the Jewish officials;<ref>{{bibleverse||John|18:22}}</ref> the court determine he deserves to die. According to Matthew's Gospel, the court then "[[Mocking of Jesus#First stage|spat in his face and struck him with their fists]]."<ref>{{bible verse||Matthew|26:67}}</ref> They then send him to [[Pontius Pilate]]. According to the synoptic gospels, the high priest who examines Jesus is [[Caiaphas]]; in John, Jesus is also interrogated by [[Annas]], Caiaphas' father-in-law.
* The [[Denial of Peter]] in the courtyard outside the high priest's palace, the same time. Peter has followed Jesus and joined the crowd awaiting Jesus' fate; they suspect he is a sympathizer, so Peter repeatedly denies he knows Jesus. Suddenly, the cock crows and Peter remembers what Jesus had said.
* [[Pilate's court|Pilate's trial of Jesus]], early morning. [[Pontius Pilate]], the Roman governor of Judea, questions Jesus, but does not find any fault with him The Jewish leaders and the crowd demand Jesus' death; Pilate gives them the choice of saving [[Barabbas]], a criminal, or saving Jesus. In response to the crowd Pilate sends Jesus out to be crucified.
* The [[Stations of the Cross|Way of the Cross]]: Jesus and two other convicts are forced to walk to their place of execution. According to the Synoptics, [[Simon of Cyrene]] is forced to carry Jesus's cross, while John writes that Jesus carried his cross himself.
* The [[Crucifixion of Jesus]]: Jesus and the two other convicts are nailed to crosses at [[Golgotha]], a hill outside Jerusalem, later morning through mid afternoon. Various [[sayings of Jesus on the cross]] are recorded in the gospels before he dies.
* The [[Burial of Jesus]]: the body of Jesus is [[Descent from the Cross|taken down from the cross]] and put in a tomb by [[Joseph of Arimathea]] (and [[Nicodemus]] according to John).
* The [[Resurrection of Jesus]]: Jesus rises from the dead, leaving behind an [[empty tomb]] and reportedly [[Resurrection of Jesus#Biblical accounts|appearing to several of his followers]].

=== Differences between the canonical gospels ===
The [[Gospel of Luke]] states that Pilate sends Jesus to be judged by [[Herod Antipas]] because as a Galilean he is under his jurisdiction. Herod is excited at first to see Jesus and hopes Jesus will perform a miracle for him; he asks Jesus several questions but Jesus does not answer. Herod then [[Mocking of Jesus|mocks him]] and sends him back to Pilate after giving him an "elegant" robe to wear.<ref>{{bibleverse||Luke|23:8–12|31}}</ref>

All the Gospels relate that a man named [[Barabbas]] was released by Pilate instead of Jesus. Bar-abbas means "son of the father". Some manuscripts of Matthew call him "Jesus Barabbas", suggesting that an early version of the story contrasted the fate of two men both named Jesus. Matthew, Mark and John have Pilate offer a choice between Jesus and Barabbas to the crowd; Luke lists no choice offered by Pilate, but represents the crowd demanding his release.

[[File:Jesus in Golgotha by Theophanes the Cretan.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|left|[[Icon]] of the Passion, detail showing (left) the Flagellation and (right) Ascent to [[Golgotha]] ([[fresco]] by [[Theophanes the Cretan]], [[Stavronikita]] [[Monastery]], [[Mount Athos]]).]]

In all the Gospels, Pilate asks Jesus if he is [[Jesus, King of the Jews|King of the Jews]] and Jesus replies "So you say". Once condemned by Pilate, he was [[flagellation of Christ|flogged]] before execution. The canonical gospels, except Luke, record that Jesus is then taken by the soldiers to the [[Praetorium]] where, according to Matthew and Mark, the whole contingent of soldiers has been called together. They place a purple robe on him, put a [[crown of thorns]] on his head, and according to [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]], put a [[sceptre|rod]] in his hand. They [[Mocking of Jesus#Second stage|mock him]] by hailing him as "[[Jesus, King of the Jews|King of the Jews]]", paying a mocking [[Homage (feudal)|homage]] and hitting him on the head with the rod.

According to the Gospel of John, Pilate has Jesus brought out a second time, wearing the purple robe and the crown of thorns, in order to appeal his innocence before the crowd, saying {{lang|la|[[Ecce homo]]}}, ("Behold the man"). In the Gospel of John, the priests urge the crowd to demand Jesus's death. Pilate resigns himself to the decision, washing his hands (according to Matthew) before the people as a sign that Jesus's blood will not be upon him. In the Gospel of Matthew they replied, "[[Blood curse|His blood]] be on us and on our children"<ref>{{bibleref2|Matthew|27:25}}</ref>

Mark and Matthew record that Jesus is returned his own clothes, prior to being led out for execution. According to the Gospel accounts he is forced, like other victims of crucifixion, to drag his own cross to [[Golgotha]], meaning "place of a skull", which was the location of the execution. The three [[Synoptic Gospels]] refer to a man called [[Simon of Cyrene]], who is made to carry the cross ({{bibleverse||Mark|15:21}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|27:32}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|23:26}}), while in the Gospel of John ({{bibleverse-nb||John|19:17}}), Jesus is made to carry his own cross. The [[Gospel of Mark]] gives the names of Simon's children, Alexander and Rufus. The Gospel of Luke refers to Simon carrying the cross after Jesus, in that it states: "they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2023:26-23:26&version=9 |title=Bible gateway Luke 23:26 |publisher=Biblegateway.com |access-date=2012-06-05 |archive-date=2023-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407153822/https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2023:26-23:26&version=KJV |url-status=live }}</ref> Luke adds that Jesus's female followers follow, mourning his fate, but that he responds by quoting Hosea 10:8.

[[File:Albrecht Altdorfer 016.jpg|thumb|''Crucifixion'' by [[Albrecht Altdorfer]] (c. 1526)]]

The Synoptic Gospels state that on arrival at Golgotha, Jesus is offered [[wine]] laced with [[myrrh]] to lessen the pain, but he refuses it. Jesus is then crucified, according to Mark, at "the third hour" (9 a.m.) the morning after the Passover meal, but according to John he is handed over to be crucified at "the sixth hour" (noon) the day before the Passover meal. Many{{who|date=October 2025}} resolve this by saying that the Synoptics use Jewish time, and that John uses Roman time. Pilate has a [[Titulus (inscription)|plaque]] fixed to Jesus's cross inscribed, (according to John) in Hebrew, Greek and Latin – {{lang|la|[[INRI|Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum]]}}, meaning ''Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews''. The original Greek of the Gospels reads  Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ Bασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων, "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews". Mark has the plaque say, ''King of the Jews.'' The Gospels then state that the soldiers divide Jesus's clothes among themselves, except for one garment for which they [[Sortition|cast lots]]. The Gospel of John claims that this fulfills a prophecy from {{bibleverse||Psalms|22:18}}. Some of the crowd who have been following [[Mocking of Jesus#Third stage|taunt Jesus]] by saying, "He trusts in God; let God deliver him now!" The statement suggests that Jesus might perform a [[miracle]] to release himself from the cross.

According to the Gospels, two [[Theft|thieves]] are also crucified, one on each side of him. According to Luke, one of the thieves reviles Jesus, while the other, known as the [[penitent thief]], declares Jesus innocent and begs that he might be remembered when Jesus comes to his kingdom (see).

John records that Mary, his mother, and two other women stand by the cross as does a disciple, described as [[Disciple whom Jesus loved|the one whom Jesus loved]]. Jesus commits his mother to this disciple's care. According to the synoptics, the [[Crucifixion eclipse|sky becomes dark at midday]] and the darkness lasts for three hours, until the ninth hour when Jesus cries out "{{lang|arc|Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?}}" ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"). Mark reports Jesus says "{{lang|arc|Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?}}" in [[Aramaic]]; Matthew reports "{{lang|arc|Eli, Eli}}..." The centurion standing guard, who has seen how Jesus has died, declares Jesus innocent (Luke) or the "Son of God" (Matthew, Mark).

John says that, as was the custom, the soldiers come and break the legs of the thieves, so that they will die faster, but that on coming to Jesus they find him already dead. A soldier pierces his side with a [[Holy Lance|spear]].

According to the Gospel of Matthew, Judas, the betrayer, is filled with remorse and tries to return the money he was paid for betraying Jesus. When the high priests say that that is his affair, Judas throws the money into the [[Jerusalem temple|temple]], goes off, and hangs himself.<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|27}}</ref> According to the [[Book of Acts]] {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|1:18|9}}, Judas was not remorseful, took the money and bought a field from it, whereupon he suddenly fell and died.

== Narrative according to the Gospel of Peter ==
[[File:Veronicas Svetteduk av Domenico Fetti.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Veil of Veronica]]'', painting by [[Domenico Fetti]] (c. 1620).]]
Further claims concerning the Passion are made in some non-canonical early writings. Another passion narrative is found in the fragmentary ''[[Gospel of Peter]]'', long known to scholars through references, and of which a fragment was discovered in Cairo in 1884.

The narrative begins with Pilate washing his hands, as in Matthew, but the Jews and Herod refuse this. [[Joseph of Arimathea]], before Jesus has been crucified, asks for his body, and Herod says he is going to take it down to comply with the Jewish custom of not leaving a dead body hung on a tree overnight. Herod then turns Jesus over to the people who drag him, give him a purple robe, crown him with thorns, and beat and flog him.

There are also two criminals, crucified on either side of him and, as in Luke, one begs Jesus for forgiveness. The writer says Jesus is silent as they crucify him, "...as if in no pain."<ref>{{harvnb|Miller|1994|p=403}}. This is the passage that was condemned as possibly leading to [[Docetism]].</ref> Jesus is labeled the [[Jesus, King of the Jews|King of Israel]] on his cross and his clothes are divided and gambled over.

As in the canonical Gospels, darkness covers the land. Jesus is also given vinegar to drink. Peter has "My Power, My Power, why have you forsaken me?" as the last words of Jesus, rather than "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" as quoted in Mark. He is then "taken up", possibly a [[euphemism]] for death or maybe an allusion to [[heaven]].<ref name="Miller 403">{{harvnb|Miller|1994|p=403}}</ref> Peter then has a resurrection, similar to the other books.

[[Serapion of Antioch]] urged the exclusion of the Gospel of Peter from the Church because [[Docetism|Docetists]] were using it to bolster their [[Theology|theological]] claims, which Serapion rejected.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1997|p=11}}</ref> Many modern scholars also reject this conclusion, as the statement about Jesus being silent "as if in no pain" seems to be based on Isaiah's description of the suffering servant, "as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth." ({{bibleverse||Isaiah|53:7|HE}}).<ref name="Miller 403"/>

==The trials of Jesus==
The gospels provide differing accounts of the trial of Jesus. Mark describes two separate proceedings, one involving Jewish leaders and one in which the Roman prefect for Judea, Pontius Pilate, plays the key role. Both Matthew and John's accounts generally support Mark's two-trial version. Luke, alone among the gospels, adds yet a third proceeding: having Pilate send Jesus to Herod Antipas. The non-canonical Gospel of Peter describes a single trial scene involving Jewish, Roman, and Herodian officials.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Easton |first=Burton Scott |date=1917 |editor-last=Husband |editor-first=Richard Wellington |title=The Trial of Jesus |journal=The American Journal of Theology |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=462–464 |doi=10.1086/479863 |jstor=3155531 |issn=1550-3283}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-12 |title=How did Jesus' final days unfold? Scholars are still debating |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/how-did-jesus-final-days-unfold-scholars-are-still-debating |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=History |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024060904/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/how-did-jesus-final-days-unfold-scholars-are-still-debating }}</ref>

== Biblical prophecies ==
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2019}}

=== Old Testament prophecy ===
[[File:Man lorenzetti.jpg|thumb|left|''Christ as [[Man of Sorrows]]'' by [[Pietro Lorenzetti]], c. 1330 ([[Lindenau-Museum]], [[Altenburg]])]]

Christians interpret at least three passages of the Old Testament as prophecies about Jesus' Passion.

The first and most obvious is the one from {{bibleverse||Isaiah|52:13–53:12|HE}} (either 8th or 6th century BC).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilken |first=Robert L. |title=Isaiah: Interpreted by Early Christian and Medieval Commentators (The Church's Bible) |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans |year=2021 |isbn=978-0-8028-7981-3 |location=Grand Rapids, MI |language=English}}</ref> This prophetic oracle describes a sinless man who will atone for the sins of his people. By his voluntary suffering, he will save sinners from the just punishment of God. The death of Jesus is said to fulfill this prophecy. For example, "He had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed" ({{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|53:2–5|HE}}).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Prophecy of Isaias {{!}} EWTN |url=https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/prophecy-of-isaias-12347 |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=EWTN Global Catholic Television Network |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024060907/https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/prophecy-of-isaias-12347 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The second prophecy of Christ's Passion is the ancient text which Jesus himself quoted, while he was dying on the cross. From the cross, Jesus cried with a loud voice, "''Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"'' which means, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" These words of Jesus were a quotation of the ancient {{Bibleverse||Psalm||22|HE}}. [[King David]], in [[Psalm]] 22, foretold the sufferings of the messiah. For example, "I am a worm and no man, the reproach of men and the outcast of the people. All who see me, laugh me to scorn, they draw apart their lips, and wag their heads: 'He trusts in the Lord: let him free him, let him deliver him if he loves him.' Stand not far from me, for I am troubled; be thou near at hand: for I have no helper. ...Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet&nbsp;– I can count all my bones&nbsp;– they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots" ({{bibleverse||Psalm|22:7–19|HE}}). The words "[[they have pierced my hands and feet]]" are disputed, however.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Buckler |first=F. W. |date=1938 |title='Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?' |journal=The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures |volume=55 |issue=4 |pages=378–391 |doi=10.1086/amerjsemilanglit.55.4.3088119 |jstor=3088119 |s2cid=170741787 |issn=1062-0516}}</ref>

The third main prophecy of the Passion is from the [[Book of Wisdom|Book of the Wisdom of Solomon]]. Protestant Christians place it in the [[Biblical apocrypha|Apocrypha]], [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]s and [[Eastern Orthodox]] among the [[deuterocanonical]] books. But it was written about 150 BC, and many have understood these verses (12–20 of chapter 2) as a direct prophecy of Jesus' Passion. For example, "Let us lie in wait for the just, because he is not for our turn. ...He boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and calleth himself the son of God ... and glorieth that he hath God for his father. Let us see then if his words be true. ...For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies. Let us examine him by outrages and tortures. ...Let us condemn him to a most shameful death. ...These things they thought, and were deceived, for their own malice blinded them" (Wisdom 2:12–20).

In addition to the above, it deserves to be mentioned that at least three other, less elaborate messianic prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus' crucifixion, namely, the following Old Testament passages:

"Many are the afflictions of the just man; but the Lord delivers him from all of them. He guards all his bones: not even one of them shall be broken" ({{bibleverse||Psalm|34:20|HE}}).

"And they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink" ({{bibleverse||Psalm|69:21|HE}}).

"And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an only son; and they shall grieve over him, as the manner is to grieve for the death of the firstborn" ({{bibleverse||Zechariah|12:10|HE}}).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wisdom of Solomon {{!}} EWTN |url=https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/wisdom-of-solomon-12472 |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=EWTN Global Catholic Television Network |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024060908/https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/wisdom-of-solomon-12472 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== New Testament prophecy ===
[[File:Stolb2.jpg|thumb|Fragment of the Pillar of the [[Flagellation]], [[Church of St George, Istanbul|Hagios Georgios]] Patriarchal Church, [[Istanbul]].]]

The Gospel explains how these old prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus' crucifixion.

"So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with Jesus; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. ...For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, 'Not a bone of him shall be broken.' And again another scripture says, 'They shall look on him whom they have pierced'" ({{bibleverse||John|19:32–37|KJV}}).

In the [[Gospel of Mark]], Jesus is described as prophesying his own Passion and his Resurrection three times:
*On the way to [[Caesarea Philippi]], predicting that the ''Son of Man'' will be killed and rise within three days.
*After the [[transfiguration of Jesus]], again predicting that the ''Son of Man'' will be killed and rise within three days.
*On the way to Jerusalem, predicting that the ''Son of Man'' will be delivered to the leading [[Pharisees]] and [[Sadducees]], be condemned to death, delivered to the [[Gentiles]], mocked, scourged, killed, and rise within three days.

Christians argue that these are cases of genuine and fulfilled [[prophecy]] and many scholars see [[ancient Semitic religion|Semitic features and tradition]] in {{bibleverse||Mark|9:31|KJV}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1997|p=140}}</ref>
[[File:The Scourging of Christ by Albrecht Dürer.jpg|thumb|[[Albrecht Dürer]], ''The Scourging of Christ'', circa 1511.]]
After the third prophecy, the Gospel of Mark states that the brothers [[James the Great|James]] and [[John the Apostle|John]] ask Jesus to be his left and right hand men, but Jesus asks if they can drink from the "cup" he must drink from. They say that they can do this. Jesus confirms this, but says that the places at his right and left hand are reserved for others. Many Christian see this as being a reference to the two criminals at Jesus's crucifixion, thus relating to the Passion. The "cup" is sometimes interpreted as the symbol of his death, in the light of Jesus's prayer at Gethsemane "Let this cup be taken from me!"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Messianic Prophecies Lectures {{!}} EWTN |url=https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/messianic-prophecies-lectures-12401 |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=EWTN Global Catholic Television Network |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024060909/https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/messianic-prophecies-lectures-12401 |url-status=live |author-last1=Most|author-first1=William}}</ref>

==Liturgical use==
[[File:Arma Christi 1468 Wald am Arlberg VLM.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Arma Christi]] on the back of an Austrian [[altarpiece]] of 1468.]]

{{Main|Holy Week}}
Most Christian denominations will read one or more narratives of the Passion during [[Holy Week]], especially on [[Good Friday]]. In the [[Roman Rite]] of the Catholic Church, a large cross depicting the crucified Christ is brought out into the church and each of the faithful come forward to [[venerate]] the cross. Rather than having the Gospel read solely by the priest, whole congregations participate in the reading of the Passion Gospel during the [[Palm Sunday]] Mass and the Good Friday service. These readings have the Priest read the part of Christ, a narrator read the narrative, other reader(s) reading the other speaking parts, and either the choir or the congregation reading the parts of crowds (i.e.: when the crowd shouts "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!").<ref>Today's Missal: Holy Week&nbsp;– Pentecost, March 14 – May 17, 2008, Oregon Catholic Press</ref>

In the [[Byzantine Rite]] of the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches, the [[Matins]] service for Good Friday is called ''Matins of the Twelve Passion Gospels'', and is notable for the interspersal of twelve readings from the [[Gospel Book]] detailing chronologically the events of the Passion – from the [[Last Supper]] to the burial in the [[Holy Sepulchre|tomb]] – during the course of the service. The first of these twelve readings is the longest Gospel reading of the entire [[liturgical year]]. In addition, every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year is dedicated in part to the commemoration of the Passion.<ref>{{Cite book
 | last =Sokolof
 | first =[[Archpriest]] D.
 | year =1962
 | publication-date=2001
 | title =A Manual of the Orthodox Church's Divine Services
 | series =3rd printing (re-edited)
 | page =35
 | place =[[Jordanville, N.Y.]]
 | publisher =[[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Monastery]]
 }}
</ref>

During [[Holy Week]]/[[Passion Week]] Congregations of the [[Moravian Church]] ([[Herrnhut]]er Bruedergemeine) read the entire story of Jesus's final week from a Harmony of the Gospels prepared for that purpose since 1777. Daily meetings are held, some times two or three times a day, to follow the events of the day. During the course of the reading, the Congregation sings hymn verses to respond to the events of the text.

Most liturgical churches hold some form of commemoration of the Crucifixion on the afternoon of Good Friday. Sometimes, this will take the form of a [[vigil]] from noon to 3:00 pm, the approximate time that Jesus hung on the cross. Sometimes there will be a reenactment of the [[Descent from the Cross]]; for instance, at [[Vespers]] in the Byzantine (Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic) tradition.
[[File:Christ Carrying the Cross 1580.jpg|thumb|right|[[El Greco]]'s ''Jesus Carrying the Cross'', 1580.]]

==Devotions==
Several non-liturgical devotions have been developed by Christian faithful to commemorate the Passion.

===The Stations of the Cross===
{{main|Stations of the Cross}}
The Stations of the Cross are a series of religious reflections describing or depicting [[Christ Carrying the Cross|Christ carrying the cross]] to [[Crucifixion of Jesus|his crucifixion]]. Most Catholic churches, as well as many [[Anglican]], [[Lutheran]], and [[Methodist]] parishes, contain Stations of the Cross, typically placed at intervals along the sidewalls of the [[nave]]; in most churches, they are small plaques with [[relief]]s or paintings, although in others they may be simple crosses with a numeral in the center.<ref name="ChryssidesWilkins2014">{{cite book|last1=Chryssides|first1=George D.|last2=Wilkins|first2=Margaret Z.|title=Christians in the Twenty-First Century|date=11 September 2014|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|isbn=978-1-317-54557-6|page=51|quote=Most churches in the Roman Catholic, High Anglican and Lutheran traditions have the stations of the cross displayed pictorially or in bas-relief form around their interior walls, and thus the stations can be used locally for devotion, without the necessity of visiting a place of pilgrimage.}}</ref><ref name=SMEC>{{cite web|url=http://st-michaels-episcopal.org/episcopalian-beliefs/stations-of-the-cross/|title=Stations of the Cross|year=2012|publisher=St. Michael's Episcopal Church|access-date=3 March 2015|quote=Eventually fixed at fourteen, the Stations soon became a familiar feature in Catholic; Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist churches. The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, by meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death, and is often performed in a spirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during His Passion.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217004848/http://st-michaels-episcopal.org/episcopalian-beliefs/stations-of-the-cross/|archive-date=17 February 2015}}</ref> The tradition of moving around the Stations to commemorate the Passion of Christ began with [[Francis of Assisi]] and extended throughout the Catholic Church in the medieval period. It is most commonly done during [[Lent]], especially on [[Good Friday]], but it can be done on other days as well, especially Wednesdays and Fridays.

===The Passion Offices ===
The Passion Offices were the special prayers said by various Catholic communities, particularly the [[Passionist fathers]] to commemorate the [[Passion of Christ]].<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Passion Offices}}</ref>

===The Little Office of the Passion===
{{main|Little Office of the Passion}}
Another devotion is the Little Office of the Passion created by [[Francis of Assisi]] (1181/82–1226). He ordered this office around the medieval association of five specific moments in Jesus's Passion with specific hours of the day. Having then attributed these to hours of the [[Liturgy of the Hours|Divine Office]], he arrived at this schema:<ref name="Hugo">{{harvnb|Hugo|2011}}</ref>

* Compline – 21:00 – Jesus's [[Agony in the Garden|Arrest]] on the [[Mount of Olives]]
* Matins – 00:00 – Jesus's [[Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus|Trial]] before the Jewish [[Sanhedrin]]
* Prime – 06:00 – "an interlude celebrating Christ as the light of the new day"<ref name="Hugo"/>
* Terce – 09:00 – Jesus's [[Pilate's Court|Trial]] before [[Pontius Pilate]]
* Sext – 12:00 – Jesus's [[Crucifixion of Jesus|Crucifixion]]
* None – 15:00 – Jesus's Death
* Vespers – 18:00 – "recalling and celebrating the entire daily cycle"<ref name="Hugo"/>

===Acts of reparation===
The Catholic tradition includes specific prayers and devotions as "[[acts of reparation]]" for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during his Passion. These "[[Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ|acts of reparation to Jesus Christ]]" do not involve a petition for a living or deceased beneficiary, but aim to ''repair the sins'' against Jesus. Some such prayers are provided in the [[Raccolta]] Catholic prayer book (approved by a Decree of 1854, and published by the [[Holy See]] in 1898) which also includes prayers as [[Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Slater |first=T. |date=1911 |title=Reparation |encyclopedia=The Catholic Encyclopedia |location=New York |publisher=Robert Appleton Company |access-date=July 28, 2019 |via=New Advent |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12775a.htm |archive-date=August 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829184715/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12775a.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Delany |first=F. X. |date=1911 |title=Raccolta |encyclopedia=The Catholic Encyclopedia |location=New York |publisher=Robert Appleton Company |access-date=July 28, 2019 |via=New Advent |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12620a.htm |archive-date=June 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607020201/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12620a.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Joseph P. Christopher et al., 2003 ''The Raccolta'' St Athanasius Press {{ISBN|978-0-9706526-6-9}}</ref><ref>Ann Ball, 2003 ''Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices ''{{ISBN|0-87973-910-X}}</ref>

In his encyclical ''[[Miserentissimus Redemptor]]'' on reparations, [[Pope Pius XI]] called acts of reparation to Jesus Christ a duty for Catholics and referred to them as "some sort of compensation to be rendered for the injury" with respect to the sufferings of Jesus.<ref>[[Miserentissimus Redemptor]] Encyclical of [[Pope Pius XI]] [https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_08051928_miserentissimus-redemptor_en.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812031528/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_08051928_miserentissimus-redemptor_en.html|date=2014-08-12}}</ref>

[[Pope John Paul II]] referred to acts of reparation as the "unceasing effort to stand beside the endless crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified".<ref>{{cite web|title=Letter Of The Holy Father John Paul II To Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini For The 50th Anniversary Of The Benedictine Sisters Of Reparation Of The Holy Face|date=27 September 2000|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/letters/2000/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_20001021_riparatrici.html|publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana|access-date=15 January 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306164452/https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/letters/2000/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_20001021_riparatrici.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==In the arts==

===Visual art===
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2019}}
{{See also|Life of Christ in art}}
[[File:Normandie Manche Avranches3 tango7174.jpg|thumb|upright=2|A set of the [[Stations of the Cross]] in painted [[vitreous enamel|enamel]].]]
Each episode of the Passion, such as the [[Flagellation of Christ]] or [[Entombment of Christ]], has been represented thousands of times and has developed its own [[iconography|iconographic]] tradition; the Crucifixion is much the most common and important of these subjects. The Passion is often covered by a cycle of depictions; [[Albrecht Dürer]]'s [[Old master print|print]] cycles were so popular that he produced three different versions. [[Andachtsbilder]] is a term for devotional subjects such as the [[Man of Sorrows]] or [[Pietà]], that may not precisely represent a moment in the Passion but are derived from the Passion story. The ''[[Arma Christi]]'', or "Instruments of the Passion" are the objects associated with Jesus's Passion, such as the cross, the [[Crown of Thorns]] and the [[Holy Lance|Spear of Longinus]].  Each of the major Instruments has been supposedly recovered as [[Relics attributed to Jesus|relics]] which have been an object of veneration among many Christians, and have been depicted in art. [[Veronica's Veil]] is also often counted among the Instruments of the Passion; like the [[Shroud of Turin]] and [[Sudarium of Oviedo]] it is a cloth relic supposed to have touched Jesus.

In the Catholic Church, the Passion story is depicted in the [[Stations of the Cross]] (''via crucis'', also translated more literally as "Way of the Cross"). These 14 stations depict the Passion from the sentencing by Pilate to the sealing of the tomb, or with the addition of a 15th, the resurrection. Since the 16th-century representations of them in various media have decorated the [[nave]]s of most Catholic churches. The Way of the Cross is a devotion practiced by many people on Fridays throughout the year, most importantly on [[Good Friday]]. This may be simply by going round the Stations in a church, or may involve large-scale re-enactments, as in [[Jerusalem]]. The [[Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy]] are similar schemes on a far larger scale than church Stations, with chapels containing large sculpted groups arranged in a hilly landscape; for [[pilgrim]]s to tour the chapels typically takes several hours. They mostly date from the late 16th to the 17th century; most depict the Passion, others different subjects as well.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Passion as Christian Artwork {{!}} EWTN |url=https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/passion-as-christian-artwork-4189 |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=EWTN Global Catholic Television Network |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024060906/https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/passion-as-christian-artwork-4189 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Music===
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2019}}
{{Main|Passion (music)|Tenebrae}}
[[File:St John the Baptist church frescoes.JPG|thumb|upright=1.5|Fresco depicting the trial and beating of Jesus (17th century, [[St. John the Baptist Church, Yaroslavl]], Russia).]]
The main traditional types of [[church music]] sung during Holy Week are [[Passion (music)|Passions]], musical settings of the Gospel narratives, both a Catholic and Lutheran tradition, and settings of the readings and responses from the Catholic [[Tenebrae]] services, especially those of the ''[[Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet]]''. The many settings of the [[Stabat Mater]] or [[musical settings of sayings of Jesus on the cross]] are also commonly performed.

The reading of the Passion section of one of the Gospels during [[Holy Week]] dates back to the 4th century. It began to be intoned (rather than just spoken) in the Middle Ages, at least as early as the 8th century. Ninth-century manuscripts have ''litterae significativae'' indicating interpretive chant, and later manuscripts begin to specify exact notes to be sung. By the 13th century, different singers were used for different characters in the narrative, a practice which became fairly universal by the 15th century, when [[polyphonic]] settings of the ''turba'' passages began to appear also. (''Turba'', while literally meaning "crowd", is used in this case to mean any passage in which more than one person speaks simultaneously.)

In the later 15th century a number of new styles began to emerge:
* Responsorial Passions set all of Christ's words and the turba parts polyphonically.
* Through-composed Passions were entirely polyphonic (also called ''motet Passions''). [[Jacob Obrecht]] wrote the earliest extant example of this type.
*''Summa Passionis'' settings were a synopsis of all four Gospels, including the [[Seven Last Words]] (a text later set by [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]] and [[Théodore Dubois]]). These were discouraged for church use but circulated widely nonetheless.

In the 16th century, settings like these, and further developments, were created for the Catholic Church by [[Tomás Luis de Victoria]], [[William Byrd]], [[Jacobus Gallus]], [[Francisco Guerrero (composer)|Francisco Guerrero]], [[Orlando di Lasso]], and [[Cipriano de Rore]].

[[File:Russia-Moscow-Kremlin Museums Exhibitions-5.jpg|thumb|[[Russian Orthodox]] [[icon]] of the Passion with scenes of the [[martyr]]dom of the [[Twelve Apostles]], symbolizing how all are called to enter into the Passion ([[Moscow Kremlin]]).]]

[[Martin Luther]] wrote, "The Passion of Christ should not be acted out in words and pretense, but in real life." Despite this, sung Passion performances were common in Lutheran churches right from the start, in both Latin and German, beginning as early as [[Laetare Sunday]] (three weeks before Easter) and continuing through Holy Week. Luther's friend and collaborator Johann Walther wrote responsorial Passions which were used as models by Lutheran composers for centuries, and "''summa Passionis''" versions continued to circulate, despite Luther's express disapproval.

Later 16th-century passions included choral "''exordium''" (introduction) and "''conclusio''" sections with additional texts. In the 17th century came the development of [[oratorio]] passions which led to [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]'s [[Passions (Bach)|Passions]], accompanied by instruments, with interpolated texts (then called "madrigal" movements) such as [[sinfonia]]s, other Scripture passages, Latin [[motet]]s, chorale arias, and more. Such settings were created by [[Bartholomäus Gesius]] and [[Heinrich Schütz]]. Thomas Strutz wrote a Passion (1664) with arias for Jesus himself, pointing to the standard [[oratorio]] tradition of Schütz, [[Giacomo Carissimi]], and others, although these composers seem to have thought that putting words in Jesus' mouth was beyond the pale. The practice of using [[recitative]] for the Evangelist (rather than plainsong) was a development of court composers in northern Germany and only crept into church compositions at the end of the 17th century. A famous musical reflection on the Passion is [[Messiah Part II|Part II]] of ''[[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]]'', an oratorio by [[George Frideric Handel]], though the text here draws from Old Testament prophecies rather than from the gospels themselves.

The best known Protestant musical settings of the Passion are by Bach, who wrote [[Passions (Bach)|several Passions]], of which two have survived completely, one based on the [[Gospel of John]] (the ''[[St John Passion]]''), the other on the [[Gospel of Matthew]] (the ''[[St Matthew Passion]]''). His ''[[St Mark Passion, BWV 247|St Mark Passion]]'' was reconstructed in various ways. The Passion continued to be very popular in Protestant Germany in the 18th century, with Bach's second son, [[Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach|Carl Philipp Emanuel]], composing [[The Passions of C.P.E. Bach|over twenty settings.]] [[Gottfried August Homilius]] composed at least one cantata Passion and four [[Passions (Homilius)|oratorio Passions]] after all four Evangelists. Many of C. P. E. Bachs performances were in fact works by Homilius.

In the 19th century, with the exception of [[John Stainer]]'s ''[[The Crucifixion (Stainer)|The Crucifixion]]'' (1887), Passion settings were less popular, but in the 20th century they have again come into fashion. Two notable settings are the ''[[St. Luke Passion (Penderecki)|St. Luke Passion]]'' (1965) by the composer [[Krzysztof Penderecki]] and the ''[[Passio (Pärt)|Passio]]'' (1982) by the composer [[Arvo Pärt]]. Recent examples include ''The Passion According to St. Matthew'' (1997), by [[Mark Alburger]], and ''The Passion According to the Four Evangelists'', by Scott King. The theatre composer [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]'s ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'' (book and lyrics by [[Tim Rice]]) and the theatre composer [[Stephen Schwartz]]'s ''[[Godspell]]'' both contain elements of the traditional passion accounts. Sofia Gubaidulina composed a ''[[Johannes-Passion (Gubaidulina)|Johannes-Passion]]'', commissioned to commemorate Bach in Stuttgart in 2000, for which she combined the Gospel of John with texts from the [[Book of Revelation]].

Choral meditations on aspects of the suffering of Jesus on the cross include arrangements such as Buxtehude's ''[[Membra Jesu Nostri]]'', a 1680 set of seven [[Passion cantata]]s, and the first such Lutheran treatment, incorporating lyrics excerpted from a medieval Latin poem and featuring Old Testament verses that prefigure the Messiah as [[Suffering Servant|suffering servant]].

===Drama and processions===
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2019}}
[[File:Stuttgart 2009 040 (RaBoe).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Christian Easter passion [[procession]] in Stuttgart, Germany]]
[[File:5 010 Via Dolorosa- Walk in Jerusalem, with Jesus Christ-Actor and Press.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Reenacting the [[Stations of the Cross]] in [[Jerusalem]] on the [[Via Dolorosa]] from the [[Lions' Gate]] to the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]].]]

Non-musical settings of the Passion story are generally called [[Passion play]]s; these have been very widely performed in traditionally Catholic countries, often in churches as [[liturgical drama]]s&nbsp;– for versions with musical settings, see the previous section. One famous cycle is performed at intervals at [[Oberammergau]], Germany, another in [[Sordevolo]] one of the most important in Italy, and another in the Brazilian state of [[Pernambuco]] uses what is considered the [[New Jerusalem theater|largest open-air theater]] in the world. The Passion figures among the scenes in the English [[mystery play]]s in more than one cycle of dramatic vignettes. In the [[Chester Mystery Plays]]' portrayal of Christ's Passion, specifically his humiliation before his sentence to crucifixion, the accounts of the Gospels concerning the physical violence visited on Jesus during his trial before the Sanhedrin, and the humiliating crowning of thorns visited upon him in Pilate's palace (or by Herod's soldiers, according to Luke), is further confused by showing both actions as being carried out by jeering Jews.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=2010-03-28 |url=http://www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama/chester/play_16.html |title=The Chester Cycle Play XVI (16) – The Passion of Christ – Annas and Caiphas |publisher=From Stage to Page |year=2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314010356/http://www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama/chester/play_16.html |archive-date=2012-03-14 }}</ref>

Processions on [[Palm Sunday]] commonly re-enact to some degree the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem, traditional ones often using special wooden [[donkey]]s on wheels. [[Holy Week in Spain]] retains more traditional public processions than other countries, with the most famous, in [[Holy Week in Seville|Seville]], featuring floats with carved tableaux showing scenes from the story.

====In Latin America====
During the Passion week many towns in Mexico have a representation of the passion.

====In Spain====
During the Passion week many cities and towns in Spain have a representation of the Passion.

Many Passion poems and prose text circulated in the fifteenth-century [[Castile (historical region)|Castile]], among which there were the first modern translations of earlier Latin Passion texts and ''[[Vita Christi|Vitae Christi]]'', and also a popular ''Monotessaron'' or ''Pasión de l'eterno principe Jesucristo'' attributed to a pseudo-Gerson. It was most likely written by Thomas à Kempis, whose ''[[The Imitation of Christ#Criticisms|Imitation of Christ]]'' mentions the Passion a few times, uniquely when talking about the Eucharist.<ref>{{cite book |author-first1=Laura|author-last1=Delbrugge| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yOF5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA46 | title = A scholarly edition of Andrés de Li's Thesoro de la passion (1494) | pages = 46–47 | publisher = Brill | series = Medieval and early modern Iberian world | volume = 41 | location = Boston | date = 3 February 2011 | oclc = 884810931 | isbn = 978-90-04-20120-0 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20190728112916/https://books.google.it/books?id=yOF5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA46&dq=%22circulated+in+both+Latin+and+vernacular+translations%22&hl=it&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-i4KbwdfjAhWCaVAKHUPbCi4Q6AEIKzAA%23v=onepage&q=%22circulated%20in%20both%20Latin%20and%20vernacular%20translations%22&f=false | archive-date = 28 July 2019 | url-status = live | access-date = 28 July 2019 }}</ref>

===Film===
There have also been a number of [[:Category:Film portrayals of Jesus' death and resurrection|films telling the passion story]], with a prominent example being [[Mel Gibson]]'s 2004 ''[[The Passion of the Christ]].''

==Other traditions==
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2019}}
*The sons of Simon of Cyrene are named as if they might have been early Christian figures known to Mark's intended audience.{{sfn|Brown|Fitzmyer|Murphy|1990|p=628}} [[Paul of Tarsus|Paul]] also lists a Rufus in [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=52&chapter=16&version=31 16:13].
*Most garments of the region were made of woven strips of material that were about eight inches wide and included decorative braids from two to four inches (102&nbsp;mm) wide. The garments could be disassembled and the strips of cloth were frequently recycled. A single garment might hold sections of many different dates. However, in Damascus and Bethlehem cloth was woven on wider looms, some Damascene being {{convert|40|in|mm}} wide. Traditional Bethlehem cloth is striped like pajama material.<ref>Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, exhibition notes</ref> It would thus appear that Jesus's "[[Seamless robe of Jesus|seamless robe]]" was made of cloth from either Bethlehem or Damascus.
*A tradition linked to [[icon]]s of Jesus holds that [[Saint Veronica|Veronica]] was a pious woman of Jerusalem who then gave [[Veil of Veronica|her kerchief]] to him to wipe his forehead. When he handed it back to her, the image of his face was miraculously impressed upon it.

== Passion of Jesus in botany ==
[[File:Passiflora × decaisneana 2.JPG|thumb|upright=0.7|{{center|Passiflora}}]]
The tropical plant [[passiflora]], introduced to Europe in the 16th century, got its name from the Jesuit F B Ferrari, who saw in its flower an emblem containing the instruments of the Passion of Christ. The 3 [[gynoecium|stigmas]] represent three nails, a circle of [[Perianth#Corona|radial filaments]] - a bloody [[crown of thorns]], a stalk fruit grower - the [[Holy Grail]], five anthers - five wounds of the Savior, a three-bladed leaf - [[holy Lance]], the [[tendril]]s represent the [[whip]]s used in the [[flagellation of Christ]], attachments (antennae) - lashes, white - the Savior's innocence, etc.<ref>{{cite book |author=Чуб В. |author2=Лезина К. |script-title=ru:Комнатные растения |location=Moscow |date=2000 |publisher=ЭКСМО-Пресс |page=275}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Roger L. Hammer|title=Everglades Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Wildflowers of the Historic Everglades, including Big Cypress, Corkscrew, and Fakahatchee Swamps|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-S0aBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA206|date=6 January 2015|publisher=Falcon Guides|isbn=978-1-4930-1459-0|pages=206–}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Christianity}}
* [[Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ]]
* [[Jesus at Herod's court]]
* [[Life of Jesus in the New Testament]]
* [[Passion cantata]]
* [[Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy]]
* [[Instruments of the Passion]]
* [[Christian drama|Christian tragedy]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Brown |first=Raymond E. |title=An Introduction to the New Testament |url=https://archive.org/details/introductiontone00brow_0 |url-access=registration |publisher=Doubleday |date=1997 |isbn=0-385-24767-2}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Brown |editor-first=Raymond E.|editor1-link=Raymond E. Brown |editor-first2=Joseph A. |editor-last2=Fitzmyer |editor2-link=Joseph Fitzmyer |editor-first3=Roland E. |editor-last3=Murphy | editor3-link=Roland E. Murphy |title=The New Jerome Biblical Commentary |publisher=Prentice Hall |date=1990 |isbn=0-13-614934-0|url=https://archive.org/details/newjeromebiblica0000unse/page/n7/mode/2up?view=theater|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Hugo |first=William R. |title=Studying the Life of Saint Francis of Assisi: A Beginner's Workbook |publisher=New City Press |date=2011 |isbn=978-1-56-548397-2}}
* {{cite book|last=Kilgallen |first=John J. |title=A Brief Commentary on the Gospel of Mark |url=https://archive.org/details/briefcommentaryo00kilg |url-access=registration |publisher=Paulist Press |date=1989 |isbn=0-8091-3059-9}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Miller |editor-first=Robert J. |title=The Complete Gospels |publisher=Polebridge Press |date=1994 |isbn=0-06-065587-9 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/completegospels00robe }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Passion of Jesus Christ}}
*[http://www.bible-researcher.com/parallels3.html#sect16  Gospel parallels citing verses for each Passion incident]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040814055505/http://slate.msn.com/id/2096041/ MSN article – "Why is it called the Passion?"]
*[http://www.biblical-art.com/biblicalsubject2.asp?id_biblicalsubject=405 "Passion" at Biblical Art] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514040126/http://www.biblical-art.com/biblicalsubject2.asp?id_biblicalsubject=405 |date=2013-05-14 }}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MuNbmoT4So "Chanting of the Passion Narrative according to Saint John"]

{{Clear}}
{{Jesus footer |state = expanded }}
{{Easter}}
{{Gospel of Matthew}}
{{Gospel of Mark}}
{{Gospel of Luke}}
{{Gospel of John}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Passion of Jesus| ]]
[[Category:Life of Christ in art]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]
[[Category:Vulgate Latin words and phrases]]
[[Category:Holy Week]]
[[Category:Caiaphas]]
[[Category:Pontius Pilate]]
[[Category:Herod Antipas]]