Deposition from the cross and burial of the Savior. (Chapter from "The Law of God" by Archpriest Seraphim Slobodsky)

CHAPTER 6 THE SEQUENCE FROM PILATE FOR THE BODY OF JESUS ​​HIS DISPOSITION FROM THE CROSS POSITION IN THE TOMB Depictions of these events (Matt. XXVII, 57-60; Mk. XV, 43-47; Lk. XXIII, 50-53; John XIX, 38-42) make up three separate compositions; but the second and third are sometimes combined mechanically in one picture. First fit

CHAPTER 44 crucifixion. Jesus and two thieves. Death of Jesus. The removal of the body of Jesus from the cross and His burial. Putting guards at the tomb When Pilate decided to be at the request of the chief priests and betrayed Jesus into their will (Lk.

Lesson 4. The Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord (The Power of the Cross of Christ) I. The great feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord takes place today in memory of two events: first, in memory of the finding of the Cross of the Lord and, secondly, in

Deposition from the Cross and Burial of the Savior The believers dedicate the last – Passion – week of Great Lent to memories of the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, His suffering on the Cross, death and burial. The crucified body of the Savior taken down from the Cross by his disciples Joseph and

April 25, 2008
Good Friday Evening: Descent from the Cross and Burial
Priest Pavel Konotopov
Roman law did not allow the removal from the crosses and the burial of those doomed to a shameful death. The bodies of the executed remained hanging on the crosses even after death had already stopped their torment, finally reaching the prey of predatory animals and birds.

Only sometimes, on the solemn birthdays of the emperors or on the eve of them, there were deviations from this custom, and the crucified were buried.

Jewish law treated this differently. Wanting to make the execution of the criminal especially shameful, the Jews sometimes hung the corpse of the executed on a tree, but at the same time they never left him here for the night. This would mean, according to the word of God himself, to desecrate the land given to the chosen people as an inheritance. This happened during the period of the best life of the Jewish people. But even now, when the right of the death penalty was taken away from it by the Romans, who often began to practice their execution on the cross in a foreign country, Israel could not completely forget this decree of Jehovah and be indifferent to those nailed on the unfortunate tree, according to Roman laws. At the very least, it would be the greatest insult to him to leave such in their shameful position at the place of execution for the night against the Sabbath or the day of the holiday. Saturday, on the eve of which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, was also a great and especially solemn day, since it coincided with the feast of Easter.

After this, the request of the Jews to Pilate for permission to remove the crucified from the crosses is understandable. But in order to be able to do this, it was first necessary to kill them, so the Jews offer to break their legs. Having received an order from Pilate, the soldiers not only broke the legs of each of the robbers, but also struck a blow with a spear, after which death was already certain. Having killed both robbers, the soldiers approach the cross of the Lord; but in this body, with their head bowed to their chest, they do not see signs of life, and therefore consider themselves entitled not to break the legs of the already dead. So that there would be no doubt about His death, in order to extinguish the last spark of life, if such a spark had somehow still been preserved in His heart, one of the soldiers struck the Crucified in the side with the blade of his spear. Wanting to strike a fatal blow, the warrior had to choose the left side of the chest as the seat of the heart; the same side in this case was also more convenient for a strike. From the pierced chest of Jesus Christ "blood and water flowed out."

For us, as well as for everyone, as well as for the warrior who fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah by his action, one thing should be clear: at that moment on the hill of Golgotha, on the cross, there was only one body of the Only Begotten Son of God who died for the whole world.

Meanwhile, the sun was already standing on the outskirts of the sky and that time had come, between three and six hours according to our reckoning, which the Jews called "evening". If, respecting the holiness of the fast approaching great Saturday, the Jews did not want to leave those crucified on the crosses, then they had to hurry. Therefore, as soon as the legs of the two robbers were broken and there was no doubt about their death, their bodies were hastily removed from the crosses.

Perhaps the same rough hands of the soldiers, who a few hours ago lifted these bodies to the cross with ropes, now also rudely and quickly tore them off and threw them to the ground. Then, if there were good and pious people among the Jews, they hastily buried these bodies in special tombs specially appointed for the burial of the executed. If there were no people capable of such a feat, the same soldiers quickly carried them to some local cave and left them there as prey for hyenas and jackals. But the one who died on the cross next to the villains, Providence determined to be buried by the rich.

Among the people located towards the Lord Jesus Christ and standing on Golgotha ​​at some distance from the cross, probably was Joseph of Arimathea. A wealthy man and prominent member of the Sanhedrin, he was a secret disciple of the divine Master. Being unable to prevent the lawless night proceedings, Joseph did only one thing - he avoided participating in this ungodly "council and deed." Now, forgetting his former fear and caution, he goes to Pilate and asks the governor to give him the body of Jesus Christ. Probably, very recently, those who asked for permission to break the legs of the crucified left the procurator; in any case, so little time passed after that that Pilate, having listened to a new request, was very surprised at such an unusually quick death of the chief of the condemned. Nevertheless, having certain prescriptions of the law on this score and having asked the centurion about the death of Jesus Christ, he gave the body to the full disposal of Joseph. Then the latter, without wasting a minute, hurries back to Golgotha ​​and on the way buys a shroud m, the most necessary thing for burial.

Perhaps, even in the moments of the Savior's suffering on the cross, the idea arose in Joseph's head to bury the body of the divine Teacher in his own tomb. We do not know what exactly guided the secret disciple of Jesus Christ, choosing a place for this tomb near the shameful and terrible place of execution. The new coffin that Joseph carved in the rock was very close to the place where the Savior was executed. No one has been laid here yet; the tomb was probably not even finished yet and represented only one chamber, when the only simple bed against its wall was to serve as a temporary burial place for the brief death rest of the Lord Jesus Christ.

With a long piece of thin linen in his hands, Joseph hurries from Pilate to Golgotha. Meanwhile, the latter has completely changed its appearance during this time. You can't see the guards, who, having fulfilled Pilate's order, considered their work finished. The large crowd that had recently crowded here also dispersed. The miraculous events that accompanied the death of the God-man made these frivolous people instinctively feel something great and extraordinary and, “beating their chests”, go home. The voice of the leaders of the crowd also fell silent, which now had only to celebrate the success of their cause. Quiet at Calvary. Only a few eyes with prayer rest on the deceased and a few hearts beat faster than usual, impatiently awaiting the return of Joseph. Here stand Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Lesser, and Josiah, perhaps some more of the Galilean women devoted to the Savior. Here, probably, both the disciple, whom the Deceased loved so much, and the Holy Mother, left by the Son in the care of this disciple, stand in expectation. Here, finally, is another secret disciple of the Lord, who came to Him for a nightly conversation, Nicodemus. Joyfully hearing the good news from the returned Joseph, they hastily begin to pay the last debt on earth to the Dead.

Not the rough hands of the executioners-soldiers, but the loving hand of Joseph takes the body down from the cross. The new tomb carved into the rock was surrounded by a shady garden, and the latter was so close to Golgotha ​​that the Evangelist John directly places it where Jesus Christ was crucified. Such proximity to the place, which is much more convenient for making the necessary preparations for burial than the open top of Golgotha, probably prompted immediately, after being taken down from the cross, to transfer the body of the Lord to the garden of Joseph. And here, having washed the blood-cured wounds, they wrap Him in a clean shroud, and the royal head in a special cloth, abundantly pouring funeral sheets with 100 liters of myrrh and aloes brought by Nicodemus. After that, silent and immersed in deep sorrow, Joseph and Nicodemus quietly lift the holy body and, entering the tomb, carefully lay it on the only bed carved here. Having thus given the last earthly tribute to the Deceased, by joint efforts they roll up a large stone, and close the entrance to the tomb chamber with it. The rapidly advancing twilight, with which the holiday had already begun, makes one hurry with the burial. Nevertheless, considering the ceremony unfinished, the women who were present here, returning home, prepare more "incense and ointments" with the aim of anointing the body with them as soon as the Sabbath is over. But their care was in vain and their spices did not have to touch the most pure body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This event constitutes the last, final link in the history of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. A few more hours after it, and those whom Providence had judged to be the first followers of the divine Teacher, already with joy and fear conveyed to each other the news of His resurrection.

Compiled from: Nicholas of Maccabees, Archeology of the History of the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter Paul Rubens. Descent from the cross.

JUVINET JEAN Descent from the Cross, 1697.

Rouen, 1644 - Paris, 1717

Canvas, 424 x 312 cm. Painted for the Capuchin Church on Place Louis-le-Grand in Paris. Transferred to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1756; Royal Academy collection

Rogier van der Weyden. Descent from the cross. Before 1443

Bursworth Altarpiece Master. Descent from the Cross

Angelico Fra. Descent from the cross. OK. 1440

Descent from the Cross (Matthew 27:57-58; Mark 15:42-46; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:38-40). This episode, which took place immediately after the crucifixion, is mentioned in all four Gospels. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy and respected member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish legislative council in Jerusalem) and secret disciple of Christ, received from Pilate, procurator of Judea, permission to remove the body of Christ from the cross. He brought a linen sheet, and together with Nicodemus, who brought myrrh and scarlet to embalm the body, they took it off and wrapped it in linen (according to John, this Nicodemus was the same person who visited Christ at night (see NIKODEMUS, CHRIST INSTRUCTING N We see the nails being removed from the body. Or the moment when the body is lowered from the cross is captured. Some church authorities make a distinction between this scene and the actual removal, that is, the act of placing the body on the ground, but in the name of the paintings this separation episodes are rarely reflected.Early examples in Western art are based on Byzantine originals of the 10th-11th centuries, representing the four main participants: Nicodemus with pincers, pulling a nail from his left hand, Joseph, taking the weight of the body, the Virgin Mary, who holds the right - freed - hand, and the Apostle John, broken, standing somewhat at a distance.The last two characters present in the scene of the CRUCIFICATION OF CHRIST (5) are also constantly depicted are together with Joseph and Nicodemus in the episodes following this scene and leading to the episode of the Entombment. (See PLETA; THE TRANSFER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST; THE POSITION IN THE TOMB.) The development of this theme throughout the history of Renaissance and Baroque painting has always gone in the direction of increasing complexity of interpretation and an increase in the number of characters. In the XIV-XV centuries, two stairs were usually depicted - one on each side of the cross-beam - and on them two men - Joseph and Nicodemus, supporting the body. Below are the Virgin Mary with her companions and St. John. At the base of the cross you can see the skull of Adam (see CRUCIUSION OF CHRIST, 9). Starting from the 16th century, and especially in the late painting of the Spanish Netherlands, the interpretation of this theme becomes freer and more complete. The cross is not depicted frontally, there are often four stairs, and two more unknown men help Joseph and Nicodemus to lower the body. Kneeling Mary Magdalene, possibly kissing the feet of Christ. The third woman is Mary, the wife of Cleopas, whose presence in the scene of the crucifixion of Christ is mentioned by John. The tools of the Passion lie on the ground: a crown of thorns, nails, sometimes a tablet with an inscription and a sponge. According to another version of the image of this plot, the body slides down a long panel hanging from top to bottom. Joseph and Nicodemus can be identified by their clothing. The first is often dressed richer and more refined, perhaps in a headdress, while the appearance of the second speaks of his lower social position. In the era of the early Renaissance, it is Nicodemus that we see extracting nails from the feet of Christ. St. John, as usual, is young, often with long hair. Sometimes he takes an active part in the ongoing action, especially at the final moment, supporting the descending body. Until the era of the Counter-Reformation, the Virgin Mary was sometimes depicted fainting and falling unconscious into the arms of those near her, but in later works she stands, perhaps with her hands clenched in silent suffering. (See THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST, 6.) The Magdalene, who was especially venerated during the Con1reformation as the personification of Christian repentance, is often the central figure in seventeenth-century examples of this subject. She, in expensive clothes and with her long hair, can wipe Christ's feet, as in the scene of the CRUCIFICATION OF CHRIST - an allusion to her earlier impulse in the house of Simon the Pharisee (see MARY MAGDALENE, 1).

All four evangelists described how the body of Jesus was taken down from the cross, and how Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea, went to Pilate and asked for the body of Christ. His request was granted. Of all the evangelists, only St. John mentions a certain Nicodemus, who helped Joseph wrap the body of Christ with a shroud soaked in myrrh and aloes, “as Jews usually bury” (John 19:40).

That same evening, shortly after all that had happened, a famous member of the Sanhedrin, a rich man, came to Pilate. Joseph of Arimathea(from the city of Arimathea). Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus Christ, secret - out of fear of the Jews. He was a kind and righteous man, who did not participate in the council, in the condemnation of the Savior. He asked Pilate for permission to remove the body of Christ from the cross and bury it.

Pilate was surprised that Jesus Christ died so soon. He called the centurion who guarded the crucified, learned from him when Jesus Christ died, and allowed Joseph to take the body of Christ for burial.

Joseph, having bought a shroud (a linen for burial), came to Golgotha. Another secret disciple of Jesus Christ and a member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus, also came. He brought with him for burial a precious fragrant ointment - a composition of myrrh and aloes.

They removed the body of the Savior from the Cross, anointed Him with incense, wrapped Him in a shroud, and laid Him in a new tomb, in a garden near Golgotha. This coffin was a cave that Joseph of Arimathea carved into the rock for his burial, and in which no one had yet been laid. There they laid the body of Christ, because this tomb was close to Golgotha, and there was little time, since the great feast of Easter was coming. Then they rolled a huge stone to the door of the coffin and left.

Mary Magdalene, Mary Josieva and other women were there and watched how the body of Christ was laid down. Returning home, they bought precious ointment, so that later they could anoint the body of Christ with this ointment, as soon as the first, great day of the feast had passed, on which, according to the law, everyone should be at peace.

But the enemies of Christ did not rest, despite their great feast. The next day, on Saturday, the chief priests and Pharisees (disturbing the peace of the Sabbath and the holiday) gathered, came to Pilate and began to ask him: “Lord! we remembered that this deceiver (as they dared to call Jesus Christ), while still alive, said: "After three days I will rise again." Therefore command that the tomb be guarded until the third day, lest His disciples come at night and steal Him away and tell the people that He has risen from the dead; and then the last deception will be worse than the first.”

Pilate said to them, “You have guards; go, guard, as you know."

Then the high priests with the Pharisees went to the tomb of Jesus Christ and, having carefully examined the cave, applied their (Sanhedrin's) seal to the stone; and set up a military guard at the tomb of the Lord.

When the body of the Savior lay in the tomb, with His soul He descended into hell to the souls of people who died before His suffering and death. And all the souls of righteous people who were waiting for the coming of the Savior, He freed from hell.

NOTE: See the Gospel of Matthew (); from Mark(); from Luke (); from John ().

The sufferings of Christ are remembered by the Holy Orthodox Church on the week before Easter. This week is called Passionate. Christians should spend this entire week in fasting and prayer.

AT Great Wednesday Holy Week remembers the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas Iscariot.

AT Maundy Thursday In the evening, after the Vespers (which is Good Friday Matins), the twelve parts of the gospel of the sufferings of Jesus Christ are read.

AT Good Friday at Vespers(which is served at 2 or 3 p.m.) is taken out of the altar and placed in the middle of the temple shroud, i.e., the sacred image of the Savior lying in the tomb; this is done in remembrance of the removal from the cross of the body of Christ and His burial.

AT Great Saturday on the matins, with the funeral ringing of bells and while singing the song “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us,” the shroud is wrapped around the temple in remembrance of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell, when His body was in the tomb, and His victory over hell and death .

For Holy Week and the feast of Easter, we prepare ourselves with fasting. This fast lasts forty days and is called Holy forty days or Great Lent.

In addition, the Holy Orthodox Church instituted fasting for Wednesdays and Fridays every week (except for some, very few, weeks of the year), on Wednesdays - in remembrance of the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas, and on Fridays - in remembrance of the suffering of Jesus Christ.

We express faith in the power of the suffering on the cross for us Jesus Christ sign of the cross during our prayers.