Comparison of the Passion Narratives of the Gospels - Literature review Example

A Comparison of the Passion Narratives of the Gospels of Matthew and John The Passion of Jesus, which refers to the sufferings that the Lord has experienced from the moment He is arrested at Gethsemane to His Death on the cross, is told in all four Gospels. In the Gospel of Matthew, it can be found in Matthew 26:47-27:61 and in the Gospel of John it is found in John 18:1-19:42. These two Gospels both have similarities and differences on the account of the Passion. Furthermore, a number of these similarities and differences may have profound theological implications. Notable Differences One of the differences between the Gospels is when it comes to the arrest of Jesus where Matthew gives a longer account of the events while John gives a shorter one and does not mention any kiss of betrayal from Judas. In all three synoptic Gospels including Matthew, Judas turns to the crowd he is with and gives them a signal saying “The man I kiss is the one you want. Arrest him!” (Matt. 26:48, The New International Version). Judas then approaches Jesus and says, “Peace be with you, Teacher!” (Matt. 26:50) but to which Jesus replies, “Be quick about it, friend” (Matt. 26:50). John, on the other hand, never mentions any exchange of words between Jesus and Judas, who was mentioned to be just standing with the crowd (Jn. 18:15), but rather only between the former and the crowd of soldiers themselves. Jesus asks them, “Who is it you are looking for?” (Jn. 18:4), and when they say “Jesus of Nazareth” (Jn. 18:5), Jesus replies, “If, then, you are looking for me, let these others go” (Jn. 18:8). The role of Judas in the Gospel of John during the arrest is not underlined and is presumably a minor one. Upon the arrest of Jesus, a disciple of His cuts off the ear of the High Priest’s slave with a sword. While in Matthew the disciple and the slave are both unnamed, John identifies them as Simon Peter and Malchus. It is also interesting to note that in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reprimands the disciple who is assumed to be Peter, by saying, “Put your sword back in its place…All who take the sword will die by the sword.” (Matt. 26:52) On the trial of Jesus, the Gospel of John mentions that Jesus has first been taken to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the High Priest that year (Jn. 18:13). Nevertheless, the Gospel of Matthew mentions of no such thing. Although John does not indicate whether the trial of Jesus before Annas is visible to the crowd, the complete account is found in John 18:19-24. Based on John’s narration of the trial, it is interesting to note that Jesus seems to defy Annas’ authority by saying, “”I have always spoken publicly to everyone…Why, then do you question me? Question the people who heard me…they know what I said” (Jn. 18:20-21). After which, Jesus is taken to Caiaphas, which both John and Matthew mentions. Nevertheless, it is Matthew who gives a rather full account of Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas. Perhaps one of the most important statements of Jesus stated by Matthew is this: “From this time on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64), which Caiaphas himself considers blasphemous. During the death sentence of Jesus that follows, it is interesting to note that, according to Matthew, Pilate’s wife sends him a message while he is sitting in the judgment hall right after Jesus’ trial. The message of Pilate’s wife says, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night I suffered much on account of Him” (Matt. 27:19). Nevertheless, John does not mention of such a message. Moreover, while Matthew mentions nothing of where Jesus has been presented during the death sentence, John makes reference to “The Stone Pavement” or “Gabbatha.” (Jn. 19:13) Another striking difference between the Gospels of Matthew and John when it comes to the events surrounding the crucifixion is the fact that John mentions the seamless robe of Jesus while Matthew makes no mention of such. According to John: “After the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. They also took the robe which was made of one piece of woven cloth without any seams in it.” (Jn. 19:23) The seamless robe of Jesus, which is similar to one worn by the High Priest, somehow makes one think that John shows that Jesus is the universal king of all (Karris 1012). Moreover, the fact that the robe is not torn is a symbol that the community of disciples that has heard Jesus’ word also cannot be torn apart. (Moloney & Harrington 503) Still, on the crucifixion of Jesus, all three synoptic Gospels, including Matthew, does not mention anything about the nailing of Jesus to the cross. Only the Gospel of John makes reference to it in the words of Thomas: “Unless I see the scars of the nails in His hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in His side, I will not believe.” (Jn. 20:25) Another difference is that the Gospel of John mentions Jesus entrusting His mother to John. To his mother, Jesus says, “He is your son” (Jn. 19:26), and to John He says, “She is your mother” (Jn. 19:27). It is then said that from that time on, John has taken Mary to live in his home. This may mean that “as a result of the lifting up of Jesus on the cross, the Beloved Disciple and the Mother become one,” which somehow implies “an unconditioned acceptance of the word of Jesus.” (Moloney & Harrington 504) One more difference between Matthew and John is the last words of Jesus before He expires. Matthew mentions that at three o’clock in the afternoon, Jesus cries out, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?,” which means “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?” (Matt. 27:46). On the hand, according to the Gospel of John, which does not mention anything about Jesus’ dying at three o’clock, Jesus says, “I thirst” (Jn. 19:28). These words the prompt someone to make Jesus drink cheap wine from a sponge on a stalk of hyssop, and after which, Jesus dies. It is interesting to note that it is only in the Gospel of John that one can find reference to this hyssop. This hyssop has particular theological implications which will be mentioned later. Another difference is that Matthew, together with Mark and Luke, gives an account of the darkness that lasts three hours after the death of Christ and the earthquake that follows, while John does not mention anything about such. The most dramatic of the accounts is that of Matthew, where the following events happen: “The curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom [as] the earth shook, the rocks split apart, and the graves broke open, and many of God’s people who had died before were raised to life.” (Matt. 27:51-52) This rather symbolic and apocalyptic account of the events that ensue after the death of Christ somehow connects Jesus’ death with the effects of Jesus’ second coming when “these saints appear enter Jerusalem and appear to men.” (Hill 111) The cry of the centurion, which is found in Matthew but not in John, is another notable difference between the two Gospels. The centurion says, after witnessing the earthquake and darkness, “Truly this man was God’s son” (Matt. 27:54). This is more like an “attempt to reflect the broader diversity of people who recognize Jesus’ identity after the resurrection.” (Hill 111) Last but certainly not the least and definitely one of the most striking differences between Matthew and John is the fact that the latter mentions that Jesus Christ is pierced while all three synoptic Gospels including Matthew make no mention of it. The piercing takes place when “the Jewish authorities asked Pilate to allow them to break the legs of the men who had been crucified, and to take their bodies down from the crosses” (Jn. 19:31). Only the two thieves’ legs are broken because the soldiers notice that Jesus “was already dead” (Jn. 19:33). After which, one of the soldiers “plunged his spear into Jesus’ side, and at once blood poured and water poured out” (Jn. 19:34). This particular difference has profound theological implications that tie up with the Old Testament. These implications will be mentioned in the succeeding paragraphs. A Few Similarities Overall, the Gospels of Matthew and John agree on the general sequence of events surrounding the Passion of Jesus, which begins with the arrest, proceeds through the trial and torture, and ends with the crucifixion and death of the Lord. The most likely reason for such congruence is the early tradition of the Church which has already been established during the time of Jesus’ preaching. Paul mentions in 1 Cor. 15:11, “So then, whether it came from me or from them [apostles], this is what we all preach, and this is what you believe.” In this particular chapter of the First Book of Corinthians, Paul mentions that the death of Jesus and the details surrounding it forms part of the early established tradition passed to him. The consistency in the Passion Narratives in Matthew and John is made possible by the fact that the members of the early Church has considered the death of Jesus central to their message. Another similarity between the two Gospels is the mention of the same cruel reaction of the crowd against Jesus after Pilate presents Him to them following His trial. The ensuing torture of Jesus under the hands of the Roman soldiers is also similar in both Gospels. Another difference between Matthew and John is the fact that the former mentions the presence of two thieves crucified side by side with Jesus. While John does not mention this, Matthew 27:44 states that “Even the bandits who had been crucified with Him insulted Him in the same way.” Nevertheless, only Luke gives a longer exchange of words between Jesus and the two thieves. Perhaps one striking similarity between the two Gospels is the occasional references to the events of the Old Testament for the purpose of fulfilling the Scriptures. John directly states this idea of Jesus’ death having to fulfill the Scriptures. After the piercing of Jesus’ side in the Gospel of John, it is then mentioned that this particular act has been done to make the Scriptures come true – that “none of his bones will be broken” and that “people will look at Him who is pierced” (Jn. 19:37). This perhaps refers to Exodus 12:46, which is an instructional account of how the Passover lamb is to be consumed and that one must “not break any of the animal’s bones” (Ex. 12:46). Jesus is then likened to the Passover lamb, the food offering of the Israelites to God so that they would not be killed by Death during the time of Moses. John somehow ascribes this sacrificial nature of the lamb to Jesus Christ. With the blood of the lamb, the Israelites have been saved, and with the blood of Jesus, the whole world is saved. Although Matthew does not directly state references to the Old Testament, his mention of Jesus shouting, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?” (Matt. 27:46) and the account of mockery that Jesus has experienced both allude to the cry of anguish in Psalm 22, whose first verse states, “My god, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Ps. 22:1) Moreover, in the Gospel of John, the hyssop from which Jesus drinks before His death is also mentioned in Exodus 12:22, where the hyssop is dipped in a bowl containing the lamb’s blood and this is used to wipe the blood on the doorposts of the Israelites so that they may be spared from death. This also somehow implies that Jesus is indeed the sacrificial lamb. Lastly, the events in John 19:23 where the soldiers have taken Jesus clothes and divided them into four parts somehow alludes to Psalm 22:18, which states, “They gamble for my clothes and divide them among themselves.” Indeed the role of the Old Testament in the presentation of the Passion Narratives is to show that the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Conclusion Both the Gospels of Matthew and John mention similar and different events surrounding the Passion of Jesus. Some notable differences worth mentioning include those with theological implications: the seamless robe of Jesus, Jesus’ entrusting His mother to John, and the piercing of Jesus’ side in the Gospel of John, and the raising of the dead and the cry of the centurion in the Gospel of Matthew. Moreover, there are also various similarities between the Gospels, namely the general agreement on the sequence of events as well as the occasional references to the Old Testament to reflect the idea that Jesus’ passion and death serve to fulfill the Scriptures. Top of Form Bottom of Form Works Cited Hill, Brennan. Jesus the Christ: Contemporary Perspectives. New Ed. New York: Twenty-Third Publications, 2004. Print. Karris, Robert J. The Collegeville Bible Commentary: New Testament. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1992. Print. Moloney, Francis J. and Harrington, Daniel J. The Gospel of John. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1998. Print. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. Read More