The importance of the passion narratives in the synoptic gospels

Abstract

The Passion Narratives, which witness the final hours of the life and death of Jesus, constitute the longest section in each Gospel. They have captured the attention and imagination of dramatists, artists and musicians. This is recognizable in the immense literature devoted to the Passion of Jesus. Theologically, Christians have interpreted the death of Jesus on the cross as the key elements of God's plan of redemption and salvation. Spiritually, the Passion of Jesus has been the focus of the Christian's meditation. Pastorally, the Passion is the centrepiece of Lent and Holy Week. In other words, from every point of view, the Passion is central to the history of salvation, the core of the Christian faith and the foundation of all Christian hope. At a very early stage of the Christian tradition, the story of the Passion of Jesus fitted in a sequence leading from the arrest to the crucifixion. It is known as the shorter Passion Narratives. Later, it developed into the longer Passion Narratives. In this final edition of the Passion Narratives, the Last Supper becomes part of the introduction. The Synoptics come very close to each other when they narrate the Passion and death of Jesus. Mathew and Luke seem to be following Mark. But each evangelist makes his own particular emphasis in order to answer particular problems and questions arising in his own community. All three evangelists interpreted the Passion of Jesus positively as the fulfilment of the Scriptures. That is, by assuming the role of the Suffering Servant, Jesus enters into his glory, transforming, at the same time, the spiritual condition of human beings. For John, however Jesus' death is the hour of his glorification, the hour in which his eternal glory is revealed. For this reason, John does not put emphasis on the sorrows, suffering and humiliation of Jesus, but rather on the triumph of Jesus as "King of the Jews." John introduces new elements which help to emphasize the glorification and exaltation aspects of Jesus' death. For example, the Passion Narratives begin and end with a garden signifying the paradise that was once lost and is now gained, while at the foot of the cross, Jesus' mother and the beloved disciple are presented as both historical and representative figures of the true faith in God's salvific action. The aim of this study is to discover the meaning of the Passion Narratives in the Synoptic Gospels. By doing so, we hope to show that by serious study of the Passion Narratives one may appreciate the Easter celebrations. We hope also to encourage those who are suffering to realize that since our redemption came through suffering, suffering is not meaningless. Through faith, suffering becomes God's plan of salvation for each one of us. For the purpose of this study, we intend to divide the present work in three chapters. For theological purposes the first chapter will discuss the Old Testament citations and allusions which influenced the Passion Narratives. The second chapter will discuss the way the Synoptic Gospels report the crucifixion, death and burial of Christ. The third chapter will look at the early Christian writers who presented Jesus as the model to the early Christian communities at the time of persecution. We will finally conclude with a note about the importance of the Passion Narratives, not only for the Christians but also for the entire human race.