Behavior on Good Friday Orthodoxy. Good Friday: how to live it right Embrace the spirit of worship
April 6, 2018 for Orthodox Christians who celebrate holidays according to the Julian calendar, the most mournful and tragic day comes Holy Week - Good (Good) Friday. On Good Friday, believers remember the trial of Jesus, his suffering on the cross, the death that ended Christ's earthly life, and burial.
When Orthodox Christians Celebrate Good Friday in 2018
Good Friday for the Orthodox April 6, two days before Easter celebrated this year April 8.
Catholics, Protestants and other churches living according to the Western calendar met Easter on April 1st.
What is remembered on Good Friday
According to the gospel story, it was on Good Friday that Jesus was put on trial, sentenced to death on the cross, subjected to scourging, and then made the way of the cross to Golgotha, where he was crucified and died, completing his earthly life. Also on Good Friday, they remember the removal of the body of Jesus from the cross and burial.
In the gospels of John and Brand it is said that after the judgment was passed on Christ, he was subjected to scourging. After the scourging, the Roman soldiers mocked Jesus - they put a purple robe on him, put a crown of thorns on his head, put a cane in his right hand and fell on his knees in front of him with the words: “Hail, king of the Jews,” and then they spat at him and beat him on the head and on the face.
By verdict Pontius Pilate Jesus was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem on Mount Calvary, where he himself carried his cross. Two thieves were crucified with Jesus. When Jesus died, one of the Roman soldiers stuck a spear in his hypochondrium to make sure he was dead.
After that, the body of Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried in a rock-cut tomb near Golgotha to stay there until the resurrection - Easter.
How to Fast on Good Friday
in Orthodoxy and folk tradition Good Friday - as a sign of respect for Christ's torments - is one of the strictest days of Great Lent. According to the strictest version of the fast, it is customary to completely abstain from food on this day, at least until the evening. After the service and the removal of the shroud, fasting people are allowed only bread with cold water.
Good Friday: folk customs, traditions and signs
In Russia, Good Friday was very honored. Believers fasted, went to temples, and during the service, candles were brought burning home and placed in front of the icon. The same was done during the service at Easter. This custom is still alive today.
There were folk omens associated with Good Friday.
So it was believed that Easter cake baked on Good Friday could be stored for a whole year - it does not grow moldy and has healing properties.
It was believed that good weather on Good Friday promises a good harvest.
On Good Friday, breastfeeding mothers were allowed to wean their babies.
There was also a custom on Good Friday to expel objects from the house, presumably spoken by enemies or envious people. To do this, they walked around the hut with a lit candle, it was believed that next to the objects from which the “evil eye” comes, the candle begins to crack. They tried to throw away or give away the “bad” thing, so as not to bring trouble on themselves and loved ones.
Good Friday: what not to do
On Good Friday, it was considered a sin to pierce the earth with iron - in memory of the fact that the hands and feet of Christ were pierced with nails during the crucifixion. Therefore, on this day, all work related to plowing and harrowing was strictly prohibited. It was forbidden to cut firewood and any work that required metal equipment - knives, saws, etc. It was impossible to cut food with knives. Women were strictly forbidden to sew, knit and embroider on this day.
In general, household chores on Good Friday were not encouraged - all housework should have been completed on Maundy Thursday. The housewives who did not have time to finish the laundry on Thursday were especially condemned - they were condemned by the whole village.
It was only possible to finish cooking Easter food, baking Easter cakes and coloring eggs.
Also on Good Friday in Russia it was not customary to have fun, laugh, sing and even talk loudly. According to legend, those who allow themselves fun on Good Friday will shed tears all year long.
Commemoration of the holy saving passions of our Lord Jesus Christ
Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
On Great Friday, the Holy, saving and terrible sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, suffered by His will, took place and is remembered by the Church.
Celebrating on Good Friday “the following of the holy and saving passions of our Lord Jesus Christ,” the Orthodox Church on this great day marked all the times of the sacred events of the salvation of the world with a divine service: the time of the taking of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane and His condemnation by the bishops and elders to suffering and death (Matt. 27:1) - the service of Matins; the time of leading the Savior to judgment before Pilate - Divine service of the first hour (Mt. 27, 2); the time of the condemnation of the Lord at the trial by Pilate - by the celebration of the third hour; the time of Christ's suffering on the cross - at the sixth hour; the time of death is the ninth hour; and the removal of the body of Christ from the cross by evening.
There is no Liturgy on Good Friday, because on this day the Lord Himself sacrificed Himself, and the Royal Hours are celebrated. Vespers is celebrated at the third hour of the day, at the hour of the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, in remembrance of the removal from the cross of the body of Christ and His burial. At Vespers, the priests raise the Shroud (that is, the image of Christ lying in the tomb) from the Throne, as if from Golgotha, and take it out of the altar to the middle of the temple. The Shroud relies on the tomb, a specially prepared table. Then the clergy and all those praying worship before the Shroud and kiss the sores of the Lord depicted on it - the perforation of the rib, hands and feet of Him. The shroud is located in the middle of the temple for three (incomplete) days, thus reminiscent of the three-day presence of Jesus Christ in the tomb.
At the morning service on Good Friday, the Church solemnly pronounces the gospel of the suffering and death of the God-man, divided into 12 Gospel readings, called the Passion Gospels. The reading of the 12 Gospels on Good Friday originated from the Apostolic Tradition. St. John Chrysostom mentions the reading of the 12 Passion Gospels on Good Friday. He says: “The Jews attack Jesus Christ with fury, and of themselves torture Him, bind, lead away, become the perpetrators of the offenses inflicted by the soldiers, nail to the cross, reproach, mock. Pilate here did not add anything on his part: they do everything themselves. And this is what we read when we are all in the assembly, lest the pagans tell us: you show the people only brilliant and glorious things, such as signs and wonders, but you hide shameful things. The grace of the Holy Spirit so arranged that all this is read with us on a national holiday - precisely on Great Thursday of Pascha (that is, on the Friday of Holy Week), when men and women come in great numbers, when the whole universe flocks, then this is preached loud voice; and with such and such public reading and preaching, we believe that Christ is God. “Now we all,” said St. John of Damascus on the Great Heel, “are gathered to hear about the cross, we fill the Church, we press each other, we sweat and exhaust ourselves.”
The readings of the Passionate Gospels are preceded and accompanied by the singing: "Glory to Thy long-suffering, Lord." Indeed, His long-suffering was exceedingly great; His sufferings were terrible. According to the Church and St. John Chrysostom, during the terrible and saving sufferings of the Lord, each member of His holy flesh “suffered dishonor for us: the head from the crown of thorns and the reed; face from blows and spitting; lanitis from earache; mouth from offering vinegar mixed with gall; ears from the blasphemy of the wicked; shoulders from beating; the right hand of the reed, which they gave Him to hold instead of a scepter; hands and feet from nails; ribs from a copy; the whole body from being exposed, scourged, dressed in chlamys, feigned worship and crucifixion.
Each reading of the Gospel is proclaimed with the gospel, and at each reading the forthcoming ones are lit with lamps: this signifies the triumph and glory that accompanied the Son of God and during His extreme humiliation amidst reproach and suffering and testifies to His highest holiness and Divinity. The Lord, going to voluntary suffering and death, Himself foretold: now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, then God will glorify Him in Himself, and will soon glorify Him (John 13:31-32), that is, “together with the cross,” says John Chrysostom. The sufferings of the Lord for our sins were as grievous as they were glorious for the Lord. Enemies go to take Him to suffering and death, and they fall before His Divine omnipotence and are healed of their wounds. They rage against the Savior, but His innocence and supreme holiness triumph over their blinded malice. Those who, either out of fear or greed, have denied the Lord, confess their sin against Him either with tears of repentance or with the death of despair. The Apostle Peter washes his renunciation of Christ with bitter tears of sincere repentance. Judas the traitor, seeing that the Lord is condemned to death, gives in to despair and returns 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests, saying: I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. The chief priests, instead of consoling the person who served them, only increase his despair and show their weakness and indecision before the truth, saying to Judas: “What is it to us? take a look yourself". “Are these not the words of those who themselves testify to their villainy and madness, covering themselves with a senseless mask of feigned ignorance”? Desperate Judas threw down the pieces of silver in the church and strangled himself. And the pieces of silver, as the price of blood, on the advice of the high priests, were not put into the church treasury. “Do you understand,” says St. John Chrysostom, “how they are condemned by their conscience? They themselves see that they bought the murder, and therefore they did not put it in a korvan.
God-man on the cross; one of the thieves crucified with Him, rebuking the other for blasphemous words, confesses Jesus Christ as the Lord, and His innocence and Divinity. Finally, for the glory of the Crucified One, terrible signs follow one after another, announcing the expiatory suffering and death of the saints of the Most Holy One and admonishing the crucifiers (1 Cor. 2, 8). In the temple of Jerusalem, the veil is torn in two, showing that with the death of the universal Sacrifice on the Cross, the ancient tabernacle has come to an end and the path to the very sanctuary has been opened to all (Heb. 9, 8).
Archpriest G.S. Debolsky,
"Days of worship Orthodox Church”, vol. 2
Chants from the Friday Service of Holy Week of Great Lent
Today it hangs on a tree, Who hung the earth on the waters: He wears a crown of thorns, Who is the King of Angels: He dresses in a false scarlet, clothes the sky with clouds: the temptation is pleasant, Who freed Adam in the Jordan: the Bridegroom of the Church was nailed with nails: the Son of the Virgin was pierced with a copy. We bow down to Thy Passion, Christ: we bow down to Thy Passion, Christ: we bow down to Thy Passion, Christ, show us also Thy glorious Resurrection.
“Now hangs on the tree the One who hung (established) the earth on the waters; the King of Angels is covered with a crown of thorns; He who dresses the sky with clouds is dressed in jester's purple; he who freed (from sin) Adam in the Jordan accepts stupefaction (slapped); the Bridegroom of the Church is nailed; the Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear. We worship Your sufferings, Christ, we worship Your sufferings, Christ, we worship Your sufferings, Christ, show us also Your all-glorious Resurrection.
Gospel of Luke
Led with Him to death and two villains. And when they came to the place called Skull, there they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on the right, the other on the left. Jesus said: Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided His garments by casting lots. And the people stood and watched. The rulers also mocked with them, saying: He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ, the chosen one of God. The soldiers also cursed Him, coming up and offering Him vinegar and saying: If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself. And there was an inscription over Him, written in Greek, Roman, and Hebrew words: This is the King of the Jews. One of the hanged villains slandered Him and said: if you are the Christ, save yourself and us. The other, on the contrary, calmed him and said: or are you not afraid of God when you yourself are condemned to the same? and we are justly condemned, because we received what was worthy according to our deeds, but He did nothing wrong. And he said to Jesus: Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom! And Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.
And it was about the sixth hour of the day, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour: and the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said: Father! into your hands I commit my spirit. And having said this, he gave up his spirit. The centurion, seeing what was happening, glorified God and said: truly this man was a righteous man. And all the people who had gathered for this spectacle, seeing what was happening, returned, beating their breasts. All those who knew Him, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood in the distance and looked at it.
OK. 23, 32-49
And all the people who had gathered for this spectacle, seeing what was happening, returned, beating their breasts.
OK. 23, 48
What was the spectacle that led the audience into complete bewilderment? What was the spectacle that sealed the lips of the spectators with silence, and at the same time shook their souls? They came to the spectacle to satisfy their curiosity; they left the spectacle, striking in the chest and taking with them a terrible bewilderment ... What was this spectacle?
Not only people looked at this spectacle: all the Angels of God looked at him with horror and the deepest reverence; heavenly things no longer attracted their attention; their gazes rushed, riveted to the spectacle that opened on the ground. The sun saw what he had not seen, and, unable to endure what he saw, hid his rays, as a man closes his eyes at an unbearable sight for him: it was dressed in deep darkness, expressing in darkness sadness, as deep as death is bitter. The earth trembled and shook under the event that took place on it. The Old Testament Church tore apart her magnificent veil; so the most precious clothes are tormented and not spared in the inevitable, decisive disaster. And all the people who had come together for this spectacle, seeing what was happening, returned, beating their chests ... What kind of spectacle was it?
There was a spectacle that we now contemplate in memory, in the ongoing church service, in the sacred Image that is presented to our eyes. The spectacle was the Son of God, descended from heaven, incarnated for the salvation of people, cursed, killed by people.
What feeling, if not a feeling of horror, should completely embrace the heart at this spectacle? What state, if not a state of complete bewilderment, should be a state of mind? What word can be uttered at this spectacle? Will not every human word die in the mouth before it comes out of the mouth? And all the people who had gathered for this spectacle, seeing what was happening, returned, beating their breasts.
They returned, beating their breasts, returned in bewilderment and horror, those who came to look at the Savior hanging on the tree of the cross, like a ripe and scarlet fruit, came to look with a probing thought, out of pompous and false conceit. Faith was silent in them. The fading sun cried out to them, the trembling earth cried out to them, the stones cried out to them, parting with a crash and rising above the graves of the dead, suddenly revived by the death of the Savior. They returned in horror, vainly inquisitive: in horror not from the perfect murder of God, but in horror from the formidable gaze and voice of shuddering, insensible nature, expressing its knowledge of God before humanity that did not recognize Him. They returned, beating their breasts in fear for themselves, for their flesh and blood, for the sake of which blood was shed, the body of the God-man was tormented.
While the Jews, resting in the Law, boasting of a vast and accurate knowledge of the Law, were perplexed, looking at the event foretold by the Law and the Prophets, looking at the spontaneous Sacrifice, of which they were unconscious priests; while the Jews were perplexed and returned, agitated by fear and a gloomy foreboding of their own disaster, the pagan, the centurion, stood before the cross and the Sacrifice, stood without leaving. It was impossible for him to leave, because he commanded the guard that guarded the Sacrifice: this happy impossibility was given to him, because faith was hidden in his heart, obvious to the Knower of Hearts. When nature proclaimed its confession of God, the centurion gave an answer to the mysterious voice of nature, gave an answer to the mysterious confession with an open and public confession. Truly He was the Son of God, he said of the executed, hanging before his eyes, the wanderer, recognizing God in the executed wanderer. The Jews, proud of their knowledge of the letter of the Law and their ritual outward righteousness, were perplexed before the Son of Man and the Son of God crucified on the tree. On the one hand, signs struck them - an earthquake, a tearing of the church curtain, a deep darkness that came at noon; on the other hand, they were blinded and hardened by the carnal mind and proud self-deception, representing the Messiah in the splendor of earthly glory, a magnificent king, the conqueror of the universe, at the head of a large army, among a host of luxurious courtiers. At this time, a warrior, a pagan, confessed the executed wanderer to God: at this time, a criminal criminal confessed Him to be God. Come down from the cross! - the blind Jewish bishops and scribes mockingly said to the God-Man, not understanding what all-holy Sacrifice, what all-holy and all-powerful Burnt offering they brought to God, - let him come down from the cross, so that we can see, and we will believe: at this time, the rude, ignorant robber recognized Him as God ascended to the cross because of His divine righteousness, and not because of His sin. With bodily eyes he saw a naked, crucified near him, subject to the same fate as himself, a helpless beggar, condemned by both spiritual and civil authority, tormented, executed, and still tormented and executed by all expressions of hatred: with the eyes of a humble heart, he saw God. The strong, the glorious, the sensible, the righteous of the world showered God with abuse and ridicule—the thief turned to Him with a well-intentioned and successful prayer: remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom (Luke 23:42).
The Ever-Virgin Mother of God stood at the cross and the Lord crucified on it. Her heart was pierced with sadness like a sword: the prediction of the holy elder Simeon was being fulfilled. But She knew that Her Son, the Son of God, deigned to ascend the cross and offer Himself as a reconciliatory sacrifice for outcast humanity; She knew that the Lord, having completed the redemption of people by death, would rise again and resurrect humanity with Himself; She knew this - and was silent. She was silent before the greatness of the event: she was silent from the abundance of sorrow: she was silent before the will of God, against the definitions of which there is no voice.
The beloved disciple of the Lord stood at the cross. He looked at the height of the cross – in the incomprehensible love of the voluntary Sacrifice he contemplated Divine Love. Divine Love is the source of Theology. She is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and Theology is a Gift of the Holy Spirit. She revealed to the Apostles the mysterious meaning of redemption. For the love of Christ compels us, the disciple and messenger of Christ proclaims the gospel, reasoning thus: if one died for all, then all died (2 Cor. 5:14). Because of the infinite love that the Lord has for mankind, and which the Lord alone is capable of having, all mankind suffered on the cross in the person of the Lord and died in the person of the Lord. But if humanity suffered in Him, then it was justified in Him; if it died in Him, then it was made alive in Him. The death of the Lord became the source of life.
Suddenly, the voice of the crucified Lord was heard from the cross to the Ever-Virgin: Geno! Behold, Thy Son; then a voice to the beloved disciple: Behold, your mother. Destroying on the tree of the cross the sin of the forefathers, committed by them at the tree of paradise, giving birth to mankind in new life life-giving death, the Lord enters into the rights of the Ancestor of the human, and declares His own Mother, according to humanity, the matter of the disciple and all his disciples, the Christian tribe. The old Adam is replaced by the New Adam, the fallen Eve by the immaculate Mary. By the transgression of one, the Apostle said, many were subjected to death, how much more the grace of God and the gift of the grace of one Man, Jesus Christ, abound for many (Rom. 5:15). Through the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ, countless and inexpressible blessings have been poured out on the human race: not only has the redemption of men been accomplished, but their adoption as sons of God has been accomplished.
Enlightened by the contemplation of the great event, let us return, beloved brothers, to our homes, and take with us deep, salutary thoughts, striking our hearts with these thoughts. We remembered, we vividly contemplated the act of Divine Love, an act that surpassed words, surpassed comprehension. The martyrs responded to this love with torrents of their blood, which they shed like water; the saints responded to this Love by mortifying the flesh with passions and lusts; many sinners responded to this Love with streams of tears, sighs of the heart, confession of their sins, and drew from it healing for souls; Many who were oppressed by sorrows and illnesses responded to this Love, and this love dissolved their sorrows with Divine consolation. We will also respond to the love of our Lord for us with sympathy for His love: a life according to His all-holy commandments. This sign of love He requires from us, and only this sign of love He will accept from us. Whoever loves me will keep my word; He who does not love Me does not keep My words (John 14:23, 24). If we do not respond to the Lord's love for us with love for Him, then has not the blood of the God-man been shed for us in vain? Is not His all-holy Body tormented for us in vain? Is it not in vain that the Great Sacrifice was laid on the altar of the cross, and slain? All-powerful is Her intercession for us for salvation: all-powerful is Her complaint against those who neglect Her. The voice of the blood of the righteous Abel ascended from earth to heaven, and appeared to God with an accusation against the one who shed this blood: the voice of the great Sacrifice is heard in the middle of heaven, on the very throne of the Godhead, on which the great Sacrifice sits. The voice of Her complaint is at the same time God's decree, pronouncing eternal punishment on the enemies and despisers of the Son of God. What is the use of My blood: when shall Me descend into destruction? The all-holy Sacrifice speaks, accusing the Christians who have been redeemed by it, who have taken its price into themselves, and cast it down with them into the stench of sin. This terrible crime is committed by everyone who takes the joys of Christ, their soul and body, redeemed by Christ and belonging to Christ, creates their spirits of a harlot by various copulation with sin. Do you not know, says the Apostle, that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will punish him. Amen.
In the life of every Orthodox Christian, the most mournful day of the year comes, the day of the death of the Cross of the Lord and God and Savior of our Jesus Christ, also called by the Church Charter - Good (Great) Friday.
We must weep and remember on Good Friday not only that people betrayed the Lord and killed Him, that He suffered during the Most Pure Passion with His Human nature. Although deepening into the contemplation of these Passions of Christ is wonderful and soul-saving. To do this, at the morning of the Great Heel, the gospel conceptions about the Passion of Christ are read, and already on Good Friday itself, the Shroud with the image of the Body of Christ, Laying in the Tomb, is worn out. All this is done in our temples, so that a person would approach heartily and bodily and, as it were, plunge into the Redeeming Feat of the God-Man - into this Mystery of God's salvation of the human race, incomprehensible to our understanding. But the very approach of the human mind and heart to this Mystery, the movement towards It, makes a person a participant in the Divine and deeply penetrates into our souls, as if nailing them to the Cross, forcing them to experience not only the death of Christ, but also the death of their own sin. And in the death of this monster, a wondrous metamorphosis takes place, when from the caterpillar of sin the butterfly of the resurrection of our souls is born; when from the dead, petrified wheat grain of our heart, ulcerated with a defect, a living green and joyful ear of resurrection, a living vine of salvation, rises up.
That's what I think you need to think about on Good Friday. Orthodoxy is not a religion of horror, death and fear. No. Orthodoxy is a religion of joy. It was this Paschal feeling, the feeling of one’s personal life, one’s own personal resurrection in the Risen Christ, that allowed Saint Seraphim Sarovsky to exclaim such beautiful words: “My joy! Christ is Risen!" And they are also addressed to each of us.
An Orthodox Christian so often in his life goes deep into corruption and evil eye, into electronic concentration camps! So often in the last times man is waiting for the coming of the Antichrist! But is that the point? Is it really the fact that the heavens are twisted like a scroll? Not only in this. But first of all, our Lord Jesus Christ will appear at His Second Coming to save His faithful. And it will also be Easter. "Getting rid of".
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, on this day of the Great Heel, let us sing together with the Church: “Glory to Thy passion, Lord!”, “Glory to Thy long-suffering, Lord!” - and remember that inside the symphony orchestra of sorrow already sounds (so far only barely, but every moment louder and louder) a joyful horn: “Christ is Risen! Truly Risen!"
Priest Andrei Chizhenko
Orthodox Life
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Great Tuesday of Holy Week
crucifixion of jesus
The execution of Jesus was scheduled for Tuesday, April 17 29 AD Since Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate refused to recognize Jesus as guilty, they allowed Caiaphas to punish Jesus himself. For the execution, a place was allotted in the center of the city. Two executioners were appointed to carry out the sentence: one tall, the other is a little lower. The whips with which Jesus was beaten had five tails of unequal length. At the end of each tail, iron sinkers were attached so that the whips tightly clasped the body and, pulling off it, tore the skin. Before sending Jesus on his way, he was beaten for a long time and a lot. First, Jesus was tied to a post by his upturned hands and began to be whipped with whips, first on the back, then on the chest and on the stomach. Two of the crowd beat Jesus on the head with sticks, breaking the bridge of his nose. Jesus silently endured all the beatings, without uttering a sound. But all the executioners were simply exhausted.
When, after this punishment, Jesus was dressed in a white shirt, it immediately turned into purple. A crown of thorns was put on Jesus' head, and a sign was hung around his neck: "I am God." The inscription was made in four languages - Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek and Latin. The Jewish priests, seeing this inscription, began to resent. They wanted to execute Jesus as a blasphemer, as an impostor king, but not as God. There was no doubt that there was some divinity in Jesus. Any person who saw Christ began to feel the incredible strength and energy emanating from him, a mystical thrill seized everyone who felt it.
Jesus silently endured all the beatings and bullying, confirming his teaching - God loves everyone, He cannot hurt anyone, even his executioners. God does not punish anyone!
The Jews rushed to Pilate, demanding that this inscription be changed to another one: "I am the King of the Jews." Pilate refused this request, saying: “What I wrote, I wrote. You accused him of being God. If he considers himself the king of the Jews, then this is not a sin. Judah may have many kings. You blame him for this. I don't blame him for this. I don't want the blood of this righteous man on me." The Bible also says that the tablet was written: "Jesus of Nazareth - King of the Jews." This is too large an inscription and it simply could not fit on a small tablet in four languages. The first to understand this were the painters who tried to fit this inscription on the canvases, this inscription simply did not fit. Then a way out was found - on a small plate on the cross, four Latin letters were simply depicted - JNRJ, which were deciphered: Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum (Jesus of Nazareth - King of the Jews). It was simply pointless to write four letters incomprehensible to anyone on a tablet. In fact, there was a short inscription: "I am God", without any abbreviations. Roman priests, rewriting the Bible in 325, tried to keep silent about this fact..
Jesus himself must carry his own cross, on which he was to suffer torment. The cross, made of oak, was very heavy. The cross was 2.5 meters high and 1.5 meters wide. Together with Jesus, they prepared two criminals for crucifixion, mockingly saying: “You are God, and these are your two angels, let them help you.”
When the exhausted and physically exhausted Christ fell under the weight of his burden, then the executioners walking nearby again beat him with whips until he rose to his feet. Simeon, walking from the field, saw Jesus fall, breaking his knee into blood, and the heavy beam of the cross hit him on the back and legs. Then Simeon, not thinking about what would happen to him, rushed to help Jesus. The soldiers accompanying the procession were already quite tired, and they were tired of dragging along with Jesus along the dusty and dirty streets of Jerusalem. Therefore, no one stopped Simeon, and Jesus walked beside him, sometimes slightly holding on to the cross. Jesus was accompanied to Golgotha during the way of the cross by a large crowd. The vast majority of these were people who did not believe in him and did not recognize his teachings, but went to see the execution out of curiosity. Among them were many who previously wanted to walk with Jesus and whom he sent away from himself, seeing their greed, cunning, envy and greed. Jesus did not keep such people near him, and they were offended and embittered because he rejected them. Ordinary Jews - farmers and cattle breeders, on the contrary, greatly grieved and worried about Jesus, but could not do anything. They were afraid for their lives, for their children, fear literally paralyzed their will. These people are not yet ripe for decisive action, were not ready either for an uprising or for the defense of anyone.
During the Way of the Cross, a woman named Veronica wiped the tortured Jesus' face with a handkerchief. And on this piece of matter the face of the Savior suddenly appeared.
Face of Christ
First, the cross was buried in the ground. Next to the cross was placed a pedestal, similar to a bench. To prevent the cross from swinging in different directions under the weight of the body, it was firmly nailed to this pedestal. The crucified man did not hang on the cross, but rested his feet on a wooden pedestal. At the same time, his legs were nailed to the pedestal so that he could not even move. This was done so that the executed, suffering longer, retained his strength and did not die too early. Not all crucified people were sentenced to death. Some of them, after several days of torment, were taken down from the cross and set free. The hands of the executed were nailed to the crossbar of the cross.
Icon "Crucifixion"
The theme of the Crucifixion is so significant that Russian icon painters created several variants of it. The most ancient and short one was adopted from the Byzantines and embodied in the frescoes of the Hagia Sophia in Kiev in the 11th century. The frescoes depict Christ crucified on Golgotha, the Mother of God and the young John the Theologian are standing before him. Golgotha is presented in the form of slides, inside of which the skull of Adam, who according to legend was buried at the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, turns white.
The most complex and crowded compositions of the Crucifixion appeared in the 17th century, they clearly represented the motives of the Apocalypse: the dead men rising from the coffin and solar eclipse in the form of a twisting heavenly scroll. The suffering of Christ became visible. 
Icon "Crucifixion" 
The icon painters placed the warriors on the sides of the cross; one of the warriors pierced the body of the sufferer with a spear, another brought him a sponge to kindle wounds and arouse thirst; here were the soldiers, by lot dividing the clothes of Christ. Before the crucified Christ, in addition to Mary and John, weeping wives appear, as well as Longinus the centurion - he was the first who, looking at the torment of Christ, exclaimed: “Truly, he was the son of God.”
There was another version of the Crucifixion - with robbers. Simultaneously with Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel, two more thieves were crucified; one of them, having repented of the evil he had committed, believed in Christ as in God, and for his faith after his death he was accepted into paradise. Sometimes Russian icon painters depicted him separately, the icon was called “The Noble Robber Rakh”.
Icon "Prudent Thief" 
Icon "Noble robber Rach"
Four nails were driven into the body of Jesus Christ. Two nails pierced his wrists, two more nails pierced his legs. While the cross was being buried in the ground, Jesus spoke to the people of Jerusalem:
- Daughters of Jerusalem, take care of your children. Do not let anger, envy, cruelty settle in their souls. Be merciful to each other, forgive each other, love each other, and then God will dwell in the soul of each of you. I'm sorry for everything I ever did for you.
After the crucifixion, hellish pain pierced his entire body. Jesus clenched his teeth from tension, while trying to turn off his consciousness, as he learned in distant India and from Tibetan monks. He managed to put himself in a state similar to sleep, and at least slightly alleviate his torment. When the guards offered him a special anesthetic drink made from vinegar and bile, which was given to all convicts to alleviate the suffering of the executed, he simply silently turned his head to the side. On Jesus crucified on the cross, there was only one loincloth left.
“One of them ran up, soaked a sponge in wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and gave it to Jesus to drink.” Gospel of Mark.
Cries were heard from the crowd watching the execution: “Destroying the temple and building in three days! Save yourself! If you are the Son of God, then come down from the cross!”
The chief priests, with the scribes and the elders and the Pharisees, mockingly said:
“He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he God's Son let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. May God deliver him now, if he pleases him. He himself said: I am the Son of God.
The robbers who were crucified with him behaved differently. One of the hanged villains scolded Jesus and said: “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us. We were crucified because of you, like your angels. We suffer because of you."
Another calmed him and said: “Or are you not afraid of God when you yourself are condemned to the same thing? And we are justly condemned, because we received what was worthy according to our deeds, but he did nothing wrong.
A reminder of these two crucified with Jesus is the oblique lower crossbar on the cross of Orthodox Christians. The raised end, as it were, indicates the thief who praised Jesus, and the lowered end indicates the one who scolded him.
Early in the morning on the second day, the thieves were taken down from the cross and set free. They served their sentence. Jesus remained hanging on the cross. The soldiers, taking pity on Jesus, touched by his courage, removed the crown of thorns from his head. And they allowed the women who came to give wine to the executed. Jesus spent almost a week on the cross.
Jesus instructed his beloved disciple John to take care of his mother long before the crucifixion. At the time of the execution, there was neither the Virgin Mary nor John on Golgotha. John, having learned about the exact day of the execution of Jesus, went to Nazareth for Mary, deciding at the same time to come with her to Jerusalem on the second day after the execution. He found Mary excited, she told him that when she lay down yesterday to rest after dinner (Tuesday), she dreamed of Jesus - he called her and asked for help, waking up, she felt a terrible pain in her heart, which still has not passed. John did not say anything, explaining the reason for his arrival by the fact that Jesus wants to see her in Jerusalem on Saturday. Maria immediately felt something was wrong, she could not find a place for herself either on the last day before the road or on the road, she became especially ill when only half a day was left to Jerusalem.
When you reach freedom
You can walk on water
Float through the air like water.
For this - to suffer in court,
At the slave court of the people...
But is the torture cross terrible?
When freedom comes
When you are forever resurrected!
Great Wednesday of Holy Week
Wednesday of Holy Week is the day when the Church remembers Judas Iscariot's betrayal of his teacher Christ for 30 pieces of silver.
In addition, on this day, the Gospel story about the sinner who washed the head of Jesus with the world is remembered.
Holy Week - the seventh week of Great Lent - is entirely dedicated to the remembrance of the suffering, death on the Cross and the burial of Jesus Christ.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord spent Wednesday night in Bethany (Matthew 26:6-17). Here, in one of the houses, a certain woman, whom the Evangelist calls a sinner, poured precious ointment on the head of Jesus (a mixture of vegetable oils, fragrant herbs and resins).
Historically, anointing with myrrh in the East was used both in the anointing of kings and high priests, and in everyday life by rich and noble people. They usually anointed the hair on the head, forehead, face, beard, clothes and even legs. Knowing Christ's dislike for luxury, his disciples were angry with the woman for a kind of "waste", since the myrrh could be sold for a lot of money, which would then be distributed to the poor. At the same time, Christ himself not only accepted her gift, but also said: “Wherever this Gospel is preached in the whole world, it will be said in memory of her and about what she did.” Christ justified the act of the penitent sinner, because he considered that it was dictated by faith and contrition of heart. This woman did not come to Jesus to receive bodily healing - it was a desire to honor him and receive spiritual healing.
In addition, as Christ himself considered, through the libation of the world, the penitent sinner, as it were, prepared Him for death and burial: “Having poured out this world of peace on My body, create Me for the burial.”
So, the Church glorifies the act of a woman, at the same time contrasting it with the betrayal of Judas, which was committed on the same day.
So, in the church service of the Great Wednesday, the “sinful” wife is glorified and the love of money and betrayal of Judas is condemned.
On Wednesday, as well as on Monday and Tuesday on Holy Week, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated - the last during Great Lent. In addition, the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian “Lord and Master of my life” is read for the last time with three bows to the earth. From this moment on, prostrations to the ground cease until the feast of the Trinity (with the exception of prostrations before the Shroud).
Also, Great Wednesday is usually the day of confession for believers on the eve of Great Thursday. The fact is that on Thursday, Orthodox Christians try to take communion on Strastnaya Street - but not all parishioners can have time to confess on this day itself, so there is a big confession in churches the day before. The clergy note that Wednesday evening is a unique opportunity for parishioners to confess in more detail than on ordinary days, and they urge them to take advantage of it.
Great (Clean) Thursday
On Thursday of Holy Week, the Church commemorates the most important gospel event: the Last Supper, at which Christ established the New Testament Sacrament of the Holy One (the Eucharist).
Two days before the arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, the enemies of Jesus gathered, with them one of his twelve disciples - Judas; for thirty pieces of silver he promised to give the teacher. It happened on the eve of the Old Testament Easter - an ancient holiday in honor of the happy exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Jesus, as the evangelists testify, knew about the betrayal of Judas and decided to share the Easter meal, the last in his earthly life, with his disciples. This was the last Easter supper that the Lord could celebrate with His disciples in His earthly life.
Foot washing icon
The theme of "Footwashing" in iconography was sometimes depicted separately. Christ, in the interpretation of the icon painters, performed ablution or stood with a towel in thought before Peter; Peter, with his knees bare, sat in a pose of contemplation.
St. Luke reports that at the supper there was a dispute between the disciples, which of them is older. Probably, this dispute was the reason for showing the disciples a clear example of humility and mutual love by washing the feet of the apostles. “There was a custom before supper to wash the feet, which was usually done by a servant. But this custom was not always observed (cf. Luke 7:44); apparently, it was not observed even in the small company of the Lord, obviously, because the Lord Himself had in mind to show the disciples an example of humility and self-sacrificing love: “He showed by deed that having loved his beings in the world, he loved them to the end.” Cm. .
The apostles, as was customary on Easter, at the festive table tasted the meat of the Paschal lamb, unleavened bread, bitter salad and wine. Unexpectedly for everyone, Jesus Christ said: “One of you will betray me,” and when asked who exactly, he answered: ... the one to whom I, after dipping, will give pieces of bread, - and gave bread to Judas. The apostles did not immediately understand what had happened, but Judas left the house under cover of night.
After the flight of Judas, Christ, remaining with the disciples, broke bread, blessed it and distributed it to the disciples with the words: “Take, eat: this is my body,” then he took the cup, blessed it and gave it to the disciples: “Drink everything from it, for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed on many for the remission of sins.” So, according to legend, Christ himself showed what Christian worship should be like, gave rise to Christian Easter with the words: “Do this in remembrance of me,” turned the festive meal into a farewell supper, reminiscent of the death of Jesus Christ.
Icon of the Last Supper.
The plot of the Last Supper was widespread in ancient Russian wall painting, and since the 15th century - in icon painting. 
In accordance with the gospel text, the icon painters arranged the participants of the meal around the table, but Christ can always be recognized: with his right hand he blesses the apostles, with his left hand he holds a rolled scroll. We also unmistakably recognize Judas, he stretches his hand to the bowl.
In the 17th century, the "Last Supper" was placed above the entrance to the altar; such compositions have an elongated shape. On the icons of that time, one can see interesting details concerning Russian life. So, for example, it is known that in old Russia knives were used at the table, meat plates replaced large slices of bread. It is this “serving” that can be seen on the icons of the 15th-17th centuries. The eighteenth century meal table looks completely different, filled with bowls, goblets and even forks, which in the seventeenth century were only the privilege of the king and queen at the feast.
The events that took place during the Last Supper after the departure of Judas were embodied in the theme of the Eucharist. The word "Eucharist" literally translated from Greek means "grace". This was the name of the rite performed during the liturgy - the main part of the Christian worship.
Icon "Eucharist"
The iconography of the Eucharist was widely spread in Russia even in pre-Mongolian times, mainly in wall painting. Usually, two repeated scenes were depicted: in one, Christ, standing at the throne, takes communion with bread, in the other - with wine. Bread and wine symbolized the body and blood of Christ, embodied the idea of sacrifice in the name of the salvation of mankind.
On Thursday, they clean the house, bake Easter cakes, paint eggs. V Maundy Thursday it is customary to get up before sunrise and bathe - symbolically cleansed of sins and fuss ...
On Maundy Thursday, the peasants cleaned the house, yard and garden from litter, dirt and dust accumulated over the winter. First of all, icons and lamps were updated and washed. Then the floors, walls, ceilings of the hut, the table and benches were thoroughly washed, rubbed with sand, scraped with a knife. The people said: “If you wash and wash yourself on Maundy Thursday, you will be clean in the hut all year long” ...
After the cleaning, carried out on Maundy Thursday, the houses were not cleaned and the floors were not swept until Easter, so as not to clog the eyes of Christ lying in the tomb. In some areas, on this day, they washed all the dishes in the house, and the milk jars were also fumigated with women's hair, explaining the importance of this occupation by the fact that the dishes were defiled by the touch of Judas the Betrayer...
On this day, a big wash was arranged - all clothes, bed linen, tablecloths, curtains and towels, as well as rugs, rugs and bedding were washed. Everything was taken out to dry in the yard, and the whole family on the night of Thursday to Friday went to bed on the “pea”, pea straw, which was spread on the floor. In the Russian North, for example, mothers taught their daughters, and mothers-in-law taught their daughters-in-law: “Everything must be washed, even a footcloth and that Easter rejoices” ...
This icon of the Mother of God is sometimes called "Simeon's Prophecy" (as well as the icon "Softener of Evil Hearts") - from the words of Simeon the God-Receiver, when he, predicting the fate of Jesus Christ, turned to the Mother of God with the words: "... and You Yourself, weapons will pass through the soul "(Luke 2:35). This weapon (sword) is often depicted on the icon of the Mother of God directed at the heart. Holy Mother of God. In addition to the cross, the icon of the Mother of God depicts in detail all other instruments of passion and objects, one way or another connected with last days Christ: the hand that struck the Savior on the cheek, the whip, nails, dice, which were cast by the guards who shared the clothes of the Crucified.
Icon Mother of God"Weeping at the Cross"
The pillar depicted on the icon of the Mother of God passed into Christian iconography from Greco-Roman mythology, where it indicated the celestial being depicted on it (Jupiter was often depicted on the top of the pillar). The pillar in Christianity has become a religious symbol of spiritual strength and firmness. On the icon of the Mother of God "Weeping at the Cross" on the pillar is a rooster from the gospel story about the threefold denial of the Apostle Peter before the rooster crowed three times. Some researchers believe that the pelican was originally depicted on the column as a symbol of sacrifice.
Icon of the Mother of God "Crying at the Cross"
One of the ancient writings tells how a female pelican, in a fit of love, strangled her cub, and the returning male, in order to revive the dying chick, pierced his side with his beak, gave the cub to drink his blood. In the Renaissance, the plot was an illustration of the concept according to which the Blood of Christ was shed for the salvation of mankind. The ladder is also one of the tools of the Passion of Christ - it was used in raising Christ to the Cross and removing Him from the Cross.
Icon of the Mother of God "Crying at the Cross"
Good Friday
On Great - Good Friday, believers remember the suffering and death of the Cross of the Savior Jesus Christ. On Friday, Jesus Christ "died" on the Cross.
"Death of Jesus"
When Jesus stopped breathing, suddenly there was a strong earthquake. Many houses were destroyed, a sandstorm arose. The sun was not visible, it was dark. People, seeing this, were horrified. Nature itself mourned the death of God's Son.
“At the same moment, the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks cracked. The graves were opened, and many dead righteous people were resurrected. They came out of the graves and after the resurrection of Jesus went to the holy city, where they were seen by many people.” Gospel of Matthew.
“It was about the sixth hour, and all the land suddenly became dark, and this continued until the ninth hour. The sun was darkened, and the veil in the temple was torn in two parts. Gospel of Luke.
The priests, fearing that the people would now rise in revolt, immediately strengthened the guards near his body. After Jesus drooped his head lifelessly, a soldier approached him and did what was prescribed by the rules - he jabbed a spear in his ribs. In dead people, black clotted blood appears from the wound. Jesus began to ooze fresh scarlet blood from the wound, which indicated that he was actually still alive. Therefore, Christ was left hanging on the cross before Friday, waiting for his complete death.
Burial of Jesus
On Friday, 20 April came to Pontius Pilate Joseph of Arimathea- very influential person, one of the 72 members of the highest court of Judea - the Sanhedrin. Joseph turned to Pilate with a request to give him the body of Jesus Christ for an honorable burial in his own tomb. For this, Joseph was even ready to pay a large ransom. Pilate treated this man with great respect, so he granted his request without taking any ransom. In addition, Pilate was tormented by his conscience because, on his orders, an innocent man, a righteous man, had lost his life. Pilate sent a man to the place of execution to find out if Jesus really died.
At this time, two people were near Jesus - John Zebedee and the elder of the religious society of the Essenes. This elder asked the centurion, who was in charge of guarding the place of execution, not to break the knees of the dead Jesus. According to the custom of that time, the knees of the deceased on the cross were torn apart in order to finally be convinced of the death of the latter. The elder knew that Jesus was actually still alive.
The elder explained to the centurion that the crucified man was indeed a respected person and worthy of an honorable burial, a large ransom would be paid to Pontius Pilate for him now, so you should not spoil the body of the deceased. The centurion allowed Jesus not to break his knees. He even knew that Jesus was still alive, but he did not tell anyone about it.
“It was the day of preparation, and on Saturday the bodies were not supposed to hang on crosses, besides, it was a special Easter Saturday. Therefore, the Jews asked Pilate to allow the crucified to break their legs and remove their bodies from the crosses. The soldiers came and broke the legs, first of one crucified man, then of another. When they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, and they did not break His legs.” Gospel of John.
The secret disciples of Jesus - Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, having received permission from Pontius Pilate to hand over the body, set to work. On Friday at noon, the body of Jesus was transferred to the tomb of Joseph, located near the place of execution. Joseph and Nicodemus swaddled the body of Christ, soaked the bandages with a solution made from medicinal oils and balms. Jesus prepared this solution long before his execution.
Icon "Descent from the Cross of Jesus Christ"
In the center of the icon-painting composition "Descent from the Cross" is the naked dead body of Christ, in front of him are Mary and John, Nicodemus and Joseph take out the nails from the feet of Christ. On the ground, icon painters sometimes painted a basket, a symbol of the fact that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were not afraid to openly give Christ their last earthly debt - they brought incense to anoint his body, as custom required.
“Nikodim brought about thirty kilograms of a mixture of myrrh and aloe. They took down the body of Jesus and wrapped it, along with the balm, in linen cloth. This was the Jewish burial custom." Gospel of John.
“Joseph took it, wrapped it in clean linen, and placed it in his newly bought tomb, which was hewn in the rock.” Gospel of Matthew.
Icon "The Entombment"
In the foreground, the icon painters painted the coffin with the body of Christ, at the head of the coffin - Mary clinging to the dead Son, and next to her - John; here stood Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, women who had come to Golgotha. "Laying in the Coffin" is called "Lamentation" in Western art. In Russian painting, this subject has been known since the middle of the 12th century in the frescoes of the Transfiguration Monastery of the Mirozhsky Cathedral in Pskov. In iconography, the theme has been spreading, obviously, since the 15th century, when the iconostasis was formed.
All procedures lasted until four o'clock in the evening. Then the body of Jesus, smeared with incense, neatly swaddled in bandages, was wrapped in a huge white shroud. In the morning, Roman soldiers came to look at the body of Jesus and made sure that he was indeed buried according to all the laws. After all the inspectors were convinced of the death of Jesus, the entrance to the tomb was covered with a large stone.
In the morning, the Jewish priests were simply shocked to learn that Jesus was buried in the personal tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the very Sanhedrin that condemned Jesus to death. And another member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus, helped him. And the Roman governor Pontius Pilate ordered the body of the executed blasphemer to be given out for an honorable burial.
It seemed to the high priests that there was some kind of conspiracy against them. The priests and Pharisees asked Pilate:
- Mister! We remembered that the deceiver, while still alive, said: after three days I will rise again.
Therefore, order the tomb to be guarded until the third day, so that his disciples, coming at night, do not steal it and say to the people: He has risen from the dead. Otherwise, the last deception will be worse than the first.
Pilate, who was very angry with the priests, who had previously threatened him with a denunciation to Rome, sharply answered them:
- If you have guards - go, guard, as you know.
Caiaphas ordered to put guards at the tomb and attach seals to the stone. He did not like the behavior of Pilate, who too obviously sympathized with Jesus. It was no longer possible to rely on Roman power - now you had to do everything yourself.
V Good Friday you can not sew, wash, do housework and field work. Although in some regions Easter cakes are baked and cabbages are planted on Good Friday.
And in a number of Catholic countries, Good Friday is even a day off.
Good Friday for Orthodox and Greek Catholics is the most mournful day of the year.
The Twelve Gospels are read three times in churches - excerpts about the events of Good Friday two thousand years ago - the farewell conversation of Christ with the disciples, the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal of Judas, the court of the Sanhedrin, the conversation with Pilate and the mockery of Herod.
On this day, believers do not eat anything until the removal of the shroud - the moment when, from behind the altar, in the middle of the temple, they take out a board with a full-length image of Christ in the tomb. This usually takes place in the afternoon.
But even after that, you can only eat bread and drink water. Exceptions are made only for children and the sick.
Good Friday Signs
The people have preserved many superstitions and signs associated with Good Friday. Some of them are surprising.
For example, on Good Friday, no homework can be done: no sewing, no washing, or even cutting. It is interesting that at the same time in many regions of Ukraine there is a custom to bake Easter cakes - Paska - on Friday.
Holy Saturday
On this day: a time of peace and harmony, they remember the stay of Jesus in the tomb and His descent into hell, consecrate Easter cakes and eggs.
Icon "Descent into Hell"
In ancient Russian painting, the "Resurrection of Christ" was depicted as a "Descent into Hell". The center of the composition is the image of Christ in a bright radiant halo of glory over the black abyss of hell. On the sides of Christ are the Old Testament righteous who have risen from the tombs, Jesus Christ stretches out his hand to Adam and Eve.
Sometimes the artists made the picture of hell more concrete: they painted the destroyed wings of the hellish gates, the keys and locks torn from them; Hell itself was personified by Satan, who was there and bound by angels.
The last day of Passion Week. Holy Saturday is a day of silent prayer. “Let all human flesh be silent” at the tomb of the Lord. Time of appeasement and harmony, inner expectation of the resurrection of the Savior. On this day, the stay of Jesus in the tomb and His descent into hell to proclaim victory over death are remembered.
The rest of the Sabbath day is not the same as idleness. Peace is only an external manifestation, because the main spiritual work on this day goes inside a person.
Even at Matins, people with lit candles, as is customary at the funeral service, repeating the “Thrice Sacred Song”, go around the temple. Holy Saturday for believers is a moment of touching the mystery, when the heart is filled with pre-Easter joy. When a great miracle happens in the Jerusalem Temple of the Resurrection - convergence Holy Fire .
What is the best way to spend Holy Saturday for Orthodox believers?
On this day:
attending services;
we consecrate eggs, Easter cakes, cottage cheese Easter;
we strive with our hearts to feel the descent of the Holy Fire of Divine love for us;
We are getting ready to adequately meet the Bright Resurrection of Christ.
On Holy Saturday, throughout the day, consecration of Easter cakes, Easter cakes and eggs is performed in churches. Divine services on this day begin early in the morning and last until night, so latest songs Saturday Paschal Midnight Office merge with the voices of Paschal Matins.
The ancient custom of Christians is to wait for the onset of Easter in the temple, listening to the reading of the apostolic acts. And, in view of the fact that the previous day passed in strict fasting and a long vigil was coming, on Holy Saturday the Church allows the Orthodox to strengthen their strength with blessed bread and wine.
Descent into hell. Icon. 
Icon "Descent into Hell".
“The word “purgatory” is taken from Catholicism, but the panorama of what will be discussed does not coincide with Catholic ideas in everything. The term “Sheols” could also be applied to these layers, but the Judaic pictures of these shadow countries of the dead are also by no means will be repeated in my presentation.
The purgatories of the various metacultures differ somewhat from one another; even taken separately, each of them undergoes significant changes over the centuries. They also formed in different eras. In the metacultures of antiquity, including Byzantium, they did not exist at all. More precisely, in their place were worlds of hopeless suffering; an echo of mystical knowledge about the hopelessness of suffering is clearly audible in most ancient religions.
Later, some layers of the metacultures of Jewry, Christianity and Islam were turned into purgatory: here the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His descent into the demonic worlds, and then, for a number of centuries, the struggle of Christian synclites with demons for mitigation of the Law of retribution was of decisive importance.
© Daniil Andreev - "Rose of the World"
Icon of the four passions of Christ
“Passion” means “suffering”, under this word they combine compositions into gospel legends telling about the betrayal of Judas, the trial of Jesus Christ, his imprisonment, scourging and crucifixion. The cycle ends with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Passion of Christ was depicted by ancient Christians, Byzantium adopted their iconographic tradition, the theme of the suffering of Christ was widely interpreted by Western European painting. In icon painting, she found the most complete embodiment in the composition of the hallmarks of hagiographic icons. Since the 15th century, passionate icons: “The Crucifixion”, “Descent into Hell”, “Descent from the Cross”, “The Entombment” have entered the iconostasis. In the XVI-XVII centuries, a collection of icon-painting drawings “Facial Passions” appeared, the circle of icon-painting subjects expanded, it included: “The Judgment of Pilate”, “Kiss of Judas”, “Carrying the Cross” and others. In the 17th century, an additional row of the “passionate” iconostasis appeared.
Copyright © 2015 Unconditional Love
Last updated 02/28/2015
It is very difficult to say something about the days before the Easter of Christ and the resurrection Jesus. These days so capaciously contained the whole meaning of the coming of Christ, His teachings, His good news (namely, this is how the word “gospel” is translated) that sometimes it seems that it makes no sense to supplement and clarify what was said by the disciples, friends of Jesus - those who are all I have seen and experienced it.
Perhaps that is why on the eve of Good Friday - the day when Jesus Christ was crucified and died - the Gospel sounds a lot in churches.
Not comments, not moralizing, but the very words that eyewitnesses left us, those words that the apostles found, so that everyone could come as close as possible to the mystery of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.
I know that the vast majority of our fellow citizens have not read the Gospel. Those who read do not always have the opportunity, and perhaps even the desire, on the eve of Easter, to remind themselves of the events of those days. Easter has become too ordinary for us. From year to year, the news of the resurrection of Christ is perceived as commonplace, and tragic and very important events for Christians remain outside the brackets. It may be somewhat presumptuous, but I would like to offer readers a brief narrative, composed in words very close to the words of the evangelists, in many respects even quotations, but at the same time with some explanations. Let everyone who wishes to read this and decide for himself what the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ means to him.
By the time of the events described below, Jesus had been preaching to the people of Israel for about three and a half years. A week before his death, Christ came to Jerusalem and was met by crowds of people who were sure that he was a prophet, God's messenger, the King of the Jews, called to alleviate the plight of the Israelite people enslaved by Rome. The arrest, trial, crucifixion and death of Jesus took place on the eve and on the very day of the great Jewish holiday - Easter, a holiday in memory of the salvation of the Israelite people from Egyptian captivity. Since ancient times, the very salvation of the Israelites and the holiday were considered prophetic, foreshadowing the salvation of people by God through God's messenger - the Messiah.
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Giotto. Scrovegni Chapel, fresco. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Arrest of Jesus
Knowing about everything that should happen, late in the evening on the eve of Friday, the Lord Jesus comes with his disciples to the garden of a small village called Gethsemane. I knew this place Judas, a betrayer of Him, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. The Lord told the disciples: “Sit here while I go and pray, pray also you, so that you will not fall into temptation.” But when He returns, He sees the disciples sleeping: “Do you sleep and rest? Behold, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let's go; behold, he who betrays me has drawn near.”
Judas, having taken a detachment of soldiers and servants from the chief priests and Pharisees, comes into the garden with lanterns and lamps and weapons. He gave a sign to those who came with him - whoever he kisses, he is. Approaching Jesus and saying: “Rejoice, Teacher!” Judas kissed Him. Jesus said to those who came, "Whom are you looking for?" They answered him: "Jesus of Nazareth." He says: “It is I, as if you came out against a robber with swords and clubs to take Me. All day long I have been with you in the temple, teaching openly, and you have not raised your hands against Me and taken Me, but now is your time and power of darkness.” All this was, may the Scriptures of the prophets come true.
Those who were with the Lord, seeing what was going on, said to Him: “Lord! Shall we strike with a sword? And so Peter who had a sword struck the servant of the high priest with it and cut off his right ear. The name of the slave was Malch. Then Jesus said, “Leave it alone!” And touching the slave's ear, he healed him. He commanded Peter, “Put your sword in its sheath; for all who take hold of the sword will perish by the sword. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me? Or do you think that I can’t now implore My Father, and He will present Me with more than twelve legions of Angels (about 60 thousand - hereinafter approx. Yu.B.)? How will the prophecies in Scripture come true that it must be so? Then the soldiers and servants of the Jews took the Lord Jesus and bound Him. The students ran away.
Judgment by the High Priest
Those who led the Lord took him first to Anna, for he was the father-in-law of the chief high priest for that year Caiaphas. Annas asked Jesus about His disciples and about His teachings. The Lord answered him: “I spoke openly to the world; I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where all the Jews meet, and secretly did not say anything. Ask those who heard what I said to them, they know what I said." One of the ministers, who was standing close by, slapped Jesus on the cheek, saying, “Is this how you answer the high priest?” The Lord answered: “If I have said evil, show me that it is evil; and if it's good that you beat me?"
After that, Anna sent the bound Lord to the high priest Caiaphas, where other high priests and elders and the entire Sanhedrin (court) were looking for false evidence in order to put Jesus to death, and did not find it.
Then Caiaphas turned to Him with such a speech: “I conjure you by the living God, tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed God?”. Jesus tells him: "You said - I, and even I say to you: from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power (one of the names of God) and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest, tearing his clothes, said: “He blasphemes, now you have heard His blasphemy! What else do we need witnesses for? They recognized Him as guilty of death (according to the law, death was supposed for blasphemy). Then some began to spit in His face and to suffocate Him, while others struck on His cheeks, and others, covering His face, struck and said: “Prophesy to us, Messiah, who struck You?”
Meanwhile, the servants and servants in the courtyard lit a fire because it was cold. Peter approached them. He was asked: “Are you not one of His disciples?” He recanted. One of the servants, a relative of the one whose ear was cut off by Peter, says: “Did I not see you with Him in the garden?” Peter denied again. One of the servants came up there and, seeing Peter and peering at him, said: "And you were with Jesus the Galilean - the Nazarene." But he denied before everyone, saying: “I don’t know and I don’t understand what you are saying.” And the rooster crowed. After a while, those who were standing there again began to say to Peter: “Surely you are one of them, for your speech also convicts you.” He began to swear and swear that he did not know this man. While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered the word of the Lord, as He said to him: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me." And, going out, he began to weep bitterly.
Judgment by Pilate
Since Judea in those years was captured by Rome and ruled by procurator (prefect) Pontius Pilate, namely, it was in his power to pass death sentences, then it was to him that Jesus was sent early on Friday morning.
Pilate asked those who brought Jesus to Him, "What do you accuse this man of?" They answered him: "If He had not been a villain, we would not have betrayed Him to you." Pilate said, "Take him and judge according to your law." The Jews objected, “We are not allowed to put anyone to death. We found that He corrupts our people and forbids giving taxes to Caesar, calling Himself the Messiah the King," - so the accusers tried to bring the accusation under the Roman laws, where crimes against Caesar were punishable by death.
Pilate called Jesus and asked, “Are you the King of the Jews? Your people and your chief priests have delivered you to Me. What did you do?". Jesus answered: “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight for me, so that I would not be betrayed; but my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate said to Him, "So, You are the King?" Answering him, Jesus said, “You say the truth that I am the King. I was born for this, and for this I came into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is from the truth hears my voice.”
Pilate, skeptically noticing, “What is truth?”, went out to the chief priests and the people and said: “You brought Him to me as a corrupter of the people. And behold, I examined in your presence, and did not find this man guilty of anything of which you accuse Him. So, having punished Him, I will let him go.” And for the sake of the Passover holiday (in memory of the salvation of the Israeli people from Egyptian captivity), it was necessary to release one prisoner, for whom the people asked. Pilate wanted to turn this in favor of the Innocent, for he knew that the chief priests had betrayed Jesus out of envy. But all the assembled people cried out: “No, let go not Him, but Barabbas". Barabbas was a robber and a murderer. Pilate again asked them which of the two they wanted to let go - Barabbas or Jesus, who is called the Messiah? They again shouted: "Barabbas."
Pilate asked, “What should I do with Jesus? What evil did he do? I do not find anything worthy of death in Him, having punished Him, I will let him go. They all shouted: “Let him be crucified! Crucify Him! If you let Him go, you are not a friend of Caesar; we have no king but Caesar; everyone who makes himself a king is opposed to Caesar.” And he overcame the cry of the people and the high priests. Seeing that nothing helps, but the excitement increases, he took water and, washing his hands before the people, said: “I am innocent of the blood of this Just One; see for yourself." All the people, answering him, said: "His blood is on us and on our children." Then at last Pilate, wanting to please the people, released Barabbas to them and handed Jesus over to be crucified.
crucifixion
Pilate's soldiers, taking Jesus, took him into the courtyard and gathered the entire regiment. Having undressed Him, they put on Him a purple robe, and plaiting a crown of thorns, they placed it on His head. They gave Him a cane in His right hand, and, kneeling before Him, they bowed to Him, mocking: “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they struck him on the cheeks, and spat on him, and, taking a reed, struck him on the head. Having finished the bullying, they dressed Jesus in their own clothes and took him outside the city to be crucified. Led with Him to death and two villains.
When they came to the so-called Execution Ground (in Hebrew, Golgotha), they gave Him to drink sour wine with myrrh (it was a bitter drink that dulled the senses in order to at least partially reduce the terrible torment on the cross). But Jesus did not accept it. After that, the Lord was crucified. It was the third hour from sunrise.
Two thieves were also crucified with Jesus, one on the right and the other on the left. And the word of Scripture, spoken by the prophet Isaiah, came true: "And numbered among the wicked." And there was an inscription above Him, which Pilate ordered to make: "This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." The soldiers who crucified the Lord took His clothes and cast lots for them, who should take what. May it be fulfilled what was said in the Scripture in the psalm of David: “They divided My garments among themselves, and they cast lots for My garments.”
The people stood before the cross and watched. Those who passed by cursed Him, shaking their heads: “Save Thyself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." The chief priests and the elders and the Pharisees also mocked: “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! Let Him save Himself, if He is the Messiah, the chosen one of God. Seeing and hearing all this, the Lord Jesus said, “Father! forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
At the Cross stood the Mother of Jesus and the sister of His Mother, Maria Kleopova, and Mary Magdalene.
One of the thieves, crucified with the Lord, reviled Him and slandered Him, saying: "Save Yourself and us." The other, on the contrary, calmed him and said: “Or are you not afraid of God when you yourself are condemned to the same thing? We are justly condemned, because we received what was worthy according to our deeds, but He did nothing wrong. And he said to Jesus: “Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom!” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Vasily Golynsky. Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Work no later than 1904.
