The Crucifixion (Photios Kontoglou)

“The Crucifixion,” fresco of the side-chapel of Saint Irene, of the Pesmazoglou family, Kifisia.

The Crucifixion 

By Photios Kontoglou

The night that they seized Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, His disciples from their fear scattered and left Him alone in the hands of the lawless, so that the prophecy might come true: “They will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.”

The evildoers therefore bound Christ and led Him to the high priest Caiaphas, and there the scribes and the elders were gathered together. Peter was following to see the end. Meanwhile the Pharisees were seeking to find false witnesses in order to put Christ to death. And some were found who said that they heard Him saying that I will destroy the Temple of Solomon and in three days I will build it without stones. Caiaphas stood up and said to Christ: “Do you not answer? What do these testify against you?” And He was silent. The High Priest says to Him again: “Are you the Christ, the Son of God?” And Christ answered him: “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming upon clouds.” Then Caiaphas said: “What need do we have of witnesses? You heard that He blasphemed.” And the others cried out that He is guilty and to be put to death. And they took Him and spat on Him and struck Him and said to Him: “Prophesy to us.”

And after they mocked Him, they stripped Him of the purple and clothed Him with His own garments. And they led Him out from the praetorium and loaded Him with the cross and were beating Him to walk. And because from weakness He was not able to carry it, they seized a certain Simon from Cyrene of Africa, who was coming from his field, and they ordered him to take up the cross and go behind Christ. A great crowd followed, men and women who were lamenting. And Christ turned and said to them: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children, because days are coming when they will say: ‘Blessed are the barren who did not bear. Fall, mountains, upon us and cover us.’” The soldiers were dragging along with Christ also two evildoers, to put them to death with Him.

And when they arrived at a hill outside the city which they called Golgotha, or Place of the Skull, they crucified Him with the two thieves, one on the right and the other on the left. And Pilate ordered that they place upon the Cross of Christ a sign which was written: “Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews,” in three languages — Hebrew, Greek, and Roman.

And the soldiers took the garments of Christ and divided them, casting lots, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided my garments among themselves and upon my clothing they cast lots.” Near the Cross stood His mother, the Panagia, and His aunt Mary of Clopas, and her sister Mary Magdalene, and other holy women. And one of the two evildoers blasphemed Christ and was saying to Him: “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.” But the other rebuked him and said: “Do you not fear God, since you are condemned the same? We indeed justly suffer for what we did, but this one did nothing evil.” And he said to Christ: “Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom.” And Christ said to him: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise!”

Let us stand a little at this place and let us set in our mind the three crucified, hanging high above the world which was groaning like a storm-tossed sea, speaking among themselves without anyone below hearing them. The last man who spoke with Christ was a robber, a murderer. And he entered Paradise before all the saints. What strange mysteries our religion has!

After some time Jesus cried out: “Eloi! Eloi! Lama sabachthani,” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The Jews did not understand what He was saying and thought that He was calling Elijah. Then He cried out: “I thirst!” A soldier ran and tied to a reed a sponge with vinegar and put it to His mouth, saying: “Let us see if Elijah will come to save Him!”

Around the ninth hour Christ uttered a loud voice and said: “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished!” And He bowed His head and expired.

The centurion who had the guard that was keeping watch over Christ, when he saw the earthquake and the darkness and heard the voice of Christ, said: “Truly this was the Son of God!”

This Roman was called Longinus, and after some time he was baptized and suffered martyrdom for the faith of Christ.

Source: From an article of Photios Kontoglou in Eleftheria, 4/18/1952. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.