Passion, Suffering and Death of Jesus Christ
Overview
Matthew 26:1—27:61, Mark 14:1—15:47, Luke 22:1—23:56, John 12:1—19:42
Theologically it makes more sense to treat the death and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ together. The combined event is often referred to as the Paschal Mystery. The Catholic Church, for example, teaches that by his death Jesus freed human beings from sin and by his Resurrection he opened the path to new life. Each Christian denomination understands Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection as related to human salvation, but each articulates the details a bit differently (check with your pastor or denominational Web site). The art tradition tends to treat the Crucifixion and Resurrection separately, so they are treated separately here as well.
The Paschal Mystery is also used as a way to understand the cycle of death and rebirth that is common in life. For example, at a certain point, one’s identity as a full-time student dies and one is reborn into a new life as a productive worker in the world. Jesus’ death and Resurrection can help to make sense of those necessary deaths and to look with hope on new beginnings.
All four Gospels contain remarkably similar accounts of Jesus’ suffering and Crucifixion. One practice that has been common in the artistic tradition is to depict the Passion cycle, incorporating many scenes in one artwork. This can be done with separate panels or with a more organic blending of smaller scenes within one larger scene.
Each aspect of the story has received detailed attention from artists. The links below cover the most commonly depicted moments. See the general Bible Stories section for What to Look For and Focusing Questions for stories omitted from the specific list.
Historical Notes
Although biblical narratives were common in early Christian art, artists did not, for the most part, depict the Crucifixion until the 7th century, and it did not become common until the 10th century. From the high Middle Ages through the 17th century, the Passion and death of Jesus Christ were widely popular themes in Christian art. Sometimes artists stay very close to the biblical narratives (often selectively conflating the four versions); other times the artworks reflect theological, doctrinal, and dogmatic thinking about the meaning of Jesus’ death.
To explore these subtopics, click one of the links below:
