QUESTIONS.
56. Question I. But it is asked here first concerning what he says, that, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he asked for drink. — The order seems reversed, because the Lord does not exist for the sake of the Law, but the Law and the Scripture for the sake of the Lord; whence: Christ is the end of the Law.
It must be said that the that here is not causal but consecutive ; so the sense is not that the Lord did this in order that Scripture might be fulfilled, but that this followed upon the Lord's action, namely the fulfillment of Scripture, which had foretold this.
57. Question II. But there is a question: why the Lord is said to have consummated Scripture in the drinking of vinegar rather than in other things.
And the response is that the Lord had suffered in all his members; so that he might suffer in his entirety, nothing remained except the mouth and tongue. Therefore, because then all members universally had suffered, then the passion is said to be in a certain way consummated, and consequently Scripture .
58. Question III. Likewise it is asked about this, that they immediately had vinegar prepared in this way; how this came about. Did they know that he would ask for drink?
To this some say that they had brought wine to drink, which on account of the heat had turned into vinegar.
Others say that they had deliberately brought vinegar, so that by drinking it he would die more quickly.
- Others say that it was myrrhed wine, which was most bitter and sharp like vinegar, to torment him further who was already crucified. Whence they say that then also Scripture was fulfilled: They gave gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
59. Question IV. Likewise it is asked about this, that John says Christ said: It is consummated, and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. But Luke in the twenty-third chapter says that he cried out: Father, into your hands I commend my spirit: but Matthew and Mark, that he cried out with a loud voice: Eli, Eli, etc.
And it must be understood that he said all these things; but first he said: I thirst; then, while they were preparing the vinegar, he cried out: Eli; and at this voice those who were preparing hastened to bring the vinegar and put it to his mouth; when he had received it, he said: It is consummated; and then bowing his head, he expired with a mighty cry, saying: Into your hands, etc.
60. Question V. Likewise it is asked: why was his side opened or wounded after death and not before?
And it must be understood that nothing was done to him except what God permitted for a fitting reason. The reason for this is given both allegorically and literally: allegorically, because just as Eve was formed from the side of the sleeping Adam, so the Church was formed from the side of Christ sleeping on the cross. Whence Augustine says: "For this reason the second Adam slept on the cross, so that from there his bride might be formed, from what flowed out of his side."
The literal reason is that the Lord Christ, although He showed His humanity, nevertheless wished at the same time to show the truth of His Divinity. Hence He showed this before the Passion in His arrest, this in the Passion in the darkness, and this after death He showed in the flowing forth of water and blood. Hence Ambrose says: "Although the nature of Christ's body was mortal, yet its grace was unlike ours. For after death the blood in our bodies congeals, but from that incorrupt body the life of all flowed forth; water and blood came forth: the former to wash clean, the latter to redeem. We drink our ransom, so that by drinking we may be redeemed."
Fourth, concerning Christ's burial, three things are noted.
61. But after these things he asked. Above, the Lord's arrest, condemnation, and passion were treated; here the fourth matter is treated, namely the condition of the burial, and it is treated in this order. First is set forth the taking down of the suspended body ; second, the preparation of the body taken down, at the words: And Nicodemus also came; third, the placing of the prepared body in the sepulchre, at the words: Now in the place, etc. The first was done by Joseph, the second by Nicodemus, the third by both.
Joseph therefore took down the body of Jesus; and because he could not do so except by permission, therefore he asked and obtained what he asked for, and took down what he obtained.
(Verse 38). He asked, because he was a disciple of Christ, although a secret one; therefore it says: After these things, that is, after the consummation of the Passion, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate. Arimathea is the same as Ramatha, the town of Elkanah, Samuel, and Hannah, about which see First Kings, chapter one, at the beginning. Joseph, namely, asked, because he was a disciple of Jesus, but secret for fear of the Jews, because, as is said above in chapter nine, "the Jews had already conspired that if anyone confessed Him to be the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." Although he was secret, he was nevertheless a true disciple, because he loved Him not only while living but also when dead; Proverbs seventeen: "He who is a friend loves at all times." He asked, I say, that he might take away the body of Jesus, that is, take it down from the cross, and he obtained it; therefore it says: And Pilate permitted it, namely, that He might be buried. He came therefore and took away the body of Jesus, he came, namely, from the place where Pilate was, to the cross, and took it down.
62. (Vers. 39.). Now Nicodemus also came. Here the treatment concerns the embalming from spices made by Nicodemus, and the devotion of Nicodemus is touched upon in the bringing of many spices and in the embalming of the body. Now Nicodemus also came, who namely had come to Jesus by night at first, above in chapter three. This coming is treated, in which the reason for coming is indicated, because he too was a disciple, although a secret one: bearing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, that is, an ointment prepared from these, which preserved the body from putrefaction. For he did not yet believe in the resurrection, just as neither did the disciples; yet he loved greatly, whence it says: About a hundred pounds: for he did not yet understand what is said in the Psalm: " You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption ".
63. (Vers. 40.). They took therefore. The devotion of Nicodemus is touched upon in the embalming of the body. They took therefore, namely he and Joseph, the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, they anointed it, supply: as is the custom of the Jews to bury, namely honorably; Genesis, last chapter: " Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father with spices ". Chrysostom: " They bury him not as one condemned, but, as is the custom among the Jews, very honorably indeed, as someone great and wonderful ".
64. (Vers. 41.). Now there was in the place. Here the third point is set forth, namely the placement in the tomb. And the reason why he was placed in that location is indicated as twofold, namely the suitability of the place and the shortness of time: the suitability of the place, because it was nearby and new: whence he says: Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb: and therefore new, in which namely no one had yet been placed. And such a tomb was fitting for the Lord, so that the resurrection would not be thought to be that of another who might lie with the Lord. Augustine says that " just as in the womb of the Virgin Mary no one before him, no one after him was conceived: so in this tomb no one before him, no one after him was buried ".
65. (Vers. 42.). There therefore, on account of the preparation day of the Jews, and so the solemnity was imminent, on account of which it was not permitted to carry him far: because the tomb was nearby, that is, close, they placed him, namely Jesus. Augustine: " He wants us to understand that the burial was hastened, lest evening should fall, when already on account of the preparation day, which in more customary Latin among us the Jews call the 'pure meal,' it was not permitted to do any such thing ".
QUESTIONS.
66. Question I. But it is asked here: why did none of the disciples of the Lord come forward to bury him? — If you say that they did not dare on account of fear of the Jews: but Joseph feared much more: therefore all the more should he have abandoned the task.
I respond: The reason was both human and divine: human, because, although the disciples and he feared the Jews, nevertheless he was a noble person, as is said in Mark 15, and therefore he was confident of obtaining the request, because he was known to Pilate. The divine reason was that, if the disciples had buried him, the Jews would have had a probable argument that they had afterwards stolen his body.