“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.”

(Isaiah 53:6-7)

[ Holy God,who by weakness showed forth what is greater than power] (Monogenes Melody).
[O wise men, be terrified at the fake kisses, for by one of them the Son of God was hung on the cross] (Saint Jacob of Serugh)[1]
[Peter wept, he wept because he erred, he wept because he strayed as a human,
He wept without apologizing, because tears wash away what we are ashamed to speak with our mouths…
Tears confess the sin without hurting modesty.
Tears do not ask for forgiveness but they receive it] (Saint Ambrose)[2]

The explanation of the readings

The readings tonight take us outside of time to see the passions of the Lord, which are not an event or incident but:

• An economy since eternity. (First Hour)
• And sufferings out of free will. (Third Hour)
• And a prayer that unites man with the will of the Father. (Sixth Hour)
• And a confrontation with the tyranny of darkness on behalf of humanity. (Ninth Hour)
• Silence out of economy. (The Eleventh Hour).

In this way, the Lord made our pains in Him and for Him for the sake of the economy of our salvation,
And if we strive in the prayer of surrendering to the will, our will will accept it and be manifested in our silence, and we will confront with strength the authority of darkness and the schemes of the resistors in this prayer.

The First Hour of the Great Friday Eve

The readings of this hour speak about the divine economy in salvation, and how salvation declared God the Father’s love on the cross, and showed the work of the Son in renewing humanity, and the work of the Holy Spirit to comprehend this economy, and the birth of the Church of the New Covenant.

• In need of a savior (Jeremiah).
• Forces of darkness alliance against the savior (Psalms).
• The glory of the Father proclaimed in our salvation (First Gospel).
• The gifts of the Son’s salvation (Second Gospel).
• Realizing the economy of His salvation by the work of the Holy Spirit (Third Gospel).
• The birth of the New Covenant Church (Fourth Gospel).

Prophecies

Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 8:17-9:1-6)

This prophecy declares humanity’s need for a savior and the extent of human misery and wretchedness without salvation.
“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, And we are not saved! Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people?”

Our father Tadros Jacob Malti explains this text:

The men of the Old Testament could not enjoy the answers to these questions except for a few through symbols and shadows, so they would cry out: ” The harvest is past, the summer is ended, And we are not saved.” At that time, the farmers expected to harvest wheat between April and May, and if the wheat did not come, they hoped for the harvest of grapes, figs, olives, etc. in the summer. But the harvest time passed, the summer ended, and there was no fruit! What hope do they have left?

Our hope is in the Lord Christ who says: “I am the balm, I am the physician!” “For the crushing of my people’s daughter I was crushed, I grieved, I was taken aback.” We found the answer in our Christ who was crushed on the cross to redeem us from the bondage of sin, and to bring us into His heavenly Jerusalem, and to make us kings and priests for His Father.

Psalm (Psalm 54: 18, 10)

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, And let my cry come to You. My enemies reproach me all day long, Those who deride me swear an oath against me.”
This prophecy speaks of the alliance of the rulers with Judas and the cry of the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane.
The psalm from which these verses come is one of the Messianic psalms, from which Saint Paul quoted in the Epistle to the Hebrews.

The verses (25, 26) from the Psalms were applied by the Apostle Paul to Christ (Hebrews 1:10-12), and thus we understand that the Psalm prophesies about the sufferings of Christ, or the sufferings of the Church of Christ for His name’s sake.

[And because the Psalm speaks about the sufferings of the believer in the world in a general sense, we find the Psalm titled as the prayer of the poor, praying as the poor in spirit, and also a prophecy about Christ who became poor and made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant for us. And so, Christ prayed on the night of His arrest].[4]
The link between the Psalm and the Gospel (father Luke Sidarous)[5]
Hear my prayer, O Lord…

The title of this psalm is the prayer of the poor, as he wearied and poured out his complaint before God.
If the psalmist suffered pains, symbolizing the pains of the Lord Jesus Christ, and cried out as a poor man, thus the words of the psalm expressed the farewell prayer of Jesus, which he prayed for us at this hour.

It is enough for us to contemplate this prayer to console our souls:
“Father, glorify your Son… Glorify me, Father, with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
“I pray for them… They accepted your word and knew with certainty that you sent me.”
“Protect them by the power of your name.”

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.”

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me.”
My enemies reproach me all day long…
In the Gospel, Jesus Christ says to His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. “” (John 15:18-19).

The followers of Christ must have in their hearts:
That they are against the world and considered enemies of the world.
That they are subjected to insults and persecutions all day long or throughout their lives.
That they need to walk in the paths that the Lord walked, carrying the cross with Him. [6]

The Gospels (The Chapters of Paraclete)

The Gospels speak of the Trinity’s economy for salvation, and the Church of the New Covenant.
As for when the Lord said this farewell speech to the disciples and where, perhaps this interpretation – by Father Antonios Fikri – is the closest to what happened:

[“Get up and let’s leave from here” .. And this phrase usually means that they left the upper room where He washed their feet and offered His body and blood to them in the sacramental supper. And they usually went to the temple where the Lord spoke His teachings (ch.15, 16) and then prayed His intercessory prayer (ch.17).

After that, we hear that He went out with His disciples to the valley of Kidron (18:1). This Kidron Valley is the valley that separates between the temple and the Mount of Olives where the Garden of Gethsemane is located. Some say that the teachings (ch.15, 16) were on the way. And the prayer (ch.17) was in the temple.

The first verse in (ch.15) in which Christ tells them that He is the true vine, and commentators say that Christ saw a vine on the way and pointed to it and said: I am the true vine.]

As for the first group of opinion holders who say that the teachings (ch. 15, 16) were in the temple, they say that the vineyard mentioned refers to a golden vineyard sculpted on the doors of the temple (as the vineyard symbolized Israel).

In general, the intention is something based on what they see with their own eyes. And Christ uses what we see with our eyes to teach us (like the farmer, the fisherman, and the fields…).

Christ chose the vineyard because they had just drunk from the vineyard’s juice, meaning the blood of Christ, which gives them life to become living members in Christ’s vineyard.

The vineyard was initially mentioned regarding Israel, but it was said to have produced bad fruit (Isaiah 5:2-7, Isaiah 1:5-2, Psalm 80:8-19, Matthew 23:21-46)…

As we find the reason for its name in the Paraclete chapters:

It includes the post-dinner conversations and the intercessory prayer (John 17), and they are called the Paraclete chapters because they contain comforting words and promises to send the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. In the intercessory prayer of Christ, He pours out His fervent supplications to the Father for His disciples and for the whole church. All of this is Christ’s discourse to His beloved, a special and inviting discourse. He wanted them to hear the prayer to the Father for them, as it was after Judas left because he did not deserve to be a friend of Christ to hear all this. From here, we understand that these special consolations are only for the beloved children of God.

In these chapters, we see the deepest relationships between the Father and the Son, the relationship between the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit, and the relationship of Christ with His church. And the relationship of the church with the world. We see in them the activities of overflowing love from the heart of God towards humanity (Fr. Antonios Fakhry). And these four readings proclaim the divine love and glory of the New Covenant Church, as explained by our Father Tadros Jacob Malaty.

The Evangelist used the word “love” as a noun or a verb 9 times in chapters 1 and 2, while he used it 30 times in chapters 13-14-15-16-17. The main theme of the Upper Room story is love.
In His farewell discourses, the Lord Jesus revealed many secrets to His disciples regarding the divine work in their lives, disclosing the following:

His divine plan: To prepare a place for them with Him in the spacious heaven, which awaits humanity to enjoy the company of eternal glory. He revealed to them that all the pain and crucifixion He endures is not a bitter catastrophe, but a gift from the Father to fulfill His love for humanity, leading them into the Father’s bosom.

His divine person: for He is one with the Father, fulfilling the will of the Father with joy, what He speaks and what He does are the words of the Father, the lover of humanity, and His actions.

Their new position: they are like branches in the divine vine. If man was expelled from the Garden of Eden, he became Christ’s divine vine, indeed man became a branch bearing superlative fruit, pleasing God with the fruit of his own work.

Their new potentials: Love that gives for others. Where the believer considers himself unworthy to be given for his brothers, sharing in Christ’s glory of the giving love even to the cross.

Their role in the world: They love humanity, and the world hates them. They offer what is for their kingdom, the kingdom of light and love, while the wicked world offers what is for its kingdom of darkness and hatred.

Divine support: The Paraclete is sent to them, who pulls them out of the confusion with the pains they face, so that they can smell the love for God and people, and the glory and dignity as partners of Christ in His sufferings, and enjoy the fragrance of the resurrection of the Crucified. The Holy Spirit lifts them the sufferings, so they will not be surrounded or constricted by them, but they see it as the path of Golgotha that leads them to the Crucified Heavenly, where they enjoy it in His heavens. (Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty)

The first chapter (John 13:33-38; 14:1-25)

This chapter speaks about:

• The Father’s kingdom for humanity.
• The declaration of His glory in His only Son.
• His dwelling in the hearts of those who keep His Son’s commandments.
• And He is the One who gives the Holy Spirit to the believers.
  “In my Father’s house are many mansions.”
  “No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

“Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus replied, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?”
“The Father, living in me, is doing his work.”

“I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.”
“The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

“The words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”

The second chapter (John 14:26-15:1-25)

This chapter speaks about the Son of God:

• The vine in which He planted us as branches through His cross,
• He made us beloved and chosen,
• And poured out on us the abundance of His love and the fullness of His joy.
  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”
  “The ruler of this world is coming, and he has no hold over me.”

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit.”
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you.”
“I am the vine; you are the branches.”
“Without me, you can do nothing.”
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
“Remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love.”
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
“I have called you friends.”
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit.”
“No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”
“If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin.”

Chapter Three (John 14:26-31; 15:1-25)

This chapter speaks about the Holy Spirit:

• Who comes from the Father and comes to us after the Son ascends to the Father.
• He is the source of all comfort.
• And the way to know the truth.
• And through His conviction, we live our salvation.
• The glory of the Son of God is declared among us by Him

“But when the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.”
“Yet I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you.”
“And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

Chapter Four (John 17:1)

This chapter talks about:

The New Covenant Church which the Father gave to the Son, that’s why the phrase “those you gave me” is repeated about seven times.
“To give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”

“I have revealed your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.”
“They are yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.”
“I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you gave me, for they are yours.”
“I have been glorified in them.”
“I have given them to me to be one as we are.”
“Those whom I have given to me I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of destruction.”
“And I have given them the glory that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.”
“Father, those you have given me, I want them to be with me where I am.”

The Third Hour of the Great Friday Eve

The readings of this hour speak of salvation and the voluntary sufferings of the Son of Man,

Therefore, it talks about:

• His divine will for our salvation for the sake of His holy name (Prophecy).
• The connection of voluntary pain with praise and thanksgiving (Psalms).
• The Lord’s informing of the disciples of what is intended to be (First and Second Gospel).
• His reassurance to the disciples of what they have experienced with Him (Third Gospel).
• The connection of His sufferings with the garden, greenery, and life (Fourth Gospel).

Prophecy – Book of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36:16-26)

How beautiful is this prophecy that declares that salvation is not based on our request or will, but is the result of God’s salvific will and His holy name, and His love for humanity that has been corrupted by sin, and needed to renew its nature and redemption.
“But I spared them for the sake of my holy name. I will not do this for your sake, house of Israel ,but for the sake of my holy name, which you desecrated among the nations….then the nations will know that I am the Lord.”

Psalm (Psalm 108:1, 2)

” Do not keep silent, O God of my praise! For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful Have opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.”

The psalm speaks about the alliance of the betraying disciple with the Jewish leaders, and the innocent blood here is the blood of the Son of God.

In another translation, “O God of my praise” because the cross in Christ is no longer a sign of anger and bitterness, but a way of joy, praise, and thanksgiving, as man willingly accepted it and carried it with Christ and in Christ.

The title of this psalm “To the Chief Musician” is also associated with the sufferings of Christ, as explained by the holy fathers.

[The word “to the end” was written because through Christ’s death we received salvation, and this was the end (the end) for which the Savior came in the flesh, and about which the Apostle Peter wrote: ” receiving the end of your faith–the salvation of your souls. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” (see 1 Pet 1:9-11)] (Pope Athanasius the Apostle)[9]

[This psalm was written by our Lord Jesus Christ, and His words are not a prayer against Judas the traitor, and against the Jews who crucified Him, but a prophecy of what was to happen to them, hence the title “for the consummation”, i.e. for the future to occur in the fullness of time] (Father Ansemos of Jerusalem)[10].

The mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are the mouths of false witnesses in the trials of the Lord and the mouth of Judas the traitor.

It is the psalm of the Passion of the Lord, which also foretold the fate of Judas, which are the verses cited by St. Peter in speaking about the fate of Judas’ betrayal at the beginning of the Book of Acts.

The link between the Psalm and the Gospel (father Luke Sedarus)[11]

Do not keep silent, O God of my praise…

This praise was offered by the Lord through His disciples after He offered Himself to them as a broken body and shed blood. It is the same rosary that the Church in heaven offers to the slaughtered lamb.

The Church has arranged for the 150th Psalm to be praised after the end of the Divine Liturgy and during the distribution of the sacraments: “Praise God in all His saints… Praise Him… Praise Him.” Praise is the language of thanksgiving, gratitude and a sense of debt to the cross of Christ.

The disciples who had previously asked the Savior to teach them to pray… Their mouths were opened in praise after their union with the Body of Christ in the Sacrament of Thanksgiving. Thus, praise in our lives is not a subjective act, but an automatic result of receiving the Lord’s body and blood and uniting with Him. Therefore, God pays attention to our praise and is not silent about it, because we do not praise in ourselves, but in Christ in us.

“In the midst of the congregation I praise you.”

[Your people and your church seek you, your people and your church to the Father].

“Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.”

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful Have opened against me;…

The mouth of the sinner is the mouth of Judas the traitor, who wore the curse like a garment and spoke against the Lord before the chief priests, “What will you give me that I may deliver Him to you?” O the misery of Judas, the child of sin, who acquired a lowly share with the reprobates who surrounded the Savior.

Gospels

The First Gospel and the Second Gospel (Matthew 26:30-35); (Mark 14:26-31)

The accounts in both Gospels agree that the Lord informs His disciples of what will happen, although St. Mark’s account adds to St. Matthew’s that Peter’s denial will be after the rooster crows twice.

The third Gospel

St. Luke explains the situation in more detail:

He singles out the Lord’s affirmation of Peter’s faith precisely because of His divine knowledge that what would happen to him was human weakness and not persistent betrayals, deviation in character, and continued disregard like Judas:

“Simon, Simon, behold, the devil has sought you to sift you like wheat, but I have sought you, that your faith may not perish.”

He also singles out the Lord’s reassurance to the disciples before the Passion about what they had experienced with Him:

“Then He said to them, “When I sent you without a sack, without a purse, without shoes, did you need anything?” They said, “No.

He also adds the Lord’s command for them to arm themselves spiritually, which the disciples understood literally at the time:

“But now, whoever has a sack, let him take it, and he who does not have a sword, let him sell his garment and buy a sword.”

He is the only one to mention the prophecy: “For I say to you, it must be fulfilled in me, and I shall be numbered with the unrighteous.”

St. Luke’s words about the Lord (according to the Coptic translation):

“For what was written for me has its fulfillment.”

The Fourth Gospel (John 18:1,2)

It is not random or redundant that St. John writes here that this place is a garden to announce the connection of the cross and suffering to life, the fruit of the resurrection, and the renewal of the human nature:

“When Jesus had said this, he went out with His disciples across the Jordan valley, where there was a garden.”

the The Sixth Hour of the Great Friday Eve

The readings of this hour speak about:

• The need for salvation for everyone (Prophecy).
• The abandonment of the Son of Man by all (Psalms).
• Acceptance of the cup of human sins and their death in His prayer as a substitute for humanity (The first three Gospels).
• Safeguarding His children from destruction (The fourth Gospel).

Prophecy – Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 22: 23-28)

The readings of this hour speak of the absence of the water of life from all the people and their leaders because of their sins, and this is the fate of the Jewish nation that rejected the fountain of living water, our Lord Jesus Christ:
” And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’

The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy,”

This reminds us of the sign that Gideon requested from God on the first night: “look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” (Judges 6:37) The fleece symbolized the Jewish people who received the word of God alone among all nations in the Old Testament. The fleece with dew on it and dry ground symbolized the acceptance of the word of God by the Jewish people. On the following night, symbolizing the New Covenant, the opposite was requested, with dew on the ground and dry fleece, symbolizing the rejection of the Jewish nation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the word of God, or the heavenly dew, while the Gentile world accepted it. The Jewish nation became the land without rain. (Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty)

I wish those who had introduced the readings had added the two verses that follow, which clearly indicate the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only one who is able to intercede for us and for our sins before God the Father.
“I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.”

(Psalm 59:1, Psalm 69:20)

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me from those who rise up against me. I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; And for comforters, but I found none..”
Here come two prophecies about the cross:

The first of these is from Psalm 59, which is the prayer of the Son of Man to the Father to save humanity, carrying its body from death so that it may attain resurrection (not to avoid death), as St. Paul meant in his epistle to the Hebrews (Heb 5:7).
And how beautiful is what one of the fathers wrote as a commentary on the prayer of the Son of Man to the Father, saying: Save me… Rescue me.

By saying “Father, save me,” the presence of the Son of God is sought, who made Himself a ransom for the world. This statement is also directed as before by our Lord, as He asks God His Father for the salvation of the group of believers who are His body from the visible enemies, and from those who commit sin, and from the bloodshedders who are determined to kill Him, and to kill His messengers after Him, and to kill those who follow them. It also seeks their salvation and justification from the act of sin and killing. But His request to the Father, and His supplication to Him, is not due to weakness or lack of His authority or sovereignty compared to the authority of the Father, far from it! Rather, only to declare the perfection of His manhood, and to teach us to seek help from God in times of hardship. (Father Anselm of Jerusalem)

As for the second prophecy, it is from Psalm 69, one of the most famous Psalms that spoke about the sufferings of Christ, glory be to Him, after Psalm 22.
[Psalm 22 is considered one of the Psalms most quoted in the New Testament, followed immediately by this Psalm. Therefore, it is often interpreted as a Messianic Psalm referring to our Lord Jesus Christ and His salvific work]. (Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty)
And there are many quotations from it in the New Testament:
A. (Psalm 69:4) ← (John 15:25).
B. (Psalm 69:9) ← (John 2:17); (Romans 15:3).
C. (Psalm 69:21) ← (Matthew 27:34, 48); (Mark 15:23); (John 19:28-29).
D. (Psalm 69:25) ← (Acts 1:16, 20).

Theodore, the Bishop of Cyrus, says: [It is a prophecy about the sufferings of Christ, and the final destruction of the Jews because of it.] The discourse here is about everyone abandoning Him, as foretold in the Gospels of the third hour. The link between the Psalm and the Gospel (Father Luke Sidarous) [15]

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me…

“if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.” “Yet not my will but yours be done.” He completed the saying that he made Himself of no reputation and did not anticipate anything for Himself, but in complete and supreme surrender to human nature… an astonishing surrender that deserved humanity to receive the treasures of the Father… And through this surrender, humanity in Christ returned to the bosom of the Father… obedient and submissive after being estranged for a long time due to disobedience, “If one man’s sin caused many to die, how much more the grace of God.”

In Christ Jesus, we understand the meaning of voluntary submission to the Father without feeling boredom and despair.
In Christ, the soul also seeks not what is acceptable or pleasing to itself, but what is acceptable to the Father and according to His will.
The requirement for a Christian is to first free oneself from one’s own self and deny oneself… Whoever does not deny oneself does not deserve to become a disciple of Christ who fulfilled the will of the Father, and humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Accepting pains and hardships with joy and gratitude is considered a continuation of Christ’s work in the garden in the lives of His children in every era because Christ Jesus is yesterday, today, and forever.

I looked for someone to take pity…

How deep are these words that the psalmist met with the disciples’ sleep in the garden… He who paid the full price because of His righteousness, does He seek and wait for someone to grieve with Him? He who stayed awake and surrendered Himself to sorrow until death… And His sweat poured like drops of blood, does He wait for someone to console Him?

The psalm reveals to us the secret of the passions of our Christ, who shared with us all the gains of the cross and all triumph over pains and death… It is our right to say with the apostle: “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”… Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into various trials.” And you become partners with Christ in the pains… because he who grieves with Him in the garden will receive the guarantee of the resurrection of the dead with a joy that is inexpressible and glorious.

“If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:17). I waited, so Jesus waited to give the honor of His passions and the joy of His sorrows to His children, waiting for Simon of Cyrene to be honored for carrying the cross of Christ… He wants to share His death with us so that we may share in His resurrection. The Lord woke the disciples up at times so that they would not miss the opportunity to enjoy the blessings of Christ’s passions… But because of weakness and physical sorrow, they were weighed down with sleep, so he said to them, “Sleep now and rest… The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The Lord kept their portion of pains as a precious gift for them… And they later said: “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death”.

Jesus asks every day and in every circumstance of our lives, saying: “I have waited for someone to grieve with me.” We do not grieve because Christ suffered, but we grieve because we have not yet benefited from His passions for us.

The Gospels

The First Gospel and the Second Gospel (Matt 26:36–46), (Mark 14:32-42)

In these two accounts, we see more than one situation that requires a pause:
The intense sorrow of the Lord – His fervent prayers – The will of the Father and His will – The meaning of passing the cup and not entering into trial:
The intense sorrow of the Lord:
“He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death’
(Saint Jerome and Saint Ambrose see the intense sorrow here as evidence of His perfect manhood and a clear response to all heresies that doubted the reality of the incarnation.)

[” My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.” Let us give thanks that Jesus had a real body and a real soul, for if the Lord had not taken on human nature in its entirety, humanity would not have been saved. If He had taken only a body without a soul, the body would have been saved without the soul, even though we need the salvation of the soul more than the salvation of the body. He took both body and soul to save them, saving the whole person as He created him]. (St. Jerome)
[By being God who put on a body, He played the role of physical weakness so that there would be no excuse for the wicked to deny the incarnation. With this saying, followers of Mani do not believe, and Valentinus denies the incarnation, and Marcion claims it was an illusion… He has shown Himself to bear a real body]. (St. Ambrose)

Saint Cyril the Great sees that the mystery of the sorrow of the Lord Christ is the rejection of His firstborn son by Israel, as he says:
[Just as He wept over Lazarus in compassion for all humanity, as he had become a victim of corruption and death, so we say that His sorrow here is when He saw Jerusalem, surrounded by great tragedies, and there was no cure for its misfortunes.
His passions were not the result of actions beyond His control, but on the other hand, they were serious, leading to the rejection of the synagogue of the Jews and their destruction. It was not His will for Israel to be a killer of its Lord, exposing itself to judgment, blame, and deprivation of God’s gifts… While they were once His people, they alone were His people, His chosen ones, and His heirs!]. (Saint Cyril the Great) [16]

His fervent prayer:
” He fell on His face, and prayed, saying…”
Saint Cyril the Great tells us about the necessity of imitating the Lord in times of trial, saying:
“He prayed when those who wanted to seize Him were at the gates. No one understands that He is making supplications as one in need of strength or help from another, since He himself is the power of God the Almighty and His authority. He did this for our instruction, to remove from us the laxity when trials come, and when persecution presses upon us, and when the snares of treachery are cast against us, and the net of death is prepared for us. For our means of salvation is vigilance, humility, offering supplications, and seeking help from above, so that we do not get weak and suffer a terrifying destruction.”

…We were not instructed to use swords in fighting our enemies, rather we are to use love and dignity, so we may win over those who oppose us. Paul teaches us a similar lesson by saying: ” casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ” (2 Corinthians 10:5), because the war for truth is spiritual, and the weapon that makes us saints is a mind filled with the love of God. (Saint Cyril the Great) [17]

The Will of the Father and the Will of the Son:
There is no contradiction between the two wills, but because the Son of Man spoke in the language of man and because of His weakness and the inability of His will that has not yet united with the will of the Father, and because He carried us in His own body, as explained by Saint Athanasius the Apostle, carrying everything that concerns man except sin, and this is what Saint Athanasius explained in his epistle against the Arians (reference can be made to the book “Response to the Arians” by the Saint Anthony’s Institute for Patristic Studies).

And it is also confirmed by the rest of the holy fathers:
[When He became human, he bore what is for man… and here He asks about matters pertaining to the Father (the will of the Father) even though in terms of His divinity, His will is one with the Father… Certainly, the Savior did not ask for what is impossible or what is not practical, or what is contrary to the will of the Father] (St. Dionysius)

[There is no will of the Father that differs from the will of the Son, but they have one will, one divinity, and yet He learned to submit to God]. (St. Ambrose)

To cross the cup and not enter into the temptation means to overcome it and go through it without fear or weakness, so if we assume that the disciples prayed with the Lord in the garden, they would not have feared or fled.
The cup here is the wars of the forces of darkness against our faith, which Saint James said we should not fear but accept with joy, confident in the Lord’s reward for us (James 1:12), and Saint Paul advises us to be strong in the Lord in facing them (Ephesians 6:13, 14).
As for the temptation we do not enter if we pray, it is to weaken, flee, fear, doubt His love, and look for ways to escape from temptations.

Saint Dionysius of Alexandria says:
“Whoever stands firm in the temptation and endures it, such a person, even though truly tested, does not enter into the temptation, nor fall under it. Thus, the Spirit led Jesus not to enter into the temptation, but to be tested by the devil (Matthew 4:1). And Abraham also did not enter into the temptation, nor did God lead him into the trial, but tested him without drawing him into the temptation (under it)…
The devil drags us by force to destroy us, but God leads us by His hand to train us for our salvation. (Saint Dionysius of Alexandria)”

The Third Gospel (Luke 22:40-46)

Saint Luke adds here two situations:
The first is the appearance of an angel from heaven strengthening Him.
And the second is His sweat, which was like drops of blood during His prayer.
The appearance of an angel from heaven strengthening Him confirms His full humanity and clarifies the support of the angels for the children of God in their prayers (Hebrews 1).
It is as if He is offering to the Lord the hymn of glory, power, and blessing that the Church sings for its crucified Christ during the holy Pascha.

To show us the power of prayer, we practice it during our struggles, an angel appeared to our Lord to strengthen Him. (Father Theophylacteus)

How beautiful is the saying of Saint Dionysius that drops of sweat mixed with blood removed the spring of fear from our nature:
The drops of sweat flowed from Him in a strange way like drops of blood, as if He was draining His blood, emptying the spring of fear that is fitting for our nature. (Saint Dionysius of Alexandria)

The Fourth Gospel (John 18: 3-9)

Saint John did not mention in his Gospel what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane during the Lord’s prayer and contented himself with the testimony of the three evangelists, although he was the only eyewitness among them and only spoke about how the Lord Jesus met His betrayer and resistors. That is why he showed three important things that he alone mentioned:
First: His prior knowledge and understanding of everything that was to come as confirmation of His acceptance of suffering by His own will.

“And Jesus, knowing all that was coming upon Him, went out and said to them: “Who are you asking?”

This is also confirmed by St. John Chrysostom:

“They had often sent to arrest Him, but they were not able to. But this time it is clear that He surrendered Himself to them willingly. How did they deceive the soldiers? They were soldiers who would do anything for money. (Saint John Chrysostom) [21]”
Secondly, His divinity and divine authority were evident in the retreat of the soldiers out of fear and their falling to the ground.
“When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.”
[And Saint Augustine says, if He did this when He was arrested to be tried, what will He do when He comes to judge?]

And St. Gregory of Nyssa detailed the authority of the Lord, saying: The Lord of glory, who despised shame and embraced pain in the body, did not forsake the freedom of His will, as He said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19). Again: “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. “(see John 10:18). When the armed men approached Him with swords and clubs on the night of His agony, He made them step back by saying, “I am He” (John 18:6; Mark 3:14). Again, when the thief asked Him to remember him as he was dying, He revealed His universal authority by saying, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:24).

Even in moments of pain, He did not abandon His sovereignty. (St. Gregory of Nyssa)
Father Tadros Jacob Malti explains the expected number of people present to arrest the Lord on the night of His crucifixion:
A cohort (teen speiran) went out, equivalent to a legion. Some believe the legion numbered 6000 people, while others believe the number was not fixed and its divisions were not equal.
Here, the soldiers are the Roman military personnel provided by the governor to protect the temple, while the servants are those affiliated with the Sanhedrin. Some estimate the soldiers and servants (temple soldiers) to be around 500 people, while others think they were a thousand. As for those around the Lord in the garden, they were likely eleven.

The abundance of the crowd does not necessarily mean the right path; often the few are the faithful and sincere in their relationship with God. Perhaps the soldiers came with swords, while the servants came with clubs. Some may wonder: Why such a large number to arrest the Lord Christ? The Romans were known to use large numbers of soldiers for a small task. In the Acts of the Apostles, we find 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen guarding the prisoner Paul on the road (Acts 23:23). There was a fear of a popular revolt in arresting him.

This was not a popular crowd that came spontaneously, but rather leaders, and officials from the temple and the palace came to arrest Him. The formal church united with the forces of darkness against the truth. (Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty)

Thirdly: He protected the disciples from distress and pain during His agony and crucifixion.
“if you seek Me, let these go their way, that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”
And St. John Chrysostom explains how the Lord protected His disciples from any harm.

[Perdition here does not mean death but eternal perdition; although the evangelist in this place also meant the former meaning (death) as well.

One might wonder why they were not arrested with Him, and they cut them off, especially when Peter provoked them with what he did to the servant. So who stopped them? No one but the power that pushed them back.

Thus, the Evangelist shows that this did not happen by their own will, but by the order of (the Lord) and His power they were prevented from that, he added: ” that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none ” (St. John Chrysostom)

the Ninth hourThe Ninth Hour of the Great Friday Eve

This reading speaks of the confrontation with the prince of darkness, a confrontation accepted by the Lord through His will and economy, as stated by the prophets of the Old Testament:

Therefore, in this confrontation, we also see:

• His condemnation of the resistors (the prophecies and the Psalms).
• His reproach to the betrayer (the Psalms).
• The fulfillment of the prophets’ prophecies about Him (the First Gospel).
• The rapidity of events and the weakness of the disciples (the Second Gospel).
• The Crucified One’s love for His executioners (the Third Gospel).
• The unity of His will with the Father in the economy of salvation (the Fourth Gospel).

Prophecies

The First Prophecy: Jeremiah the Prophet (Jeremiah 9: 7-15)

This prophecy speaks about:

• The betrayal of Judah
• And the fate of Jerusalem, the rejection of salvation and its anticipated destruction.
• And the coming of Jerusalem of the nations, meaning the salvation of all peoples.

“Their tongue is an arrow shot out; It speaks deceit; One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, But in his heart he lies in wait.  I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of jackals. I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.”

The Second Prophecy: Ezekiel the Prophet (Ezekiel 21: 28-32)

This prophecy speaks about the punishment of the nations who allied with the Jews to crucify the Lord.

The sword here is a reference to the cross, which will condemn humans because they have seen only falsehood and known only lies:
” and say: ‘A sword, a sword is drawn, Polished for slaughter, For consuming, for flashing–

While they see false visions for you, While they divine a lie to you, To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain Whose day has come, Whose iniquity shall end.”

Psalms

At this hour, two Psalms are recited:
The first speaks about Judas the transgressor.
The second speaks about the leaders of the Jews.

The first psalm (Psalm 28: 4, 5)

“Who speak peace to their neighbors, But evil is in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, And according to the wickedness of their endeavors”
This psalm shows the betrayal and deceit of Judas in his meeting with the Lord and his greeting to Him as a rabbi, while he was with the armed crowd to hand Him over to them.

The second psalm (Psalm 35: 4, 5)

” Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor Who seek after my life; Let those be turned back and brought to confusion Who plot my hurt.”

This psalm speaks of His adversaries among the rulers of the Jews, and His crucifiers among the Romans, who turned back when He said to them, “I am He.”

The link between the psalm and the Gospel (Father Luke Sidarous) [25]
Who speak peace to their neighbors, But evil is in their hearts…

The psalm speaks of Judas, the betraying disciple who hid his true self and evil from the Lord Jesus, and spoke in peace, saying, ” Greetings, Rabbi! ” “How can you speak of righteousness when you are wicked?”
My Lord Jesus, do not allow me to pray and love the world in my heart.

Give them according to their deeds….

He will take according to his actions… for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap…
The Lord Jesus said to Judas as he approached: “Friend,” in order to save him and give him a last chance for salvation… but Judas did not heed that gentle voice because he was inclined towards destruction.

” Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor Who seek after my life. Let those be turned back and brought to confusion Who plot my hurt
Jesus went out knowing all that would happen to Him and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”… They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene”… Jesus said to them, “I am he”… When He said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

The world was exposed, power was shattered, and violence fell at the feet of the Lord… Where is the strength of those carrying swords and wielding sticks?
Make me, O Lord, hold onto you so that I may be filled with strength and no longer fear the world or be intimidated by the sword.
The devil is exposed before me every day, so I discover that the pleasure of the body is disgrace, the glory of the world is humiliation, and the reign of sin is a mirage.

The Gospels

When we compare this situation in the four Gospels, we find that:
St. Matthew speaks about:
The Son of God in unity with the Father’s will on the cross.
And the Son of Man who accepted the cross and the cup in fullness.

And also speaks about the divine teacher.
St. Mark speaks about the speed of the situation and its awe.
St. Luke speaks about the human aspect.
St. John speaks about the divine economy.

The First Gospel – The Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 26:47-58)

St. Matthew speaks about the unity of His will with the Father in the economy of salvation through the cross, and that He accepted the cross with His one will with the Father’s will, as revealed to the prophets:
“do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

As He declares His acceptance of the cross by His full will: “It should be so,” as the Golden Mouth says:
[The Lord Christ said to Peter the Apostle, “The cup that the Father has given me, shall I not drink it?” Clarifying that the incident was not by the will of those, but by His authority, and showing that He is not contrary to God but obedient to his Father unto death. (St. John Chrysostom)][26]
[As shown in the Gospel, the traitor’s greeting to Him “Greetings, Rabbi !,” because the Gospel of Matthew is the Gospel of divine teaching in which five teaching stations come:

☞The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, 7).
☞The call of the Twelve (Matthew 10).
☞The parables of the kingdom (Matthew 13).
☞The forgiveness conversation is seventy times seven (Matthew 18).
☞Woes to the scribes and the second coming and the parables of the kingdom (Matthew 23, 24, 25).
These are the discourses that always ended with the phrase “And when Jesus had finished speaking or commanding His disciples.” (Dr. Maurice Tawadros)

The Second Gospel (Mark 14:43-54)

St. Mark speaks of the speed of the situation and its awe, which is why the word “immediately” is repeated in it, the word for which the Gospel of Mark is famous, and which made some say that whoever reads the Gospel of Mark while walking finds himself running due to the rapid succession of events.
It is also clear the awe of the situation from the young man’s escape (some say he is Mark the Apostle himself), leaving his linen cloth behind to save himself.

The Third Gospel (Luke 22:47-55)

The Gospel of Luke speaks about the human aspect in our Lord Jesus, as He reproaches the betrayer with the rebuke of love, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” He also heals the one who came to arrest Him, “And He touched his ear and healed him,” in order to teach us how to confront evil and violence, as Saint Cyril the Great says:
“We are not instructed to use swords in resisting our enemies; rather, we are to use love and dignity, so that we may gain those who are against us. Paul teaches us a similar lesson when he says,

“casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”(2 Corinthians 10:5), because the war for truth is spiritual, and the weapon that makes us saints is a mind filled with the love of God. (Saint Cyril the Great)” [28]

The Fourth Gospel (John 18: 10-14)

St. John speaks about the divine economy of the Trinity on the cross, as the cup was given by the Father to the Son, and the prophecy was revealed by the Spirit to the high priest. “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me? … Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.”

It is noted here that St. John is the only one who mentioned the name of St. Peter in cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant.
[As Father Antonios Fakhry says:
The penalty for assaulting a soldier of the high priest was death, which is why John was the only one who mentioned Peter’s name. He wrote his Gospel after Peter’s martyrdom. Often, the servants of the high priest were in the forefront and the Roman soldiers did not see what Peter did. But Christ saved the situation by healing the servant’s ear.]

And we will know that human emotions and physical factors that move impulses lead to denial and cowardice. As for Christ, He was full of enduring love. He endured the betrayal of Judas, the injustice of the soldiers, the conspiracies of the chief priests, and the cowardice of Peter, and He still endures us in our betrayals and weaknesses. Note that what Peter did could have caused Christ to be judged because He was the reason for what happened. (Father Antonios Fakry). The saints Cyril the Great and Ambrose speak of the weakness of the Apostle Peter and his repentance, saying:

The Christ did not rise from the dead, nor did He abolish death, nor did He remove corruption, so the fear of death was greater than human endurance… The apostle condemned himself with his conscience, as evident from his immediate weeping and tears of repentance flowing from his eyes because of his serious sin… He was not negligent in his repentance, for as quickly as he fell into his sin, so quickly did his tears fall because of it, for he did not just weep but wept bitterly. Like a fallen man, and with courage, he rose again knowing that the merciful God says through one of his prophets: “Will they fall and not rise? Will one turn away and not return?” (Jeremiah 8:4). In his return, he did not lose the mark but continued as he was before, a true disciple. (St. Cyril the Great).

Peter wept because he erred, as a human who went astray and wept without apologizing, because tears wash away what our mouths are ashamed to speak… Tears do not ask for forgiveness, but they receive it…
Jesus looked at him, and he wept bitterly.
So that you, Lord Jesus, may look at us and we understand weeping for our sins. (St. Ambrose)

The Eleventh Hour of the Great Friday Eve

The readings of this hour speak of the silence of the Lord on one hand, and of the religious trial and Peter’s denial on the other. Therefore, the readings explain:

• The betrayal of the people and their leaders and their fate. (The Prophecy).
• The futility of their plots. (The Psalms).
• The falsehood of their testimony and the injustice of their trial. (The First, Second, and Fourth Gospels).
• And Peter’s denial. (The Four Gospels).

Prophecy – Isaiah the Prophet (Isaiah 27:11-15; 28:1-15)

This prophecy explains that despite the plots of the leaders, their corruption, and their conspiracy with the treacherous disciple, the cross will attract all peoples, and the glory of God will be proclaimed through the cross.

“So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem… In that day the Lord of hosts will be For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty To the remnant of His people. For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.… The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink.To whom have we reported evils and declared a message?”

All these curses come upon them not only because of their stance towards God, but also because of their attitude towards the pains and toils of others.
[It is said in the Prophet: “This is my rest: Refresh the weary.” Achieve this rest for the Lord, O man, and you will not need to say, “Forgive me.” Comfort the weary, visit the sick, give strength to the poor, for truly this is prayer… Every time you fulfill the rest of the Lord, it is indeed a time of prayer…
Beware, O beloved, lest an opportunity comes to you to offer rest to the will of God and you say: “Now is the time for prayer, I will pray and then work.” (Father Ephrahat)][30]

Psalm (Psalm 2:3)

” Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.

Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure.”

This psalm is considered one of the Messianic psalms pertaining to the Son of God, as explained by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty:
“This psalm is quoted several times in the New Testament, as it is specific to the Lord Christ, the great King, the Son of David, the Christ of the Lord (Acts 4:25, etc.; 13:23); (Hebrews 1:5; 5:5).
Both Jewish and Christian traditions look to Psalm 2 as a Messianic psalm, much like Psalm 110, which seems to have been relied upon. Arno C. Gaebelein says: The Messianic interpretation among the Jews was the only interpretation (of the psalm) until the 10th/11th century. After that, the Jews limited it to mean David, in order to resist the Christian interpretation of it.

Saint Cyril the Great says: He who dwells in the heavens shall laugh at them, because He is truly the Son of the Lord and the heir, being one in essence with the Father in authority, incarnate, calling those who believe in Him to share with Him in His heavenly kingdom and eternal glory, but the wicked in their pride rejected that, thinking they could possess it without Him.” [31]

The Link between the Psalm and the Gospel (Father Luke Sidaros)

Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed…

Because in truth all the forces of evil in this world have come together against the truth, which is the Son of God, the incarnate Word. Filth, bodily desires, deceit, and cunning (represented by Herod), have come together with the world’s authority, lust for power, and self-interest (represented by Pontius Pilate), all this with the appearance of virtue and adherence to truth, with hypocrisy and internal corruption (represented by the chief priests and the Pharisees), along with ignorant nations and peoples representing foolishness and false testimony. All of these have come together against the Lord and His Christ.

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh… Then He shall speak to them in His wrath
The Lord who dwells in the heavens and knows the heart of each one stands, laughing at them, mocking the power of death and all the forces of the evil enemy. “Where is your power now, O death?” The Lord stands before the chief priest (the whitewashed tomb) who appears outwardly righteous before people but inside is filled with dead bones and all uncleanness, standing silently!! He stands silently before Herod and refuses to speak a single word before the one with a corrupt heart and twisted mind…
He laughs at them because everything is naked and exposed before Him.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath…

The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son. Now is not the time for judgment. When the two disciples asked for fire from heaven for the village that did not accept them, He said to them: You do not know from which spirit you are. The Son of Man came to save what was lost. Now He speaks to them with His abundant mercy, but then He speaks to them in His anger, saying: “Depart from me, you cursed, to the fire prepared for the devil and his angels… Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’

The soul that does not accept the Lord in the sight of humiliation and shame on the cross cannot stand before Him when He speaks in His anger… When He comes to judge the world… those who stabbed Him will look at Him… and all the tribes of the earth will mourn for Him. How terrifying it is to fall into the hands of the living God.

The Gospels

The Gospel of Luke at this hour only mentions Peter’s denial, while the rest of the Gospels mention the religious trial and Peter’s denial.

The first and second Gospels (Matt 26:59-75); (Mark 14:55-72)

The two accounts agree in general with some minor differences but important at the same time:
Saint Matthew mentions:
The temple as the “temple of God”.
The high priest swearing “I adjure you by the living God”.
The Christ’s being called as “the Son of the living God”.

The Lord responded to the high priest, “You have said it.” This is the same response the Lord gave to Judas the betrayer when he asked, “Rabbi, is it I?” – A common Jewish expression meaning agreement. It is also mentioned that the high priest tore his clothes, which is forbidden according to the law (Leviticus 21:10), showing the extent of regret and repentance. Saint Peter’s deep regret and repentance are illustrated when he went out and wept bitterly.

As for Saint Mark, he describes the temple as “made by hands.” He mentions the Lord’s response to the high priest as “I am,” which signifies the divinity of the Son. The reaction of the high priest tearing his clothes indicates extreme anger. It also shows the exaggeration of the servants in insulting the Lord by striking Him with the palms of their hands. Additionally, it tells how their testimonies were false.

The method of forgery in the testimony is evident in (Matthew 26:61), for Christ did not say, “I will destroy the temple of God,” but He spoke about the temple of His body (John 2:19, 21). He did not say, “I will destroy,” but He told them, “Destroy… and I will raise it up.” So, Christ is talking about what they will do to His crucifixion, “Destroy…” and then His resurrection after 3 days. They understood His words, knowing that He said He would rise after 3 days, and they said this to Pilate (Matthew 27:63). Because they were false witnesses, they did not testify that Christ performed greater miracles than raising the temple in 3 days. He raised Lazarus after he had been dead, and the chief priest’s question to the Lord, ” I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!?” He asked not to know the answer, but to trap Christ in a dilemma.

Refusing to answer accuses him of belittling the oath in the name of God. If He says yes, He will be charged with perjury. If He says no, He is lying to Himself because He declared this in front of the crowds. (Father Antonios Fakhri)

The Third Gospel (Luke 22:56-65)

This text tells the story of Saint Peter’s denial, as mentioned by all the evangelists, but Saint Luke stands out here by drawing attention to the fact that his repentance was a result of the Lord’s look upon him. “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, So Peter went out and wept bitterly. ”

And here we stand at the interpretation of Saint Luke in the knowledge of those who asked Saint Peter that he was a Galilean: “Truly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” Because the Galileans had a slightly different way of pronouncing words, and we see this now in many countries around the world in the difference in dialect spoken by the inhabitants of the northern part of the country from those in the south (such as the residents of Alexandria and Upper Egypt).

Also comes the question of how and when did the Lord turn to Peter while He was on His way to His suffering?
[The divine economy was amazing in that the trial ended and Christ was passing by the courtyard where Peter stood. And this was after the crowing of the rooster and the third denial, so that Christ looked at Peter reproachfully, calling him to repentance (Luke 22:61) (Father Antonios Fakhri)] [34]

And how beautiful is the comment of Saint Ambrose:

“Blessed are the tears that wash away sin! Those whom the Lord turns to and looks upon weep, for Peter denied at first and did not weep, because the Lord did not turn and did not look at him. He denied a second time and still did not weep… And on the third denial, when Jesus turned to him and looked at him, he wept bitterly… We cannot say that it was just a physical turning and looking at him with His eyes, but rather it was achieved internally in the mind and will… The Lord touched him with His mercy in silence and secrecy, reminding him of His inner grace, convicting Peter and urging him, offering him visible tears that express the feelings of the inner human. See how God is present with His help to support us in will and action, working in us to want and to act.”

The Fourth Gospel (John 18:15-27)

This Gospel also includes the story of the religious trial and denial of Saint Peter with other details:
Saint John’s words to the gatekeeper to let Saint Peter in, because his family was known to the high priest.

And as John Chrysostom speaks of the humility of Saint John:
[If you ask: Why did he not mention his name…? Because here he mentioned a great virtue that he did not judge, as his disciples fled in fear, and he followed, that’s why he hid himself, and Peter the Apostle presented himself. And so it cannot be said, how when all the disciples left, this disciple entered the house of the high priest?! It is mentioned that “this disciple was known to the high priest”, so that no one wonders why he followed, and does not describe him as brave (Saint John Chrysostom)]

The question of the chief priest to the Lord Jesus about his disciples and his teaching, and one of the servants slapped the Lord, and the Lord’s decisive response to teach us how not to contradict one cheek with self-defense and conscious assertion of rights, but with firmness filled with gentleness.

As John Chrysostom says:
[Tremble, O heavens, and be shaken, O earth, for the patience of the Lord, and the length of His longsuffering, and the fewness of his servants. What did the Lord say? He did not say, “Why do you ask me?” as one who refuses to speak to him, but He wanted to remove all veils from the behavior of the fool, rather than being above this slap, although He could break it and remove it, and remove everything, but He did not do any of this, but spoke words that could calm all cruelty. (St. John Chrysostom)][37]

And here we also see how the Lord did not answer the chief priest’s question about His disciples so that they would not suffer pains and beatings like Him. And another question may arise here, explained in detail by our Father Antonios Fakhri: “Why didn’t divine providence intervene and protect Peter from denial?

When Christ said to His disciples, ‘All of you will fall away on account of me this night,’ Peter said, ‘Even if all fall away, I will not.’ This was Peter’s pride, doubting Christ’s words with pride, while he had previously boasted to the Lord of knowing everything. Here, Christ left him to heal and discipline him. Peter was supposed to say to the Lord, ‘Help me so that I do not doubt,’ but he erred, so the Lord let him fall to recognize his weakness and not trust himself again. We notice that after this fall and after being disciplined, when the Lord asked him, ‘Do you love me?’ he answered, ‘Lord, you know that I love you.’ He no longer trusted himself.

Compare this statement to the fact that he will lay down his life for the master while his master tells him that he will deny Him three times tonight, did he imagine that the master did not know. We notice that Christ knew the future of Peter and that he would perform miracles and thousands would believe through him, and He allowed his fall so that he would not become arrogant, just as He allowed Paul to have a thorn in his flesh so that he would not be exalted. And we notice that Christ did not make him fall but rather lifted the divine care that protects him. This explains Christ’s words to him, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.” Christ is the one who takes care of us, while Peter in his first pride thought that his strength and sword were what protected him. Peter became an example for us, which is why Christ said to him, “And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Father Antonious Fikry)

Some believe that Peter’s denial was due to:

• His reliance on his natural strength and pride in it.
• His inability to pray and stay awake due to sleep.
• Associating with a group of wicked people.
• Being overcome by fear and shame because of what was attributed to the disciples of Christ.