Chapter 21: The Cup of Consummation UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES

Chapter 21: The Cup of Consummation

UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES

ANTICIPATORY SET Opening Prayer incorporating St. Matthew’s account from the Last Supper until Christ’s arrest (cf. Mt 26:17–56).

1. The Cups of Blessing and Consummation (pp. 380–385)

BASIC QUESTIONS How are the Cup of Blessing, the Blood of the Covenant, and the

Eucharist connected? What did Christ teach about the Cup of Consummation? How did Christ behave when he was arrested? Why did St. Peter weep bitterly?

KEY IDEAS Christ used the Passover Cup of Blessing as the occasion to institute the

Sacrament of the Eucharist, which he called the Blood of the Covenant. Christ refused to drink the Cup of Consummation during the Passover

meal; in Gethsemane, he asked the Father to remove the cup if it was possible; and then he drank it to the full in his Passion and Death.

After Christ had been betrayed by Judas, he refused to let his disciples fight to free him from arrest and even healed one of his wounded captors.

St. Peter denied Christ three times, as Christ had foretold, and then wept bitterly out of repentant love.


FOCUS QUESTIONS How many cups of wine were drunk during a usual Passover meal? Four were drunk. What did Christ do at the time of the third cup? He instituted the Eucharist. How did Christ leave the Passover meal unfinished? He did not drink the fourth cup, the Cup of Consummation.


GUIDED EXERCISE A think / pair / share using Exodus 24:8 and the following questions: What is the significance of the blood of the covenant? What did Christ likely mean by the phrase my Blood of the covenant? GUIDED EXERCISE A think / pair / share to identify the three Passovers referred to in the Catechism, no. 1340.


FOCUS QUESTIONS What did St. Peter promise to Christ? He promised never to deny him before others. What does Christ ask of his Father in the garden? He asked the Father to take this cup from him, meaning his final sufferings. Why should the use of the word cup capture the reader’s attention? This cup of suffering is the Cup of Consummation Christ had not drunk at the Last Supper; he would drink it during his Passion and Death. Extension: When the mother of the sons of Zebedee had asked her sons be given the highest places in his kingdom, Christ asked if they could drink the cup he was going to drink (cf. Mt 20:22).


FOCUS QUESTIONS What was the sign of Judas’s betrayal? Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss, which was the way a disciple would greet his master. What was Christ’s final miraculous healing on earth? He healed the ear of the servant of the high priest, which St. Peter had cut off. Why was Christ first brought to Annas? Though Annas was deposed as high priest by the Romans, most Jews still considered him the legitimate officeholder. His son‑in‑law, Caiaphas, the current high priest, seemed to defer to him as well.


FOCUS QUESTIONS What kind of fire was burning in the courtyard where the soldiers and servants were waiting? A charcoal fire was burning. What did St. Peter do when asked on three different occasions if he were a follower of Christ? He denied he was a follower of Christ each time, the final time with an oath. This fulfilled Christ’s prophecy St. Peter would deny him three times before the cock crowed. Why did St. Peter weep? Like Judas, he had betrayed Christ.


CLOSURE Free write for five minutes about how the Cup of Blessing, the Blood of the Covenant, the Cup of Consummation, and the Eucharist are connected.


HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT Study Questions 1–10 (p. 403) Practical Exercise 1 (p. 403) Workbook Questions 1–18 Read “Blasphemy!” through “Crucify Him!” (pp. 386–390)


ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT Write a paragraph about how, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ exemplified his own commands to turn the other cheek and love enemies.


ANTICIPATORY SET Read Leviticus 24:10–16. Explain the Jewish attitude toward blasphemy?

2. Christ’s Trial (pp. 386–390)

BASIC QUESTIONS What was unfair about Christ’s trial before the Sanhedrin? What was the fate of Judas? How did Pilate try to get rid of the problem of executing an innocent man? How did the Roman soldiers treat Christ at the scourging? How did the Sanhedrin convince Pilate to order the execution of Christ?

KEY IDEAS The Sanhedrin tried Christ in an irregular meeting, using perjured testimony. When asked if he is the Messiah, he said he is, and for this reason they convicted him of blasphemy. Judas repented but killed himself out of despair. Because they could not legally impose the death penalty, the Sanhedrin asked Pilate to crucify Christ; Pilate was convinced Christ was innocent but wanted to appease the Sanhedrin. He tried to evade the problem by sending Christ to Herod Antipas for judgment without success. Pilate had Roman soldiers cruelly scourge Christ. Then the soldiers abused and mocked Jesus further.When the Sanhedrin accused Pilate of not being a friend of Caesar, Pilate finally agreed to crucify Christ and let an insurrectionist go free.


FOCUS QUESTIONS Why did the Sanhedrin try Christ in the middle of the night and with false witnesses? They must have considered Christ an extraordinary threat to them. What was Christ’s blasphemy? When the Sanhedrin asked Christ if he is the Son of God, he said he is. Why did the Sanhedrin not execute Christ? The Romans allowed for local governance but only to a degree; the Sanhedrin were not permitted to execute a death sentence.


FOCUS QUESTIONS How did Judas first show his regret? He tried to return the money he had taken to betray Christ, declaring him innocent. When the Jewish authorities refused to take back the money and release Christ, Judas threw it down and left. What was Judas’s grave sin? He despaired of God’s mercy and killed himself. What did the chief priests do with Judas’s money? They bought a field for the burial of strangers.


FOCUS QUESTIONS What lie did members of the Sanhedrin tell Pilate? They said Christ forbade the Jews from paying taxes. What was Pilate’s reaction to the Sanhedrin’s charge? He wanted nothing to do with the case. Why did Christ tell Pilate he would not let his followers fight for him? His kingdom is not of this world.


FOCUS QUESTIONS Why did Christ tell Pilate he had come into the world? He came to bear witness to the truth. How did Pilate see Christ at this point? Pilate saw Christ as a harmless philosopher who had not committed a crime against Rome. Why did Pilate send Christ to Herod Antipas? Herod Antipas ruled Galilee, Christ’s home region. Pilate hoped Herod would take an interest in the case and make a ruling so he would not have to.


FOCUS QUESTIONS What was Pilate’s second verdict concerning Christ? He again found Christ innocent of anything deserving death. What was unjust about Pilate’s decision? Though he acknowledged Christ’s innocence, he was still willing to have him flogged to appease the Sanhedrin. What custom did Pilate evoke to prompt the members of the Sanhedrin to change their minds about executing Christ? Pilate evoked the custom of pardoning a criminal at Passover.


FOCUS QUESTIONS What is a scourge? It is a whip that tears the flesh. A severe scourging can kill a person. How did the Roman soldiers mock Christ? They placed a crown of thorns on his head and wrapped a purple robe (a royal color) about his shoulders. Then they struck him, shouting, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Why did Pilate finally give in to the Sanhedrin’s demands? If he would release Christ, they said he would be no friend of Caesar. Pilate knew, if word got back to Rome he had allowed a rebel to live, he would be in trouble with Caesar.


GUIDED EXERCISE Complete a focused reading of the Catechism, no. 598 (p. 390), using the following question: Why are Christians of every age more guilty of Christ’s Death than the Jews at the time of Christ?


GRAPHIC ORGANIZER Complete the following table to take a closer look at Barabbas.



CLOSURE Free write for five minutes about the injustices in Christ’s trials before the various authorities.


HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT Study Questions 11–16 (p. 403) Practical Exercise 3 (p. 403) Workbook Questions 19–34 Read “Jesus Crucified” through “The Jews” (pp. 390–400)


ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT Watch the crowning of thorns scene from Franco Zeffirelli’s film Jesus of Nazareth.


ANTICIPATORY SET Opening Prayer incorporating Psalm 22 (pp. 398–399), a song fulfilled in Christ’s Passion.

3. The Crucifixion (pp. 390–400)

BASIC QUESTIONS What inscription did Pilate place over the Cross? What did Christ do for his Mother from the Cross? When did Christ drink the Cup of Consummation? How did Psalm 22 prophesy the Passion of Christ?Who killed Christ?

KEY IDEAS Christ was crucified as King of the Jews. From the Cross, Christ gave the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John to each other as Mother and son. Christ died, having drained the Cup of Consummation. Psalm 22 is a prophetic description of Christ’s Passion. Only those directly involved with the Crucifixion were responsible for it; the Jews, as a people, are not responsible.


FOCUS QUESTIONS Why did Christ need help to carry his Cross? He had been weakened by the scourging, his nighttime trial, and the Agony in the Garden; he was probably physically incapable of carrying the Cross the entire way. What was the legal basis for having pressed St. Simon of Cyrene into service to help Christ carry his Cross? Legally, Roman soldiers could press a native into service to carry baggage for a distance of up to one Roman mile. When Christ said, “If any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Mt 5:41), to what was he referring? He referred to the Roman law from the previous question.


FOCUS QUESTIONS What did Christ mean when he said to the daughters of Jerusalem, “If they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Lk 23: 31)? Christ might have meant, if the Romans treat me like this when we are at peace, how will they treat you when we are at war? Perhaps he meant, if they do this to the innocent, what will they do to the guilty? Extension: The Romans destroyed the Temple AD 70 and put Jerusalem to the sword. Why did someone offer Christ wine mixed with myrrh? It was a painkiller, which Christ refused. Why did some of the Jews object to the sign Pilate had placed above Jesus? The sign said Christ is King of the Jews. The religious authorities said it should read, “He said he was King of the Jews.” Extension: Perhaps Pilate was sending a message to the Jewish authorities: This is what I think about your aspirations for independence.


FOCUS QUESTIONS What does INRI mean? These are the Latin initials for Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews (Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudæorum). What did the Roman executioners do with Christ’s clothing? They gambled for it. Who mocked Christ while he hung on the Cross? He was mocked both by the bystanders and by one of the thieves being crucified with him.


GUIDED EXERCISE Perform a paragraph shrink on the section “Behold, Your Mother” (p. 394).


FOCUS QUESTIONS How did Christ reveal his inner agony at the ninth hour? He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Why did some think Christ was calling on Elijah? The word Eloi sounds similar to the Aramaic pronunciation of Elijah. What does it mean for the Catechism, no. 603, to say, “He assumed us in the state of our waywardness of sin”? Without having sinned, Christ completely identified with all human persons in their condition as sinners.


FOCUS QUESTIONS What is the connection between the Cup of Consummation and Christ’s last words? Christ said, “It is finished (or consummated),” and then he died. He had finished drinking the final Passover cup, the Cup of Consummation. What does the rending of the curtain in the Temple signify? The separation between God and the people was ended. It is significant the curtain tore from top to bottom; God himself had ended the separation caused by Original Sin. This also signified the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant made manifest in Jesus Christ. Why was Christ pierced? Christ appeared to be dead; the soldier wanted to ensure it.


GUIDED EXERCISE A think / pair / share using the following question: What happened to Christ at his Death?


FOCUS QUESTIONS What was Pontius Pilate’s failure of character? He lacked the courage to act on what he believed to be true. What would have made Pontius Pilate a better ruler? He would have been a better ruler had he respected Jewish traditions and stood up to the mobs. What does tradition say about Pontius Pilate’s end? He was recalled to Rome in disgrace. He either committed or tried to commit suicide.


FOCUS QUESTIONS Why is “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” not a cry of despair? This lamentation begins Psalm 22, which ends in a triumphant deliverance by God. How do people around the sufferer in Psalm 22 behave toward him? They scorn, despise, and mock him. Identify two prophecies in Psalm 22 that were fulfilled in Christ’s Crucifixion. Christ was scorned, despised, and mocked. Christ’s hands and feet were pierced. Soldiers gambled for his garments.


GUIDED EXERCISE Read the Catechism, no. 1851 (p. 404).

Then free write about which of the sufferings experienced by Christ you think was the worst and why.


FOCUS QUESTIONS According to St. Peter, who killed Christ? The Jews of Jerusalem killed Christ. Does this imply general guilt to Jews for the Death of Christ? No; only those who actually participated in his condemnation are guilty. To what extent is each of the participants personally culpable? Only God knows. Christ and St. Luke attribute the Jews’ behavior to ignorance, a condition that mitigates culpability.


CLOSURE

Write a paragraph about Psalm 22 foretelling Christ’s

Passion.


HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT Study Questions 17–20 (p. 403) Practical Exercise 2 (p. 403) Workbook Questions 35–46


ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT Free write for five minutes about Christ’s actions from the Cross that made St. John a new son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, thus making every Christian also children of the Mother of God.


The End

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Chapter 21: The Cup of Consummation UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES