THE PASCHAL

MYSTERY:

Passion, Death, Resurrection

and Ascension
Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the ReEd2 students are
expected to:
• Understand the Paschal Mystery of Jesus
Christ;
• Value the importance of Christ’s saving work
to all humanity; and
• Develop a meaningful participation in the
Eucharist.
A) Passion
Introduction
The listing of events and experiences leading to
Jesus’ crucifixion as recorded in the four Gospel
accounts:
1. Conspiracy against Jesus
2. Preparation for the Passover and the Last
Supper
3. Prayer, Arrest and Betrayal
4. Trial and Death Sentence
5. Crucifixion and the Seven Last Words
6. Death and Burial
1. The Conspiracy Against Jesus
• The chief priest and the
scribes planned to put Jesus
to death ( Lk 22: 1-2)
• Judas, demonized, discussed
with the chief priest and the
temple guards to hand over
Jesus to them (Lk 22: 3-6)
2. Preparation for the Passover and Last Supper
• Peter and John went to the city to prepare for
the Passover (Lk 22: 7-13)
• Jesus partook the Passover meal with His
disciples (Lk 22: 14-20)
• Jesus washed His disciples’ feet (Jn 13: 1-20)
• Jesu predicted the one who will betray Him (Jn
13: 21-29)
• Jesus left the upper room (Jn 13:30)
• Jesus, together with His disciples, proceeded
to Mt. Olives across the Kidron valley where
there was a garden (Lk 22:39)
3. Prayer, Arrest and Betrayal
• Jesus brought along with Him Peter, James
and John to pray (Mt 26: 36-46)
• Judas arrived with the band of soldiers and
temple guards (Jn 18: 1-9)
• Judas greeted Jesus and gave Him the kiss of
betrayal (Mt 26: 48-49)
• Jesus was arrested (Mt 26: 50)
• Peter cut off Malchus’ right ear. Jesus healed
and restored it ( Jn 18: 10-11)
• Jesus disciples left Him and ran away (Mt 26:
56)
4. Trial and Death Sentence
• Jesus was brought before Annas (Jn 18: 13, 19-
24)
• Jesus was presented before the Sanhedrin
(Caiaphas) (Mt 26: 57-68)
• Peter denied Jesus three times (Mt 26: 69-75)
• Judas died by hanging himself (Mt 27: 3-9)
• Jesus was brought to Herod Antipas (Lk 23: 6-12)
• Pontius Pilate condemned Jesus to death ((Jn 18:
28- 19: 16)
• Pontius Pilate washed his hands before the
crowed (Mt 27: 27-31)
• Barabbas was released (Mt 27: 26)
• Jesus was ridiculed, crown with thorns, and
scourged (Mt 27: 27-31)
5. The Crucifixion and the Seven Last Words
• Jesus carried the crossbeams and was led to
Golgotha (Mk 15: 20)
• Simon the Cyrenian helped carry Jesus’ cross
(Mk 15: 21)
• Jesus met the women of Jerusalem (Lk 23: 27-
31)
• Jesus arrived at Golgotha and was nailed on
the cross (Mk 15: 22-25)
• The notice of Accusation was hanged on the
cross (Jn 19: 19-22)
• The soldiers divided Jesus’ clothes by casting
lots (Jn 19: 23-24)
The Seven Last Words
1. Forgive them Father. They do not know what
they are doing (Lk 23: 34).
2. I tell you this: Today you will be with me in
Paradise (Lk 23: 43).
3. Woman, here is your son. Then he said to the
disciple: here is your mother (Jn 19: 26).
4. My God, My God, why do you abandon me (Mt
27: 46; Mk 15: 34)?
5. I am thirsty (Jn 19: 28).
6. It is finished (Jn 19: 30).
7. Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit (Lk
23: 46).
B) Death and Burial
• Jesus died at 3:00 in the afternoon (Mk 15: 34-
37)
• The temple’s curtain was torn into two (Mk 15:
38)
• Jesus’ side was pierced with a spear (Jn 19: 31-
37)
• Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body for burial
(Jn 19: 39-42)
• Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb (Mk 15: 46)
• A large stone was rolled across the entrance of
the tomb. The tomb was sealed by the Pharisees
and was guarded (Mt 27: 66)
The Characteristics of His Passion and Death

1. Redemptive- Jesus’ 3. Freely offered for us and

Passion and Death is His for our salvation- “Christ
ultimate service for the died for our sins” (1 Cor 15:
Kingdom (Mk 10: 45). 3). “While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us”
2. Atoning- Jesus’ Passion (Rom 5: 8).
and Death repaired the 4. Perfect self-giving love for
damage caused by our sin. His Father and for us- “ The
Jesus becomes both priest Father loves me for this: that
and victim: “ Christ our I lay down my life and will
Paschal Lamb has been take it up again. No one
offered ( 1 Cor 5: 7)”. takes it from me. I lay it
down freely (Jn 10: 17-18).
The Effects of Jesus’
Death
• Universal- Jesus died “not for our sins
alone, but for those of the whole world
(1 Jn 2:2)
• Eschatological-Jesus died that those who
follow Him will receive “eternal life in
the age to come” (Mk 10: 29-30)
• Empowering- Jesus died so that our
actions can have a saving power. God
gave us eternal life and this life is His Son
(1 Jn 5:11-12)
The Cross of Jesus Christ
• The Cross of Jesus Christ restores broken
relationship with God and the grace of God
that has been lost by sin.
• It regains heaven for us and makes salvation
possible in the sense that Jesus’ self- offering
was the only perfect offering ever made to
God.
• The message of the cross is foolishness to
those who are headed for ruin/perishing, but
for us who are beings saved, it is the power of
God- it means salvation (1 Cor 1: 18, 30).
Christ’s Descent to the Dead
Christ’s sojourn to the realm of the dead prior to his resurrection
(Rom 8: 11; 1 Cor 15: 20; Heb 13: 16) means that:
• Christ truly and fully died and through His death,
he conquered death and the devil who had
power over death (Heb 2: 9-14)
• Christ’s saving works extended on behalf of the
just who died before His coming (cf. CCC, no.
633). For this is why the gospel was preached to
the dead (1 Pt 4: 6)
• Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man, “is the
first born from the dead” (Col 1: 18). Just as in
Adam all die, so in Christ all will come to life again
(1 Cor 15: 20, 23)
C) Resurrection
Biblical Evidences of Christ’s Appearances:
• Mt 28: 1-10- Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene
and the other Mary in Jerusalem
• Mk 16: 14-20- Jesus appeared to the eleven
disciples at the table in Jerusalem
• Lk 24: 13-34- Jesus appeared to the two disciples
on the road to Emmaus
• Jn 21:1-19- Jesus appeared to Simon Peter,
Thomas, Nathaneal at the Sea of Tiberias
• 1 Cor 15: 3-8- Jesus appeared to Peter, James,
Paul, 12 Apostles and 500 brothers in Jerusalem
and in Galilee
The Empty Tomb (Jn 20: 1-9)
The Nature of Christ’s Resurrection
• Christ’s resurrection confirmed everything that
He had done and taught. He is the fulfillment of
the “promised savior of the world” (Ps 110, Dt
7:13).
• The resurrection of Christ is of very great
importance to the Christian faith. If Christ did not
resurrect, then Christians would be exposed as
false witnesses of God, but the truth is Christ is
risen ( 1 Cor 15:15).
• The resurrection was Jesus’ passage from death
to new, definitive and glorified life (CFC, no. 628;
Jn 20:16; Acts 2:24).
 The Resurrection as Jesus’ Presence
According to the Catechism for the Filipino
Catholics, the disciples’ encounter with the Risen
Christ is constantly described in terms of seeing,
sometimes even with “touching”. For example:
• The women embraced the feet of Jesus (Mt 28:9)
• Christ said to His disciples: “Look at my hands and
my feet; it is really I. Touch me and see that a
ghost does not have flesh and bones as I do” (Lk
24:39).
• To the doubting Thomas Jesus said: Take your
finger and examine my hands. Put your hand into
my side ( Jn 20: 27)
Three Characteristics of Jesus’ Appearances

• The Risen Christ showed

himself as transcending
the ordinary limits of time
and space
• The Risen Christ appeared
only to those who could
identify Him with the
earthly, historical Jesus
(Jn 20: 29)
• The appearances did not
remove all doubts nor the
need for faith (CCC, no.
644)
D) Ascension
Biblical Evidences:
• Go to my brethren and say to them… I am
ascending to my Father (Jn 20: 17)
• Only He who came from the Father can return
to the Father (Jn 16:28)
• As Jesus blessed them, he parted from them
and was taken up to heaven (Lk 24:50)
 The Meaning of Christ Ascension
• It marks Jesus exaltation by the heavenly
Father
• It is the definitive return of Jesus to
heaven (Acts 1: 9-11)
• It draws everyone to Christ, our mediator
and intercessor (Jn 12:32)
• It is prophetic of His Second Coming,
Parousia
 Importance of Christ’s Ascension
• It provides the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit.
“Yet, I tell you this sober truth: it is much better
for you that I go for if I will not go, the Paraclete
will never come to you; whereas if I go, I will send
Him to you… He will guide you to all truth (Jn 16:
7,13)
• It provides the unlimited power of Jesus Christ as
our intercessor. “Therefore, he is always able to
save those who approach God through Him, since
He forever lives to make intercessions for them”
(Heb 7: 25)
The Parousia(Second Coming of Jesus)
 Biblical texts describing the Parousia
• This Jesus who has been taken from you will return as
you saw Him go up into the heavens (Acts 1: 10-11)
• The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and
all tribes of the earth will mourn as they see the Son of
Man on a cloud of heaven with power and great glory
(Mt 24:29)
• When the Son of Man comes in His glory, escorted by
all angels of heaven, He will sit upon His royal throne
and all the nations will be assembled before Him (Mt
25: 31-36)
• The hour is coming when all those in the tomb will
hear His voice and come out (Jn 5: 28-29)
• God’s triumph over the revolt of evil will take place in
the form of the Last Judgment (Rev 20: 12-15)
The Meaning of the Parousia for Christians
• The Risen Christ as the Son of Man will come
“to judge the living and the dead” (2 Tim 4: 1)
• Christ’s Second Coming is unmistakable since
it will be accompanied by a sign in the heaven
and on earth (CFC, no. 656)
• “As for the exact day or hour, no one knows it,
neither the angels in heaven or the Son , but
the Father only” (Mt 24: 36)
• Since it will come unexpectedly, “like a thief in
the night” (1Thes 5: 2), we must be constantly
on the watch (CFC, no. 657)
Conclusion