Jesus Christ The Saviour on the Cross (Jn 19:23-37) – peculiarities of the Johannine narrative

Abstract

In his account of the events of the last days of the earthly life of the Incarnate Son of God, St. John the Evangelist records some unique details among the four Gospel accounts. Just as he does in the trial of Jesus, where he renders a much more substantial dialogue than the Synoptics between Jesus and Pilate, and glosses over the encounter with Herod, so too John makes a unique contribution in the crucifixion scene.  These details are partly a matter of the author's personality and the truth revealed to him, but to another extent they are also the subject of St John's theological “strategy”. Concerned, as is evident from his entire Gospel, with certain theological themes, St John uses this opportunity to emphasise certain details that he alone has retained. This specificity of his account is not at odds with the synoptic versions but represents a unique and extremely valuable imprint of the Church's memory.