The Fourth Article
"suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried"
COMPENDIUM
This article teaches us that Jesus Christ, in order to redeem the world with His Precious Blood, suffered under Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, and died on the wood of the Cross, from which He was taken down, and buried.
The word suffered expresses all the pains suffered by Jesus Christ in His Passion. He suffered as man only, because He could neither suffer nor die as God.
In those day, the death penalty of the cross was the most cruel and ignominious of all punishments. It was Pontius Pilate who condemned Jesus Christ to be crucified, though he had previously acknowledged His innocence, but afterwards basely yielded to the threatening importunity of the people of Jerusalem. Jesus might, indeed, have freed Himself from the hands of the Jews and of Pilate, but He knew that it was the will of His Eternal Father that He should suffer and die for our salvation; and, therefore, He willingly submitted, and even went Himself to meet His enemies, and voluntarily allowed Himself to be taken and led to death.
Jesus was crucified on Mount Calvary. On the Cross, He prayed for His enemies, gave His most Holy Mother Mary to be the mother of His Disciple St. John, and, in the person of the beloved Disciple, to be the mother of us all; offered His death as a sacrifice, and made satisfaction to God for the sins of men. Nor could any Angel have made satisfaction for us, because the sinner's offence against God is, from one point of view, infinite, and demands for its satisfaction a person of infinite merit. Therefore, Christ had to become man, so that He might be able to suffer and die, and He had also to be God, so that His sufferings might have an infinite value, and His merits had to be infinite, because the Majesty of God, which had been outraged by sin, is infinite.
Jesus, it is true, need not have suffered to such an extent as He did, because the least of His sufferings would have sufficed to redeem us, since every act of His has an infinite value; but it was His wish to suffer to such a degree in order to satisfy divine justice still more abundantly, and to show us still more clearly the vastness of His love, and to fill us with still greater horror of sin.
At the time of His Death, the sun was darkened, the earth quaked, the tombs opened and many arose from the dead.
The body of Jesus was buried in a new tomb excavated in the rock of the mountain-side and not far from the place of His Crucifixion.
At His Death, His Divinity was not separated from His Body or His Soul, but only His Soul was separated from His Body.
Although Jesus died for all men and made satisfaction for all, nevertheless not all are saved, because not all are willing to acknowledge Him nor to keep His Laws, nor do all avail themselves of the means of grace which He has left us. For our salvation it is not enough that Jesus has died for us; but each one of us must apply to himself the merits of His Passion and Death. This we can do, above all, by means of the Sacraments which He instituted for this very purpose, and since many do not receive the Sacraments or do not receive them rightly, they make the death of Jesus Christ of no avail to themselves.
CATECHISM
96. What are we taught in the Fourth Article: suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried?
The Fourth Article of the Creed teaches us that, to redeem the world by His Precious Blood, Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judea, died on the tree of the Cross, and, on being taken down therefrom, was buried.
97. What does the word suffered denote?
The word suffered denotes all the pains endured by Jesus during His Passion.
98. Did Jesus Christ suffer as God or as man?
Jesus Christ suffered as man alone; as God He could neither suffer nor die.
99. What class of punishment was that of the Cross?
The punishment of the Cross in those days was the cruelest and the most ignominious of all punishments.
100. Who was it that condemned Jesus Christ to be crucified?
He who condemned Jesus Christ to be crucified was Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judea who, though recognizing His innocence, cravenly yielded to the threats of the people of Jerusalem.
101. Could not Jesus Christ have freed Himself from the hands of Pilate and the Jews?
Yes, Jesus Christ could have freed Himself from the hands of Pilate and the Jews. But knowing it was His Eternal Father's will that He should suffer and die for our salvation, He voluntarily submitted; nay, He Himself went forth to meet His enemies and freely permitted Himself to be taken and led to death.
102. Where was Jesus Christ crucified?
Jesus Christ was crucified on Mount Calvary.
103. What did Jesus Christ do while on the Cross?
On the Cross, Jesus Christ prayed for His enemies; gave His own Most Blessed Mother as a Mother to St. John, and, in his person, to all of us; offered up His Death in sacrifice; and satisfied the justice of God for the sins of men.
104. Would it not have been enough for an Angel to come and make satisfaction for us?
No, it would not have been enough for an Angel to come and make satisfaction for us, because the offence given to God by sin was, in a certain sense, infinite, and to satisfy for it a person possessing infinite merit was required.
105. To satisfy divine justice, was it necessary that Jesus Christ should be both God and man?
Yes. To be able to suffer and die, it was necessary that Jesus Christ should be man; while, for His sufferings to be of infinite value, it was necessary that He should be God.
106. Why was it necessary that the merits of Jesus Christ should be of infinite value?
It was necessary that the merits of Jesus Christ should be of infinite value, because God's Majesty, which had been offended by sin, is infinite.
107. Was it necessary for Jesus Christ to suffer as much as He actually did?
No, it was not absolutely necessary for Jesus Christ to suffer as much as He did, because, each of His acts being of infinite value, the least of His sufferings would have sufficed for our redemption.
108. Why, then, did Jesus suffer so much?
Jesus Christ suffered so much in order to satisfy divine justice all the more abundantly; to display His love for us still more; and to inspire us with the deepest horror of sin.
109. Did anything remarkable happen at the death of Jesus Christ?
Yes, at the death of Jesus Christ, the sun was darkened the earth trembled, graves opened and many of the dead arose.
110. Where was the Body of Jesus Christ buried?
The Body of Jesus Christ was buried in a new grave, hewn out of a rock, on the mount not far from where He had been crucified.
111. Was the Divinity separated from the Body and Soul of Jesus Christ by His death?
The Divinity was separated from neither the Body nor the Soul of Christ in death; only the Soul was separated from the Body.
112. For whom did Jesus Christ die?
Jesus Christ died for the salvation of all men, and made satisfaction for all.
113. If Jesus Christ died for the salvation of all men, why are not all men saved?
Jesus Christ died for all, but not all are saved, because not all will acknowledge Him; all do not observe His Law; all do not avail themselves of the means of salvation He has left us.
114. To be saved, is it enough that Jesus Christ has died for us?
No, it is not enough for our salvation that Jesus Christ has died for us; it is also necessary that the fruit of His Passion and Death be applied to each one of us, which is accomplished especially by means of the Sacraments instituted for this end by Jesus Christ Himself; and as many either do not receive the Sacraments at all, or do not receive them well, they thus render the death of Jesus Christ useless in their regard.