Cinque discepoli, radunati ai piedi della croce, accompagnano Gesù morente come il vero e autentico Maestro (Gv 19,24h-27)

Abstract

The episode of the division of Jesus’ garments (Gv 19,23-24g) and the scene of the “testament from the cross” (Jn 19:24h-27) is strongly contrasted by the correlative and antithetical particles μέν-οὖν-δέ (Jn 19:24h.25a). It suggests, among other things, to see precisely four women below the cross of Christ (and the disciple whom Jesus loved). Other arguments also lead to this conjecture. The importance concerning the number of Jesus’ followers, accompanying their dying Master, is connected with a rabbinical tradition that says: to deserve the title of a true and authentic master it was necessary to have at least five disciples around him. The inclusion of the whole Fourth Gospel, obtained thanks to the pericopes Jn 1:35-51 and Jn 19:24h-27, where five disciples appear – first called by Jesus to follow him, then present at the foot of the cross – leads to the conclusion that Jesus, from the beginning of his activity on earth until his last breath, appears as the true and authentic Master, always accompanied by his disciples, whose number was incessantly sufficient to ascribe to Jesus the title of the Rabbi.