Whether Christ Was Slain by Another or by Himself?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ was not slain by another, but
by Himself. For He says Himself (John 10:18): "No man taketh My life
from Me, but I lay it down of Myself." But he is said to kill another
who takes away his life. Consequently, Christ was not slain by
others, but by Himself.
Obj. 2: Further, those slain by others sink gradually from exhausted
nature, and this is strikingly apparent in the crucified: for, as
Augustine says (De Trin. iv): "Those who were crucified were
tormented with a lingering death." But this did not happen in
Christ's case, since "crying out, with a loud voice, He yielded up
the ghost" (Matt. 27:50). Therefore Christ was not slain by others,
but by Himself.
Obj. 3: Further, those slain by others suffer a violent death, and
hence die unwillingly, because violent is opposed to voluntary. But
Augustine says (De Trin. iv): "Christ's spirit did not quit the flesh
unwillingly, but because He willed it, when He willed it, and as He
willed it." Consequently Christ was not slain by others, but by
Himself.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Luke 18:33): "After they have
scourged Him, they will put him to death."
_I answer that,_ A thing may cause an effect in two ways: in the
first instance by acting directly so as to produce the effect; and in
this manner Christ's persecutors slew Him because they inflicted on
Him what was a sufficient cause of death, and with the intention of
slaying Him, and the effect followed, since death resulted from that
cause. In another way someone causes an effect indirectly--that is,
by not preventing it when he can do so; just as one person is said to
drench another by not closing the window through which the shower is
entering: and in this way Christ was the cause of His own Passion and
death. For He could have prevented His Passion and death. Firstly, by
holding His enemies in check, so that they would not have been eager
to slay Him, or would have been powerless to do so. Secondly, because
His spirit had the power of preserving His fleshly nature from the
infliction of any injury; and Christ's soul had this power, because
it was united in unity of person with the Divine Word, as Augustine
says (De Trin. iv). Therefore, since Christ's soul did not repel the
injury inflicted on His body, but willed His corporeal nature to
succumb to such injury, He is said to have laid down His life, or to
have died voluntarily.
Reply Obj. 1: When we hear the words, "No man taketh away My life
from Me," we must understand "against My will": for that is properly
said to be "taken away" which one takes from someone who is unwilling
and unable to resist.
Reply Obj. 2: In order for Christ to show that the Passion inflicted
by violence did not take away His life, He preserved the strength of
His bodily nature, so that at the last moment He was able to cry out
with a loud voice: and hence His death should be computed among His
other miracles. Accordingly it is written (Mk. 15:39): "And the
centurion who stood over against Him, seeing that crying out in this
manner, He had given up the ghost, said: Indeed, this man was the Son
of God." It was also a subject of wonder in Christ's death that He
died sooner than the others who were tormented with the same
suffering. Hence John says (19:32) that "they broke the legs of the
first, and of the other that was crucified with Him," that they might
die more speedily; "but after they were come to Jesus, when they saw
that He was already dead, they did not break His legs." Mark also
states (15:44) that "Pilate wondered that He should be already dead."
For as of His own will His bodily nature kept its vigor to the end,
so likewise, when He willed, He suddenly succumbed to the injury
inflicted.
Reply Obj. 3: Christ at the same time suffered violence in order to
die, and died, nevertheless, voluntarily; because violence was
inflicted on His body, which, however, prevailed over His body only
so far as He willed it.
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