What Is Tenebrae, and Why Do Some Christians Celebrate It?
- Lisa Loraine Baker Author of Someplace to Be Somebody
- Updated Feb 15, 2024
What Is Tenebrae?
As we stood before the Garden of Gethsemane, our talkative group grew silent. We all retreated into our own thoughts as we contemplated the trial our Lord faced in this place. As I prayed in thankfulness, I gained a sense of the darkness that must have enveloped our Lord Jesus as He asked the Father to take the cup away from Him, not according to His will, but the Father’s (Luke 22:42). The cup was the one of God’s wrath (Isaiah 51:22, Jeremiah 25:15-17). Jesus would take on the sins of the world—past, present, and future. He would cry out as He hung in humiliation (Philippians 2:8), “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). It was truly a dark, possibly the darkest hour of mankind. This darkness (shadows) is defined in Latin as tenebris, from which we derive the name for the commemoration called Tenebrae. The week we call Holy is one that includes Christ’s agony among the gnarled olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, directly opposite the Temple Mount.
Tenebrae was, in its origin, to take place during a Good Friday service. It now takes place in the Roman Catholic church from Thursday through Saturday during the latter part of Holy Week. In some other denominations, it remains as a part of Good Friday service, and in different Christian congregations, it is a special event on the Thursday before Resurrection Sunday. All observances are a means of remembrance of what Christ endured during the last week before His glorious Resurrection.
As He lived His last week on earth during His first advent and moved toward the cross, Jesus spent time in Gethsemane with His disciples after their last supper together in the Upper Room (Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-38). Luke records Jesus prayed so gravely that, “His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). And yet with great love, He, during that crucial period, invested intimate time with His disciples. He encouraged them and modeled sacrificial obedience. Jesus underwent the agony of Gethsemane, Judas’ betrayal, trials involving false witnesses, accusations by the Jewish religious leaders, horrid scourging and public mockery, Peter’s denial, carrying the crossbeam of the instrument of His death through taunting crowds, and finally, death on the cross. As Jesus hung on the cross, darkness filled the environs for the three hours leading to His death and, at His last breath, an earthquake ensued, and the curtain of the temple tore from top to bottom. Tenebrae, therefore, is a solemn time of reflection both on Jesus’ sacrifice and on our hearts for Him. To honor His sacrifice, we solemnize His days before being lifted on the cross (John 12:32).
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How Do People Observe Tenebrae?
Tenebrae is defined as “a church service observed during the final part of Holy Week (also called Passion Week) commemorating the sufferings and death of Christ.” It is meant to evoke emotion and thoughtful humility as Christians consider the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Roman Catholics solemnize Tenebrae with a series of liturgies focused on the three days leading up to Resurrection Sunday. In their progression toward that holy day, they preserve Matins and Lauds that correspond to the last three days of Holy Week. Matins are hours of liturgy. Lauds are earnest prayers.
The Tenebrae service is one also used by some other Christian church bodies to enter into solemn remembrance, most times in a darkened sanctuary lit with only a few candles (anywhere from seven, denoting the seven last sayings of Jesus, up to 15). Since it is a time of reflection, sometimes the only words spoken include an introduction to the service and an opening prayer. Quiet and somber worship music is part of the time spent before the Lord. Once an individual deems his reflection and prayer is complete, he is asked to leave in silence.
Other houses of Christian worship embrace a service with a prescribed order of recitations, music, and prayers.
Interesting elements of some Tenebrae event are:
- A “hearse” of candles which are extinguished one by one during the course of the ceremony. The candelabra is called a hearse because it represents Jesus’ travail toward Calvary.
- The loud slam of books (strepitus) when only the last candle remains burning (hidden behind the altar) connotes either the earthquake that occurred when Jesus breathed His last (Matthew 27:51) or the closing of the tomb.
- After complete darkness, the one candle at the top (“Christ’s candle”) of the “hearse” is displayed, signifying Jesus’ Resurrection.
- Communion is often a part of the proceedings, yet many congregations save this for Resurrection Sunday.
Believers are fraught with the difficulty of acknowledging the torture Jesus suffered in our stead. We feel unworthy and chastened. Yet hope re-awakens as we ponder His Resurrection and the new life we have because of His atoning work on the cross.
What Are the Biblical Origins for Tenebrae?
The Scriptures do not mention nor command a Tenebrae observance. The word, Tenebrae, originates from the Latin and was first used in the year 1651 by the Roman Catholic church (although the observance took place during Medieval times) from the seventh century until 1955. The tradition of Tenebrae, while not commanded in Scripture, does draw the partakers toward the Bible with emphasis on various Psalms, Psalm 51 being a centerpiece. Gregorio Allegri (Italian priest and composer who lived from 1582-1652) composed a song for Tenebrae titled, Miserere mei, Deus (Have mercy on me, God). Other denomination readings in Tenebrae include the account of Jesus on the day before He went to the cross and include passages from John 13-19.
For more on the history, check out this article here.
Do Just Catholics Observe Tenebrae?
While the services have largely been followed by Roman Catholics, other denominations have embraced Tenebrae as another way to honor what the Lord Jesus did for us when He went to the cross.
Members of the evangelical Christian community call the Thursday before Resurrection Sunday, Maundy Thursday. The term, “Maundy” is from the Latin word, mandatum, meaning “command.” It recognizes the commands Jesus spoke to His disciples (and we are His disciples, too), especially in the Upper Room. It was there Jesus mandated the ordinance of communion (Mark 14:22-25, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26), which is to partake of the bread symbolizing His body and the wine symbolizing His blood, remembering what He did at Calvary. If celebrated, the evening gathering is called Tenebrae. Another part of the service may involve foot-washing, for in the Upper Room, Jesus set an example of humility for us by washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:1-20).
It is a good thing to have a time of solemnity before the glorious celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. The dichotomy is fitting, for all seemed hopeless—lost—between Thursday’s betrayal of Christ and His death on the cross the next day. The disciples mourned His loss, not yet understanding what His death meant. Nor did they expect to see Him alive once more, even though He told them they would (Matthew 17:22-23, John 20:9). When He appeared to them, their fears were allayed, and they were glad to see Him (John 20:20). What was revealed to the world over is what we celebrate each year. Darkness (death) is defeated. On that Sunday over 2000 years ago, Christ rose from the dead and is at the right hand of the Father, alive forevermore (Ephesians 1:19-23).
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Ralph Blankart
This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!
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