The Shakespearean parallels in Sons of Anarchy have always been completely obvious. Jax = Hamlet, Tara = Ophelia, Gemma = Gertrude, Clay = Claudius, etc. etc. But if you were brushing up on your Shakespeare in order to predict the series finale of Sons of Anarchy, you were reading the wrong book. So many main characters died to get us to the finale—Opie, Clay, Bobby, Tara, Juice, Gemma, Unser, etc.—that you would be forgiven if you thought it was Act V of Hamlet, the stage littered with bodies, and only the prince’s death remaining. But Jax Teller wasn’t Hamlet last night, he was Jesus Christ himself as he rode to his death.

The episode kicked off on a biblical note with Bruce Springsteen’s “Adam Raised a Cain,” a song creator Kurt Sutter told Vanity Fair he’s wanted on the show for years. But that wasn’t the last biblical allusion. Far from it. Sons of Anarchy was so enamored with the idea of Jax as Jesus that they packed the episode to the gills with references to his martyrdom. Any one of these Jesus references might have been a nice touch, but the frenzy of imagery just made Jax’s end ridiculous, rather than tragic. Here are just a few of the allusions Sons of Anarchy made.

He Died for Our Sins: The first clue is right there in the plot, which is all about Jax sacrificing himself so his sons can have a better life. Wendy, Nero, Abel, and Thomas escape from Charming to a farm in the country. That’s not a euphemism! They presumably live happily ever after! But the survivors only get their happy ending because Jax died to make everything cleaner not just for his sons, but for his apostles. On his way out, Jax took a lot of people down with him including those who pose a threat to the club including the I.R.A., August Marks, and corrupt cop Charlie Barosky. I don’t remember Jesus going out on such a violent note, but the end result is the same. Chibs, Tigg, Happy, and the rest will be safe from retribution. Jax made heaven on earth for those he loved and died for the sins of those who came before him.

His Own Personal Jesus: Jax finally asks the mysterious homeless woman who has been haunting Sons of Anarchy since the pilot who, exactly, she is. Her hooded robe/blanket makes her look like the Grim Reapers on the back of the SAMCRO jackets.