Good Friday is a strange holiday; we celebrate the political execution of a man who lived 2,000 years ago. Stranger still, is the belief that he rose again 3 days later. If I were to ask you, "Why did Jesus die?", I would most likely hear the response, "Jesus died for the sins of the world." This is a very true and biblical statement, and one that I believe. But if we were to ask any of the witnesses of Jesus' death 2,000 years ago the same question, they would give us a different response. They would say that Jesus was dying for political reasons. Jesus' claim to be "King of the Jews" was the official Roman statement concerning why he died. Here is an important distinction to make: On the theological level we believe that Jesus died for the sins of the World, but on the historical level we see that Jesus was not crucified for this claim. Jesus died as a person who was claiming to be King, and not the kind of King that was meeting the common expectations of the day. He died as an enemy of the state - an insurrectionist of sorts.
In 1989 Ted Bundy was executed for his crimes. Outside the prison there were people with signs which read, "Burn Bundy, Burn." They were excited about his death, because justice was finally being met. Although Jesus' and Bundy's lives are completely opposite in character (one healed the sick, fed the hungry and preached salvation, while the other took life, fed his own appetites and saw no need for his or other's salvation), their deaths are similar in that they both died for crimes against the state, and both had people rejoicing/mocking as they were publicly executed. In the eyes of the Jewish and Roman leaders, Jesus was no more or less than the political insurrectionists who died on either side of him.
I have opened up too many threads of thought with this post to chase them all down, but I do think there is one thought that is particularly sobering for me. The shame of the cross is often not fully realized by me, because of my immediate theological response to why Jesus died. The shame of the cross is felt more fully when I compare it to the shame which a criminal faces when they are executed by their own people for crimes against the state. Jesus' death was extremely humiliating and unjust, and yet appreciating the historical contours of his death moves me to appreciate the depths of the theological answer as well: Jesus suffered and died for the sins of the World.
I could not agree more. Historical theology matters in my opinion. I completely love this post. Thanks Mike!! plz Keep 'em com'n. ;v) (PS - sorry I'm a bit late in reading this one)
ReplyDeleteGood post. I like how you mentioned the validity in both views of Jesus' execution; the theological and the historical. Often Jesus' gets painted one of two ways and it can frustrate the matter. The secular stress the historical aspect to down play the theological and the religious stress the theological and down play the historical. A fair balance of the two however allows you to appreciate Jesus's sacrifice all the more
ReplyDeleteHow much more shameful, or maybe better, how much more humiliating that it was the God of the Universe, not even guilty of the crimes he was accused of. Bundy was guilty, ashamed and repentant or not, he was facing the just punishment for his crimes.
ReplyDeleteNot only was Christ innocent of sin, he wasn't even guilty of the crimes for which he was being crucified. The Son of God, mocked and tempted by the religious leaders to do precisely what would seem, by our standards, to do the reasonable thing and save Himself.
I know shame isn't the best word to describe what I mean here, but like you, I often forget the total injustice of the crucifixion. Recognition that it was absolutely necessary and that it accomplished so much for me personally springs to my mind and instead of looking at the injustice and horror of it, I think of how amazing and awesome it is. Remembering both is important though right? The horror and injustice makes it that much more meaningful and awe producing for me.
So, this is Ryan Steele. If you don't remember me, I was a student of both you and Todd at NTBI in 2003-2004 with Jodie Fesler (now Jodie Steele). I've been reading for a while now and always enjoy your posts. Jodie and I are both at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia right now. I often think of you guys...introducing me to World View stuff, Apologetics, Chiasms and tons of other stuff. Thanks for that, and thanks for this.