So Why Jesus and Why Did He Die?

I see you already have your cup. Good. Where did I leave off? Oh, yes, that question about why Jesus and was it really necessary for his life to turn out the way it did? Around the middle of the last century, noted British preacher Leslie Weatherhead wrote an insightful little book entitled The Will of God. The book has served as an excellent answer to that question for many years. Though I think Weatherhead’s answer needs updating his premise is still strong. Jesus’ rejections and death was not God’s intention, desire, or will. Rather, like so many of the prophets before Jesus, it was God’s desire that the people accept him and his teaching. The purpose of Jesus is the same as many prophets before him, to show us a Creator who loves us, who created us to love sacrificially, and including forgiving others as we have been forgiven.

Though we as disciples consider Jesus to be unique in revealing God’s nature, some of his most poignant teachings are actually taken from earlier writings in Judaism. Jesus quotes scripture, encourages questioners to do what they know, and most notably raises long established Biblical principles to an even higher standard of conduct. For example, “You’ve heard it said you shall not murder but I say that if you hate your brother you are just as guilty”. Or as when identifying the most important of the Law is to love God and love neighbor. Jesus shows us the way to God’s love and forgiveness by taking what was already known of God and moving it to the next step.

The uniqueness of Jesus may not be in reversing the previous image held of God or of offering one not seen before. There are some horrific images of God in early Judaism as vengeful, unforgiving, and arbitrary when demanding the death of those who are outside the circle of God’s people. A closer reading will find beneath these inconvenient texts the earliest picture of the God Jesus reveals. Jesus’ life and teachings solidify this often missed image of a God who loves creation above all else.

Jesus’ death had to be a not-intended-possibility just as with prophets before him (can you say John the Baptist) but death is never the end of the story for it is in the resurrection we discover that God has the last word and it is always “life”. The presence of God as seen in Jesus’ resurrection lives on with his disciples. The Spirit of the Risen Christ directs the beginning of the church, becomes visible at the death of Stephen, confronts Paul on the Damascus Road, guides the Apostles as they spread the good news throughout the world and continues to be present in the lives of countless saints—and sinners—until today.

To the point, Jesus’ life, death and resurrection declare God’s love and forgiveness. God’s forgiveness puts us in a right relationship as we are rescued from the downward spiral of our self-serving ways, set straight on the path from which we have fallen (on which we may occasionally stumble or take a wrong turn) and empowered to live above our own expectations. In Jesus we not only learn of this forgiveness but we find freedom from our guilt, we are accepted even when we don’t always get it right, and by Jesus’ affirmation we raise the quality of our living in our commitment to the principles of love and forgiveness. Being “saved” is at the same time an eye-opening, transforming awareness of what is already in existence and becomes a continual process throughout our life.

I need more coffee and then I want to back up to that problem of evil. I’ll hurry.

Comments

  1. tijbbariJuly 14, 2009 at 4:55 PM

    I was beginning to wonder if you were going to hit on the problem of evil at the end of the last post when you mentioned the presumed omnicient/omnipotent nature of god. I'm enjoying this series a lot.

    ReplyDelete

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