Understanding the Cross Christian Ethics 20 – Ms. Woytowich

The Road to the Cross On almost every important issue of his day, Jesus’ opinion conflicted with that of people in positions of power. Jesus made the outcasts of society the very cornerstone of his message about God’s kingdom Jesus claimed for himself a position of authority above that of both the religious and the political powers of his day All of this causing a conflict with the Jewish and Roman authorities.

Central Events of the Passion Narratives The writing style of the Passion narratives is quite different from the typical style of the gospels. All accounts offer many more details. But why? The death and resurrection of Jesus are at the heart of Christianity. His crucifixion had to be carefully explained to the members of the early faith community. The story was not what people were expecting of their Messiah; therefore, there was a need for information. Evangelists were writing to and for the early followers of the risen Jesus. They faced persecution for their faith, so the reminder that Jesus had suffered and died would be a constant consolation to them.

Jesus’ Final Days In all three synoptic gospels there is an account of the Last Supper. John also has a version of the Last Supper; however it is richer in imagery, poetic, and creates a touching portrayal of the human Jesus. The loneliness of Gethsemane Judas’ story

Jesus’ Final Hours Caiaphas’ fateful question to Jesus The charge of Blasphemy Pontius Pilate The choice to the Jewish leaders Anti-semitism “King of the Jews” Jesus’ last words

Jesus’ sacrifice: Freeing Us from Sin Jesus, the Suffering Servant Jesus, the Paschal Lamb The first Christians wrote about Jesus’ death and resurrection, they often referred to that sacred Scriptures of Judaism to show how all that Jesus did has always been part of God’s plan for humanity. There is nowhere that the link between God’s plan and Jesus more clear than in the “suffering servant” passage in the book of the prophet Isaiah. “He was pierced for our offenses, / crushed for our sins” “poured out himself to death… [and] bore the sin of many” The Evangelists of John linked the death of Jesus with the killing of the paschal lambs, which were slaughtered as part of the celebration of Passover. John’s gospel refers to Jesus as the new paschal lamb, “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29) Jesus’ death on the cross constituted a “new Passover” for those who believe in Jesus

Jesus, a ransom for many Explaining Jesus’ death in terms of the suffering servant or the paschal lamb was great for Jews. Gentiles would not have understood these references. The Gospel of Mark (written for Gentiles) states, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In the Roman world, a ransom was the price paid to release a slave, and it was often paid by someone other than the slave. The idea of ransom can help us understand the cross if we recognize Jesus’ death as liberating us from our slavery to sin

Ultimately, a sign of God’s Love The explanations use different metaphors, each has a common understanding of the meaning of the cross: when Jesus gave up his life for our sake, he freed us from sin. At the core of Christian understanding of the cross is this truth: through the death and Resurrection of Jesus, God poured out unlimited, complete love for all people The cross and the Resurrection form a new covenant with all people. Our part in the covenant is to accept God’s love as it is expressed in Jesus