CHRIST'S PASSION WAS FOR OUR WELL BEING
Each Easter season, it seems we get "treated" to new explanations about Jesus Christ and His activities. Usually, we get only one revisionist theory about Jesus being offered, but this year, we have a couple of them. It seems that some people will go to whatever lengths are necessary to try to minimize the value and significance of what Jesus did. Although there is a variety of revisionist theories that are put forward, they all have the common theme that they claim that there was no benefit for us in Christ’s passion.
One professor from Florida State University suggests that when Jesus walked on water, it was not quite the miracle that the Bible describes the event as being. Instead, Professor Noron Dof speculates that Jesus might have been walking on a large chunk of ice. He claims that his study of climatic conditions between 1500 and 2600 years ago might allow for the formation of ice on the Sea of Galilee during the period of Jesus’ ministry. Apparently Mr. Dof didn’t hear about the story that Jesus walked on well placed rocks!
We are also being "treated" to a revisit of a previously discredited "Gospel of Judas," which purports that Jesus and Judas had made a secret deal for Judas to turn Jesus over to the authorities. So, instead of Judas being a villain, he was somehow a hero who helped Jesus, rather than a traitor who turned against Him. The logical conclusion of this theory is that Jesus was a suicidal maniac and not the Savior.
Other revisionists have tried to minimize the value and significance of Jesus’ crucifixion by suggesting that Jesus was the unfortunate victim of circumstances that were out of His control. Their interpretation of Jesus’ passion leaves out significant and important aspects of the historical record. For example, Jesus Himself told His alarmed followers, "Do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen this way?"
Perhaps one of the greater ironies of the revisionists’ allegations that Jesus was caught up in some sort of cosmic whirlwind that got away from Him is the fact that Jesus was actually the only participant in the drama of His passion who did what He purposed to do. Jesus said "it was for this very reason that I came to this hour," and so He stuck to His plan. The other significant actors in the saga of Jesus’ crucifixion all failed to stick to their plans. Pilate, as well as Peter, and even Judas, did what they did not want to do.
One person who was certainly not in control of events when Jesus was crucified was the man who ultimately gave the order for it to be carried out. Pilate most certainly got caught up in the whirlwind of events that day. It is apparent that Pilate’s first attempt to extricate himself from the circumstances he found himself in was when he questioned Jesus. He was evidently hoping that Jesus would exonerate Himself and that Pilate could then chalk everything up to a big misunderstanding.
Next, Pilate tried to de-escalate the tensions by going around Jesus’ chief accusers and addressing the crowds directly. Politicians know that most of the time, the general population prefers the status quo as opposed to doing anything dramatic. Pilate already had a political prisoner in custody who was scheduled to be executed. Jesus enjoyed widespread popularity and many people considered Him to be the Messiah who had been promised long ago. Surely, the crowds would bail Pilate out. But it didn’t work out that way this time.
Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them. "Crucify Him!" they shouted. "Why? What crime has He committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify Him!" Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
If Pilate was the epitome of failed political leadership during Jesus’ passion, Jesus’ own friends did not shine in the darkness of this event either. Judas and Peter each let Jesus down in their own way, by acting in ways that appear to be contrary to their intentions.
In spite of the discredited "Gospel of Judas," Judas goes down in history as being perhaps the worst of the worst in terms of personal betrayal. Whatever good Judas may have done in his life is overshadowed by his betrayal of Jesus. Having said that, Jesus had seen it coming and stayed in control throughout the ordeal, saying, "the hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes My betrayer!"
Just as He was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest Him and lead Him away under guard." Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Rabbi!" and kissed Him. The men seized Jesus.
Conspiracy theorists have long loved to speculate about Judas’ motives in betraying Jesus. Was Judas Iscariot, the Zealot, trying to force Jesus to embrace his (Judas’) messianic vision for Jesus? Was Judas jealous of Jesus’ popularity? Was he greedy for a bribe? Nobody knows for sure. Most of Jesus’ friends didn’t care, either. Only Matthew mentioned that Judas did what he did not want to do; and if Matthew had not mentioned it, we wouldn’t know this about Judas.
Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound Him, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate, the governor. When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Many people are familiar with how Peter let Jesus down and in the process disappointed himself. Peter had promised himself and Jesus that if events unfolded as they eventually did, that Peter would stand up for Jesus. He didn’t. When the chips were down, Peter refused to acknowledge that he was Jesus’ friend. At one point, Peter even denied knowing Him at all! Peter was distraught at his failure to do what he had planned and wanted to do. The Bible says that Peter broke down and wept because of this.
As anybody who has seen The Passion of the Christ knows, Jesus’ suffering on our behalf cost Him dearly. Christ’s passion was for our well being. To try to minimize the significance of Christ’s passion in any way, by suggesting that Jesus was somehow not in complete control of not only Himself but His circumstances, is not only an insult to Him but an affront to us. How could any reasonable person place their faith in Jesus if the various revisionist theories are correct? Fortunately, they’re not.
Throughout the entire crucifixion ordeal, Jesus was the only one who did what He intended to do, which He did on our behalf. We can therefore have complete confidence in Him. The Bible tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
One professor from Florida State University suggests that when Jesus walked on water, it was not quite the miracle that the Bible describes the event as being. Instead, Professor Noron Dof speculates that Jesus might have been walking on a large chunk of ice. He claims that his study of climatic conditions between 1500 and 2600 years ago might allow for the formation of ice on the Sea of Galilee during the period of Jesus’ ministry. Apparently Mr. Dof didn’t hear about the story that Jesus walked on well placed rocks!
We are also being "treated" to a revisit of a previously discredited "Gospel of Judas," which purports that Jesus and Judas had made a secret deal for Judas to turn Jesus over to the authorities. So, instead of Judas being a villain, he was somehow a hero who helped Jesus, rather than a traitor who turned against Him. The logical conclusion of this theory is that Jesus was a suicidal maniac and not the Savior.
Other revisionists have tried to minimize the value and significance of Jesus’ crucifixion by suggesting that Jesus was the unfortunate victim of circumstances that were out of His control. Their interpretation of Jesus’ passion leaves out significant and important aspects of the historical record. For example, Jesus Himself told His alarmed followers, "Do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen this way?"
Perhaps one of the greater ironies of the revisionists’ allegations that Jesus was caught up in some sort of cosmic whirlwind that got away from Him is the fact that Jesus was actually the only participant in the drama of His passion who did what He purposed to do. Jesus said "it was for this very reason that I came to this hour," and so He stuck to His plan. The other significant actors in the saga of Jesus’ crucifixion all failed to stick to their plans. Pilate, as well as Peter, and even Judas, did what they did not want to do.
One person who was certainly not in control of events when Jesus was crucified was the man who ultimately gave the order for it to be carried out. Pilate most certainly got caught up in the whirlwind of events that day. It is apparent that Pilate’s first attempt to extricate himself from the circumstances he found himself in was when he questioned Jesus. He was evidently hoping that Jesus would exonerate Himself and that Pilate could then chalk everything up to a big misunderstanding.
Next, Pilate tried to de-escalate the tensions by going around Jesus’ chief accusers and addressing the crowds directly. Politicians know that most of the time, the general population prefers the status quo as opposed to doing anything dramatic. Pilate already had a political prisoner in custody who was scheduled to be executed. Jesus enjoyed widespread popularity and many people considered Him to be the Messiah who had been promised long ago. Surely, the crowds would bail Pilate out. But it didn’t work out that way this time.
Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them. "Crucify Him!" they shouted. "Why? What crime has He committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify Him!" Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
If Pilate was the epitome of failed political leadership during Jesus’ passion, Jesus’ own friends did not shine in the darkness of this event either. Judas and Peter each let Jesus down in their own way, by acting in ways that appear to be contrary to their intentions.
In spite of the discredited "Gospel of Judas," Judas goes down in history as being perhaps the worst of the worst in terms of personal betrayal. Whatever good Judas may have done in his life is overshadowed by his betrayal of Jesus. Having said that, Jesus had seen it coming and stayed in control throughout the ordeal, saying, "the hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes My betrayer!"
Just as He was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest Him and lead Him away under guard." Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Rabbi!" and kissed Him. The men seized Jesus.
Conspiracy theorists have long loved to speculate about Judas’ motives in betraying Jesus. Was Judas Iscariot, the Zealot, trying to force Jesus to embrace his (Judas’) messianic vision for Jesus? Was Judas jealous of Jesus’ popularity? Was he greedy for a bribe? Nobody knows for sure. Most of Jesus’ friends didn’t care, either. Only Matthew mentioned that Judas did what he did not want to do; and if Matthew had not mentioned it, we wouldn’t know this about Judas.
Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound Him, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate, the governor. When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Many people are familiar with how Peter let Jesus down and in the process disappointed himself. Peter had promised himself and Jesus that if events unfolded as they eventually did, that Peter would stand up for Jesus. He didn’t. When the chips were down, Peter refused to acknowledge that he was Jesus’ friend. At one point, Peter even denied knowing Him at all! Peter was distraught at his failure to do what he had planned and wanted to do. The Bible says that Peter broke down and wept because of this.
As anybody who has seen The Passion of the Christ knows, Jesus’ suffering on our behalf cost Him dearly. Christ’s passion was for our well being. To try to minimize the significance of Christ’s passion in any way, by suggesting that Jesus was somehow not in complete control of not only Himself but His circumstances, is not only an insult to Him but an affront to us. How could any reasonable person place their faith in Jesus if the various revisionist theories are correct? Fortunately, they’re not.
Throughout the entire crucifixion ordeal, Jesus was the only one who did what He intended to do, which He did on our behalf. We can therefore have complete confidence in Him. The Bible tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
posted by Pastor Monahan at 7:34 PM
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