Posts Tagged: Jesus’ redemptive death

“Of Birth and Death”

On April 11, 2020 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

Yesterday was my birthday, and I had a wonderful celebration, thanks to my wife and many of my friends.  It was also the day when Christians “celebrate” Christ’s death on the cross.  There is a reason why I put “celebrate” in double quotation marks.  Is death ever a reason to celebrate?

Certainly, Roman crosses were not originally designed for celebration—or for being turned into jewelry.  Roman crosses were designed to inflict maximum pain over an agonizingly long period of time.  Death was by suffocation, once you were too weak to push yourself up to breathe.  It was a kind of pre-meditated, very targeted covid-19 that was intentionally transmitted to someone.

Imagine yourself saying to any of Jesus’ original disciples on the Friday that Jesus was crucified, “Hey, guys!  I’ve got a wonderful idea!  Why don’t we call this ‘Good Friday’!”  At best, they would have looked at you with total bewilderment.  At worst, you might have gotten a broken jaw.  In any case, I doubt that there would have been a single vote in favor of your proposal.

And yet, those of us who follow Christ, do call it Good Friday.  Why?  Let me suggest two reasons.

First, Jesus’ death by crucifixion was not the closing chapter of his story.  Generally speaking, the last chapter of a book—or the final main section of a Wikipedia article—speaks of the death of historical characters.  The four Gospels of the Old Testament all indicate that Jesus’ family and friends were certain that Jesus was gone.

However, in the case of Jesus, the story goes that he did not stay dead.  (Yes, I know!  That’s pretty difficult to swallow.  There are, however, many of us who actually believe it.)  In light of the fact that Jesus didn’t stay put in the tomb, in retrospect, his crucifixion day came to be known as “Good Friday.”

But there is a second reason why Good Friday was good.  The Gospels, the book of Acts, almost all of the letters, and the book of Revelation all indicate that Jesus’ death wasn’t primarily a tragedy or a miscarriage of justice.  Rather, Jesus’ death was redemptive.  He died in our place, for our wrong-doings.

If that is true, that is incredibly good.  It was way beyond incredibly good; it was the best!

And since I believe that Jesus died for my sins—and for all our sins—and since I believe that he was raised from the dead, I don’t mind having my birthday coincide with Good Friday every once in a while.  In point of fact, my birthday was so much nicer knowing that my sins are forgiven, and that isn’t the final word.

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“LET’S PARTY!”

On July 24, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“His son said to him, ’Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ’Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began.” (Luke 15:21-24)

The son seems to have been expecting only bare acceptance as a hired hand (verse 17), but he received an abundantly joyous welcome—indeed, a party—as a son.  We always tend to underestimate God.  The runaway son was expecting merely enough food to keep him from starving.  Instead, he was the guest of honor at a feast.

This son, this son, who had demanded his share of the inheritance, even though his father was still alive, this son, came draggin’ his sorry butt back home, begging for mercy.

I am that son.  So are you—or daughter, as the case may be.

And what do we expect?  Mere acceptance, perhaps.  If we’re lucky.

And what do we experience?  God’s glad embrace and kisses.  Words of affirmation.  A wild party at which we are the guests of honor.

We talk a lot about the unconditional love of God, but we have no real idea.  The parable of the Father’s lavish love for his runaway son (and the stay-at-home son as well), should shove us in the direction of a better view of God’s love.  Sometimes, stories like this succeed in getting people to run, walk, or crawl in that general direction.

And then, there is the redemptive love of Jesus, as shown on the cross.

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