The Passion of Jesus Christ
The Passion of Jesus Christ
Written By J.H. Yoneyama
The historians of Jesus time gave only scattered reference to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, So how can such a insignificant carpenter who lived only thirty three years on this earth leave such a revered impact on our lives and the record of his last three years be transmitted through the centuries Jesus [ also called Christ which means King or Messiah] was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago We mark his birth by dividing time B.C.{ before Christ} and A.D. { Anno Domini – or the year of the Lord} For his first 30 years Jesus lived a traditional Jewish life. Working as a carpenter. During this time, all of Israel was under Caesars Roman dictatorship. Jesus began his public teaching after being baptized by John the Baptist and spending forty days in the desert tested by the Devil Although he never travelled more than 200 miles from his birthplace, His teachings and display of recorded miracles spread nationwide. The Roman governors and rulers of Israel Jewish leaders took note of Him. Jesus most controversial act was He repeatedly claimed to be God, which was a direct violation of the Jewish law Although there is no single earthly source to blame for killing Jesus The Jewish religious leaders hated Jesus so they arrested him and delivered him to the Roman official Pontius Pilate, for execution so Pilate too share responsibilities for he succumbed to the demand of yet a third party the crowd ( Mathew 27:23w 27:23
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja! ) In the end it was sinners like me and you who killed Jesus. So no one can point a finger at any other person for the death of Jesus. Our sins were the reason Jesus had to be crucified. The most important reason for Jesus death is he died to receive the wrath of God in the place of others. God is just and holy but he must punish those who have sinned, But because he is also loving, He was willing to send his Son Jesus to take the blow of his wrath so that others might receive his mercy As Galatians 3:13Galatians 3:13
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
puts it “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. The death of Jesus was unique for Jesus never sinned He never had to die; rather he chose to die and because Jesus never broke the law of God , he could die as a substitute in the place of law breakers As 2 Corinthians 5 : 21 explains God the father ‘ made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him
The resurrection of Jesus vindicates all his claims. Anyone could claim as Jesus did to be the only way to God ( John 14:6John 14:6
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
) But Jesus substantiated this and all his other claims by doing something no one else has ever done- rising from the dead never to die again Moreover by not leaving Jesus in the grave, God showed that he accepted his son death as a substitute for the death of others The Bible is plain that the cross of Jesus without resurrection would have meant your faith is worthless and that you are still in your sins But now Christ been raised from the dead as proof that Jesus death in the place of sinners satisfied the requirement of Gods justice So you can see that the Passion of Jesus Christ was initiated by Jesus himself risen from the dead and retelling of the story of his passion and death and he changed its meaning forever This was not the work of historians nor the disciples Historians of his time never mentioned the crucifixion nor the disciples of Jesus left to themselves leave us this story. Indeed the gospel describe his followers dismayed by what they witnessed in Jerusalem , they were unlikely to report a tragic failure that was also their own Look at the account of the two disciples leaving the city on the day of Easter for Emmaus ( Luke 24: 13-15Luke 24: 13-15
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
) they are disciple wanting to put the dreadful memory of Good Friday behind them No by themselves Jesus disciples would never have left us a story of what they saw
The Easter gospel describes it, appearing to his disciples at Jerusalem that day “Jesus came and stood among them and said to them Peace be with you when he had said this he showed them his hand and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord ( John 20: 19-21John 20: 19-21
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
) Walking with the Emmaus disciples that same day Jesus said Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself ( Luke 24: 26-27Luke 24: 26-27
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
) The Passion narrative as we have them in the gospel grew from this first telling by the risen Christ
So we keep his passion as an Easter story rather like the Emmaus disciples , We should look at it from the perspective of our own sorrows and question , and as he did for them the risen Christ will help us reinterpret our own lives in the light of his mystery grace of rejoicing patience and compassion
AMEN
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