I now reach the point of my blog series where we encounter the depth of what’s been called “Passion Week” or “Holy Week” — essentially the last week of Jesus’s life that leads up to his crucifixion.
As a teacher, I don’t like teaching on the crucifixion. And I’m not sure why, exactly.
I don’t like to make one of the most sacred and significant acts in all of human history merely an academic exercise. I don’t think there is anything wrong in dealing with the cross from an academic perspective — not at all. I am thankful for those who have and do; their studies have meant a lot to me and I cherish their work.
Maybe it’s because I have spent my whole life in the church, surrounded by the discussion that finds its center at the cross of Christ. Maybe it’s that I still find myself captivated by its story and testimony. Maybe it’s the week when I chose not to go with my parents to my grandfather’s funeral, sitting instead at a Good Friday service and weeping uncontrollably for reasons I still don’t understand. I have never cried like that in all my life. To this day, hearing the the hymn Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? will bring me to my knees.
Maybe it’s all of the above.
I don’t know why, but the gospel accounts on the crucifixion cause me to want to write poetry and speak eloquently — not talk about history.
Captivating. Thundering. Deep. Moving. Profound. Disturbing. Soothing.
These are all words that only begin to scratch the surface of what I experience on Good Friday every year, in a story that speaks volumes into my heart with words I don’t fully understand.
There are moments when I see the order of death tap out in submission to something more profound than defeat could ever be.
There are moments when I feel as though God has joined us in all of our sorrow and it is so good to have His company.
There are moments when I sense the greatest statement of love that could ever be expressed, and the truly unique, counterintuitive story of a God who would lay down His life for others.
There are moments of anger when I see the injustice and confusion at why the death is necessary…
Which leads me to thoughts about atonement and how I am so thankful that so many theologians are asking such important questions about what the Bible actually teaches on atonement. These questions are important because they reach to the core of our understanding of the heart of God. Why would He die? Why would He have to die? Did He have to die? How is any of this explained logically?
These questions are important, because as I sit in those Good Friday services, I need to understand what I am witnessing and remembering.
What am I supposed to see at the cross?
While I won’t be writing about my thoughts on atonement theory, I would recommend a couple books by Tony Jones; one is A Better Atonement, a fantastic e-book that is only three chapters long. While I have not read the other book, I do know that I am greatly looking forward to Did God Kill Jesus? There is a great conversation in theological circles these days about an appropriate understanding of atonement. How did the early Christians understand Jesus’s death on the cross (Ransom-Captive Theory)? How has atonement theory evolved over time (theories like Christus Victor)? What are the dangers we find in Substitutionary Atonment (the theory held by most evangelicals today)?
Wrestling with what I believe the Scriptures teach about atonement has done nothing but help me in being captivated by the story of the cross. It has only heightened my awareness of some of the feelings, emotions, and images that surround the crucifixion.
Needless to say, I will not be attacking the Text from the same angle as I have been through this series. I don’t like dealing with the story that way. What I will be doing is taking a look at some of the aspects of the story from an independent reference point. Here is what I hope to write about:
HOLY WEEK: The Plot to Kill Jesus
HOLY WEEK: Judas
HOLY WEEK: Peter’s Denial
HOLY WEEK: Rome
Then we’ll have a discussion on the Resurrection (where I will indeed wax eloquent) and some thoughts about The Great Commission before we dive into the book of Acts.
My prayer is that the story of the cross is as meaningful of an experience to you as it is to me — that it would speak on levels my words simply never could.
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