THE CROSS WAS NOT NECESSARY (Good Friday)

 At first glance, such a claim might seem shocking, but no, there is a significant point to be made.

The symbolic value of the Cross is taken from the Israelite/Old Testament images of God’s salvific and redemptive acts, with particular focus on the atonement system.  The whole Temple ritual system was symbolically heuristic.  Through memorable sights, sounds, and smells the atonement system taught people graphically about sin, mercy, and restorative forgiveness.

A brief overview:
The Temple symbolized God’s relational presence with God’s people.  Sin, transgression of the people’s relational covenant with God, was portrayed as a kind of miasmic “trash” that polluted God’s dwelling.  That invisible miasma symbolized the reverse of God’s will for the world, chaos and death.  Enough pollution and God’s Presence would depart; the relationship would be over.  However, if people in repentance confessed their sins, God would forgive them.  Restoration needed to be expressed.  Forgiveness and restoration were displayed symbolically as the people were walked through rituals in which the blood of a sacrifice was applied to the Temple paraphernalia and symbolically atoned (wiped over/away) the pollution, cleansing the Temple, and restoring right relationship with God.  The message: sin is deadly serious, but God is mercifully willing to forgive.
Why blood?  Blood was the counter symbol to chaos and death.  Blood symbolized life.  (Both breath and blood symbolized life in that culture.  Blood, though, could be manipulated for a visible symbol.)  In this God-given symbol system (Leviticus 17:11), application of that “lifeblood” prevailed over the effects of chaos and death.*  That is the nature of God-given life.  Therefore, this atonement system physically demonstrated how serious sin is and how important forgiveness and restoration are.

Application:
The Cross was not necessary.  None of the blood sacrifices in the Temple system coerced God to forgive.  God does not need killing to forgive.  People needed the atonement system to understand sin and forgiveness.  So, too they/we need the Cross.  The Cross demonstrates the seriousness of sin and that God is the initiator and provider of the grace of forgiveness.  The Cross communicated how incredible it is that our God does forgive, receive back, restore into a right relationship.  The God of life prevails over the chaos and death of our sin.  (Of course, as we move to Easter, the empty Cross shows us so much more: the victory of Life over death and the resurrected life to come.)

Jesus, I still cannot fathom the Incarnation, your life, the Cross, your Resurrection.  For me?  For us?  All I can do is worship you.  Amen.
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*Note: Someone might point out that Hebrews 9:22 says, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  That text obviously is not communicating that there is some external, universal law binding on God.  The whole chapter is working with those who knew the Temple symbol system and is teaching them by portraying Jesus as the superlative high priest and sacrifice for purification.  As in Romans 8:3, a new age has been inaugurated by Jesus standing in as the sin/purification offering.

EASTER: RESURRECTION FAITH VS CROSS FAITH

 “If Christ has not been raised, then … your faith is empty” (1Cor 15:14).

I once suggested using the above verse as the opening tagline for an Easter college newspaper “ad” on behalf the Christian faculty/staff at my university.  (The ad with our names was intended let students know who we were and that we were available to them.)  My suggestion was shot down as “too negative.”  Ironically though, Paul thought this statement was important.  Paul’s point in 1Cor 15:12 – 19 is that all of Christian faith hinges on Jesus’ Resurrection.  Without it “you are still in your sins” (v 17).

There has been a long-reigning (about 800 years) historical shift theologically, particularly in the West, that focuses too much on the death of Jesus.  Certainly, that Jesus gave his life for humanity has always been core to Christian faith, so I am not casting any doubt on that.  However, the whole Incarnation, earthly ministry, AND death of Jesus are inclusively acts of God’s grace to us.  Moreover, the Resurrection holds the work of Christ all together – and prepares the way for the Ascension and giving of the Holy Spirit.

The Resurrection validates everything about Jesus:  He did have (and continues to have) authority to forgive sins.  He is indeed the Messiah.  His Resurrection was the “first-fruits” of the coming resurrection of the people of God.  Jesus did usher in a new era of God’s Kingdom/Rule as he kept proclaiming and demonstrating.  As Paul puts it in Romans 5:12 – 6:14, Jesus defeated the reign of the realm of sin and death and issued in the reign of life and the Spirit for those in Christ.

Point:  My concern is that an exclusive focus on the death of Jesus for sinful humanity leaves us with a static gospel; that is, we are in the state of having been forgiven -- period.  However, a balanced focus on the significance of the Resurrection, puts our faith into a dynamic relationship with Jesus.  Our hope is not a future hope of one day “going to heaven.”  It is a present, realized hope.  The Resurrection tells me that today I do not have to live under the reign of sin.  Because I am alive in the Risen Christ, I am now eternally alive and can live my earthly life under the reign of the Spirit now.  (Again, see Romans 5:12 – 6:14.)  This is Easter faith, Resurrection faith.  It is so much more than "Cross faith."

Lord, your grace is beyond my comprehension.  Jesus’ offer of himself is beyond my comprehension.  Jesus’ Resurrection is beyond my comprehension.  Yet, I know the reality of it all within my experience of your Presence in my life.  Thank you.  Thank you.  All praise be to you!  Amen.

LENT: THE SHAME OF THE CROSS: WOUNDED PRIDE, THE GOOD WOUND

Lent is a good time for wounded pride.  There is a theme in the Book of Ezekiel, a rather overlooked theme, that ties in with Lent. 

Background:  The people of Judah, in a prideful and nationalistic way, had believed that they somehow had a hold on God, much like our slogans, “One nation under God,” and “In God we trust.”  [I am not suggesting that the US is a godly nation or a theocracy.  It is neither.  The Kingdom of God is never subordinate to or contained in human government.  The rule of God is in this world but not of this world.]  The people of Judah believed God would always bless and protect them.  But the reality was that they had abandoned God and profaned His temple, the place that symbolized God was in their midst.   As a result, God removed His glory, His presence, from the temple and from them (Ezek 10:18 – 19, the reversal of 1Kings 8:10 – 11).  Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Babylonians, and the survivors became exiles in Babylonia. 

Overlooked Theme:  The often-overlooked theme is wounded pride.  Despite the failure of the people of God, the prophet Ezekiel tells them that for the sake of God’s holy name God would save a remnant of people, would bring them back, and would allow them to rebuild the temple to which His glory would return.  Not only that, God would also remove their hard, stone-like heart and give them a new soft, flesh-like heart, putting a new spirit in them (Ezek 36:22 – 30).  However, when this happens, the people would respond in humility.  Such a gracious restoration would always remind them how they had failed to walk faithfully with the Holy God of Israel.  They would recognize their wickedness that had led to such consequences, and the recognition of the the magnitude of God’s goodness would wound their pride (36:31 – 32; 16:62 – 63). 

Point:  All the more, the season of Lent ought to bring me to a sense of wounded pride.  I am not talking about self-pity, but about a healthy, penetrating realization.  It is a good wound, like the wound of a needed surgery.  God loves me so much that God humiliates God-self to take the form of a human, live a life of service, and die for the sake of the ultimate offer of forgiveness and restoration -- for me, for a created one who thinks he can live in prideful waywardness from my Creator.  I am going to rejoice on Easter Sunday over the triumph of Jesus’ resurrection and the new life that has become mine in Him.  But that resurrection was preceded by the Cross, and the cause of the Cross was me.  The Cross that was meant as shameful death for Jesus, is a symbol of my shame.

Lord, I need my pride wounded.  May I always remember that I did not get a hold of you; rather, you restored me to your Presence despite my unworthiness.  May I never take for granted that you are holy and that you have called me into a new life that befits your holy character.  May I never lose the shame of the Cross that fatally wounds my pride and self-sufficiency.  Amen.