Died

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried.  
Nicene-Constantinople Creed

Why did Jesus have to die? Because he was a human being. To be born is to die; we start dying the day we're born. Every woman who gives birth gives birth to a child who will come to natural death eventually--or, God forbid, premature death.  The big thing was the Incarnation. Everything else flows from that.

Did God want His son to die? You hear that question, but I think it is absurd.  It sounds as if they sat around in heavan planning it out, "and then--crucifixion."  No, I don't think so. The decision was to be fully human. The will of the Father was "don't interfere." Don't interfere with their free will; don't interfere with nature; live it out to the very end. He took on our life and He took on our death.

Why crucifixion? Was that of His own choosing? Look to mankind for that. Men invented that and myriad other forms for torture, for control, for manipulation all designed to seek power over one another. He came, poor and humble, and subjected Himself to human nature. Was it inevitable? Tempting thought. Evil inevitably attacks good I think.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Human beings think too much of their nagging preoccupation. To die, and we will. So we fear the worst ways to die. Is 9/11 worse than the crucification?

Latin-cultures have live enactment of the Lord's crucification on easter. Proving what? That pain levels will enable one to know more? Maybe, but our minds will surely give a reason closest to our fears. So we could be still deceiving ourselves.

So I don't want to think about the crucification. I just fix my eyes on it. I see the cross as the pair of open arms ready to receive every hurting body and soul, and in him, we found it.... the beginning and the everlasting rest.

Jesus says, "It is finished".

Hin Wai
11:30 AM
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