He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. Mark 12:6-8 NRSV-CI
In trying to understand Jesus' crucifixion and death, I think these verses provide a better understanding on what's happening both historically and theologically.
Reasons for Killing Jesus
Just like Joseph was nearly killed by his brothers because they hated him for his claim of ruling over them, Jesus was killed because He proclaimed that God was now returning to rule over Israel through His Anointed King. And Jesus claimed through His actions and teachings that He was this Messiah. The existing Roman and Jewish authorities, politically and spiritually, did not like it at all (John 12:19) because it meant they had to relinquish their power on the people which gave them so much wealth, recognition and control. Some hated it just like Joseph's brothers did with his dreams of being their lord (Genesis 37:8).
The ruling powers in Jerusalem decided that Jesus must be killed in order for them to remain as lords of the people. Like the wicked tenants, they thought murdering the beloved son of the owner would allow them to rob his inheritance. The wicked tenants wanted to be owners themselves. They did not want the owner to rule over them for the vineyard. The same with the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. They did not want Jesus to be their king and rule over them. They did not want to believe that Jesus was God's Anointed because it meant they had to relinquish their way of controlling the people and gaining from it. (Matthew 23:5-7) They rejected God's Messiah and His kingdom. Like Israel rejected God as king in the days of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 8:7-8), so the Jewish spiritual authorities in Jesus' days did the same.
How God Intended It for Good
How did the murderous intentions of the ruling class in Jerusalem become God's salvation plan? Did not the parable of the wicked tenants end with the owner coming to destroy them? I think the story of Joseph rescuing his family in Egypt, and thus, in a vital way, rescuing the promise of God to Abraham, is helpful to answer these questions.
Yes, most of Joseph's brother did intend to kill him and if it was not for the timely intervention of Reuben (Genesis 37:21) and Judah (Genesis 37:26-27), he would have been. God's promise to Abraham would have been unfulfilled together with his dark and terrifying dream of God rescuing his descendants. (Genesis 15:13-14).
However, what was intended as a traitorous murder, Joseph, after he had recovered from the cruel bitter ordeal by testing his brothers multiple times when they came to Egypt, saw God's providence and salvation plan at work. And he accepted it willingly, rescuing his family instead of executing punishment on his brothers. (Genesis 45:1-8)
Jesus did the same. He knew his people would reject him and the ruling authorities of the Temple were planning to arrest him and have him executed. (Mark 10:32-34) But Jesus accepted it knowingly and willingly because He knew this was the Father's plan.
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
John 10:17-18 NRSV-CI
Nevertheless, knowing it ahead of time did not mean it was any easier for Jesus when the time came. (Luke 22:42-44) Sometimes, I wish teachers of the word would highlight this a bit more instead of trumping up the emotions of brothers and sisters, urging them to ignore their negative feelings and pressing them to make preposterous and non-biblical claims about the promises of God. By doing so, they might as well just throw out a large chunk of Psalms and the entire book of Lamentations. Aren't we supposed to weep with those who weep?
That's a bit of a side track. Back to the topic at hand. More than just being willing to give up His life, Jesus did so out of love (John 15:13-15) and with forgiveness (Luke 23:34) even for those who killed him if only they would turn around and come to their senses. Because of this great example of Christ' love and forgiveness, Stephen was able to do the same when he was stoned to death as a martyr for Christ.
Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.
Acts 7:60 NRSV-CI
And upon this revelation, Paul wrote one of my most beloved definition of God's love through Christ's sacrificial death in his letter to the church in Rome.
But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 NRSV-CI
While we were still his enemies, just like Joseph's brothers were to him, or as the wicked tenants to the owner, more than willing to kill Jesus because we reject His authority and do not want Him to govern our lives, Jesus willingly gave His life on the cross for us.
Because Jesus was willing to suffer the punishment due to us, the wicked tenants who killed the owner's beloved son in order to rob the vineyard and profit from it, and because He extended His forgiveness even after the suffering the worst possible fate, His death had become God's means of salvation for all.
What was intended as evil by forces of darkness through the collusion of human agents (John 13:2), God overcame evil itself (John 16:33, Hebrews 2:14-15) and turned it for good. That's Christ's death
Summary
In summary, Christ's death could be categorized into these major themes.
- Historically and politically, Jesus was the enemy of the spiritual authorities in Jerusalem and they wanted him dead to preserve their political power, from being taken away by the Romans, and to maintain spiritual control over the people for their own gains.
- Jesus allowed Himself to be taken and crucified on the cross, and when He extended His forgiveness to His enemies who did this heinous crime, sins were forgiven then just as it is now, for anyone who would pledge their faithful allegiance to God's newly Anointed King (Messiah/Christ). Not just the King of the Jews, but the true, unlike Caesar, Lord of the world.
- Jesus' death overcame the spiritual dark forces led by the Accuser, who controlled worldly affairs by exercising influence over human agents (Ephesians 2:2). By doing so, Jesus freed and rescued us from this power of darkness and made us citizens under His rule and protection. (Colossians 1:13)
- And by doing so, Christ's death also freed us from the power of sin through our union with Him in baptism. And by dying together with Christ in baptism, we are empowered by the new life of the Spirit to resist sin's enslavement and to live as God's rigtheous people on earth (Romans 6:1-14), establishing His kingdom in our lives here as in heaven.
Rejection Today
Many are still vehemently rejecting Jesus and His message of God's reign over us today, e.g. New Atheists etc. And sometimes they have strong and valid reasons for doing so because of what they see happening in the church, and what we did in the past. And true enough, Christians are not exempted from the justice of God, for when we continue to sin by disobeying His commandments to love God and one another, unrepentant and turn away His authority over the conduct of our lives, we are, according to the author of Hebrews, killing Jesus all over again. (Hebrews 6:6) Our fate will be the same as anyone who rejects Jesus until the end even though we may claim to be Christians. (Matthew 7:21-23)
Comments