Lent 5: The Cross of Christ

Christ has Died!

‘For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’

Romans 5:: 6-8

Our Pilgrimage of Hope in the footsteps of Jesus up to Jerusalem reaches its climax on a hill outside the city where Jesus is crucified between two criminals after been betrayed by one of his close disciples and abandoned by the rest, then reviled and mocked by the Jewish leaders and handed over to the Roman governor for a mock trial and scourging at the hands of the Roman soldiers.  The physical agony of death by crucifixion was compounded by the spiritual agony of bearing the sins of humanity upon himself as the Paschal Lamb of God who knew no sin but was made sin by God so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him – see 2 Corinthians 5:21.

This is why the Cross of Christ is the central focus of our faith as Christians and of the Great Thanksgiving at the start of the Eucharist as we remember with profound awe and gratitude the death of Christ for our salvation and the life of the world! It is also the central focus of the Hebrew Scriptures as the Law and the Prophets pointed towards the coming Messiah as both the Suffering Servant of Yahweh and the King of Glory – Son of Man and Son of God!

As those who look back to the suffering and death of Jesus on the Cross with thanksgiving, we must not forget the utter devastation and despair that his meant for his disciples as they witnessed his brutal and shameful death. After having abandoned their livelihoods and families and followed Jesus of Nazareth whom they believed to be the long-awaited Messiah for close to three years, their hopes and dreams of the inauguration of the Messianic age were shattered by the brutal execution of Jesus on a Cross.

In fact, the level of anguish and disillusionment is so deep that they struggle to believe the astounding news from the women that Jesus had risen from the dead after they visited the tomb where he was buried on the third day! Jesus must again chide them for their unbelief and explain the Hebrew Scriptures about himself to them which reveal why it was necessary for the Messiah to first suffer before entering his glory.

As we meditate on the suffering, death and glorious resurrection of Christ in this Easter season, let us be people who fully appropriate and appreciate God’s gift of salvation for us by faith and live for His praise and glory in a dark and despairing world.

Questions:

1. What does the death and resurrection for Jesus Christ mean for you this Easter season?
2. As you mediate on the Cross of Christ again, how can you nurture and develop the virtues of gratitude and humility in your life? How will you give expression to these two fundamental virtues in your life?

Prayer:

Almighty and Everlasting God, who in your tender love towards the human race sent your Son our saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross: grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility, and also be made partakers of his resurrection: through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen