Post by Admin on Jan 12, 2017 7:30:59 GMT
Tonight we embarked on this new Bible discussion series, The Cross, which will take us through Easter 2017.
The first session asks us to consider why a cross – the instrument of Jesus’ death – is the chosen symbol of Christianity, rather than a dove or a tongue of flame or a fish or an empty tomb or some other more positive pictograph.
After reading Isaiah 53, we concluded that the person it describes is someone put down, wounded, unjustly punished, and not the Jesus we visualize with his kindness, clarity, wisdom, and truth. Our discussion diverged to considering that Jesus was one of many thousands to die under the Romans by crucifixion, some for lawbreaking, and others perhaps unjustly. Looking at Isaiah’s prophecy allows us to set apart the death of Jesus from these others, not merely because he was sinless and didn’t deserve a death sentence, instead because his crucifixion was in fact a fair and just punishment for human sinfulness.
The enormity of sin for which Jesus took on the punishment can only be appreciated by considering the terribleness of the crucifixion. Isaiah 53 asks us to personalize the sins (“pain, transgressions, iniquities”) and then to personalize the decision by God to send His son to take the punishment for our sins. And that lead to discussing our current sinfulness, both things we do and things we fail to do.
The first session asks us to consider why a cross – the instrument of Jesus’ death – is the chosen symbol of Christianity, rather than a dove or a tongue of flame or a fish or an empty tomb or some other more positive pictograph.
After reading Isaiah 53, we concluded that the person it describes is someone put down, wounded, unjustly punished, and not the Jesus we visualize with his kindness, clarity, wisdom, and truth. Our discussion diverged to considering that Jesus was one of many thousands to die under the Romans by crucifixion, some for lawbreaking, and others perhaps unjustly. Looking at Isaiah’s prophecy allows us to set apart the death of Jesus from these others, not merely because he was sinless and didn’t deserve a death sentence, instead because his crucifixion was in fact a fair and just punishment for human sinfulness.
The enormity of sin for which Jesus took on the punishment can only be appreciated by considering the terribleness of the crucifixion. Isaiah 53 asks us to personalize the sins (“pain, transgressions, iniquities”) and then to personalize the decision by God to send His son to take the punishment for our sins. And that lead to discussing our current sinfulness, both things we do and things we fail to do.