The Death of Jesus, Essay Example

The death of Jesus: John 19 verse 17 to 30. New international version

In this paper, the discussion focuses on the death of Jesus, including the reasons for the death and how it occurred. Every Christian, whether saved or not knows or has at least heard about Jesus. Even those who do not believe in the bible or know completely nothing about it know or at least have an idea who he is and what good he did and has done until now[i] . This topic is generally about Jesus, and how he saved the world. It is a subject that has Jesus as its topic and will talk about how he was able to sacrifice his life for the common ungrateful human being. The topic portrays how the human being can be so ungrateful and ignorant even when dealing with his “might be” savior. It is just the same case as when a person who is undergoing problems turns away another kind person who may have noticed his needy situation yet he (the needy) becomes ruder than expected, only because according to his view, he does not think or cannot even imagine himself ever needed the help of the other person[ii]. The subject will go on to show us how the proud and hateful person may end up needing a shoulder to lean on from the person he despises so much.

The passage from the Holy bible generally talks about the cruel death of Jesus, where he died in such a shameful manner in order to prove his love for human beings and to save them for their sins. The scripture that talks about the death of Jesus, talks about it in a historical manner where it is all about the fulfillment of the scriptures and the promises of Jesus to God his father. In these scriptures, there were several things that Jesus was to go through and overcome, except for his death, which necessarily had to happen to prove the greatest love of God for his people[iii]. When Jesus was born, he was born to fulfill several missions on earth with the very last one being his death on the cross. These entire things which happened during that time were meant to fulfill the promises in the scripture. Jesus had already done so many things before the time of his death before he went back to heaven. His death on the cross was his last fulfillment according to this particular passage.

This passage is practically an ancient story about Jesus Christ out savior. The topic is clearly about why we call him our savior as it discusses about events that happened just about the time his time to save the world was due. In the story about the death of Jesus, it is said how after Jesus had been born more than thirty years earlier, his time to save the world and prove to it that he was who they did not believe he was had come. The crucifixion and death of Jesus, was not known by many, neither was it believed by many people[iv]. To many people it was like a story of an unproductive person trying to boast around and put himself in the place of the King. Many people, including those from his town and village saw him as a crazy guy who only wanted to tease the King, when he said is was the King and the son of God.

Biblically, Jesus was sent by God, the father, to come and save the world, but according to many people, they do not believe what the scripture says. This is because they do not understand anything better than how the scripture just reads. A huge percentage of the bible is well known to normally explain things in parables or indirectly. Many people may read it and just understand it to mean something that it does not[v].

Presently, Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus in a different way. Nothing much is remembered or taken seriously from the history of his death. The scriptures about his death are read in churches with a very small percentage of people understanding its meaning. The main thing that the majority of the people knows and understands in the current generation about his death is that over the Easter holiday, is that Jesus died on Good Friday and resurrected on Sunday, which is celebrated on Easter Monday[vi]. Nothing more than that is explained in the bible and what people know is that they have to celebrate the day Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead. For most people, the Easter is a holiday for making fun with friends and catching up with family members. Although they confess that it is the time Jesus died and resurrected, reflecting this in their lives does not occupy much of their time[vii].

Although the Bible scriptures may differ, the story in John 19 verse 17 to 30 is just the same story in all the bibles. The terms used and the type of language or English used to describe and explain it may differ according to the biblical translations. Otherwise, the message is more or less the same, with the same story about the death and rising of Jesus[viii]. In the King James Version, it is written in John chapter 19 verses 17 and 18 that Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha and he was crucified there and then together with two other men[ix]. Chapter 19 says that the Pilate wrote a notice and fastened it to the Cross of Jesus and in it were the writings that stated that “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”[x] and it also says in chapter 20 and 21 that the Jews rejected Jesus and gave him up for crucifixion, while the Jew’s leaders accused the Pilate of calling Jesus the King of the Jews[xi].

Verse 28 of John chapter 19 talks about the last part of the fulfillment of the scripture where Jesus asked for a drink when he wanted to ensure that God his father had asked of him and instructed him to do was done. Right after taking the drink, the scripture explains further that Jesus said “it is finished” he bowed his head and became lifeless[xii]. In the King James Version, John Chapter 19 verse 34 states that Jesus asked his father (God) to forgive his crucifiers as they did not know what they were doing[xiii]. Verse 33 of the same Chapter is talking about the location where Jesus was crucified. The two translations as it is seen have two different names for the place where Jesus was crucified[xiv]. In King James Version, the name of the place where Jesus was crucified was called Calvary while in the New International version the name of the place is Golgotha. The names are definitely changing, according to the time of the publishing[xv].

This topic is simply explaining the death of Christ and the meaning of the events, which took place before he died. It can be simply understood that Jesus was crucified years back; he died and came back to life and so on. In the contrary, people should be able to understand this topic widely and deeply because it has a much more serious and important meaning. Everybody should understand that the death of Jesus was not something done for fun. He was in Human form during the time and he felt all the pain that a human being can experience only because he wanted to prove his and his fathers love for humans. Pouring his blood symbolized in the cross was a sign of cleansing human sins and having his body tortured and killed and buried meant that he had taken all the suffering and human beings were free and the only responsibility left for them to accomplish is to follow him. From my view and understanding, we as human beings may not have easily understood why Jesus died, unless through a demonstration and some kind of proof. That is why Jesus had to die and rise from the death for humans to believe. Of course not all humans were or have been able to understand, but his death meant that from then on, human being will always be given another chance to do the right thing and change their sinful lives and live holy and God-guided lives.

Personally, the topic is not new to me at all according to my understanding, the topic has been explained widely and if it is to be understood, then I think we all as families and communities need to understand that the mission of Jesus coming to the world and going through all that he had to undergo, gave everybody another chance, which should not be taken for granted by anyone as it is a chance to give oneself an everlasting life[xvi].

Works Cited

Collins F. Raymond. These Things Have Been Written: Studies on the Fourth Gospel. New York, NY: Peters Publishers, 1990. Print.

Liguori M Alfonso. The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ. New York, NY: General Books LLC, 2010. Print.

McKnight Scott. Jesus and His Death: Historiography, the Historical Jesus, and Atonement Theory. New York, NY: Baylor University Press, 2005. Print.

New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1985

New Revised Standard Version Bible. New York: Oxford Universty Press, 1989

Palmer F. Earl. The Book That John Wrote. New York, NY: Regent College Publishing, 1999. Print.

The Catholic Study Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990

The Holy Bible: King James Version. World Bible Publishing, 1989

The New International Version Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995

Wagner Gunter. An Exegetical Bibliography of the New Testament: John and 1, 2, 3. University Press. New York, NY: John Mercer, 1987. Print.

Endnotes

[i] Wagner Gunter. An Exegetical Bibliography of the New Testament: John and 1, 2, 3. University Press. New York, NY: John Mercer, 1987. Print.

[ii] Wagner Gunter. An Exegetical Bibliography of the New Testament: John and 1, 2, 3. University Press. New York, NY: John Mercer, 1987. Print.

[iii] McKnight Scott. Jesus and His Death: Historiography, the Historical Jesus, and Atonement Theory. New York, NY: Baylor University Press, 2005. Print.

[iv] McKnight Scott. Jesus and His Death: Historiography, the Historical Jesus, and Atonement Theory. New York, NY: Baylor University Press, 2005. Print.

[v] McKnight Scott. Jesus and His Death: Historiography, the Historical Jesus, and Atonement Theory. New York, NY: Baylor University Press, 2005. Print.

[vi] McKnight Scott. Jesus and His Death: Historiography, the Historical Jesus, and Atonement Theory. New York, NY: Baylor University Press, 2005. Print.

[vii] McKnight Scott. Jesus and His Death: Historiography, the Historical Jesus, and Atonement Theory. New York, NY: Baylor University Press, 2005. Print.

[viii] Collins F. Raymond. These Things Have Been Written: Studies on the Fourth Gospel. New York, NY: Peters Publishers, 1990. Print.

[ix] The Catholic Study Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990

[x] New Revised Standard Version Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989

[xi] The New International Version Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995

[xii] Liguori M Alfonso. The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ. New York, NY: General Books LLC, 2010. Print.

[xiii] The Holy Bible: King James Version. World Bible Publishing, 1989

[xiv] The New International Version Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995

[xv] The Holy Bible: King James Version. World Bible Publishing, 1989

[xvi] McKnight Scott. Jesus and His Death: Historiography, the Historical Jesus, and Atonement Theory. New York, NY: Baylor University Press, 2005. Print.