The Death of Jesus Christ

Fr. Simon Hoa osb

The death is the reality in the world. Everybody has to die. Nobody lives for ever on this earth. In the death of human being there is the death of Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God. Jesus, in the human nature, passed the death as everybody.  

For someone the  death of Jesus is  an  unacceptable and menical thing. For the others that is an incomprehensible thing. But for those who believe in Christ that is the wisdom and power of God. That is why saint Paul in the first letter to Corinthians , said, " For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1Cr 1,22-24)

 The death of Jesus is always a query for the world, for the humanity, even for us who follow Jesus. Why did  the Son of God  die? Why did God let His Son die? The answer for this may be : that is for us that God did it. Because the love for us God did all. Saint Paul said, "He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?" (Rm 8,32) For us all God handed His Son over. Saint John said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life" (Jn 3,16)

God has His economy, His program that I cannot understand. His wisdom pass over our intelligence, our wisdom. Saint Paul said,"Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature, but not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away. Rather, we speak God's wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1Cr 2,6-8) We know only  one thing that God so loved us that he gave us his only Son, that handed his beloved Son, that let Him die. The death of Jesus is not normal but wondrous. It is the death of the Son of God. I can only understand it when we understand the love of God. We can only understand it when we have in us the love of God. The crucifix of Jesus Christ is only understood by love, not by intelligence. One cannot understand the mystery of crucifix because one doesn't have the love as God is.

Looking at the Cross what do we see? We see the enormity of people, but at the same time we see the wondrous love of God for the humanity, included each of us too. The Cross shows us the love, the mercy, the forgiveness of God for us. The Cross is the glory, the power, the consolation and the eternal life for us. We are proud of the Cross of Jesus Christ. We could say as saint Paul, "may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Gl 5,14) 

Many people want to take the Cross out of their life and out of the other people, but as saint Paul, we say, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (1Cr 2,2)

May God give us the strength to adhere to Cross even though we face opposition from the others. May God give us to feel the love of God through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Amen