Alice Camille agrees, noting that when Jesus tells the others, "It is finished" (John 19:30), he is reinforcing the notion that the sacrifice has been made. Camille points out that this death is "no helpless surrender, but a deliberate action, freely chosen" (Camille). Because the words were spoken from the cross, they have the "power to create reality" (Camille). Up until this point in history, the word was the word and with this symbolic death, it becomes something tangible that people can associate with Jesus' mission. In addition, we know that the crucifixion needed to occur because it fulfills prophecy. The Bible says, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7) and "it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand" (Isaiah 53:10). According the Bible, Jesus had to die to bring God and man together. It is also worth considering that Jesus was crucified to reveal the very terrible debt he paid. He suffered not just a physical death; by presenting us with such a terrible image of his death, we can also see the spiritual death that occurred. We see the agony, the blood, the mockery, and the pain that Jesus experienced not simply for being Jesus but for taking on our sin. It was not quick and painless - just the opposite, in fact. Imagining the suffering forces us to realize the price that has been paid. The reason becomes more compelling when must realize the incredible agony...
This is the primary reason that the crucifixion had to occur; there needed to be a sacrifice and it needed to be pure. However, other reasons were at play. Politically, Jesus had to die because he was a troublemaker and the Jews hated him and his message. The Jews could not realize that they were fulfilling prophecy in their anger. Crucifixion was the accepted form of punishment for criminals and because the majority of the people wanted to see this happen. From a spiritual standpoint, Jesus had to die to complete his mission. He was a victim of circumstance in that he was on the earth living in a country that sported crucifixion as a penalty for crime. He certainly did not deserve it but the greater good was being served through death. Finally, crucifixion forces us to look at the various aspects of Jesus' death. It was not just a simple death; it was a long, drawn out, painful, bloody, draining, and humiliating death. When we look at it this way, we have a greater appreciation for what Jesus did for us.
Works Cited
Camille, Alice. "All That Begins at the Cross." U.S. Catholic. 1999. EBSCO Resource Database. Information Retrieved November 8, 2008. www.infotrac.galegroup.com
Collins, Adela. "Finding Meaning in the Death of Jesus." JSTOR Resource Database. Information Retrieved November 8, 2008. www.jstor.org
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1988.
Bryant, T.A. Today's Dictionary of the Bible. Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers.…
