THE DEATH OF CHRIST

The author of the book of Hebrews, writing about Jesus, narrated: “since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death”  (2:14,15). This text raises several questions, but I quote only two, per hour, namely: the need for God's entry into humanity, through the person of the Son; and the reason for Jesus' sacrifice on the cross to save human beings from death. 

These are complex and difficult issues to address in a few lines. But in brief words, it can be affirmed that the Son entered the world because humanity was held hostage by the same angelic, fallen being, who tried Adam: the Devil. The author of Hebrews says that he "has the power of death", but commentators of the New International Version Bible explain that "Satan holds the power of death only in order to induce people to sin and be subject to the punishment of sin that is death" (Ezekiel 18:4 ; Romans 6:23) [1]. 

In fact, Paul writing to the Romans said that death entered mankind through adamic sin and therefore all die (5:12). Thus, no human being can overcome the power of death, for all are born sinners (3:23). Thus, it was necessary a man, without sin, who would be subjected to temptation, like Adam, and overcome it. For this reason Scripture says that Jesus Christ was generated by the action of the Spirit of God, without sin, in the womb of a virgin (Luke 1:35). There was no male participation in the generation of Jesus. Then, in the right time, the Holy Spirit himself led him into the wilderness in order to be tempted by the Devil (Matthew 4.1-11). 

Note, then, that Jesus Christ is not a human being who has risen morally above humanity and became holy. According to the apostles, who walked with Him, Jesus is the Creator himself who became a creature to rescue the man from the power of evil. In his victory over sin, he became worthy representative of mankind before God the Father. That's why the author of Hebrews wrote: “for we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin (4:15). 

Therefore, just as Adam placed his will above the divine and renounced his life in God's presence, it was necessary a man who would renounce the life of this world that was set up in the original sin. Christ did so from the beginning to the end of his earthly existence. His renunciation of the world and the submission of his human will to the divine led him to a life of obedience to God incompatible with the corrupt scheme of this era, which resulted in his death. 

Christ died for not yielding to the seduction of the fallen world, but on the third day God raised him from the dead and sat him on his right, for it was not right for a saint to remain in hades (Ephesians 1:20). Jesus' death was received by the Father as an eternal sacrifice of love for humanity, for He, as a man, did what was impossible for the fallen human being: to fulfill the divine Law and to show unwavering love to God. For this reason, the holiness of Jesus is projected upon all mankind and thus man can also be justified before God. 

But this justification or salvation of eternal death is not universal and automatic. Man needs to turn to God, reconcile with Him, and live a life of worship to Him. The essence of the worship that God taught ancient Israel consists in sacrifice. Therefore, their worship consisted of the death of a lamb or other animals (Exodus 12; Leviticus 1). In Leviticus 17:11, it is written: “for the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life”. The Hebrew author said, “...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”           (9.22). It is in this sense that John said that “...the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). 

Of course, today, we don't have to sacrifice animals to worship God. This kind of worship ended with the death of Christ, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), a sacrifice that always remembered and revived in the Eucharist. However, worship of God always has a sense of sacrifice as the Apostle Paul explains: “therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and aprove what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12.1,2).  

Antônio Maia - M.Div.

Direitos autorais reservados

[1] Bíblia NVI Comentada. São Paulo: Editora Vida, p. 2096