Let me encourage all, before listening to the post content, to consider the nature of the record read. It is not some unattached account of a really nice story in which we all hope in. No, the record only has impact because it really happened. I am really amazed at how quickly the terrible nature of Christ's death is lost, yes, even in the visualization of the several good Passion Week dramas. How quickly this time of the year, in fact, much of our Christian lives can be based totally on principles we gather from Scripture (not that I do not think principles are not there for such reasons) yet, how many people, those named "believers" forget it was a real, historical, event? This is what we are to believe in, not some concept, naked and standing in the cold of nominalism, alone. Not a principle "greater than ourselves," yet dimmer than anything of substance. Disney did not write the script for this story, it really did happened and that is the only reason it matters. Yes, I said, only. This is the very argument Paul makes (dare I point out-under the direction of the Holy Spirit?) in 1 Corinthians 15? "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain... If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied."Scripture leaves no room for anything less than a full and true dependence of all Christians on the true life, death and resurrection of Christ...or, we are of all people most to be pitied. Our faith is an historical faith, not an "emerging" one, a submerging one, or a flighty flirty one. It is based in the single and powerful work of a real man, the Real God, extended and revealed in history, sovereign over all things before there was time, in all of time, now and forever; this is our great hope! Our hope is in historical truths like: the cross had splinters (hat tip: F. Schaeffer, link: L'Abri) Christ's blood was slick and sticky as it clung to the grooves of that wooden curse, Romans cackled and joked at his feet, Mary cried, and disciples fled. The sky turned black, fear overwhelmed criminals nearby, saving one and a Roman who felt the earth shake and saw little pebbles tremble like his heart on the pounded dirt at his feet...and he knew this was the Christ. Had we lived more than 2000 years ago, a short span from now, we would have been able to see the same events not hope for them to happen.
If Christ had died today, it would have been the most horrific death one could conceive of in our justice system, it would have been unfair and brutal, perhaps even outside our justice system. He would have been pronounced dead and accompanied with many signs, excluding the silly debates over his power, and terror would have fallen on those who the Lord had chosen, fear on those who had hoped and a few days later would be reminded of it's promise. And without any doubt, if it be any comparison a real room with the body of Christ, perhaps a morgue, a shiny table sliding out from a wall would have been empty three days later, with angles standing at it's handle telling of the absence of the risen Lord. No, this wouldn't be some fake CSI stunt, it would be real. Definitely as real as you can consider of a death of your own loved one, perhaps of those you have seen lying in a coffin at a funeral. Not like those Hollywood manufactured deaths- rather real, real enough to make you sick, your stomach churn and your knees weeken. My analogy has holes, to be sure! But, that is because it is only an analogy--yet, my point should be clear...it was all real, just like today, yesterday or tomorrow As real as we know these to be and expect, history did happen and Christ was at its center and he did bear a thorny crown, fall under the weight of the cross, and not just for us to be able to read a good story that should "impact our lives." Christ died to obey God the Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth. He died that all we, whom he loves, would not have to face the consequences of offending God's right and good justice and he really did die.
Hear the audio of John's account of this dark day, yet great day, here:
http://www.esvmedia.org/podcasts/good.friday.mp3
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