Why We Celebrate Jesus' Death
Think about this for a moment.
Suppose a group of admirers of Abraham Lincoln got together and decided that
they were going to celebrate him. They would remember his work, his wit, the
Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, how he fought to keep the
nation intact. Perhaps they would also remember his death at the assassin's
hand, but that would be an acknowledged tragedy but not a part of any
celebration., but it might be pondered what more he could have accomplished had
he lived.
Similarly, if John Kennedy's admirer's got together to do the same thing, they
might remember his charisma, his work in civil rights, his confrontation of the
USSR with regard to the Cuban Missle crises. But again, his death would be a
tragedy and, again, they might wonder what more he could have accomplished had
he lived.
How unusual - what we remember about Jesus as His admirers and disciples. His
death. We do not ponder for a moment how much better it might have been had He
not been crucified. This is because His death was not a waste at all. In fact,
it is the primary reason we gather on the Lord's day - to remember His death and
its significance. His death was not the end of hope, but rather paved the way to
redemption and hope and eternal life. This, we do celebrate as we commune with
him and appreciate His love for us and contemplate His victory over the grave.
There are probably several reasons why disciples, even those who were with Him,
treat His death so differently than we do the deaths of others. I believe the
chief reason is because Jesus lives again, thus giving us an eternal hope.
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the
Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which
is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the
new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of
Me."
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's
death until He comes.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
By Jon W. Quinn
The Final Page
From Expository Files 16.11; November 2009
