The significance of the crucifixion to Anglicans today - Essay Example

? The significance of the crucifixion to Anglicans today Introduction The crucifixion refers to the events of the 1st century AD, when Jesus the son of God was arrested, tried and then sentenced to be terrorized and later crucified. The entirety of the events is collectively referred as the ‘passion’ and the suffering of Jesus, which played a redemptive role offering the fundamental doctrines of Christian theology (McGrath, 2011). The doctrines that are directly derived from the events covered in the crucifixion include the salvation of man and the atonement of sin. All the events of the crucifixion play a symbolic role in the life of an Anglican Church believer, and the crucifixion of Jesus holds a lot of meaning and significance for the Anglican believer of today (Williams, 2007). Areas of significance and the meaning of the crucifixion include that the death of Jesus, which paid the price required for redemption from sin. Secondly, the crucifixion unites Christians with the life of Jesus – who took the burden of setting men free – and offers them the commands and the ways to live in the world. Discussion The importance of the crucifixion to the modern Anglican believer is modelled through the context of the crucifixion of Jesus, though his subjection to a Roman capital punishment, which was ordinarily used to punish offenders that committed seditious or political crimes (Williams, 2007). The significance of the punishment was that the offender would be subjected to a cruel form of punishment – but more importantly – the punishment was a publicly displayed type, which sought to spite the offender before other people. From this context of the crucifixion as well as the other events that transpired during the crucifixion, the Anglicans of today view it as the ultimate sacrifice offered to save the human race. The significance of the events can be derived from the fact that God, the father allowed Jesus, the son to go through all the humiliating experiences, so that the prophesy about the redemption of man would be fulfilled. Through the events of the crucifixion, Anglican believers are expected and taught to understand that the experiences of Jesus were supposed to show the pain of sins – which all humans would need to go through – unless Jesus the son of God wiped them away through his death (Wright, 2007). Therefore, the crucifixion is not just a series of events to the Anglican believer of today; it is a symbolic representation of the cost of salvation, which was paid by God – using his son – so that all humans would live free and remain free and covered by God’s grace. The second significance of the crucifixion of Jesus today is that of making the insistence of God’s forgiveness to men. The sacrifice of Jesus was used to signify God’s actions, and not only the repayment of the punishment that men were supposed to bear, due to the sinfulness inherited from Adam’s fall. This is the case because from the early days that preceded the death of Jesus, no one would take the sins of others; therefore, Jesus would literally not take the punishment and the guilt of sinners. The bible says that “the soul who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:1). However, the true meaning of the crucifixion to the modern-day Christian is to show that God can forgive the sins of humanity and fail to impose the penalty of death. This area of significance is very important to the Christian, mainly because it serves as a reassurance that irrespective of their many sins, they will always have a place in the house of God, where they can commune with him as their father (McGrath, 2011). The crucifixion demonstrates the extent of God’s mercy, which was not limited to the Jews, the people that were living during the crucifixion, but also all those that accept Jesus and return to him for forgiveness (Williams, 2007). The wholesome meaning of this significance of the crucifixion is that God is a loving father to all his children, who will welcome the penitent – irrespective of the sins committed – and who can sacrifice his treasured son to symbolize his love for humanity. Through the crucifixion, the Anglican believers of today learn a lot about the life they should live with others and the roles they need to play in relationships. In the case of Jesus, it was inherently clear that the disciples of Jesus were equally at the risk of the arrest and the punishment that Jesus faced. However, Jesus turned the threat to himself alone, which demonstrated a sense of sacrificing himself, signifying the service outlook that a Christian should project (Wright, 2007). Literally, he assumed the responsibility for his actions as well as those of his disciples, and despite the sacrifice, some were fearful to encounter him after his resurrection; some of his encounters hid themselves behind closed doors. The nature projected by Jesus is significant to the life of the modern-day Christian, mainly because it offers them an example of the role they should take within the society. The significance of the role played by Jesus during the crucifixion is that the Christian – like Jesus – may face rejection, persecution and separation from the world, but all in all, they should remain the model for others. Through the figure adopted by Jesus, the life of the modern-day Christian, whose life is not similar to that of the worldly people is mirrored through the role of Jesus (Williams, 2007). Therefore, through the meaning derived from the crucifixion, the life of the Christian and their role in the society and among the people they serve is modelled – to offer them the resilience to remain the light in the middle of darkness and difficulty. Through the crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus modelled the nature of God. Through the experiences subjected to Jesus, it was made evident that the true nature of the Christian should offer them the strength to go through suffering, yet keep their faith in God (McGrath, 2011). During the crucifixion of Jesus, he arrived at a point when he almost gave up – despite the fact that he was Godly in nature – which made him appeal to God to take away his suffering from him. From the experience of Jesus, the modern Christian is offered the spiritual strength he will need to overcome the trials and the difficulties they will need to surmount, due to their differences and their position in the society. The difficulties to be faced by Christians include the spiritual struggle to overcome the temptation of committing sin, acting and behaving like the other people in the society and standing against the injustices and the evil of the world (Williams, 2007). For example, from the life of Jesus, his role as a prophet going against the interests of the political stronghold made him the subject of political rivalry (Wright, 2007). Therefore, modern Christians receive the framework of the nature they should adopt from the resilience of Jesus all through the events of the crucifixion. Conclusion The crucifixion refers to the events when Jesus was arrested, tried and sentenced to be crucified after being subjected to inhumane acts. Through the suffering that Jesus went through, man was saved and their inherited sin was cleansed, which allowed humans the freedom to follow the ways of God or evil. As a modern Anglican believer, the crucifixion has a wide array of meanings and significance. The first is that the suffering that men were supposed to suffer was taken by Jesus – who afforded men the right to decide their destiny by following the decrees of God; men were previously damned to death, as a punishment for their inherited sins. Through the crucifixion, the forgiving nature of God is modeled, which helps Christians understand God’s nature that he is a forgiving father who accommodates penitent sinners. The crucifixion holds the significance of living in the society is modeled, where the role and the outlook of Christians is modeled through the life and the experiences of Jesus while living with his disciples and others during his time. Lastly, through the life of Jesus and the events of the crucifixion, the humility of God is projected, which forms the basis of the modern Christian’s outlook. Reference List McGrath, A., 2011. Christian Theology an Introduction. Fifth edition: Oxford: Blackwells. Williams, R., 2007. Tokens of Trust. Norwich: Canterbury Press Wright, T., 2007. Surprised by Hope. London: SPCK. Read More