Review article
The Cross of Jesus in the New Testament as symbol of accepting his violent death
Mato Zovkić
; University of Sarajevo - Catholic Theological Faculty in Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Abstract
This is an exegetical and theological essay on the cross of Jesus in New Testament writings considered as acceptance of his violent death and integral part of his mission. Jewish religious leaders have handed over Jesus to Roman occupying power for death sentence because they thought he was a dangerous false teacher of faith and self-styled prophet seducing their people. This author sees the hymn of Phil 2:6-11 as oldest written testimony explaining the shocking death of Jesus on the cross. This hymn St. Paul took over from Jerusalem community of first Christians using Greek in their liturgy, only three years after his encounter with the risen Christ on his journey to Damascus in about AD 36. The author of the Third Gospel in presenting the death of Jesus appreciated the Greek culture of his historical audience and therefore he pointed out that Jesus on his cross was not primarily the Suffering Servant of God according to Is 53 (vicarious death, as in Paul) but the contested Righteous Man (dikaios) open for God and his fellow humans while suffering a violent death on the cross. This illustrates St. Luke through three sayings of Jesus from the cross which are Lucan Sondergut. In John’s Gospel Jesus’s death on the cross is a physical and spiritual elevation of the Son of God (hysphotēnai dei - John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32). In John, by saying “tetelestai – it is finished” (John 19:30) Jesus accepted his violent death and died aware that he has fulfilled his life’s mission. According to John 19:37 and Revelation 1:7 Christians are baptized men and women who look with repentance, faith and hope into the Pierced one.
Keywords
Jewish religious leaders; self-styled prophet seducing the people; hymn in Phil 2:6-11; three sayings of Jesus from the cross in Luke; elevation of Jesus on the cross in John.
Hrčak ID:
260837
URI
Publication date:
3.7.2016.
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