Straight after Jesus had finished talking to God he was arrested by the Jewish authorities, in the middle of the night which was against the law in those days. It is believed that this is what Jesus had expected when at the last supper he said that one of them will betray him. This is an example of Jesus resisting temptation and excepting what was required of him even the he knew it meant suffering.
This is when Jesus is brought before Pilate in MK:53- 65, it is here that we become aware of the hatred the Jewish authorities have for Jesus and how badly they want to get rid of him, they are prepared to use any means possible to get what they want. Christians believe this because when he was tried in front of the Sanhedrin he was accused of Blasphemy, however because the Romans would have no interest in this he was then re-accused of claiming to be:
'King of the Jews'
This resulted in Jesus being sentenced to death by crucifixion. Christians believe that Jesus once again could of escaped this fate if he had tried to argue against the Jewish authorities, instead he once again resisted temptation and when he was asked if he was king of the Jews Jesus said 'yes, it is as you say' It is believed by Christians that if Jesus had said no Pilate would have had to let him go, but Jesus knew that this was not what God wanted so he denied self and opted for suffering and death.
MK 15:21- 40 is when the crucifixion of Jesus Christ takes place. For many Christians the crucifixion of Jesus portrays how much Jesus loved everyone that he was willing to die for them. This is why many modern day Christians wear a cross(crucifix) around their necks or have them hanging up around the house. This makes sure Jesus' love for his people is never forgotten and his sacrifice for them is always remembered and glorified. Also for many Christians the cross brings a sense of security. Jesus is alive in the symbol of the cross so he can always protect them against evil. Jesus was nailed to the cross to optimise his pain and suffering, that he could of so easily avoided.
Easter is arguably the most few days in a Christian’s year. This is because on Good Friday so many years ago Jesus resurrected from the dead. MK: 16 leads Christians to believe that Jesus resurrected and went to his disciples while they were in hiding telling them to preach his word every where; this is when they become apostles. Jesus' death and resurrection is a fundamental part of the Christian religion. Many Christians believe that Jesus resurrected because that was part of Gods plan, while many others believe that Jesus was able to rise again because he welcomed death so openly when he could of ran from it. This idea is mimicked in 'Harry Potter and the deathly hallows'.
The suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus is open regarded as the glue to the faith. Jesus' suffering, his death and the fact that he rose again stuck the religion together in the first place and is the reason so many Christians exist to this day, it is also the key factor that holds the religion together to this date.
Being a Christian I believe that Jesus dyeing for us shows great love. Love that can never be broken, because of this love Jesus had for his people it allows us to love in turn. Jesus' death also shows his greatness in manhood. Jesus could have turned and ran from his death at any time, like so many, including myself, would have done in his position, but because of Jesus' undying love for us he resisted all temptation in order to cleanse us of our sins. Jesus' death and resurrection started a belief in Christians that here is life after death. This is a main reason as to why Christians no longer fear death. Christians solely believe that as Jesus gave each one of us a part of him during Holy Communion we can in turn be like Jesus and live after we have died.
2)Jesus sacrificed his life so that our lives would be better. He did this through his love for us. This is used to make a difference in everyday modern life as although people don not make as big a sacrifice as the one that Jesus made they still make small sacrifices for the ones that they love. For example a mother sacrificing her free time to care for her child.
Jesus sacrificed himself for the people knew such as his friends and family, but he also died for the people he did not know. In today’s modern world there are millions of people currently dyeing of starvation. Christian organisations today are following in Jesus' footsteps by sacrificing their time, effort and money to help these people, that they do not even know.
Christians suffer everyday at work when they are working flat out in order to provide for their families. It is hard but they do it because as Jesus had to so do they. Christians know that in their hearts the suffering will be far greater if they do not do what they are doing. Modern day Christians are happy to suffer a little because, to some, it makes them feel closer to Jesus because they are suffering for others in the same way that Jesus suffered for others. Most Christians are happy to suffer a little because they know that their suffering is nothing compared to the way that Jesus suffered. This makes the world a better place because people are doing things to make other people happier which in turn makes themselves feel better, therefore the world is a happier place, in many different ways, because of what Jesus did for us.
Many People these days call themselves Christians because they go to church and pray. However these people are not true Christians. A true Christian helps others without wanted something in return. Jesus did not ask for anything in return when he died for his people so why should his people ask for something in return for a much smaller feat then his was. By doing this they are disrespecting Jesus and basically throwing Jesus' love and sacrifice back in his face. Another way that people do this is by taking their own lives or the lives of some one else. Jesus died to improve our lives, by ending a life they are making Jesus' efforts seem to be in vane. Jesus' death was in many ways a gift to us, his people. By people not appreciating life they are effectively rubbishing Jesus' gift to us and are not true Christians.
Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection on the cross has made a difference in everyone's lives, whether they be Christians or not, is that we appreciate life more. This is why Christians give thanks every day for the life that they have by praying and making the most of their opportunities.
Overall I believe that Jesus dyeing and rising again has made a huge difference to our modern day lives because if he had not died for us on the cross then we would all still be burdened by the sins of others before us rather then being enlightened by the gifts Jesus gave us with his death. Jesus death teaches us to be less selfish and teaches us to be happy to help people without seeking rewards for our selves. Jesus' resurrection teaches us that there is live after death. This teaches us not to be scared of death but to welcome it the second stage of our being.
3)During this modern day religion is an important factor to different people and the importance of religion is the same as ever. However people are no longer segregated or discriminated against because of their religion. So while religion still holds the same importance to individuals it is not as important in society. Therefore where people died for their religion in the past nowadays it would not of been seen in the same light.
Religion is a belief. Religion is a way of life, meaning people live in a certain way. Religion is not a way of death so I do not see how someone dying, taking away Gods gift to them, can be justified with dying for ones beliefs.
Many believe that by dying for ones beliefs makes them more like Jesus and I can see why they would think this as many believe that Jesus died because he believed it was the right thing to do. However I believe that Jesus died for that reason but because he trusted God. Jesus lived in different times with different circumstances to us and the world we live in today. In the past people died to protect their beliefs or most commonly people died because someone else tried to impose a different belief upon them. In England and most countries this does not happen because everyone has human rights.
However in some countries people are discriminated against because of their beliefs and people are forced to deny their beliefs or die, I would agree with dying for ones belief because no-one should have have some one else's will imposed upon them.
Others,such as Muslim extremists, think that blowing themselves and others up is a good way to die for their religion. I do not see any logic in this view because surely by terrorising others in the name of your religion just gives it a bad name and ultimately disrespects your God.
Personally I can see why one might die for ones' beliefs, but I don not agree with doing it personally as Jesus died so that we can have a good life. I do not see any logic at all in cutting short a life what ever the reason as by doing so we are basically doing ourselves and Jesus a disservice. We are not making the most of our opportunities and being extremely selfish as many people have put a lot of work into making sure we survive into adult hood.
Bibliography
The Gideons International – New Testament & Psalms
Spell/Grammar check used
Harrison James Litchfield
The suffering death and resurrection of Jesus
20/5/07
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