Holy Week --> Easter: 1

Rebellion

One of the things we take for granted in church is that everyone gets Easter. That we understand what's going on. What an arrogant approach! So here's my Cliffs Notes version:

Jesus’ Action	When	What it means	How we celebrate it
Jesus comes to Jerusalem	On a Sunday morning	Jesus was arriving at the central city of Jewish faith	Palm Sunday
Jesus teaches at the Temple	Monday through Wednesday	He sought to 1) teach his followers, 2) teach other people, and 3) expose the hypocricy of the Temple authorities.	We don’t*
Jesus shares the Passover meal	Thursday evening	Jesus and his disciples, as good Jews, were celebrating this ancient tradition	Seder Supper on Maundy Thursday
Jesus is arrested, tried by Roman officials, and executed	On a Friday morning. He is crucified at noon and dies at 3 pm.	Jesus is given the “death penalty” by Rome and dies very quickly	Good Friday**
Jesus is raised	Saturday night or Sunday morning	Jesus is not dead	The Great Vigil and Easter
Jesus appears to the disciples	Sunday evening	Jesus commissions the disciples and explains what’s going on.	The Easter Season

*We don't actually celebrate Jesus' actions during the first part of the week. Many of these teachings end up getting scattered throughout the year, so we learn about them in the summer and fall.
**We celebrate Jesus' death (often called his 'Passion') on Good Friday, at a noon service. We also celebrate it in a combined service on the previous Sunday. This is why it is often called 'Palm and Passion Sunday'.

To understand 'the Resurrection' (that Jesus was raised from the dead), we must first think about his death. Today, and throughout the next several posts, we'll explore Jesus' death.

This first one is about rebellion.

If we take a look at the story of Jesus' last days, we see an interesting story. One of his disciples, Judas, is recruited to turn on Jesus by the Temple authorities. They conspire to set a trap for him, arrest him at night (in the dark), and hand him over to the Roman authorities.

Think about that plan for a second. Rome isn't arresting Jesus, the Temple authorities are. But they aren't going to prosecute him under their rules, but try to get Rome to do the dirty work. Second, they are doing it under the cover of darkness so that the people can't see what is really going on. Third, Jesus is never really arrested under this plan--not in the legal sense, anyway.

So they go through with the plan and Jesus is taken into custody.

Jesus is brought before Pilate, the Roman representative, for trial. He asks Jesus to incriminate himself. Jesus doesn't. He invites him to prove his innocence. Jesus doesn't. Pilate cannot find him guilty. And yet, under pressure, he pronounces him guilty.

Whether this is really how it happened or not is actually irrelevant. Jesus was not only called guilty, but was given a punishment. The punishment, however, proves something different. Jesus' form of execution, crucifixion, is reserved for revolutionaries--those attempting to spark a revolution or work against the state. Jesus' punishment is not only severe considering Pilate's perception of events, but in any sense. It is the maximum punishment in the Roman Empire.

So what does this tell us about how Jesus is supposed to be perceived?

As Christians, this is a seriously important message: the way Jesus died tells us what kind of person he is. Because Jesus was given the method of crucifixion, he is a revolutionary. The early Christians understood that aspect of his death--partly because they had always seen him as one.

As I see it, we are supposed to see Jesus as a revolutionary. That what he had to say not only challenged the existing order, but that he is about challenging the existing order. Jesus isn't some guy that is looking to be worshiped, but one looking to get his followers to understand what it means to love God and do what's right.

This may seem even more revolutionary to today's church than it does our society at-large. That's pretty sad, but true. The Jesus that died as a revolutionary on a cross, is the one that wants our world to be a better place--one that didn't just tell people about God, but about what God wants for the world--and showed them what that would look like.

How does the image of Jesus as a revolutionary affect the way you see him? What do you think this means for the church?