There are lessons in the death of Jesus

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Every Christian learns it from the time they are little - Jesus died for my sins. But what does that mean? How does that even work? And why did it happen?

This is Holy Week, the most solemn days for Christians in the Church year. This past Sunday the Church remembered Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, where he was greeted with palm branches and shouts of "Hosanna." On Thursday, we remember Jesus eating his last supper with his disciples, and sharing the bread and wine with them for the last time. And on Friday, the Church remembers Jesus' cruel execution, when the Roman Empire murdered him by nailing him to a cross. And then Sunday, the Church rejoices in God's love that brought Jesus back from death.

Why does something that happened nearly 2,000 years ago matter to us today? So Romans crucified another Jew? They did that all the time. Why was this one different? Even the Gospel writers knew that the story of Jesus being raised from death would not be believed.

We read in Matthew 27:62-66:

"The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can." So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone."

Obviously there were people, even at the time, who thought this was an "idle tale," a deception, a hoax. Death is always the end, right? We all know that.

And yet ... God's love changed that usual ending. God's love made the death of a Jewish rabbi 2,000 years ago a sign of God's "Yes." Yes, Jesus' life was lived in such a way that God's way of peace and joy and love and life was vindicated. God saw Jesus' cruel death, and said it wasn't the end. God took Jesus' death, and made it a beacon for all to see: This one lived my love. You can, too.

Jesus died because of human sin, because humans seek power rather than service, because humans desire wealth rather than peace, because humans value being "right" over loving neighbor. Jesus showed us another way, dying in order to become the signpost of God's love. The cross points the way - Here is how humans can live lives full of God's love - by choosing service, and peace, and love.

And most of the time, we blow it. We chose power and wealth and selfishness. That's how it works. That's how Jesus dies, over and over and over again because of our sins. For our sins. For us.

Come this week and join the Church as it remembers and celebrates and commits itself to walking in the Way of Jesus.

Rev. Judith Anderson-Bauer is the interim pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Cloquet.