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Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus told people that he was the Son of God. He showed it in his words and actions. He forgave his sins and healed his illnesses. He taught with authority and cast out demons. Still, many people didn’t believe it.
Ironically, one of the most profound declarations about who Jesus was did not come from Him. It came from Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, who presided over Jesus’ trial and handed him over to be crucified.
There comes a moment in John 19:5 when Pilate presents Jesus to the furious crowd with the words, “Behold the one!”
The story of the crucifixion confronts us with Christ’s humanity: his weakness, his suffering, his willingness to endure suffering for the sake of love. (Kevin Ferris/Fox News)
This statement may seem trivial, but it reflects a contradiction at the heart of Christianity: a contradiction that is both deeply human and transcendent.
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With these words, Pilate unconsciously points out the nature of Christ’s mission and the central mystery of the Christian faith. For in Jesus we see not just a man, but the incarnate Son of God, willing to suffer and die for the salvation of humanity.
For centuries, this moment has captivated the imagination of artists around the world, resulting in thousands of works that give us unique insight into the suffering of Jesus during his trial and crucifixion. Was born. Each work is a testament to the enduring power of art to capture the profound truths of the gospel story and challenges us to connect heart and spirit.
This is the inspiration behind the Museum of the Bible exhibit. ”Ecce Homo: Behold the man.The 21 exhibits, including a work by Salvador Dali, offer a variety of artists’ interpretations of the concept of suffering.
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Some are elegant and beautiful, while others are surreal and unforgettable. Each painting imagines a deeper spiritual reality behind what Christ experienced on Good Friday. Or, in the words of hymn writer Stuart Townsend, “Behold the man on the cross, bearing my sins on his shoulders.”
The story of the crucifixion confronts us with the humanity of Christ: his weakness, his suffering, his willingness to endure suffering for the sake of love. These are deep human experiences and emotions that we are all familiar with. That’s why Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be “a man who knows sorrow and knows sorrow.”
But Good Friday is not just about Jesus. We also have a role to play.
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Isaiah goes on to say: why Jesus suffered: “Surely he bore our sorrows and carried our sorrows.”
Just as the 21 artists in our exhibition paint to find their own reflection in Jesus, Isaiah leads us to see ourselves in the story. He is reminding us that Christ did not go to the cross for himself, but for us.
That is Paul’s message to believers in his letter to the Romans. “But God reveals his love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He knew that they could not come to Him. So when He became incarnate, He came to us even though He knew it would cost Him His life.
On Good Friday, we see the man and empathize with the humanity of Jesus.
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But if that were all there was to it, there would be no reason to call Good Friday a good day. If Jesus were just a human being, we would have no hope because he would be just one of the victims of death. But that’s not all. Three days later, Christ did something else for us. He has risen from the grave.
At Easter, we see the Risen One. We stand in awe of the divinity of Christ.
The divinity of Christ accomplished what human nature alone could not. It defied death. That is why Easter is a day of victory.
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The Resurrection proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was who He said He was: the Son of God. But it also did something else. It fulfilled God’s promise of salvation.
The contrast between Good Friday and Easter Sunday helps us understand the gravity and wonder of Christ’s Passion. Only when we walk with Christ through the depths of suffering and “see Him” can we truly understand the victory and glory of the resurrection.
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