The meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus in the Gospel of John
Introduction
The death and resurrection of Jesus form a core element in Christianity.
In a way, it shows God’s redemption through His son, Jesus Christ. Thus, human
beings were not to die in sin but attain God’s salvation. The Gospel of John
Chapter 18-20 describes the arguments that Jesus had with authorities, leading
to trials and eventual crucifixion. It also describes His resurrection and
ascension to heaven as outlined by the Old Testament prophets. The focus of
this paper will be about understanding the meaning of the death resurrection of
Jesus Christ. References will also be made alongside other New Testament
Gospels. The first aspect will outline betrayals, trials, and death of Jesus.
Later, the attention will shift to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and
their significance.
Discussion
Brief description of John 18-21
The Chapters of John, 18-21, begin by describing Judas’ betrayal on the
messiah, leading to His arrest. Moreover, the betrayal gets evident in the
actions displayed by Peter upon denying his association with Christ (Chapter
18: 15-27). The next description focuses on the trials of Jesus before the
Jewish council and authorization by Pilate for the execution of Jesus (Chapter
18:28, 19:1-16). Later, Jesus is led to his crucifixion at Calvary, his death,
and burial of the body by Joseph of Arimathea in the garden tomb (Chapter
19:28-42). Chapter 20 describes the resurrection of Jesus and His appearance to
the disciples, through Mary Magdalene. In Chapter 21, Jesus sends out his
disciples to win more souls into the Kingdom of God. After that, He ascends
into heaven, as Christians wait for His second coming to enact God’s judgment
to the world (Deffinbaugh, 2014).
Meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
In identifying the purpose, there arises the need to understand the
actions that led to the first event. One observation gets made on the betrayals
of Jesus by His closest disciples, Peter and Judas Iscariot. In the previous
gospels, Mark identified the lack of understanding amongst the disciples of
Jesus. The followers did not know or understand the nature of their master, Jesus
Chris, and His teachings. Thus, the illustrations are made in Mark 4:40-41,
9:32, 4:11-13, and Chapter 27-33). The actions of Peter and Judas in denying
Jesus outlined the dangers of being identified as His disciples.
The consequences of the pressure also become evident in John Chapter
20:19-31, when the disciples got secluded in a room after the crucifixion
(Harvest Ministries, 2014). Added evidence is outlined in the motives of Joseph
of Arimathea in Chapter 19:38. The scripture defines Joseph as a secret
follower of Christ who never wanted identification following the fear of Jewish
leaders. Therefore, the aspect illustrated the fear that disciples had
concerning their association with Christ. Some thought they would become
crucified with Him, while most feared the Jewish authority. Similarly, in
modern-day Christianity, most Christians fear to confess their religion to the
non-believers. One reason is the fear of the perception that other people may
have towards their faith, or even kill them because of their stand in
Christianity.
The trials of Jesus faced both social and political considerations from
the Jewish religion. Ideally, in Matthew Chapter 23:37 and 24:2, Jesus had
talked about the destruction of the Jewish temple. Such followed the activities
in the temple that included the exchange of money, collection of taxes, and
provision of sacrifices. Therefore, Jesus became associated with a political
ambition of starting a Messianic Kingdom (Orton, 2016). During the trials,
Pilate found no reason to convict Jesus of the stated offenses. However, he had
to give in to the demands of the Jews, a sign of obedience to Caesar (John
19:12).
During the Passover, Jesus received a glorious entry into Jerusalem.
Such forms of welcome became administered to the Jewish leaders, and it poses a
political threat to the Roman regime. Thus, the trials after the Passover were
conducted at night to avoid bringing peoples’ attention towards the ongoing
events. A failure to enact the night practices and early morning crucifixion
would lead to conflict amongst the people and rulers (Harvest Ministries,
2014). The political aspect also gets covered by the writings on the cross.
Hence, Jesus got outlined as the Jewish King (John 19:19). The mode of death
that became administered to Jesus was similar to that issued to political
troublemakers; hence, his death symbolized the political context.
The resurrection of Jesus became evident through the presence of the
empty tomb by Mary Magdalene, three days after His burial. According to the
generation of Paul, the resurrection of Jesus became seen as foolishness,
outlined in 1st Corinthians 1:23. However, the transformation was proof of
God’s power over death, depicted in Ephesians 1:20 (Halloran, 2019). In Romans
1:4, Paul declares that Jesus became the son of God through the resurrection,
and He is Christ, the Lord. The death of Jesus invalidated all that He has said
about Himself. As a result, he appeared a blasphemer, liar, and having
personalized claims of association with God. Such are the thoughts that
prevented Thomas from believing the thoughts on His resurrection (John 20:25).
According to Orton (2016), the resurrection validated all the claims,
thus fostering the beliefs of the disciples towards Jesus. Moreover, the signs
He performed after resurrection get outlined with His position as the Son of
God (John 20:30-31). The context also provides the belief of attaining eternal
life, in the name of Jesus as outlined in verse 31. One may also view the
resurrection of Jesus as a high commission to the disciples alongside winning
souls into God’s Kingdom. The view gets evident through the conversation
between Jesus and Peter in Chapter 21:15-18 (Orton, 2016). Thus, the disciples,
through Peter’s guidance, would glorify Jesus; by continuing to enact his
ministry on earth.
The disciples also found the base of formulating their testimonies
regarding the acts of Jesus, throughout His ministry, and use them to impact
others. Thus, the Lordship of Christ became exalted through His death and
resurrection, an aspect that is of value in Christianity. The transformation
also depicts a fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures as outlined in
Psalms 16 and Isaiah 53 (Halloran, 2019). Moreover, it also indicates the power
that Jesus contained over death, and the unity between Christ and believers,
outlined in 2nd Corinthians 4:14. The truth about the gospel also becomes
validated, thereby raising hope on forgiven sins ad made right in the sight of
God.
Conclusion
The more significant section of Christianity and its principles focus on
the death and resurrection of Jesus. In as much as the miracles are displayed
at the beginning of the gospels, the latter section of John’s gospel
significantly impacts Christianity. In one way, it outlines the identification
of Christ with His followers. Moreover, it depicts the association of Christ’s
ministry to the political stature of the Roman Empire. However, the essential
factor lies in the enlightenment of Christ as the true son of God. The death
and resurrection of Christ also provided a medium for the reception of eternal
life as outlined by Jesus. Moreover, it also formulated the foundation for the
grand commissioning of spreading the gospel by the followers. Such occurred
through the testimonies of the followers throughout the ministry of Jesus.
References
Deffinbaugh, B. (2014, August 20). 45. The Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 19:38-20:9). Bible.org | Where the World Comes to Study the Bible. https://bible.org/seriespage/burial-and-resurrection-jesus-christ-john-19388211209
Halloran, K. (2019, January 28). The Meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Unlocking the Bible. https://unlockingthebible.org/2013/03/the-meaning-of-the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ/
Harvest Ministries. (2014, April 6). What Does the Resurrection Mean for Us? Christianity.com. https://www.christianity.com/jesus/death-and-resurrection/resurrection/what-does-the-resurrection-mean-for-us.html
Orton, V. (2016, August 4). The Meaning of the Death of Jesus in the Gospel of John. Lifemessenger. https://lifemessenger.org/meaning-death-jesus-gospel-john/