Eric Reece
The word passion has a modern meaning and an older meaning.
The modern meaning is of a strong, intense emotion. What comes to mind are Harlequin romance novels and Hallmark movies.
But the origin of the word conveys another meaning.
Our word passion comes from the Latin word “passio.” Passio is enduring or suffering, and became the word the church used to describe Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion and death.
Some may remember the movie, The Passion of Christ (2004). It covered the last hours of Jesus’ life, from his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane to the crucifixion. The movie followed the traditional path Jesus took on the way to the cross called the Via Dolorosa, or “Way of Sorrow.”
Over the centuries, the church has strived to understand the passion of Christ and the reason for his suffering and death. From these and other beliefs, there are three main views to understand his suffering and death:
* The oldest view is that Jesus’s death paid our ransom and freed humanity from sin and death. Because of sin, humanity was in bondage and a ransom had to be paid to Satan. When Jesus died on the cross, Satan accepted the payment not knowing Jesus would rise from the dead. Payment had been made and justice had been served and humanity was freed from Satan’s hold. “Just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
* In the 11th century, Anselm of Canterbury put forth another view. It was not Satan that was owed a debt – but God. Adam and Eve sinned against God and their children had been disobedient. The only way to pay this debt caused by disobedience was for one acting on behalf of humanity, to be totally obedient to God and satisfy the debt. This was God’s Son, our savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus became our substitute and with his sacrificial death he died in our place to atone for our guilt and sin. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).
* After Anslem, Peter Albelard offered an alternative model to satisfaction atonement. Abelard believed the reason Jesus suffered and died was to show the great love God has for all humanity. For him, God is not demanding payment – but seeking to reconcile humanity by bringing hearts to repentance. Jesus suffered and died as a great demonstration of God’s love. When we realize the great love God has for us, it compels us to respond back in love. ”And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32).
Jesus said it this way, ”Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church and can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.