{"id":2012,"date":"2011-04-01T02:28:30","date_gmt":"2011-04-01T06:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/?p=2012"},"modified":"2011-03-30T16:45:29","modified_gmt":"2011-03-30T20:45:29","slug":"why-did-jesus-have-to-die-the-perspective-of-jesus-of-nazareth-part-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/04\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-the-perspective-of-jesus-of-nazareth-part-4.html","title":{"rendered":"Why Did Jesus Have to Die? The Perspective of Jesus of Nazareth, Part 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Ransom for Many<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my last post, I discussed the statement of Jesus: \u201cFor the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many\u201d (Mark 10:45). I talked about how this idea of the serving Son of Man was radically inconsistent with first-century Jewish expectations. But even more shocking was Jesus\u2019 revelation that he, as the Son of Man, was going to give his life \u201ca ransom for many.\u201d Where in the world did Jesus get this idea? And what did he mean by \u201ca ransom for many\u201d?<\/p>\n

Jesus wasn\u2019t the first Jew in his time of history to speak of giving up one\u2019s life for the sake of others. A century and a half before Jesus, Mattathias, the father of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, urged his sons to \u201cshow zeal for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of our ancestors (1 Maccabees 2:50). The Maccabean brothers were to fight to the death for the sake of their faith. Even closer to Jesus\u2019 understanding of his sacrifice is a description of martyrdom found in 4 Maccabees: \u201c[Those who died] having become, as it were, a ransom [antipsychon<\/em>] for the sin of our nation. And through the blood of those devout ones and their death as an atoning sacrifice, divine Providence preserved Israel that previously had been mistreated\u201d (4 Macc 4:21-22). Here the willingness of Jewish people to suffer and die rather than compromise their faithfulness to God is seen as making up for the sin of the Jewish people, which in turn motivated God to preserve the nation.<\/p>\n

These texts from the Maccabean literature and Jesus\u2019 description of his own sacrifice in Mark 10 were inspired by two crucial chapters from the prophet Isaiah. These chapters begin with a hopeful vision of the coming of God\u2019s kingdom:<\/p>\n

How beautiful upon the mountains
\nare the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
\nwho brings good news,
\nwho announces salvation,
\nwho says to Zion, \u201cYour God reigns.\u201d (Isa 52:7)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But then the passage takes an unexpected turn, picturing God\u2019s servant as anything but attractive (52:14-53:2):<\/p>\n

He was despised and rejected by others
\na man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;
\nand as one from whom others hide their faces
\nhe was despised, and we held him of no account. (53:3)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yet this Suffering Servant endured such scorn for the sake of others:<\/p>\n

Surely he has borne our infirmities
\nand carried our diseases; . . .
\nBut he was wounded for our transgressions,
\ncrushed for our iniquities;
\nupon him as the punishment that made us whole,
\nand by his bruises we are healed. . . .
\nTherefore I will allot him a portion with the great,
\nand he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
\nbecause he poured out himself to death,
\nand was numbered with the transgressors;
\nyet he bore the sin of many, . . . (53:4-5, 12)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although this passage from Isaiah does not use the word \u201cransom\u201d (lutron<\/em> in Mark 10:45), it clearly conveys the idea of one who suffers for the sake of others, so that they might be made whole. Through his painful death, the Servant of God bears the sins of others. And somehow this is part and parcel of the coming of God\u2019s kingdom announced at the beginning of Isaiah 52.<\/p>\n

Of course what makes Jesus\u2019 statement in Mark 10:45 so curious is that he doesn\u2019t speak of the Servant of God giving his life as a ransom for many. Rather, the Son of Man fills this role. There\u2019s nothing in the Hebrew Scriptures to suggest that the Son of Man would bring the kingdom through some sort of sacrificial death. We don\u2019t find this connection in the Maccabean literature or in other Jewish writings either. Jesus is weaving together disparate strands of Jewish tradition to create a unique tapestry of the coming kingdom. He, as Messiah and Son of Man, will bring the kingdom, but only by fulfilling the role of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 52-53. For the first time in the Gospels we see clearly a part of Jesus\u2019 rationale for suffering and dying. He will bear the sin of many in order to bring the healing and forgiveness of God\u2019s kingdom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Ransom for Many In my last post, I discussed the statement of Jesus: \u201cFor the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many\u201d (Mark 10:45). I talked about how this idea of the serving Son of Man was radically inconsistent with first-century…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[207],"tags":[227,226,228,208],"class_list":["post-2012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jesus-why-did-he-have-to-die","tag-isaiah","tag-ranson","tag-servant-of-god","tag-why-did-jesus-have-to-die"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Did Jesus Have to Die? The Perspective of Jesus of Nazareth, Part 4 - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2012"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2012\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2015,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2012\/revisions\/2015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}