Jesus and the Cross

As we move through Mark’s story of Jesus, guided by Marcus Borg and Dominic Crossan in their book, “The Last Week,” we are coming to the last day of the last week, when Jesus will pick up his cross and carry it to his death on Golgotha.

Three times in Mark’s gospel, Jesus predicted his death, and each time he also called his disciples to follow him on the way: He began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.... If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:31-34

Christ died for our sins: Most Christians today understand Jesus’ death on the cross as his sacrifice for our sins. First articulated by St. Anselm in the 12th century, this explanation of the crucifixion has been called the theory of “substitutionary theory” of atonement – that is, Jesus substituted himself for us on the cross, taking upon himself the punishment that is justly ours. The substitutionary theory goes like this:

God is perfectly just.

God is also perfectly loving.

Because of God’s perfect justice, God cannot overlook human sins.

Because of God’s perfect love, God provides the necessary sacrifice.

God’s forgiveness is now freely available to all who accept Christ.

But is this image of God – God the impassionate Judge, who sends his own innocent son to pay for the crimes of the guilty – is this the same God whom Jesus proclaimed and embodied?

Christ became like us so we could become like him. There is another, much earlier explanation of Jesus’ death on the cross – we might call it the “mystical theory” of atonement. In the 2nd century, St. Irenaeus – building on the writings of St. Paul – wrote, Because of his measureless love Christ became what we are in order for us to become what he is. This idea was repeated again and again in early Christian sermons and writings:

In his incarnation, Christ became one with us.

In his life and teaching, Christ showed that he was one of us.

In his death, Christ united with us in our death.

In Christ’s new life, we become one with him in his resurrection.

Come, follow me: In Mark’s story, Jesus asks his disciples, again and again, to follow him – to come with him, to share his ministry, to participate in his mission. Borg and Crossan comment on Jesus’ call to his disciples to “take up your cross and follow me” by writing, “Nothing is said about Jesus’ doing it alone to excuse everyone else from having to follow him...” ("The Last Week," p. 95)

Borg and Crossan use the word “participation” to describe what happens when we respond to Jesus’ call to join him in his mission. The description of “participatory atonement” that Borg and Crossan find in Mark’s gospel is very close to the mystical theory held by Paul and Irenaeus and others in the early church.

When writing about the mystical union, the bond that Christ makes with us, Paul frequently uses the phrase “in Christ.” To the Romans, Paul wrote, do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (Romans 6:3) To the Galatians, Paul wrote: “for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Galatians 3:26)

But Mark’s story shows us that the disciples did not understand. As Jesus was shouldering his cross, almost all of them were so afraid they ran away. How could they participate in Jesus’ mission, how could they ever be united with him, if they could not even stay with him to the end?

How did they learn what it means to be in Christ?

How were they transformed into bold disciples who shared Christ’s mission?