If Jesus’ death annoys you, I hope you will consider why that is, and whether the reason or reasons are close to what the Bible says on the subject. Jesus’ death is central to the Christian message of the saving, reconciling love of God. Here are a few reasons why his death may still annoy you. But why bother to think about such things? Your reasons will tell you a lot about yourself. Something you may not even know.

• LAMB

Many religious people have been taught that Jesus was a prophet, who was spared from a cruel death by crucifixion by being taken down from the cross and exchanged for someone, who then died instead of Jesus. The main driver for this idea was that God would not allow such an important person to suffer such public humiliation and arranged the changeover just in time to save Jesus’ life. The reality is that such an exchange never took place. It is based on religious wishful thinking that cannot bear to see Jesus suffer and die in such a debased way.

If that is your belief, to hear about Jesus actually dying may annoy you, indeed, it may even make you angry. However, it is always good to face facts. Jesus prophesied his own death, and did so repeatedly, for instance, when he said of himself, ‘they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him’ (Mark 10:34). John the Baptist, whose role from God was to announce Jesus’ coming, saw him and called out ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29).

• LIVING

All of the old lamb sacrifices find their fulfilment in Jesus’ final, never to be repeated sacrifice, when he willingly offered up himself taking on himself the divine judgement that sinners deserved. Sin is never a trivial little issue that prayer and rituals and pilgrimages will wash away. God’s perfect holiness and his broken law – ‘for all have sinned’ (Romans 3:23) require that sin be judged by death. So that nothing but the precious blood of Christ, shed in death on the cross, will pay the full price of sin so that all who put their trust in Jesus Christ may be freely forgiven.

For Jesus’ completed sacrifice for sin made by his death on the cross fully satisfied God’s perfect justice, but that glorious, most precious truth still annoys people. However, his bodily resurrection on the third day was God’s confirmation that he accepted Jesus’ sacrifice and that Jesus was indeed God’s Messiah and the eternal Son, with no beginning, in the one true and living God.

• LIGHT

By nature, we think we can get right with God by doing good things. We think if we try hard enough, God will be bound to accept us. We want the honour of being able to save ourselves. We want our sorrows and pain and difficulties of this life, and all our good deeds and prayers to be sufficient for God to forgive us. What awful religious pride!

The Apostle Paul, called by Jesus to share his good news, was persecuted by religious people who were fervently trying to get right with God by their own religious good works. These people were offended with the message of the cross of Christ because it told them that if they were ever going to get right with God it would be on his terms that he would forgive and welcome people, who came to him bereft and empty-handed, and definitely ‘not by works done by us in righteousness’ (Titus 3:5).

Deep-seated pride is stirred up by this message of Jesus’ death, which annoys people, especially those with a strong religious upbringing. That is because the message of the cross of Christ calls us to humble ourselves before God and to accept that we are lost rebels, hopeless and helpless apart from God’s great mercy and favour which we could never deserve.

• LOVE

Yes, there is still ‘the offence of the cross’ (Galatians 5:11), or ‘offense’ if you prefer US spelling, which stirs antagonism and pride, but if that same message humbles you and causes you to call out to God to have mercy on you and forgive your many sins, you may be given eyes to see that Jesus’ death is the most wonderful revelation of God’s love. By it he has shown that the great Creator was willing, even to become the despised outcast but also the great Saviour, powerful to save all who would trust in him.

Well, will you be annoyed or eternally grateful for Jesus’ death?