The Lesson of the Cross

God became human and dwelt among us. Jesus was tried and convicted by earthly authorities, and sentenced to death. Rather than take the easy way by blasting his way out with his powers, Jesus submitted meekly to this sentence. He then died on the cross, so that by his example, we would know to submit meekly to authority. Even when authority is in the wrong. Even when the punishment is death.

HA!

Gotcha!

That isn't the Lesson of the Cross at all! I was fooling you.

But, man - what if it were? - can you imagine what kind of crazy lesson that would be for us?! Especially coming from Jesus! It would be so out of character!

Jesus was always showing up the proper authorities. Giving them what for, teaching them those snide little lessons of his. Wait. "Snide" isn't quite the word. "Snide" means "derogatory in a malicious, superior way." Now, certainly when he was lambasting the pharisees for their sham wisdom and their peculiar habit of obsessively whiting sepulchers, he was plenty derogatory. And what fool would claim that he was being derogatory in any other way besides a superior way? Surely he did everything in a superior way. Supreme, even.

But despite the serene superiority of his supreme derogatoriness, doled out left and right to the richly deserving and those who were practically begging for it, I refuse to believe there was any maliciousness in it. Not from Jesus! No, he was doing it all for their own good as much as for our entertainment. Setting them straight, for all to see. Making them the butt of his endless parables. Airing out the error of their ways!

Which, when you think about it, was probably part of why they wanted to kill him.

But that's not the Lesson of the Cross, either. Not the main lesson, anyhow.

There's probably more than one lesson, to be learned from that whole episode.