I think the meaning of the cross lies in Jesus's love and grace; he risked his life to preach the gospel of love and justice. We repent in response to his love and sacrifice. We die because he died. We rise because he rose. We are reconciled to God through his grace---not through his death. Otherwise, we must pinpoint all forms of evil done to Jesus.
The Passion of the Christ reflects Mel Gibson’s Jesus, who comes to die and is punished instead of “me.” This movie begins with a quote from Isaiah’s Suffering Servant Song: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises, we are healed” (Isa 53:5). In fact, within the literary context of Isaiah, the figure of the suffering servant does not refer to an individual but to Israel. Taking the theme of the suffering servant and applying it to Jesus, Gibson colors his Jesus as a substitutionary death. This movie is full of unnecessary, exaggerated torture with little information about the cause of Jesus’ death. Why is there so much violence to Jesus? Who brought Jesus to death? I just felt throughout the movie that there should not be another Jesus who receives enormous torture and injustice.
In our world today too, there are many unjust sufferings. Jesus is a prototype of the most vicious and unjust suffering and death. This way of reading Jesus’ death is certainly plausible and one important avenue through which we may look at the history and meaning of the event.
The cause of Jesus’ death can be constructed in many different ways. In Luke, Jesus’ work as a prophet provokes enemies' anger. Jesus dies as a martyr, not as salvific atonement or substitutionary death; his radical message of justice and egalitarianism led to the cross. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus’ death, somewhat difficult for Jesus himself, is pictured as a good sacrifice for “others.” Here caution is that the sacrifice of Jesus does not automatically mean penal substitutionary death of Jesus. On one hand, the meaning of Jesus’ death can be constructed in the context of different communities behind the gospels. On the other hand, apart from the later communities' meaning of Jesus' death, the cause of Jesus' death can be constructed in a more historical sense, which means analyzing all aspects of life in the world ranging from politics to economy to religion.
As for me, the biggest problem of Gibson’s movie seems to condone the social and political evil of violence and injustice and be blind to the massive power of evil evident in such atrocious, unspeakable torturing and murdering under the cover of a divine plan. The cost of this movie is too high in ways that people do not reflect on such a power of evil – in the form of violence, politics, and the daily lives of ordinary people. The movie’s impression was that “the more violence on Jesus, the holier Jesus is, and the more thankful Christians feel because our sins are paid back.” But again, in another context that I mentioned before, my take on the movie is this: “There should not be another Jesus of unjust suffering and death in this world.”
This movie should not be considered as a historical film in terms of actual events, but rather as a theological narrative. It was directed and interpreted by Gibson, who adheres to a particular understanding of the significance of Jesus' death. Therefore, if someone views this movie as a historical account, they must differentiate between history and theology.
Lastly, even this theological story, with the vicious or violent role of some Jews and the Romans, should not be related to all Jews in history. Of course, there were not all Jews involved in accusations against Jesus. There were good and faithful people like Mary, Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, disciples, and many nameless women who followed Jesus. Also, we cannot simply equate Jewish ancestors with Jewish people today and in history.
Conclusion
I think the meaning of the cross lies in Jesus's love and grace; he risked his life to preach the gospel of love and justice. We repent because of his love and sacrifice. We die because he died. We rise because he rose. We are reconciled to God through his grace---not through his death. Otherwise, we must pinpoint all forms of evil done to Jesus.
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