Christina Mead wrote an article on LifeTeen called “I Killed Jesus.” Here’s a summary of that article, but definitely read the entire thing here.
It’s easy to see the Bible as just a book of historical events – Moses parting the sea, Jesus dying on the cross, Columbus sailing across the ocean. But it’s so much more than that. Sometimes it can be hard to see how the stories in the Bible relate to our own lives, but one way to get more out of reading it is to try to put ourselves in the stories. When reading about Jesus’ passion and death, for example, we can ask ourselves which character we relate to and what God is trying to teach us through that character.
The author of this blog post suggests that in the story of Jesus’ passion and death, we can see ourselves in every character. For example, we might see ourselves in the apostles who are sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane, reminding us to stay vigilant and resist laziness. Or we might see ourselves in Judas, whose commitment to Jesus is sometimes weakened by his emotions. We might see ourselves in Caiaphas, the high priest, who wants concrete proof rather than humble faith.
By recognizing ourselves in these different characters, we can gain a deeper understanding of the story and how it relates to our own lives. It can help us to see our own faults and work on them, and it can bring us closer to Jesus and the lessons he was trying to teach. Additionally, the author makes the important point that we are all responsible for Christ’s death and resurrection, not just as individuals, but as a collective. This serves as a reminder of the weight and significance of our actions and the power of forgiveness and redemption.
By placing ourselves in the story and considering which character we relate to, we can gain a deeper understanding of the Bible and how it relates to our own lives. It can help us to see our own faults and work on them, and it can bring us closer to Jesus and the lessons he was trying to teach. It can also serve as a reminder of our responsibility in Christ’s death and resurrection, and the power of forgiveness and redemption.