Stott also looks to the tricky relationship between what was done to Jesus by Judas, the religious leaders and the secular leaders and what was done by the Father and by Christ himself. Indeed, “only the man who is prepared to own his share in the guilt of the cross,” wrote Canon Peter Green, “may claim his share in its grace.” Stott now provides one of his best-known quotes:īefore we can begin to see the cross as something done for us (leading to faith and worship), we have to see it as something done by us (leading us to repentance). But our attempt will be as futile as his. We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate. And we must answer, “Yes, we were there.” Not as spectators only, but as participants, guilty participants, plotting, scheming, betraying, bargaining and handing him over to be crucified.
“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” the old negro spiritual asks. We too sacrifice Jesus to our greed like Judas, to our envy like the priests, to our ambition like Pilate. For whenever we turn away from Christ, we “are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace” (Heb 6:6). If we were in their place, we would have done what they did. More important still, we ourselves are also guilty. Herod and Pilate, Gentiles and Jews … had together “conspired” against Jesus (Acts 4:27).
But where the chapter begins to really pull together is toward the end where he shows that the truest and deepest answer leads us not to blame others, but to blame ourselves. To answer the question Why Did Christ Die?, Stott first looks to the Roman leaders, the Jewish leaders and then to Judas Iscariot, showing how each one played a role in Jesus’ death. Stott writes in such a way that by the end, truth is cascading upon truth, and the heart is lifted in praise. I enjoyed this chapter not only for what it teaches but also for its literary qualities. Sponsor Show Your Support Become a Patron Why Did Christ Die?
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