So it’s Holy Week, the long walk to the cross begins. I know Holy Week is a key time for us to consider just who the person of Jesus, and thus the character of God, truly is. And let me tell you, I am so grateful for that. The cross, first off, speaks of Jesus’ profound mercy and compassion, while the Resurrection boldly proclaims his power over all things – including Death itself. It’s such a beautiful story. Yet, Holy Week also reminds us that this is a story with real-world stakes. A story about how our theology and beliefs and convictions, when wielded carelessly or self-righteously, can crush the very people it claims to save.

Let’s not forget: Jesus didn’t die because no one believed in God. He died because people held certain beliefs about God that didn’t align with what Jesus revealed him to be.

The cross wasn’t merely the result of political fear, though it certainly included that. Rather, when we step back and look at the bigger picture of all that transpired that week, and particularly among the Sanhedrin and religious leaders who brought the accusations against Jesus forward, it’s abundantly clear that the cross was the outcome of theological certainty—dudes convinced they were defending holiness, protecting orthodoxy, upholding truth. And wait a sec – they did all of this defending through the justification found in their own scriptures. But by doing so, they condemned the Truth in the flesh, unaware.

2000 years on, this should still give us pause.

Think about it. What we believe—about God, about who’s in and who’s out, about marriage, sex, right and wrong—doesn’t just shape how we live, but in  particular, it shapes how we treat others. The reality is, if we’re not careful, our theology can be the very thing that wounds or excludes, even when we think we’re absolutely convinced—as the religious leaders accusing Jesus were—that we are acting out of faithfulness.

Holy Week reminds us of so many important things but one thing that can easily be overlooked as we join in the throngs of Christians who are annoyed at the self-righteous indignation of Jesus’ accusers is that our theology is never just theoretical. It will always have real-world implications. Our theology shows up in systems, in decisions, in relationships. All with the power to heal or to harm. To liberate or to crush. To bring life…. or to kill.

So maybe the invitation this week is to take a concerted look at our beliefs, our theology, our understanding of who Jesus is that we claim to follow—not just in our heads, but in our lives. Do our beliefs make room for mercy? Are they reflecting the heart and desire of Jesus, or more about protecting us from discomfort? Do they draw people in or push them away? A good place to start, at least for myself, has been to reflect on this statement I shared this past Sunday on who I believe Jesus truly is. Read this, meditate on it and see if this is the same Jesus you love and claim to follow – and if so, does your interactions with the world around you reflect this Christology (a theology of Christ)?

We believe Jesus is the clearest and fullest revelation of God, and that the cross is the ultimate expression of his character. His cruciform love is marked by self-giving, nonviolence and radical mercy. Through a love rooted in grace & compassion, enemies become neighbours, the outcast is welcomed and the broken are restored. As the Servant King, Jesus lived an others-centred, humble life, revealing a kingdom built on love and inclusion. We are called to be a community shaped by that same love.

Once more: ask yourself how does your theology lend to the healing and restoration of both you and those around you? Be ruthlessly honest in how you answer this.  

Let’s be careful. Not timid or afraid to act on conviction… but humble in doing so, keeping in mind it was the sincere religious conviction that put the Son of Man on a cross.

What we believe matters far beyond some esoteric theoretical realm. It matters for the real world and it will always have real world consequences. Holy Week will not let us look away from that.

See you Friday at 6:30 as we remember the cross up close.