After reading the first four chapters of Crossan’s book I found myself agreeing with a lot of what he was saying because I did not have any background in the Christian doctrine. However, after reading chapters five and six I have found a few things that have caused me to raise questions about what Crossan believes. For instance, Crossan believes that Jesus only went to Jerusalem once whereas many of the people I have talked to like friends, families, even priests believe Jesus went there regularly. Though I question that argument I did agree with some points that he raised, like his views on his interpretation of the three supreme Roman penalties, the crucifixion of thousands of people including Jesus and the fact that Jesus may have known he was going to die. In my reading I also came across different topics that I had never given much thought like where is the body of Jesus. Though I do not agree with everything Crossan says I still believe he brings up a number of valid arguments that need to be addressed.
In chapter six Crossan discusses the three main Roman penalties, which include: cross, fire and beast. These specific penalties were given to people who broke the law or committed terrorist acts. The reason they were so horrible was “not just their inhuman cruelty or their public dishonor, but the fact that there might be nothing left to bury at the end” (126). When looking at crucifixion I always thought it was cruel but I never realized that in crucifying someone people would not get a burial but instead they would become food for the vultures. Crossan brings to life some of the sadistic torturing and deaths of thousands of Romans that I had never really thought about. Not only did I not realize the extent of crucifixion, but also that “we have found only one body from all those thousands crucified around Jerusalem in that single century” (127). It is a sad topic to discuss, but one that I find necessary, especially considering that Jesus himself died on the cross.
Being a ill-informed Christian I am ashamed to say I do not know much about Jesus or his death, which is why it was interesting to learn that many people including Mark and John believe he was crucified around Passover. Passover, the celebration of “the deliverance of the Jews from bondage in Egypt and their departure to conquer the Promised Land” (127), I believe was to have been the day of the Last Supper where Jesus “celebrates…with his disciples and prophecies his impending death” (129). If what Crossan is saying is actually true, then Jesus must have known or had an idea that he was going to die soon. From short amount of time I attended church I remember that the body and blood of Jesus Christ was symbolized by bread and wine and every week we would go and take communion, meaning we were honoring or remembering Jesus. Crossan say’s that during the last supper Jesus gathered his apostles and broke bread and said, “This is my body”. He later brought out wine and said something along the lines of “Drink this. This is my blood which will be shed for you”. Lastly he asked his apostles to eat the bread and drink the wine in remembrance of him, which after looking at further makes Crossans theory that Jesus knew he was going to die seem possible. The fact that I now understand or have a better idea of what Jesus was thinking and doing in his last few days is in large part due to Crossan.
By reading Crossan’s biography I came across a small section in which he discusses the whereabouts of Jesus body. From my previous knowledge I knew that Jesus was crucified and then his body placed in a sealed tomb and on the third day, when the tomb was opened, his body was gone. I have always believed that his body ascended into heaven but when I think about it now I wonder why his whole body would have ascended considering that now it is your spirit that leaves the body and goes to heaven. The whole concept that Crossan brings up about Jesus body is interesting to say the least but I feel like my own belief that his body and spirit ascended into heaven will suffice for now. Crossan said it best when he said, “With regard to the body of Jesus, by Easter Sunday morning, those who cared did not know where it was, and those who knew did not care” (158). It is a mystery better left unsolved.
In reading Crossans biography I have came across a lot of useful information that I never knew and I look forward to reading more. However, the most valuable thing I have learned from him is not what he has written but rather the extent to which my brain goes in order to make my own conclusions about the life and death of Jesus.
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