Theological Journal - March 30: The Crucified God

“The crisis of the church in present-day society is not merely the critical choice between assimilation or retreat into the ghetto, but the crisis of its own existence as the church of the crucified Christ . . . for only by Christ is it possible to tell what is a Christian church and what is not. Whether or not Christianity, in an alienated, divided and oppressive society, itself becomes alienated, divided and an accomplice of oppression, is ultimately decided only by whether the crucified Christ is a stranger to it or the Lord who determines the form of its existence . . . As far as I am concerned, the Christian church and Christian theology become relevant to the problems of the modern world only when they reveal the 'hard core' of their identity in the crucified Christ and through it are called into question, together with the society in which they live . . . Faith, the church and theology must demonstrate what they really believe and hope about the man from Nazareth who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and what practical consequences they wish to draw from this. The crucified Christ himself is a challenge to Christian theology and the

Christian church, which dare to call themselves by his name.” (The Crucified God, 2-3)

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“Only by Christ is it possible to tell what is a Christian church and what is not . . . by whether the crucified Christ is a stranger to it or the Lord who determines the form of its existence . . . Faith, the church and theology must demonstrate what they really believe and hope about the man from Nazareth who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and what practical consequences they wish to draw from this. The crucified Christ himself is a challenge to Christian theology and the Christian church, which dare to call themselves by his name.” 

As we draw closer to Passion Week and Good Friday these words of Moltmann weigh more heavily upon us. First as judgment. No avoiding that. 

-there is little doubt that the crucified Christ is the one knocking on the door of our American churches seeking someone to open that door and admit him to our fellowship. Him, the Lamb standing in our midst as one that has been slaughtered (Rev.3:20). 

-have we really reckoned with the man from Nazareth hanging on a Roman cross as a traitorous wannabe ruler as a challenge to who and what we are as those gathered in his name?  

And second, as mercy.  

-For what we must do, we can do – such is the logic of grace. The weight of these words as judgment is not lessened or negated by grace but rather press on us even more heavily till we have no recourse left but to turn in abject but finally thankful subjection to the crucified One.  

-Only then can we truly embrace him as the resurrected One on Easter, the One who brings life out of death. And the dead are the only ones to whom resurrection means anything!   

And resurrection means human possibilities and impossibilities are no longer determinative for those who have died and been raised to new life. Only as such can we bear the challenge of the crucified Christ to our identity and vocation as those daring to carry his name. And only as such can we do what we must and actually take up our cross to and live as crucified ones in a world like ours!