The Passion of the Christ

If you heard someone talking about their passion for football, I bet you would assume that they had a deep love for that game. 

But why does the Church refer to Jesus' last days as His Passion?

The “Passion of Jesus Christ” is generally understood to begin with the final meal Jesus had with His twelve disciples (the Last Supper); it continues through His agony and betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane, His trial before Pontius Pilate, His scourging at the pillar, His carrying of the cross, and ends with His crucifixion and death.’
The reason is discovered when you understand the original meaning of the word "Passion"

-Passion means agony or suffering.

Jesus experienced agony and suffering for each one of us, and therefore what He did is called The Passion.

The last week of His life, in particular, was a living expression of the original meaning of this word – “Passion”.

Isaiah 53:4-5


“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

Many of us have a "passion" for something.  

Whether it is football, cooking, or fixing up old cars...  

But most of our passions are not experienced first hand -they are something external that we really enjoy. 

(think of the guy who really likes a sports team but is not ON the team)

 

The amazing thing about Jesus is that He not only spoke of His Passion

-He experienced it- 

-He was one with it-

   

And that my friends, is what separates Him from you, me

And every other person that has walked this earth. 

 

  "For our sake he made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (II Corinthians 5:21)