The topic of Christianity itself is complex. Even adults cannot achieve a complete understanding of it. As for children, many terms and events can be accompanied by questions. A popular question that kids ask their parents is “Why was Jesus Christ crucified?”
Based on little experience, children cannot fully understand everything. When you start telling them about the crucifixion and who was subjected to this punishment, the child may respond by asking, “Why was Jesus Christ crucified? Was he really a criminal?
Why Jesus Christ was crucified briefly
In Judea they were waiting for the Messiah, who was supposed to free the people of God from Roman slavery. At that time, the Jews were slaves, their empire was under the control of a Roman ruler, and there were endless wars and suffering.
However, the people of God knew that one day the Savior of the world would come and be able to free them from the sins that caused all the evil on earth - disease, death, poverty and slavery. And it was predicted that such a person would be born and free the world from universal evil.
And then Jesus Christ was born, whose birth was associated with the signs of the birth of the mission.
At the age of 33, he began to preach the word of God and perform miracles. If in his childhood Jesus was in the temple, and even people with a rabbinical education were surprised how he knew everything more than they did.
However, despite the signs and wonders, people did not believe that Christ was working from good power. They considered him a heretic who was confusing the people.
The Jewish government did not pay too much attention to this, but then the preaching of Christ began to cause envy, irritation, and they began to despise Jesus, they even wanted to kill him. This happened thanks to the betrayal of Judas, who betrayed his Teacher for 30 coins, as was said in the prophecies.
Jesus' crucifixion coincided with Passover. At this time, it was customary to release one sinner. And the Jews released Varavan, who was a robber and murderer. As a result, Christ was not pardoned and he was crucified.
Resurrection of Christ
The next morning, a girl named Mary Magdalene, who loved the Lord, came to the cave. She saw that someone had moved the stone and now the passage there was open. She quickly entered the cave. She approached the tomb where the Savior was supposed to lie, but he was not there. Where did Jesus go?
The girl began to cry. And suddenly I saw two young men. They were dressed in white robes and sat at His resting place.
They asked:
- Girl, why are you crying?
- How can I not cry if yesterday the best person on earth died, and today someone took His body away? – said the inconsolable Maria through tears. She had never seen Angels before, and the young men were Angels.
Behind her, she heard footsteps approaching. The virgin turned around and saw a stranger. She immediately got angry because no one entered the cave after her.
She addressed him with the words:
- Did you take Him? Tell me where you took Him!
The man said:
- Maria!
And then the girl recognized Him. It was Jesus, her Teacher. Only He didn’t look like that tortured Christ. A strong, healthy man stood in front of her. So he's alive!
- Go and tell the others what you saw!
The girl ran out of the cave and headed into the city with a smile on her face. Entering the house where His disciples were grieving, she said with genuine joy:
- Stop crying! The Savior has risen!
WE RECOMMEND: Prayer of gratitude to the Lord God for everything.
Questions for the priest
Hello! Please tell me how to explain to a child that Mary Magdalene was a harlot? Is it even worth discussing such a difficult topic with a child? He has questions, but he doesn’t want to lie about her. The baby is 5 years old.
It is too early for a child to know such details. You should talk about this closer to adulthood. To begin with, say that Mary Magdalene was a bad woman, but after meeting Christ she began to change for the better and became good. I think this answer will satisfy the child.
We have a baptized son. Always wears a cross. He is 7 years old. Lately, he began to look at it carefully, and yesterday he came up and said: “Mom, there’s a tired uncle on my cross, who is that?” I could answer that this is Christ, but please give me recommendations on how best to do this?
: Your child’s question is natural. All children sooner or later wonder about them, as they are inquisitive from birth. I suggest doing it the way you wanted. Tell us a little about Christ, why he was tormented. Bring up the topic of the crucifixion. This way the baby will understand why God the Son suffers.
Yesterday after school, our first grader started asking about the crucifixion. There was a thematic lesson at school where they talked about the life path of Christ. Our child stated that Jesus was a criminal, which is why He was nailed to the cross. My husband and I are afraid for our child; he has the wrong understanding of things. What to do?
In general, since there was a thematic lesson at school, everything had to be explained in detail. If this does not happen, then talk to your baby. Your task is to explain to him that Christ is not a criminal, he was slandered and made one. To make the example clear, ask your child to remember if he has ever been deceived so that another person (or him) would be thought poorly of. I think he will be able to draw his own conclusions and understand that Jesus is not a criminal.
This afternoon my father, my daughter’s grandfather, passed away. We haven’t talked about this yet, but my daughter is starting to guess. My wife and I understand that a conversation needs to be had, but we don’t know how. Please give advice! The daughter loved her grandfather very much. In the summer they planned to go to the forest to pick strawberries, she is really looking forward to it, and we don’t know how to tell her that she won’t go anywhere. My daughter is 9 years old.
I sympathize with your grief. The loss of loved ones is always unexpected, especially for children. They experience this more difficult than adults. The conversation must take place! As an example, you can draw an analogy with the Resurrection of Christ. Tell her about this plot. She must understand that a person does not die forever. He is always in the hearts of those who remember him. He will never die, and if you live righteously, honestly and according to your conscience, there will be a chance to meet him again.
Place of Christ's crucifixion
Christ was crucified on the mountain of the city of Golgotha. Together with other sinners, he carried the cross on which he was crucified.
Since then, this word in literature has meant suffering, torment, pain. Golgotha appears in the paintings of many artists as a symbol of the suffering that every person must endure in his life.
Hence the expression “carry your cross.” The cross refers to a life test that a person cannot cope with and which cannot be avoided. You just have to bear it with dignity and try to get rid of it at the first opportunity.
Process description
Jesus knew in advance that the days of his earthly life were numbered. Christ spent the last evening before his arrest in solitude with his disciples. At night he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, where the soldiers came for him.
The Messiah was interrogated for a long time: first by the Jewish authorities, then by the Roman authorities. Pontius Pilate did not see this man as a criminal. The ruler ordered Christ to be scourged and intended to release him, but the people were against it. Fearing an uprising, Pilate gave the order for crucifixion, washing his hands before doing so. The ritual symbolized that the Roman prefect absolved himself of blame for the death of a person.
Christ was crucified early on Friday morning at Golgotha. Next to Jesus were disciples and followers. The first rows were occupied by the Pharisees' priests, Jewish elders, who were immensely glad that they had killed the Messiah.
Path to Golgotha
Jesus walked to Calvary for several hours. During this time, he walked with a crown of thorns on his head and fell 3 times.
Today, the path to Golgotha to the place of execution is considered sacred. The one who does it will be able to see the future and find his way in life.
Those places where Christ fell are considered holy and there is a monument on them. Christ walked along them almost to the very place of his execution. And only after the last fall, a warrior named Simen helped him carry the cross.
Fomenko's innovative calculations
To establish the newest date of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, scientists have invented two ways to find out:
- Using “Sunday calendar conditions”;
- According to astronomical data.
If you believe the first method, then the date of the crucifixion falls on the year 1095 from the Nativity of Christ, but the second indicates the date - 1086.
How was the first date derived? It was obtained in accordance with “calendar conditions” borrowed from the manuscript of Matthew Blastar, a Byzantine chronicler of the 14th century. Here is a fragment of the recording: “The Lord suffered for the salvation of our souls in 5539, when the circle of the sun was 23, the moon was 10, and the Jewish Passover was celebrated on Saturday, March 24. And on the coming Sunday (March 25), Christ was resurrected. The Jewish holiday was celebrated during the equinox on the 14th lunar day (i.e., full moon) from March 21 to April 18, but the current Easter is celebrated on the following Sunday.”
Based on this text, scientists applied the following “resurrection conditions”:
- Circle of the sun 23.
- Circle of the moon 10.
- Jewish Passover, celebrated on March 24.
- Christ rose again on the 25th, Sunday.
The necessary data was entered into a computer, which, using a specially developed program, produced the date 1095 AD. e. Moreover, the year corresponding to Sunday, which occurred on March 25, was calculated according to the Orthodox Easter.
Why was Jesus nailed to the cross?
The Jewish preachers did not understand the teachings of Christ and his holiness. They expected an earthly reign from him - liberation from slavery, illness and death, heaven on earth, but they did not receive it.
Then they began to consider Jesus a heretic and crucified him as a sectarian, a man who did not live up to expectations, although in fact Christ had a completely different salvation.
His teaching is a preparation for the spiritual paradise that every soul will achieve after death. But the Jews expected specific miracles and therefore did not accept Christ, hated him and crucified him.
Jefferson's theory
An unprecedented earthquake and eclipse described in the Holy Scriptures helped American and German scientists determine when Jesus Christ was crucified. The study, published in the International Geology Review, is based on the movement of lithospheric plates at the bottom of the Dead Sea, which is located 13 miles from Jerusalem.
The Gospel of Matthew (chapter 27) says: “Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and died. And the curtain in the temple was torn exactly in the middle, from top to bottom; the earth shook; and the stones settled…” - which, of course, can be interpreted as an earthquake, from the point of view of science. To analyze the consequences of long-standing geological activity coinciding with the execution of the son of God, geoscientists Marcus Schwab, Jefferson Williams and Achim Broer went to the Dead Sea.
Icon of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ photo and meaning
The Church reveres Jesus Christ more than other icons, except God the Father - the creator of all living things. Therefore, the crucifixion icon has historical significance and is revered as a place of forgiveness of the sins of all mankind.
The cross is considered the main symbol of death, because Christ took upon himself all sins in order to free humanity from this.
However, until the re-coming of Christ, each person is responsible for his sins, and for some sins, children and grandchildren even pay.
Epistle of Peter
The Apostle Peter also speaks about the death of Jesus Christ in his letter. He provides evidence that Christ also suffered for the sins of people, being a righteous man, in order to bring unrighteous people to God.
Have a good conscience, so that those for whom you are slandered as evildoers may be put to shame by those who reproach your good life in Christ.
For, if the will of God pleases, it is better to suffer for good deeds than for evil ones;
because Christ, in order to lead us to God, once suffered for our sins, the righteous for the unjust, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit,
to whom He and the spirits in prison, having descended, preached
1 Peter 3 verse 18
