It means the same as it did when he was crucufied: salvation. He died for us so that we may live. As to the answer of the 1966 cover, "Is God Dead?" No, he is not: we are. And only when we all accept Jesus will we truly be alive!
Phillip Dwyer
Arlington, Mass.

Jesus' crucifixion simply means that God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die for us so that we could be saved. It would be like us being on death row right now if Jesus didn't die for us. He paid the price for our sins so we wouldn't have to.
Laura Koller
Titusville, Pa.

The rampant disccussions about Jesus' death only serves as a catalyst for divisive thought, anti-Semitism and, most importantly, undeserved guilt. If people talked about his message (tolerance, forgiveness, charity, etc.)and not his death or divinity, the world would be a better place. I am agnostic, but I can appreciate and try to employ that message in my life, instead of listening to bloviating priests and filmmakers.
Hershel Jones Jr.
Dallas, Texas

As a Muslim, our belief is that Jesus (peace be upon him) was not crucified but was "taken up" by God and will return to rid this world of evil forces, then He will die a natural death. My question to Christian brothers is why is only Jesus considered the Son of God and not Adam (peace be upon him), since he had no father or mother.
Sohail Ahmed
Orland Park, Ill.

The story of Jesus is the story of an everyman who, in his trials and tribulations, overcomes his base nature and achieves an enlightment that transcends and raises him to a higher level of consciousness. This is the goal for all who are here on this earth living their daily lives.
Leo O. Moseley
Virginia Beach, Va.

Why did Jesus die? You ask the question, but received no answers, only more questions. The answer is found in the 41st and 42nd chapters of Alma in the Book of Mormon. The restored Church of Jesus Christ with a living prophet has the answers. Why did you not go to the source with your questions and get your answers? If you truly want to know, search and ye shall find.
Gordon Beckstrom
Salt Lake City, Utah

As an nonreligous person, I believe simply that Jesus Christ was a persecuted Christian who taught the fundamentals of the Catholic faith and was inevitably killed by his enemies. For me that's the end of the story. It happened so long ago with so many opportunities for the facts to change it makes me wonder about how factual the sinless Son of God image is. Let's not forget that Jesus wasn't even alive when the church was started. I'm not trying to offend anyone, I just think a non-Christian viewpoint is necessary in the discussion.
Kelly Bischoff
Pensacola, Fla.

Jesus has become an empty symbol, a reason for people not to see the true everyday needs and inequalities in the world. People rely on the safety of the myth to avoid direct confrontation with what is really happening in the world. One wonders why it takes a symbol of an event to bring half the world to its knees.
Andrew Daniel
San Francisco, Calif.

Sadly enough, it doesn't mean anything to most people.
Casey
Baton Rouge, La.

Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection are just as significant today as they have been since the beginning of creation. God's sacrifice of Jesus, His Son, on the behalf of sinful men means that by faith in Christ we can have life with Him in His resurrection just as our sins are crucified with Him in death. We are buried with Him, and so we rise with Him. That will always be significant.
Andrew E.
Hammond, Ind.

The same as it has always meant. It's an opportunity for salvation. But it's a gift you must accept. It's not automatic. You don't get it for being good.
Jim McBride
Mission Viejo, Calif.

Unlike scientific evidence, which can be repeated, legal evidence accepts a verified one-time event as sufficient proof. Christ's crucifixion and resurrection remains as proof that God loved us enough to offer salvation from from this mess we're in. After 2,000 years, I suspect a lot of people miss this point.
Roger Syn
Melbourne, Australia

To remain fixated with the death of Christ is to read the introduction and to miss the actual story. It is excellent that people are made aware of his short earthly life, [but] it misses the eternal aspect of his redemptive work for all mankind.
Jonathon Hager
New Zealand

I was brought up as a Roman Catholic by a strict but loving mother. My father, on the other hand, was a Southern Baptist and a firm believer in the second coming. The problem is that they both died having never seen or experienced the second coming. Come to think of it, neither did my grandparents, nor their parents, nor their parents, nor their parents and so on. So does Jesus' death hold any meaning today? Of course not. It never did and never will. It was a good story though.
Leo Marvin
Toledo, Ohio

BACK TO TOP

Previous:
What does Sheik Yassin's death mean for the Middle East?