When Jesus makes the news
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” —John 13:35
Jason Hughes was a high school math teacher and golf coach in Gainesville, GA. On a rainy night, he heard five of the school’s students outside throwing rolls of toilet paper over his trees and bushes. He ran out to catch them in their prank, a prank he apparently had been expecting. When the students heard his approach, they ran to their cars and attempted to get away. Sadly, Jason Hughes tripped on the wet grass, falling in front of one of the cars, and was struck. The kids immediately stopped and tried to help, but Jason died hours later in the hospital.
The district’s superintendent released this statement: “Our hearts are broken. Jason Hughes was a loving husband, a devoted father; a passionate teacher, mentor, and coach who was loved and respected by students and colleagues.” Schofield went on to say, “He gave so much to so many in numerous ways as he faithfully served God. Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife and family.”
The five 18-year-olds who were involved in the toilet paper prank have each been arrested. The young man who was driving the vehicle that hit Jason has been charged with felony first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving, as well as misdemeanor criminal trespass and littering on private property.
The moment Jesus made the news
I wanted to write about this tragic event because of the statement his family released to the news media. The real truth about this story can be heard in those words. Jason’s wife, Laura, was also a math teacher at the high school and the mother of the two children who lost their dad that night. She, too, is a devoted teacher who cares deeply for her students.
Laura is filled with grief right now, but that isn’t what she wanted people to know. As the media rushed to get the facts and create a quick, sensational story, they often failed to get the whole truth. There were stories of blame, slander, drama, and condemnation – all of which were factually based, but not necessarily the entire truth. The family released a statement so that people could grieve with them, but grieve with hope and truth.
The family’s statement read: “We are thankful for the outpouring of prayers and support as we grieve the loss of Jason. We ask that you continue to pray for our family and also for the students involved in the accident, along with their families. Please join us in extending grace and mercy to them, as Christ has done for us.” The Hughes Family
I was watching an ABC morning news program that reported her statement. It was interesting to see the faces of that program’s hosts. Her words obviously moved them, but the only thing said was, “tragic.”
People who don’t understand Christianity still don’t know what to do when Jesus makes the news. That was true in the first century, too.
Why did Jesus pick the Passover season to die?
The most obvious reason Jesus died during the Passover season is that he was born to become the final Passover Lamb the world would ever need. The captives in Egypt were told to sacrifice a lamb and put its blood on their doorframes. This was the final “plague” before the Exodus. The angel of death brought judgment on the homes in Egypt that night that were not covered by a lamb’s blood. That was the plague that led to the captives’ release.
The nation of Israel celebrated that day as a sacred and holy time of remembrance. The Passover meal is filled with symbolism, reminding people of the Exodus from Egypt. The city of Jerusalem was filled each year with Jewish pilgrims who were required to make the journey to Jerusalem at least once in their lives during Passover. Many came more often than that.
Jesus shared that Passover meal with his disciples before his death. We call it the “Lord’s Supper,” and Leonardo’s famous painting is titled “The Last Supper.” Jesus took the bread and the wine and changed the meaning of the Passover meal to include his death. Jesus told his disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
The city of Jerusalem will be less crowded this year due to the war with Iran. Normally, the city is almost impossible to move through during the Easter/Passover season. It is now crowded with Christian pilgrims as well as Jewish visitors.
Jesus wanted to “make the news” that day
Jesus picked the Passover weekend to die because he wanted the world to recognize him as the sacrificial lamb. Isaiah had told the Jewish people their Messiah would be a suffering servant. The prophet described him as, “oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). Hundreds of years later the Jewish people weren’t looking for their Suffering Servant, they wanted their Messiah to be a conquering king.
Jesus chose to die at a time when his death would remind people of Isaiah’s words and understand that his blood would now cover them. Jesus would die for their sake, so they could escape this life and enter the promised land, heaven. He also chose to die at a time when the city would be full of pilgrims from around the world. His death made news that day, and so would his resurrection.
I wanted to write about Jason Hughes’ family’s statement because it is a modern-day Easter story. The ABC news reporters shook their heads as if they couldn’t believe or understand the Hughes family’s request that people pray for the student’s families and join the family in “extending grace and mercy to them as Christ has done for us.” Christians understand the Source of the family’s strength and mercy. The Romans 8:28 of this tragic event is evident in their message to the nation. The family knows and serves Jesus. Easter is more than just a spring holiday to them.
I hope that statement continues to make news during this Easter season. Her statement is the divine purpose of Easter and echoes the words of Christ when he said, “‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments” (Luke 23:34). On the cross, Jesus prayed for the very men who had beaten and bloodied his body. Jesus prayed for the men who had hurt him the most with a compassion found only in the powerful love of God.
Help Jesus make the news again this Easter
This is an important time of the year to celebrate Easter as a pilgrim to the Passover table. Jesus would tell us to celebrate Easter “in remembrance of him.”
How will your life point people toward the divine Source and power of our Christian faith? May all of us help Jesus “make the news” in the news we share over the next few weeks as we celebrate the Easter season.
