“Dying, you destroyed our death” The significance of the death of Jesus Christ for the death we must all 'die’

摘要

Of what significance is the death of Jesus Christ for the death we must all die? This is the question that this article wishes to explore.’ It is clear to every human being that we must all die. Daily experiences show that death is everywhere. Yet people are gripped with the anxiety of death as if it is something new. This article argues first, that the growing anxiety of death in the contemporary world is a sign of lack or lost of understanding of the meaning of human life. Contemporary societies whether in Africa or in the Western hemisphere are passing through the secularization of the meaning of life, a kind of eschatological deficit which seems to celebrate the here and now to the detriment of life after death. This increases the anxiety of the human being when the inevitable death comes. Death is seen as a threat rather than as part of life. Second, it will be argued that Christian interpretation of the death of Jesus Christ as the event in which God exposes himself to death for the benefit of life can help contemporary societies to reshape their understanding of life and death.