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Sacrifice to God
jenny06:
Jhn 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Jhn 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Jhn 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Love, God's love for us, plain and simple. A five year old probably knows more about unabashed love than all the grown ups put together.
Patrick:
I have been sitting back watching and thinking about this thread. It has been alluded to but not really stressed; the resurrection. Jesus is alive!
I know the question was why did our Lord have to die on the cross (good answers by the group, btw) but His resurrection is (my opinion) much more important.
I pray those faced with a question like this also include the resurrection; as Joe stated, that (His rising) is our hope.
prarrydog:
Good point Patrick.
GlenKlein:
I've been thinking about this very question myself... I'm 42, but the funny thing is: I'm a 5 year old Christian. :)
The question for me could be reframed as: Why did God choose the bloody sacrifice? Why blood? Why was it necessary that His Son suffer? Why did God "delight" in it? Out of all the things He could've chosen - knowing the end from the beginning - why that? Why not appoint a Holy cow instead? Or even a bloodless propitiation?
I started studying this topic and realized that it wasn't His flesh that He gave as a ransom - it was His soul (Matt 20:28, Mark 10:45), and giving Himself as a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:6). Leviticus tells us that the soul is in the blood. The blood of Christ is a memorial of the power of His death and resurrection. His blood is the tangible evidence, that was poured out for us. And did not return - He was resurrected not flesh and blood, but flesh and bones.
He also was not mere equal, by any means, to any man who would take our place and suffer in our stead... He is the Son of God - no other sacrifice would work. In other words, He did something that we would not even be capable of doing for ourselves. He did not suffer as the innocent in place of the guilty. He was holy and was made sin for us, not as us. He is not a mere substitute, but a mighty Saviour.
So... after all of that realization - I still didn't find my answer... Why did God choose it to be so? Why didn't God choose a Holy cow to be acceptable? Why His Son? Why blood at all?!
That's when I started thinking - and here's what I've come up with so far:
God said:
Lev 17:11 for the soul of the flesh, it is in the blood, and I Myself have assigned it to you to make a propitiatory shelter over your souls on the altar; for the blood, in the soul it makes a propitiatory shelter.
I dunno... the blood seems to speak of our carnality, and the shedding of it. God created carnal man as sons and daughters. In a physical sense, our most valued possession is life - the biggest price to pay is death - in our carnal minds, that is Love to us, but in reality... nothing to Him. Is it just for our benefit of learning, in our carnal minds, in the greatest way that we can understand, as human sons and daughters???
That's kind of the same reason Jesus had to suffer - to teach us what True obedience to our Father looks like...
Can someone take this ball and kick it around a little more? I would really like to get a grip on this question... I hear it from agnostics/atheists all the time, and would like to be able to lay it down better. They like to use it as a defense to not believe in my "Loving" God...
Any more thoughts?
GlenKlein:
--- Quote ---I do not understand this comment? Am I taking this wrong?
Quote by Glenklien:
He did not suffer as the innocent in place of the guilty.
--- End quote ---
I should've elaborated... meaning it wasn't just because He was an innocent man - among guilty men - but because He is above us... (gk: huper) - we are beneath, or not on His level.
For example:
A drowning man in danger of death does not want someone to drown in his place, but one who is strong enough to effect his rescue.
A sinner, seeking salvation from sin, would not seek and equal person to whom he can shift the penalty of his sins. That would mean death without hope of resurrection - The sinner needs One Who can cope with his sins and arise in Triumph over them.
Did that help? Or, am I still confusing?
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