If Jesus’ death was a sacrifice, it can only atone for sins committed
before his death. High priests don’t atone for future sins.
I often ask fellow Christians if our sins are forgiven or if they are
paid for. Did Jesus die for our sins or do we need to repent? Most
say it is both, but it cannot be. If our sins are forgiven, nobody
needs to pay for them. But if our sins are paid for, then we don’t need
to be forgiven. If I owe a man one thousand naira and Jesus pays my
debt, then I was not forgiven the debt. Indeed, if Jesus died for our
sins then God never forgave anyone.
Jesus teaches about repentance and the forgiveness of sins. But Paul
talks about blood payment for sins. Whose report should we believe?
Most Christians disagree with Jesus. Jesus says God does not desire
sacrifices. (Matthew 9:13). But Paul says Jesus sacrificed himself to
God for us. (Ephesians 5:2). Whose report should we believe? Most
Christians disagree with Jesus. Nevertheless, we say Jesus is “the
author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2).
Good Shepherd
Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life
for the sheep.” (John 10:11). This statement is often mistaken as
indicating that Jesus will die as a sacrifice for sins. However, since
the ways of God are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8); the good shepherd must
not be confused with the typical shepherd. Indeed, the life of the good
shepherd is a deliberate anti-type of the Mosaic sin-sacrifice.
In the typical sacrifice, the life of the sheep is sacrificed for the
shepherd. But Jesus contradicts this by saying he is the shepherd who
gives his life for the sheep. Obviously, this cannot be about dying for
the sheep for the simple reason that a dead shepherd is of no use to
his sheep. On the contrary, Jesus is talking about living for the
sheep. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep by devoting his
eternal life to taking care of them. Without a doubt, it is far more
difficult to live for the sheep than to die for them. Indeed, when you
give your life for someone, you don’t have to die.
Jesus’ crucifixion was a one-time event, but his priesthood as our
shepherd is everlasting. Jesus did not say “the good shepherd will give
his life for the sheep.” Instead, he talks in the present continuous
because he is “the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews
13:8). “The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” This shows
Jesus is not talking about Calvary. Jesus remains our shepherd today
and he is still giving his life for us. The enemy decided to kill the
shepherd so that the sheep would scatter. (Zechariah 13:7). However,
God countered this by raising him from the dead, showing that this
shepherd cannot be sacrificed or killed.
Surrendered life
Jesus teaches that physical life is inconsequential. He says: “Do
not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”
(Matthew10:28). Therefore, the life he lays down cannot be the
inconsequential life. It must surely be the spiritual life. Hear him:
“My Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to
lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” (John 10:17-18).
This shows the life Jesus laid down is not his physical life, as many
Christians presume in the sacrificial atonement fallacy. The physical
life was taken from Jesus against his will. When he was to be crucified
by men, he said to God: “Not my will, but yours be done.”(Luke 22:42).
However, no one took his divine (eternal) life from him. He
voluntarily relinquished this in order to take up a mortal life on
earth.
This shows the cross of Jesus was fundamentally his incarnation. His
cross was in laying down his life in heaven in order to come to earth
as a man to show us the way of salvation. After his earthly death and
resurrection, he took up again his heavenly life.
Ransom not sacrifice
Before Jesus went to the cross, he says to his disciples: “Love each
other as I have loved you.” He then describes his love for them as
laying down his life: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay
down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13). This love was
expressed in the past; before his crucifixion. Therefore, Jesus’
definition of laying down his life has nothing to do with dying on the
cross. It is about loving others and living a life of service for them.
The laying down of life that Jesus talks about cannot be about
Calvary because he asks his disciples to lay down their lives also.
Surely, it cannot be said that he was requiring them to die also as
sacrifices for sins, especially since misguided Christian doctrine says
Jesus laid down his life once for all. (Hebrews 10:10).
Furthermore, Jesus says to his disciples: “Whoever wants to become
great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must
be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28).
This injunction is further proof that the doctrine of Jesus has
nothing to do with sacrifices for sins. Jesus says he gives his life as
a ransom. However, a ransom is fundamentally different from a
sacrifice. A ransom is not paid as atonement for sins but for the
release of captives. It is not given to God but to kidnappers.
Kidnappers are evil, but God is righteous. Ransoms are paid by the
innocent, but sacrifices are given by the guilty.
If Jesus’ death was a sacrifice, it can only atone for sins committed
before his death. High priests don’t atone for future sins. However,
if Jesus’ life is seen correctly as a ransom, its lessons remain
relevant even to those of us born after his death.
Fear of death
Satan holds men captive through our love of life. We sin as we try
to save our lives. Therefore, Jesus warns: “Whoever wants to save his
life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”
(Matthew16:25). Jesus ransomed captives with his life by allowing
himself to be killed; only to rise from the dead. Thereby, he exposed
the counterfeit of death by demonstrating that our fear of death is
baseless.
Hebrews says: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared
in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds
the power of death- that is, the devil- and free those who all their
lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” (Hebrews 2:14-15).
The Good Shepherd lays down his life and takes it up again.
Therefore, we can now confidently lay down our lives, without fear of
losing our lives. Thanks to Jesus: “Our soul has escaped as a bird from
the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.”
(Psalms 124:7).
By Femi Aribisala
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