30
Sep
2018
Jesus, the Perfect Sacrifice
Someone (who gave me permission to post) wrote to me: “How could Jesus’ sacrifice be sufficient? Here’s what I mean: No matter how terrible his sacrifice was, it was only for a finite period of time, but he paid the price that for me would only be payable by torment for an infinite amount [of] time. How could it have been enough? Thanks.”
Here’s what I wrote in response:
I think I see what you’re saying, but I think it’s crude to conceive of it God wanting a certain amount of suffering/punishment. I acknowledge that some Bible passages, and particularly a lot of sermons based on them, lend themselves to that interpretation.
But changing contexts, you wouldn’t say: “How could one brain surgeon perform more operations than 100 untrained men?”
So, since Jesus was perfect, His sacrifice is more powerful than (say) killing a lamb or even you going to hell for eternity.
But like I said, I think the situation is way more complex than simply, “God wanted some suffering/death, no matter the source of it.”
I now think it’s closer to the truth to say something like, “We distanced ourselves from God with our sin, and Jesus had to allow us to murder Him, to demonstrate that we are truly forgiven and that He is willing to take us back. He let us do the worst thing we could possibly do to Him, and yet He forgave us on the spot.”
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