Understanding Christ's Sacrifice

by tec 101 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  streets76

  This whole "sacrifice" thing has always bothered me (as I've posted before).

  It seems to me, when you make a sacrifice, you are actually giving up something that you really want or value. For instance, I might want to go to a much anticipated one-time-only event tonight, but my wife wants to go to a movie. In the interest of marital harmony and my wife’s happiness, I decide to sacrifice my event in favor of her movie. I can never go to that particular event again.
  
  Now Jesus, we are told, gave up (sacrificed) his life as a ransom for our sins. But what did he really give up? He knew he would be raised on the third day, and to an even more exalted position.
  
  Wouldn’t you or I do the same thing?

  But would you or I (or Jesus) agree to make that sacrifice if we knew we wouldn’t be resurrected, that in fact we’d be dead eternally?
• 

  wasblind

  Tammy,

  You are the sweetest, and one of the most lovable posters on this board

  I can feel free to say that even in the mist of us being not in agreement

  on some things. I feel people out by the words that they post and you

  have been consistent in love and kindness in all of your posts. Even though

  we have never laid eyes on each other, and are complete strangers your words

  show where your heart is. Words are a powerful thing no matter what posters

  claim about themselves, their words they write can tell you different.

  I do understand Christ sacrafice, and that he is a good teacher that we should

  take guidance from, all I can say is that old Wuz does the best she can , and even though I fall short

  he understands. Love Wuz
• 

  snowbird

  Tammy, you are such a gem!

  I was thinking earlier this am how the Creator became one of the created in order to redeem His wayward creation!

  Jesus of Nazareth is truly our Model.

  Thanks.

  Syl
• 

  PSacramento

  So very well put Tammy, so very well stated :)

  Regardless of the noice of opinions, and there has always been the noise of opinion and none of the noise is new and regardless of what some have done in His Name to the CONTRDICTION of his teachings, what WE have is the love of our Lord and Saviour as an example of how God wants us to be.

  I love your posts because they speak of the teaching of Christ in the best and only way possible, liek HE preached them- Love, compassion, tolerance and accepteance of ALL, not because we HAVE to or because we are COMMANDED to, but because of the Love of Christ that is in Us.
• 

  tec

  Curtains, thank you. Poignant verse there in Ephesians.

  Designs, , my friend. What I shared wasn't about scripture or doctrines or what church leaders teach or anything like that. Those things can teach me about something. But it was an experience that taught me understanding... and this revealed the truth about the sacrifice, the amends, and the love of Christ for us.

  We've done this before, but I'll repeat... Christ did not advocate hatred for the jews, nor persecution - nor was He the cause of it. People may have done that in later days, but then they must also have missed Christ weeping for Jerusalem, that His disciples and apostles were Jewish, that He asked for forgiveness for them, and that He did indeed love them. (all in the gospels you don't like) They also missed love and mercy being the more important matters of the law. Paul also loved his people, and said that he would have rather been cut off for their sake. He stated clearly that he believe all Israel would be saved. I'm not sure how Mark 12:17 is showing sympathy toward Rome, and anger toward Jerusalem. Maybe you meant a different verse.

  Joey, its hard for me to discuss your points without you providing an example :)

  PS - I don't see the 'non-evidence' of the existence of Christ, and I don't:

  believe that his death was a blood sacrifice to appease a morbid, twisted vengeful god who had an insatiable thirst for blood.

  He carried our sins and made amends for us by doing for us what WE should be doing. That is how I understood it. So that to the point of torture and even death, he forgave us and also asked forgiveness for us from His Father. He took all of our sins/weaknesses onto himself out of love, and then did what we should have been doing but were not were... FOR US.

  Streets - I think because you're looking at it as a tit for tat kind of thing - and perhaps not realizing the time we have here in this life as important? Regardless, it was more like someone saying: "Please put my brother's wrongdoing onto my shoulders... forgive him and let him go his way in peace... and let me make amends for what he has done."

  Was - I hear you, and return your love. We don't have to be in agreement on all things... just remember that love despite those disagreements.

  Syl - love to you also.

  I don't think I missed anyone :) Thank you for all your comments, and taking the time to read.

  Tammy
• 

  tec

  PSac - thank you. Yes, the love of Christ compels those who have... not because it is a command or a rule, but because it is in them.
• 

  sabastious

  Tammy, it's one thing to "take one for the team" as Jesus allegedly did, it's another to demand that we appreciate the gesture as well as devote our lives to him. Him dying for us almost sounds like a bribe to me because Jesus knew he was going to be resurrected and rule the universe.

  -Sab
• 

  sabastious

  I know you are going to say Jesus demands nothing, but I think that is the lie of Christianity. If severe penalties are in order for anyone who chooses not to go along with Jesus, then it's a demand in my book, and a bribe.

  -Sab
• 

  aSphereisnotaCircle

  An the love of our fellow humans compels us towards love, compassion, and tolerence.

  This is simple human nature, no belief in a supernatural being is necessary, no comandments necessary.

  It's simple human love and compassion.

  Tec, I firmly believe that you would be just as loving and compassionate even if you were agnostic.

  I did not stop being loving and comapasionate when I stopped believing in god. I actually feel more responsibilty to my fellow human now then when I believed there was a higher power that had everything under control.
• 

  ProdigalSon

  tec, if you don't see Jesus as a blood sacrifice, then I apologize for insinuating that you did. But you do realize that it makes you something other than an Orthodox Christian, and I certainly have no problem with that.

  You may not see it this way, but I mean no harm when I say there is no evidence for Jesus. I just hate to see good, sincere people doing mind gymnastics trying to make sense out of the incomplete picture we were given. It really does strike a compassionate nerve in me, because I spent DECADES agonizing over it. Why didn't Josephus mention him, a guy who wrote TOMES about insignificant nobodies, except for a one-paragraph known forgery? Why didn't the Essenes mention him in the Dead Sea Scrolls? If he created anywhere near the stir that the Bible says he did, no one outside the alleged Bible writers noticed anything... and that is a fact.

  The point is, the only place that matters if Jesus existed or not is in human consciousness. That's the most effective way for him to return. The New Covenant is written on hearts, not paper.....