One Important Question

One Important Question

          “We must remember the reason our Jesus died upon the cross. He died to redeem us from sin.” A statement from the religious section from my newspaper. Is this the message that your church will preach on Easter?  Then we need to analyze why the church believes and teaches this so universally.

          Easter is a day with special religious meaning to Christians. Jesus died a very public death, was buried and resurrected. Easter celebrates everlasting life. Jesus proved that death is not the end but a continuing. Did God send Jesus to shed His blood for our sins or to explain that “God is the God of the Living and not the dead?” Can we examine a few facts? Granted, I am not an expert on the Bible and you don’t want to accept my conclusions without investigation of your own.

          In Genesis Abraham was told to sacrifice his long awaited son Isaac. The knife was raised; when an angel called, “Stop.” Abraham has proved his faithfulness and Isaac’s life was spared.

          The Bible gives very detailed instructions on when and how to conduct a blood sacrifice. Are they God’s orders? The heathen people surrounding the Jews even believed in human sacrifice to appease their idols. Although the Jews were the first to recognize that there is One Almighty God-their children have married into other tribes. Could some of the heather rituals been adopted?

          I use Isaiah 1:11 as my argument. “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifice unto me? Saith the Lord. I am full of burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts, and I delight not in the blood of the bullocks, or of lambs or he goats.” I take this to mean: Stop this foolishness!

          Our Father created a wonderful, beautiful and safe world just for us. I believe our Father sent our brother to show us the right way to live. Jesus kept all God’s laws faithfully. The laws imposed by men He ignored. This is a spiritual world. Jesus turned water into wine. Walked on water, healed the sick and broken hearted, and brought the dead back. All impossible! But natural and normal to spirit. If Jesus thought God demanded blood sacrifice; He would not have gotten so angry in the temple. He overturned the money tables and freed the sacrificial animals.

          The people were shocked and confused. This person defiled and did violence in the temple. Who is this man? Is He Elijah? Beelzebub? A prophet? God in disguise? He tells us our priests are corrupt and our religion flawed. Our forefathers worshiped this way and we won’t change. He has to go before He destroys our belief. 

           I can understand how uneducated and superstitious people could misinterpret the death of Jesus as being the will of God. As being a necessary part of God’s plan to forgive sin. Sacrifice was a way of life and a part of their religion.

          I think that Jesus chose the cross as a public death. The people watched Him die. They knew He was dead! When they saw Him again in His spiritual body, there was no doubt that He had overcome death.

          Isn’t it ironic that 2000 years later, with all out modern technology we are no happier? We will go to Easter Service and accept that our loving Father wanted His son’s blood. To believe that God is to blame for the death of Jesus, in my opinion, distorts and perverts the meaning of Jesus’ life and God’s Love.

          We are God’s children. What made Jesus different was: Jesus was always aware of His spiritual relationship to the Father. His body was beginning to change and become a body of light. The people already thought of Him as a magician and different from them. If Jesus had ascended without a death the people would not understand that death is not what it seems.

          Haven’t we denied ourselves long enough?  The message Jesus brought is still valid. Our Father-Mother-God does not appreciate any sacrifice. Our birthright is the Kingdom of God. Any problem, trouble, illness, unhappiness, is a slap to the face of the Father who gives us everything for our comfort and happiness.

          Jesus was not sent to die. He was sent to declare the unconditional love our Father has for us. The question is: do you believe God needed Jesus’ blood to forgive our sins? Or can you see a truth in my theory?

          754 words         Loretta Ellen Edwards