Next week we observe the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christians now represent over 1700 million. Yet, Muslims, Jews, and atheists represent more or about the same number as Christians.

Assume there is no Ch. 53 of Isaiah (which details Jesus death). How could you respond to them that Jesus died for the sins of the world?

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), April 11, 2003

Answers

Bupmp!

-- Mr. Bump (bumpity@bumpitybump.com), April 12, 2003.

In Genesis we see a self-less God create all that is and say that it was good.... But man turned away from God's goodness and became selfish - wanting to be like God but on his own terms...

Everything after that is either the story of men continuing to turn away from the path of life out of selfishness or of turning away from self-interest by sacrificing something dear to their hearts - including their freedom, security, and even lives...

We also see from the begining that worship of God from Cain and Abel included this element of sacrifice - of offering something in lieu of self-emptying of showing through WORKS that one BELIEVED that God was our ultimate Good and that we owed HIM OUR LOVE AND ALL OUR WORKS...

Thus an economy of worship was set up in which man offered sacrifice to God - exterior at first and then through the prophets also interior sacrifice and offerings of our hearts, minds, imaginations, desires, etc. (You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, etc...)

In Jesus God shows us the ultimate sacrifice - the ulimate example of how man is to empty himself for God. In Jesus man is shown by a man that self-sacrifice is not evil, is not something to be feared - as Adam feared in the garden, but something to be embraced out of love.

But there is another dimension. Sin.

Man first began offering sacrifices after the original sin. Sacrifice was part of the antidote and healing of sin - that turning away from God and inwards towards selfishness. But no sacrifice could "make up for" the injustice Man and Woman did to God's goodness... an infinite sin can only be healed by an infinite sacrifice... thus humankind was stuck in a cycle of only being able to "play around" to make do with what they had, to give the best they had...it was imperfect but it was at least a preparation for God's Son's sacrifice.

He took away the sin of the human race and won for us the graces needed for personal healing in our times and He gave us the example of how to live and how to die out of love and not fear of God.

-- Joe (joestong@yahoo.com), April 12, 2003.

why did Jesus have to die?

- God hates sin - God is perfect justice and sin must be punished - the "penalty" is the death of the sinful soul - but God loves us, sinners included - and to be with Him, we must be sinless - He therefore made the perfect self-sacrifice - of His own freewill, He sent His only Son to die for our Sins - the horrific physical nature of this death is part of its perfection

-- Ian (ib@vertifgo.com), April 12, 2003.

My own two cents worth is that Jesus Christ of all the known prophets in religions was the first and only to state " I am FROM AND OF the Father.

All other prophets stated they were OF God. Big difference indeed I feel.

-- jean bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), April 13, 2003.

Jesus was also the only man in human history to demonstrate that he was God, by spending his life on earth doing things only God could do.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), April 13, 2003.

as were are hoping to persuade Jews and Muslims, we cannot not rely upon the NT, nor the rest of our Church's teaching --> because Jews and Muslims erroneously view Jesus Christ as a prophet only.

-- Ian (ib@vertifgo.com), April 13, 2003.

Thanks Joe, Ian, Jean , and paul for your input.

This question has always followed me. I was reminded of it now that the USA invaded Iraq to dislodge the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Many innocent iraqis had to die to remove that evil man.

I remember at the age of 7 looking at a bloody Jesus and asking my mother the meaning: for the sins of the world. My question then and always has been why the innocent have to die for the sins of the wicked.

I remember in reading Exodus 13, about the passover lamb that it had to be umblemished. Maybe that was why God couldn't accept sacrifices from us sinners, since our bodies and our hands , and our thoughts are not pure before him.

-- Elpidio gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), April 14, 2003.

Jesus died because sin no matter how small has separated us from God. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. Since God loved man despite their sin and disobedience God had no choice but to find a human sacrifice, a sinless, spotless lamb. Only God's son was acceptable before a Holy and Righteous God. Therefore He sent Jesus to the earth as a baby who would grow to become a man.

This same man Jesus and one purpose and that was to die in place of sinfilled man. But even though Jesus died many refuse this free gift of salvation. Ony by confessing your sins with your mouth and believing that Jesus died on the cross according to Romans 10:9,10 gain you receive eternal life. The Pope, the Catholic church or a priest cannot not save you. The ball is in your court. What will you do choose life or death. There is no in between. Your either committed 100% to Jesus or your following the God of this world which is satan.

-- Stephen Winter (shortwave1@yahoo.com), May 05, 2003.

Jesus cares for you. Jesus died because sin no matter how small has separated us from God. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. Since God loved man despite their sin and disobedience God had no choice but to find a human sacrifice, a sinless, spotless lamb. Only God's son was acceptable before a Holy and Righteous God. Therefore He sent Jesus to the earth as a baby who would grow to become a man.

This same man Jesus and one purpose and that was to die in place of sinfilled man. But even though Jesus died many refuse this free gift of salvation. Ony by confessing your sins with your mouth and believing that Jesus died on the cross according to Romans 10:9,10 gain you receive eternal life. The Pope, the Catholic church or a priest cannot not save you. The ball is in your court. What will you do choose life or death. There is no in between. Your either committed 100% to Jesus or your following the God of this world which is satan.

-- Stephen Winter (shortwave1@yahoo.com), May 05, 2003.

Jesus fulfilled the covenant.

-- OperaDiva (solosoprano@juno.com), May 05, 2003.

"The Pope, the Catholic church or a priest cannot not save you."

Stephen, this is precisely where you are wrong. ALL salvation is through the Church that was founded by Jesus 2,000 years ago, and that was led by St Peter and now by John Paul II.

if you are hoping to achieve salvation by some means of your own making (an embracing definition of protestantism, btw), you are on a very sticky wicket to say the least.

-- Ian (ib@vertifgo.com), May 06, 2003.

But Stephen,

If you are committed 100% to Jesus, you obey Him. Jesus said He was building a Church. (Matt 16:18) I repeat - A Church, not a system of thousands of conflicting manmade denominations. Jesus stressed that there was to be ONE Church, teaching in unity. (John 17:21) He commanded that ONE Church to make disciples of all people, indicating His will that all people would belong to the ONE Church He Himself founded. (Matt 28:19) The Word of God identifies that ONE Church as "the pillar and foundation of truth". (1 Tim 3:15). You claim to be 100% committed to Jesus, and yet you read what He said about His Church and your membership in it, and then reject His teaching in favor of a manmade tradition.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), May 06, 2003.

Hi Elpido I presume you mean that collectively Muslims Jews and atheists represent more or about the same number of Christians.

Not bad going for a religion where by something as incredibly "unbelievable" as God allowing his only son to die as a criminal is its center point. Lets face it wouldn’t have been my first choice as a best sell option if I was God!Hmmmm Jesus throwing lightening bolts around killing all the Romans and showing us all how mighty he is (re America in Iraq!) but that’s not what our faith is all about is it! But you’re very well read I'm sure you understand the centrality of salvation to our faith, which is why I find this question a bit strange from you. Were you making some other point I missed or were you just after some good responses to help convince people of this? Again at the risk of sounding like a broken record Id recommend "Crossing the threseholfd of hope" by Pope John Paul II.The man is incredible.

Heres the statsistics on world religions for anyone intrested

http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html

God Bless

-- Kiwi (csisherwood@hotmail.com), May 06, 2003.

I think that is the central point, Kiwi. You answered yourself.

No one forces you to be a Christian. There is no incentive to be one. It is the injustice committed against Jesus which moves people to embrace Christianity.

As Christians we know about the atoning blood of Jesus and God's grace. But if we were not Christians, and we believe in Justice and love, then Christianity would be the choice.

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), May 08, 2003.

Elpidio: It is not as an incentive to us Christ atones for sin.

It's our sin which keeps away God's grace, without which we can't be saved.

Jesus died as a sacrifice for sin; and we turn to Him because only He atones for it. No one would become a Christian if he were not a sinner.

If there were no Ch. 53 of Isaiah, sin would still have to be atoned for. The Paschal Lamb of Exodus prefigured Him; He is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. There are many other signs in the Old Testament pointing to Him. Isaias is one of them; but even there, Jews see no connection. Right now they believe in a day of atonement. But man can't atone. Only God can; because the Infinitely Holy is only pleased in the Infinitely Holy Sacrifice. This is Jesus, Who came to be True Man and True God; for our salvation.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), May 08, 2003.