Monday Night 2-04-2002
Was the Death of ‘Jesus’ A Valid Sacrificial Offering?
The Declaration
Often Christian missionaries assert that if we do not accept J.C. as our lord and savior, we are doomed to hell because we cannot have our sins forgiven by YHWH.
Rationalizing they claim that the only way to have one's sins expunged is through the blood of a sacrificial offering so therefore, since there is no Temple standing in Jerusalem and has not been since the year 70 C.E. no sacrifices can be offered.
They therefore tell us the only way to have our sins covered of is by this sacrificial death of J.C.
They maintain that our Almighty Father, YHWH sacrificed His ‘son’ to demonstrate His great love for us and by this human sacrifice, we are freed from the bondage of sin.
The Reality
I would like for us to focus on the issue of whether the death of J.C. even meets the requirements of a sacrificial offering as defined in Tanakh. Remember at the time J.C. was to have lived on this earth, there was no such thing as a ‘new testament’. Therefore the proper place to look for answers is Tanakh. (called the old testament by christians)
YHWH says specifically and emphatically, He will do nothing unless He
announces it first by His prophets.
Amos 3:7
7 Surely YHWH, Elohiym will do nothing, but He reveals his secret to his servants, the prophets.
We have discussed before the question of whether only sacrifices can atone for one's sins. We saw how, in the absence of the Temple in Jerusalem, sins may be eliminated without the shedding of blood.
Therefore, we ask ourselves, could J.C. have served as a legitimate sacrifice and could his death act as a valid sacrificial offering for the atonement of sin?
To address this question, we need to recognize and accept the fact that, at the time of J.C.’s death, there was a Temple standing in Jerusalem and the Tanakh was the only Scripture.
Now let us compare some of the claims about the death of J.C. from the New Testament . Quotes will come from [KJV] when quoting from the New Testament.
Section 1
:Matthew 27:35
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them,
and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
Mark 15:24
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon
them, what every man should take.
Luke 23:33
And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they
crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the
left.
John 19:18,23
(18) Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one,
and Jesus in the midst.
(23) Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
The Law of Sacrifice in Leviticus specifies that the animal brought as a sin sacrifice must be slaughtered by the person who is offering it.
Leviticus 4:27-29
(27) And if any one of the common people sins through ignorance, when he does
something against any of the commandments of YHWH concerning things which ought
not to be done, and is guilty;
(28) Or if his sin, which he has sinned, comes to his knowledge; then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin, which he has sinned.
(29) And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay
the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.