The Greatest Love of All

I was preparing my first cup of coffee for the day when my ears picked up that song by Jamie Rivera, Tell The World of His Love. I admit this was one of my favorite religious songs; it even put tears in my eyes whenever I heard this song because of the “powerful” message it conveys.

That was before.

“For God so loved the world
He gave us His only Son
Jesus Christ our Savior
His most precious one”

The story of how god “sacrificed” his only son to save us from our sins is a central belief in Christianity. This story is appealing to many people who see it as the ultimate example of love and god’s goodness. But then again, is it?

I have three problems with Jesus’ crucifixion story; they are the following:

1. Jesus didn’t stay dead, did he?

Sacrificing your life (or your son’s life) could be considered as the greatest love of all, but the problem with the Bible story is that Jesus was resurrected after three days. It’s not even a sacrifice in the same way as those firemen who sacrificed their lives (and the future of their loved ones) whenever they respond to a fire scene. How could we consider it as the ultimate sacrifice when god himself knew that Jesus would rise again after three days? I firmly believe that most people, given the chance, will choose to torture and “kill” their only son to save the entire human race from damnation provided that their son will return in mint condition after three days.

2. He died because of our sin which was supposed to originate from the fall of Adam and Eve.

“Why did god put the tree of knowledge in the garden?”

“Why did he create it (the tree of knowledge) in the first place?”

I remember when I asked this question to a religious group. They replied with “that’s a good question, give us your number, and we’ll text you so that you could attend our worship service and then you can ask our pastor”. Unfortunately, they never contacted me. The story of the origin of sin and the subsequent redemption of Christ is one of the most absurd stories I know. Humans made the mistake of eating the fruit of a tree that god himself put there (and god even introduced it to humans) and he can only forgive us by murdering his son who will eventually rise from the dead.

Ezekiel 18:20 states thatThe person who sins is the one who will die. A son won’t suffer punishment for the father’s iniquity, and a father won’t suffer punishment for the son’s iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him.

3. The crucifixion itself.

God was supposed to be the creator of everything and yet, for some reason, the only way he could think of redeeming us is through the death of his only son. We should kill his son so he could forgive us. Can’t god think of any better (and more humane) way for human redemption? Anyone who watched Mel Gibson’s very graphic movie Passion of the Christ will never take crucifixion lightly again. Calling it murder is an understatement. It is also interesting to note that most people find the ritual sacrifice of animals as terrible and yet they applaud the human sacrifice of the Bible. Can’t god just give us another way? One that doesn’t include murder and blood sacrifice?

37 comments

  1. 1. Q: How could we consider it as the ultimate sacrifice when god himself knew that Jesus would rise again after three days?

    A: Jesus is God incarnate -> Jesus (God) dies for our sins = God dies for his creation (which actually He can careless IF he wanted too) = "Ultimate(GOD)" Sacrifice ("God dying for His own creation, The Creator dying for his stupid creations" 😉

    2: Q: “Why did god put the tree of knowledge in the garden?”

    A: Duh! He is God he can give you 3 eyes if he wants to, He can make AMy Winehouse or Kurt Cobain live again if he wanted to.. He's God! halller?!!!

    Q“Why did he create it (the tree of knowledge) in the first place?”

    A: He is God nga eh kaya He can do whatever He likes…duh!?

    3. Can’t god think of any better (and more humane) way for human redemption?

    A: * He is God so He can do whatever He likes
    * Among He's creation, Humans are His masterpiece (He said it in Genesis that They (God, Jesus Holy Spirit= Trinity) made us from His image..therefore we are "little gods" practically. In the Old Testament, Cows Bulls and goats were sacrificed for the sins of His people in the Old Testament, Jesus died to show us stupid sinful humans His Love and His Judgement:

    His Love: Jesus (lived perfectly) BUT He died UNJUSTLY
    His Judgment: WE humans commited, "Cosmic treason and betrayal" Here comes God giving us ALL the freedom we NEED but then We still WANT things that He did not permit us to do..Just like a child who wants to play with a real gun or matches inside the House..look at it this way: your the child and eden is God's house and God is the father…He told us you can play with your PSP, PS3 or lego BUT NOT with the knives or matches….same thing in the Garden,,,He gave us ALL the freedom but still we disobeyed and for that we betrayed our good Creator therefore We are deserve death..but God is good, He still allowed us, His creation to continue existing, just like any good father, He gave us a chance to repent and turn back to Him, We sin and if we do not repent, I can surely say to you that you will be getting God's judgment… 🙂

  2. Right about the hemlock! But it could have reached rome as any other poison.
    it was the jews who didn't like Jesus…and he was not an emperor! I believe they only stabbed emperors! 🙂

  3. Have you guys forgotten free choice? That Jesus could have said no and run away because as a human being, too, he has that gift?

    You want humane sacrifice for our redemption? HELLLOOO! He was with the Romans!!! "THE" ROMANS!!! The same ones who pitted gladiators for sport, and that would even make UFC pale in comparison! It was the ancient times!!! they didn't have syringes then!!! They treated him as a criminal, you know! Such a punishment was also meant to teach others of the consequences of whatever criminal act was done.

    But then maybe you were thinking that maybe he could have been given hemlock instead….

    • The hemlock bit was a Greek tradition.

      Romans to preferred strangulation, and impromptu backstabbings/executions by the Praetorian Guard and disgruntled members of senate as a way of getting rid of people they did not like 😉

    • Have you guys forgotten free choice? That Jesus could have said no and run away because as a human being, too, he has that gift? <<< that's what the bible says. question is… how authentic is the bible?

      You want humane sacrifice for our redemption? HELLLOOO! He was with the Romans!!! "THE" ROMANS!!!<<< well "WHO" sent jesus to the time and realm of the romans to "die for humanity"?

  4. The greatest love of all is to love yourself.
    In my perspective, god is only a metaphor…when you say i love god, it is just like saying i love myself..god is just in your heart and mind..
    Each person is a god…
    You cannot love anybody unless you love yourself first and foremost..it is like saying , i believe in god (myself).
    I BELIEVE IN MYSELF!

  5. Understanding God would be easier if we had infinite IQ. You need to truly understand the message of the cross. The greatest blogger sin is to write something with limited thinking. I'm a pinoy freethinker but I have my own definition of who freethinker is.

    • "Understanding God would be easier if we had infinite IQ. You need to truly understand the message of the cross. The greatest blogger sin is to write something with limited thinking. I’m a pinoy freethinker but I have my own definition of who freethinker is."

      Interesting, It would be nice if you would explain your arbitrary definition of "free-thinking".

  6. Jesus knew that he will be resurrected ba? If yes, then his sacrifice cannot be considered as one. And If no, i think point number one is contestable. 🙂

    • Luke 18:31-34 (King James Version)

      31Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

      32For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:

      33And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

      34And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

      John 20:9
      9For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

      Luke 24:6-7
      6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’

      • this is what i meant when i wrote: "

        "there are other, very interesting theological issues which come into play here, such as jesus’ death is the fulfillment of the old testament, etc… all interesting stuff…"

      • Thanks! Another question: Alam ba ni Mary his mother that he will be resurrected? Most probably not 'no? Then the real sacrifice came from Mary since she allowed this thing to happen to her only son.

    • Jesus knew that he be resurrected…he told His disciples so before his death. But it won't disqualify his Sacrifice…he bore the sins the world.

      • what a constructive statement

        A statement that can neither be proven, inferred, argued objectively, cleared up by evidence, experimentation, logical premise, and any sources outside bible or authority.

  7. ah, good questions! you are absolutely correct, these are central issues.

    1) there are two elements here. first, jesus was a man (he was also god, which is another issue). an aspect of being man is the abiity to feel pain, fear and have a lack of certainty during dark times — we all have this. doubt happens, and there are many instances in the narrative, where, (and here i'm understating things) wishes he didnt have to die. But he knows he must, and it is in using his freewill to devote himself to his calling that the 'sacrifice' has real human stakes.

    there is another element, separate, and in my opinion more important, ironically poigniant– Jesus is a gift to us.

    in these old religous traditions, religious sacrifice was called for to attone for sins, asking for blessings. the person who wanted attonement was the one who had to take the initiative to ask for these things, and do the painful sacrifice. in the case of jesus, interestingly, the idea is turned on its head. its god who initiated the sacrifice, and its given to us freely. all we need to do is accept it.

    there are other, very interesting theological issues which come into play here, such as jesus' death is the fulfillment of the old testament, etc… all interesting stuff…

    2) its important to know that the garden of eden is a myth-origin story. the eating of the fruit is supposed to symbolize the turning away of man from God's edict. key word is symbolize — meaning, we are always free to turn away from God.

    i think thats a good thing, and shows the fundamental truth that we are free to do what we want to do, reject god or not. hence, the tree (the freedom/opportunity to sin) is always present.

    3) the mode of death is a function of historical times. the fact is, criminals are put to death in most(if not all) places, back then. thats not god's call — its reality. crucifixtion is a fairly brutal way to go, and it was especially brutal in jesus' case, i think, for political reasons.

      • I think God the Father spoke on His behalf when things go uncertain during His earthly living, just believed in His soul and obeyed the commands of His Unseen Almighty Father. All that happened serve its purpose for us to look back to what we did to our God, our brother Jesus especially in the midst of conflict in our present broken community. So His suffering is for us to reflect.

    • Pain and death is not what makes a man. It is uncertainty and knowing that you have no life to live but the one which you posses now; yet in spite of it you make the most daring of decisions without looking back; with no hope of corrections; most especially no certainty of resurrection.

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