Did God really give his only begotten son?

Question

If heaven is the ultimate destination for Christians, and if after death Jesus wound up in heaven with his father, then what did God sacrifice? I could understand if Jesus died on the cross and went to hell for our sins. Now, that would be a sacrifice. But to wind up in a destination that everyone is trying to get to anyway, sorry I don't get it. Another thing I don't understand is a religion that promises everlasting life, and yet its most sacred symbol is a dead man hanging on a stick. I'm supposed to take such a religion seriously?

Answer 1

What did God give up....I know you will probably not even bother reading this but..here goes.

Imagine for just one moment that someone you love and has been with you for millions of years is suddenly...non-existent. True, Jeus was only dead for a few days, but for those few moments, he was gone. That doesn't include what happened before he died. Imagine watching someone you love being tortured, spit upon, beat... for one moment, step out side yourself and put yourself there and try to imagine what that would be like. Having the power to stop it, but at the same time having to let it happen inorder to help others. God has feelilngs and emotions. I am sad for you that you have never had the opportunity or wanted the opportunity to get to know the true God.

Jesus didn't have to come to the earth. He chose to. It is so frustrating that humans always think it is all about them. There is an issue that is way bigger than us. It was more than just our sins that was involved. It has to do with God's sovereignty.
Satan challanged God's right to rule in the Garden of Eden. He challanged humankind's integrity in the book of Job. When Jesus died a faithful human, he proved that a human could remain faithful to God. Adam just had to leave one tree alone. Jesus suffered immense pain. But by doing this he did buy back our opportunity to have life and to be reconciled to God.

As far as the cross goes. The Bible refers to Jesus dying on a stake or a tree. Romans often put individuals to death on posts having no crossbars. The Cross is a pagan symbol.

Now with all of that in mind. If you want to take a religion seriously, click on the following link and read why you can believe in the resurrection of Jesus.
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2001/3/15/article_01.htm

Answer 2

The way we look at it, Heaven is the ultimate destination to get to, something we can only dream about. The sacrifice of God was not his death, although that was part of it. His sacrifice was choosing not to be God for a period of time. Christian theology holds that the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) are all separate but at the same time make up the same God. Its weird and hard to understand even if you've spent some time studying it, so don't get hung up there. But imagine being God, all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere and deciding to inhabit a human body for 30 years. You leave being praised 24/7 to be, for a while, just a face in the crowd, and then the object of hate for the exact people you stepped out of heaven to bring to yourself. The sacrifice didn't have to be eternal for it to still be valid.

As for the cross thing, picking a bad symbol doesn't define the truth in the religion any more than if you're favorite sports team were to redesign their logo to something you hated. You might hate the logo, but you'd probably still like the team. The cross represents different things to different people...some sacrifice, some Christ's triumph, all that good stuff. And I don't think the symbol is necessarily sacred, at least with all the uses anymore. Walking into most stores which sell to high school and college kids and you'll find some necklaces with crosses on them.

Also remember this though: the emphasis on heaven is something we've focused on. Being humans, death is a huge thing for us and so we focus on things relating to it, but it isn't the point of Christianity. One of the most used questions when a Christian witnesses is "If you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven?" but if you were to have asked Paul, author of most of the New Testament that he probably would have given you a funny look and been like "Yeah, but why are you worried about that?" Most of Christ's teachings and the other teachings in the Bible are about how to live our lives in relation to other people and to God. Christ came to bring us into a relation with God, not just when we die and go to heaven. That's when the relationship will be perfected. But the relationship is now. That's what Jesus was concerned about, and what he gave up all the majesty of being God for. He was concerned with our lives and everything that happens in it.

Answer 3

here's a question for you: Would it be easy for you to give up the life of your baby to a bunch of murders... even though you know that baby would be going to heaven? We didn't deserve having Jesus being sacrifice for us, we are all sinners. Do you really think God enjoyed watching He's only son be sacrifice for
us, Only love could of cause such a sacrifice. You know God created us... you and I, how do you think He feels when He sees the very people He created say... there is no God! See the very ones He created take His name in vain, persecute the ones who decide to believe. God sent His Son and we rejected Him! God as shown more mercy then any human being could every give. It's a great wonder, why He just didn't wipes out from the face of the earth. I thank God for His mercy and grace for sending His only Son, now I can be forgiven and my life changed to the point wear I can please God, because He deserves it!!! AS for the symbol, I guess it reminds people what He's done for us. I have to agree it not appealing because He was risen from the dead... that's were our VICTORY'S at. Once again we are only human, forgive us!

Answer 4

Well, first of all it is a good thing to question things around us.
The idea of sacrifice is an ancient idea that many people used to do prior to Christianity. That does not make it correct.

I believe that this idea seeped into Christianity and there is really no need for it to be there. If we go along the idea of sacrifice, what did Jesus actually sacrifice his life for? Was it for all human beings’ sins? In that case we can all go ahead and sin all we want and there is no need for religion to guide our life. Also the idea of sacrifice assumes that God cannot and will not forgive us when we repent. So why do we repent and ask God to forgive our sins?

Whichever way you look at it, there is no logical sense to it. Well, some people will say it does not have to be logical or make sense; it is a matter of belief. I say to them that God created the human being and the human mind and intelligence. God will not ask us to believe in a concept that is in total contradiction to our logic and intellect and we cannot ignore our mind and intellect in such fundamental issue.

Answer 5

God sacrificed an innocent blood for guilty sinners. Jesus did go to Hell for 3 days and rose on the 3rd day. Religion is man made. Take God seriously. Some Christians don't see the cross as a sacred symbol. Jesus is our focus with holes in his hands and feet resurrected with all power in his hands

Answer 6

The sorrow in your question, is that even if given an adequate and serious answer, you would not take it seriously, simply by the tone of your statement. Because if you knew a fraction of what you thought you might know then you would know that Christ did go to hell for our sins and that a perfect Deity leaving heaven to take on the sins of humanity is beyond our understanding and that Christianity, true Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with that very Deity.

Answer 7

Jesus did go to hell, for three days, but because He was God, it could not hold Him. You want others to do your work for you, don't you? It's like having to write a book report and instead of reading it, you ask someone else who already did. And what you end up with is the same thing,...someone Else's opinions and perspectives on what they read. Get the facts for yourself, go read the bible once through so you can speak from a position of knowledge and not wear your lack of it on your sleeve like that.

But this will tell us about you now will it not? You said in your statement that you could understand if Jesus died on the cross and went to hell for our sins. Now I've told you, He did. And the bible says so also. Now, do you really understand that, or was that just your attempt to justify yourself as an earnest inquirer when in fact your goal of baiting Christians into useless debate is quite obvious. Which kind of makes me the goober for even taking the time to reply to your question, now doesn't it!

P.S.
Outstanding, Sabrina S. well done!

Answer 8

You think Christ's sacrifice on the cross was in vain and that people could've got into Heaven without Christ? You're seriously mistaken. First of all, there would be NO Christians if Jesus didn't die on the cross. Secondly, God says the only way to Him is through Christ. "There is NO other name under Heaven by which men can be saved, except the Lord Jesus Christ." That's a verse from the Bible. It speaks for itself. Christ's death wasn't in vain.

Answer 9

God came to earth to be born of a virgins birth and be his only begotton son Jesus ( in the flesh) you don't think Jesus was sacrificed? He was beat, spit on, unbelieved, scorned, nailed to a cross ....because he CHOSE TO....for us, and it is our choice to accept his love and sacrifice, or not. Free will, people. Anytime they ( God, Jesus) wanted to stop any of it they could have but because they loved us they did what was done. Yes, Jesus went to heaven, but he sacrificed leaveing there to become man in the flesh to teach and be hurt in all ways for our sins. The 3 days Jesus was "dead" in was in hell, but he over came " death, satan, hell " that is where everlasting life part comes in. he defeated death, rose from the dead in the flesh on the 3rd day as promised and 40 days later ascended into heaven with witnesses watching. There is no hope, except in the hope of Jesus Christ.

Answer 10

The ultimate sacrifice was for Jesus to die on the cross. Do you have any idea what that is like? It was & is the most horrific way to die imaginable. And Jesus did die, but he defeated death so we (who believe o him) can live eternally.
And the whole Jesus on the cross thing - I personally don't go w/ that either. But it was deffinatelt significate. But He is not dead now. He is very much alive in heaven preparing a place for His believers.