Should Jesus have fought?

Question

Revisiting the story of "The Passion" today brought about some thoughts that I'd like some answers for. Isn't it said that we should cherish our lives because it is God's gift to us? Isn't it said that we should practice self preservation so we can continue to spread the Word of God? Then, how come Jesus gave up and let them take him away?

I know some will give me some ambiguous quote, but if he had to sacrifice himself to save us, why not in battle or in self defense?

For those of you who believe he shouldn't have practiced self-preservation, I have a second part to this question. Subject line: "Fighting Christians"

Answer 1

I believe in God and I think God is merciful. He had better be for the sake of the billions of people who have created religion in the world to direct people away from God and into social/political/financial organizations (churches) and have used God's name to create hate, war, murder and oppression. God is obvious, Christ could well be the creation of evil men. You do not have to stretch your imagination at all to see that there must be a Supreme Being but you have to take the world of men (who say they are speaking for God??) to follow Christianity. Men put themselves in the way of God and create violent fantasies about God being displeased, vengeful, wanting the death of people who are not Christians (or Muslim). Thats not God, that is the work of evil men and the evil that is organized religion in the world. Churches divert attention away from God to manmade institutions. What if Satan or the devil or evil incarnate decided the best way to keep people away from God is to create organized religion and sell it in the name of God? Believe in God, ignore men who blaspheme God by claiming to speak for him.

Answer 2

Jesus IS God! Even before the begining it was planned that Jesus would die in the cross for us.

Jesus never gave up! He knew that was the reason why he was brought to earth as a man. It was his purpose. Which is why he did not fight or battle. Obviously, if he wanted to he could have just stopped the whole thing.

Answer 3

Jesus didn't give up! He knew he would be with God soon, and he knew that him dying on the cross was the only way for us to be saved. Yes, we as followers of Jesus should practice self preservation, but Jesus had no need to... his purpose was to come to earth, teach, and die for our sins. He knew his purpose, and he knew that he came to die for us. Why would he fight.. Jesus is God, after all.

Answer 4

Jesus came with one purpose and that was to die as the perfect sacrifice needed to satisfy the penalty for sin. He could of called on a host of angels at any time but because of His love for you and I He suffered one of the most horrific beatings and death one can imagine. The atonement for sin could not be won with a battle, but with a sacrifice. Jesus WILL return though with a heavenly army and there WILL be a battle of which the bible tells us He will win.

Answer 5

Jesus had a job to do. As the Great High Priest, it was His function to sacrifice the Paschal Lamb of God (Himself). Nobody murdered Him. He layed His life down, that He might take it up again.

Answer 6

No. Jesus was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. The lamb without blemish given for the sins of all Mankind.

Since there is no other righteous person any person letting someone martyr them without a fight is not an act of sacrifice to God. A sacrifice must be unblemished and all people are blemished by sin.

You really don't know much about Christ, do you?

Answer 7

He fought, but his battle was not with the Romans, the Pharisees, or any flesh and blood enemy. He fought with evil, and he conquered it the only way possible-- with absolute good. Evil had its greatest battle with Jesus on the cross and it got its head crushed. It did its absolute worst to him, but all it could do was kill him for a couple of days. He died, but three days later he rose again invincible to death, to pain, to evil. Everyone who puts their trust in him will be raised again from death--equally impervious to pain, evil, and death. He fought the real battle, the hidden battle. Humans are, by diabolic diversionary tactics, always fighting against themselves instead of taking on the real enemy. It is an effective countermeasure. Jesus himself said, "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than 12 legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?"(Matthew 26:53-54). He was better equipped to defend himself than anyone past, present or future. He called Peter 'Satan' when he said that Jesus would never get killed like that (ibid 16:23). because it was human thinking and not the thought of God. He didn't kill Peter because he said that, but he could easily have, I think (he could raise people from the dead, but killing them, well, even children can do that). But he was not fighting the guys who were coming after him as I said before. He was fighting Evil with a capital 'E' and the only way to do that is with Good with a capital 'G'. He was expecting to be betrayed, brutally beaten, disgraced and cruelly executed, but he knew it was part of the plan. He also knew the resurrection was part of the plan. He was no dummy or simple martyr. He knew the plan of God and that it (and not wiping-out the Roman empire with a bunch of angelic special forces!) would deal the death-blow to the true enemy. In answer to the self preservation question part. If you have faith in the resurrection of God and the plan of God to take care of folks, it doesn't matter. He probably wouldn't let every christian die at the hands of radical 'Muslims' or 'Christian (don't forget the IRA)' extremists. And even if he did, it would probably mean that they had had their chance and that it's not long until the last judgement where Christ, decides who lives (eternally) and dies. It is not our job (as Christians) to decide this. It is our decision to lay down our lives, not to lay down someone elses. And if we believe in the resurrection, we are preserving ourselves. Again Jesus affirms this when he says,"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."(ibid 10:39). There is really no direct biblical support for a Christian to take someone's life. Name one Christian who used violence or killed someone in the New Testament who was not immediately reprimanded by Jesus and you will have a better, theologically speaking, leg to stand on. Soldiers who happen to be Christians, are not fighting for Christ, no matter what they say. They are fighting for their country or another kingdom, but not the Kingdom of God.

Answer 8

Jesus had already prayed about this at Gethsemene. He asked God if the cup (the events soon to unfold) could pass from Him to let it, but then He submitted Himself to God's Will. Remember that Jesus came to do exactly what He did, and even in asking for the cup to pass, He was not asking not to die, but rather not to have God turn His back on Him. No one took Jesus' life from Him, He gave it willingly. No one gave His life back to Him, He reclaimed it of His own will. Remember that Peter pulled a sword and attacked the soldiers and Jesus stopped him and healed the one soldier Peter has injured. Can you imagine the impact the Church could have if we all had the strength of faith to submit ourselves as fully to God's will as Jesus did in that moment? A similar question was asked of Him while He was on the cross. "If you are the Christ, free yourself and us as well." But, while He could have called down a legion of angels to not only rescue Him, but also to smite those who were doing it to Him, He said (and this is truly remarkable, by the way) "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Amazing love, how can it be that Thou my God wouldst die for me??"

Answer 9

God is Love. Eternal Ultimate Truth is Love. Jesus came to reunite the human race with God and to show up how to live here on earth. He died as He lived. He did not save Himself.. he taught us by His passion and death how to go on Loving and the result of Loving. The deeper, ancient "magic" of Harry Potter is the same... Love. That is what all truth is about. Just "Love one another, as I have Loved you."

Answer 10

Many Jews thought before and gentiles today are like Judas. They expected Christ's reign to be worldly and since he's not, they don't believe in him...

Christ did "fight for his life" He called out in prayer to "let the cup pass from me."

However a display unmatched strength our society believes that we need to physically stand up for ourselves and fight but many don't know that the strongest position anyone can take is on our knees in prayer. And Christ as a faultless man sacrificed for all.

Christ did what no one expected and the result to everyone including me is unprecedented- "Christ in me is to live, to die is to gain."