Was Jesus' death really a sacrifice?

Question

Why did God sacrifice himself to himself (Jesus is God remember - the Trinity)?

Jesus knew he would get his life back. Is it really a sacrifice if you know you will get it back?

Two things:

1. Jesus didn't suffer any more than anyone else who was ever crucified.
2. How can the suffering of Jesus who is God - an infinite all powerful being compare to the suffering of finite humans? By this I mean what is agony to us would be nothing to a God.

Answer 1

If you believe Jesus is God, then no.

Yes, it was immensely painful, I'm sure, but it's not like there haven't been people who have felt worse physical pain for little to no reason. Consider torture. Furthermore, the feeling of having everyone turn his back on you is not accurate, since many people were greatly upset by his sacrifice but did nothing because that is what he INSTRUCTED them to do.

Consider my final point as the most important:

God is an omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent being and has been around forever just as he will continue to be. Is it really a big deal if you give up 3 days (or even 30 years, though it's not like every moment of his life was suffering, you fools), of that when you know you're going to get it all back? We don't really understand the infinite, but neither 3 days nor 30 years is even noticeable in eternity. And, unlike humans, he would be returning to his state of power and knowledge.

If you say it was a sacrifice because he didn't have to do it, I say that whatever God does is something God has to do by his own nature. Even if you don't agree with that, in order to consider God infinitely loving and merciful, God would have to perform this act.

Of course, if you believe Jesus is not God, this problem goes away... though I don't really see how one man's sacrifice can save billions upon billions of souls.

Answer 2

I am not a religious person and I don't know much of the bible either. What I know is that the sacrifice God has given us is that He went to our level which is to be a man. I believed that Jesus, as a Man, knew what will happen to Him but He never planned what will happen to Him. As a God He has the power to change the future events but He never did. He let Himself to suffer and die in the cross just to save us all from our sins. And to you my friend, this is not a sacrifice, it is a GREAT SACRIFICE.

Answer 3

It was a sacrifice because he had to leave a perfect heaven to come here and live among us. Although he suffered greatly, the real suffering was separation from God the Father when all of the weight of the world's sin was placed upon him at the cross at the time of His death. There have only been two blood supplies on the earth - ever - the one that Adam passed along to all of us (we get our blood type from our fathers), and the one that was created at the immaculate conception, which was pure and holy. God requires a holy sacrifice to buy our pardon.

Answer 4

Yes, Think about it. He was God in a human body and he loves everyone on earth so much that he would die by his own creations hands. Jesus didn't have to die and take that pain for us, he did it out of love. Also, it isn't the death or the abuse that was the sacrifice it was the fact that God had to turn away from Jesus, because of the sin he carried on himself. That was the true sacrifice, that an inocent God would take the sin of his creation.

Answer 5

His sacrifice was leaving the glory of Heaven to come to earth as a man of humble means, dedicate himself to ministering to others, then experience physical pain that we cannot imagine. Not to mention that all the while the people who He loved enough to do this for taunted and rejected Him all the while. Imagine a child that you loved without limits and nurtured and strove to give the best to running away to do drugs, prostitution, etc. Now multiply that pain times about a zillion to even try to comprehend how Jesus must have felt that the people that He interacted with in person would still reject Him because of their own pride or devotion to sinful lifestyles. Do you think that being tortured is not a big deal if you live through it because your body will heal, so essentially you "get it back?"

Answer 6

God is Spirit. Jesus was God manifested in the flesh so that we could see Him and touch Him and so that he could die in our place for the penalty of sin that was upon our heads. The sacrifice was coming to earth and doing just that. There is a song that says "He didn't have to do it but He did." He died so that you and I would not have to die an eternal death. He did know that if He was obedient in the flesh that He would get His life back and that you would get yours as well if you believed upon Him. It is a great mystery to some but when the Spirit of God reveals this truth unto you it is not a mystery anymore.

1 Tim. 3:16 (KJV)
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Answer 7

the trinity is the father,the son, and the holy spirit. God is the father he created his son in his image as we all were created. God's sacrifice was that he sent his son to die for us.Jesus's sacrifice was his life so that we may have eternal life. yes Jesus knew what his purpose was on this earth and he knew it was temporary. and yes it is sacrifice that Jesus would endure pain hate and so much disgrace for us if you don't call that sacrifice i don't know your meaning of sacrifice.
sacrifice is when you let go or allow thing to take place before you.

Answer 8

It is also connected with the shedding of blood. And indeed he did die, and the resurrection being the proof of his claim to be the Son of God, and indeed God Himself.

It was to reconcile mankind to Himself, seeing as God does not compromise with sin, and only a life could pay the penalty for sin.

So He died so that you and I could live. Do not count the blood of Christ a trivial thing. He also suffered greatly before and during the crucifixion.

Answer 9

I do not consider that "loss of life" used to be supposed to be the sacrifice, however alternatively the pain by the hands of the Sanhedrin and the Romans, the bodily affliction of the crown, the pass, and the crucifixion. Having loss of life being the sacrifice sends the incorrect message, as loss of life is meant to be a unlock from existence, and pain, and into a lifetime of peace, and probably that complete everlasting existence bit; and now not a punishment, or anything to be feared.

Answer 10

Someone had to die that justice would be served. God is just and merciful. In order to be just, there had to be payment. In order to be merciful, He was the one who paid it.

As far as sacrifice...

He spent three days seperated from the Father. Imagine the best possible relationship you can have that has lasted for eternity before the moment. You are absolutely one with the other person.

Now, you have to be seperated from them. It's like removing a part of yourself.

He also had to go through the humiliation of the death. This is the God who created all things, and for whom all things were created. He had to take on human form (quite a limitation) and go through mortal death.

Imagine transforming yourself into a worm, and allowing the other worms to kill you so that they will be saved from destruction, knowing that most of them will reject your sacrifice and die anyway.

Sounds like sacrifice to me.