Jesus Did Not Come to Save Our Sins
The real reason will startle — and comfort — you
We Christians all know the stock answer. Parents, Sunday School teachers, pastors, theologians, and music stars have provided it to us.
“Jesus’s purpose was to live a sinless life that would serve as a substitute for our sins so that we might go to heaven.”
I believe the real answer to Jesus’s purpose is something different — hidden in plain sight.
“Okay, Mr. Smarty-pants, what is your heretical explanation?”
Jesus came to validate God’s Kingdom.
The one subject that Jesus most spoke about was the Kingdom of God.
“So what did Jesus mean regarding God’s kingdom?”
God’s kingdom has a king — Jesus — who reigns over his people.
In Jesus’s kingdom, new ways supersedes traditional. Old rules are laid aside. Love becomes the “new wine.” And miracles restore and rescue people.
Jesus wanted people to know the good news regarding His kingdom.
“So what exactly is Jesus’s good news?”
All people are welcome in His kingdom.
Jesus came to call the “sinners” and marginalized — not merely the self-righteous. All are welcome. In fact, Jesus was known as “a friend of sinners.” Yet, those who are rule-police and unwilling to hang out with the messies, will by definition not be accompanying Jesus.
“Well, how did Jesus get this good news out to the masses?”
Jesus taught everywhere about His good news and provided numerous signs (miracles) that demonstrated what His kingdom was like.
Jesus taught parables that showed that His kingdom is like a precious pearl that one finds (and then forfeits everything else). Also, the kingdom is like yeast or a mustard seed — it starts small but magically expands. Furthermore, the kingdom is like seeds sprayed around; some produce good fruit, others do not. The kingdom is also like a field with good wheat but weeds intermixed — but they will eventually be separated.
Another method that Jesus used to demonstrate what His kingdom is like was to perform miraculous signs. Jesus taught that one can see clearly in His kingdom — and thus, he brought sight to blind people. Furthermore, Jesus healed the sick and the disabled; in His kingdom, there will be no afflictions. Also, Jesus cast out demons, indicating that demons have no place in His kingdom. And, of course, Jesus brought the dead back to life — multiple times. The significance? There is no death in Jesus’s kingdom.
“Why was Jesus killed?”
So that He could be a scapegoat.
Jesus became the scapegoat for the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate. Their execution decision was a power grab by the leaders of their respective tribes. The Sanhedrin needed to maintain control and power over the Jews in their area. Pilate needed to keep peace in his Roman territory. At a humanistic, secular level, Jesus was the perfect scapegoat for that exact moment in history.
“But where does sin come into this story? Surely, Jesus died to save humans from the consequences of their sins, right?”
No. Jesus is most concerned about love, not sin.
Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus declare that He came to remove sins from people. Jews already had a clear, useable system for exonerating people from their sins. First, they could repent to the person to whom they sinned. Also, they could confess to their rabbi. And, of course, the people could bring an animal to be sacrificed — especially during the holy seasons.
In short, people already knew how to cleanse themselves from sin.
“Well then, what about the fact that Jesus pardoned the sins of people whom He associated?
Jesus did not have to die to save people from their sins. He did so while He was alive.
Jesus forgave people’s sins so that they would know that He is the Son of Man who has authority on earth to forgive sins.
“But sin is a really big deal to God, right? We humans are supposed to avoid sin!”
Jesus emphasized love, not sin.
To sin is to “miss the mark.” The bullseye is to love others in Jesus’s way. Jesus repeatedly told people that to love others fulfills every command, Law, and rule. And Jesus taught us that if we wanted to know what love looks like, we could ask ourselves how we want to be treated or look at Jesus’s example of loving others.
Jesus does not fret when someone sins. Rather, Jesus points the person to love as the better alternative — and gives them another chance to love properly.
Sin is not the issue — loving others is.
“But certainly, we must have our sins forgiven to get into Heaven, right?”
Loving like Jesus is the entrance exam.
Jesus repeatedly invited people to follow Him. Jesus then taught them about the kingdom plus provided miraculous signs that represented what Jesus’s kingdom was like.
Love abounds and is the only “oxygen” in Jesus’s kingdom. People who like evil more than love will be uncomfortable in His kingdom. They are like adults in a plane crisis who are told to wear their oxygen masks. Of course, one does not have to wear the mask, but one will be harmed without it.
“Why would people who heard Jesus’s teachings and saw His signs refuse to attach to Jesus and to provide His love?”
They preferred power.
The Sanhedrin were comprised of Pharisees, scholars of the Law, and Elders. In other words, the leaders of the religious community. They enjoyed their power over others. They pompously wanted to be admired. Furthermore, they would condemn the marginalized as “untouchables.” They would create restrictive rules and yet not lift a finger to help.
Not all members of the Sanhedrin were selfishly power-driven and devoid of love. But most were.
A modern-day example of a Sanhedrin would be the heartless rulers of some Evangelical denominations. They create laws that restrict gays from having the same rights as others. They malign and oppress gays — without lifting a finger to help them. They prefer to prioritize their interpretations of the Bible while neglecting the basic love and dignity that is due to any man. With such a power grab, they void themselves of Jesus’s primary command: love all others in His way.
“So, Mike, what would happen if Christians were to be less focused on sin management — and fully focused on loving all others in Jesus’s way?”
God’s kingdom would reign on earth as it is in heaven.
“In conclusion, what was the theological reason for Jesus’s death and resurrection?
Jesus’s greatest sign — to overcome death — was His ultimate validation of the power of His kingdom.
Jesus’s death and resurrection proved everything He had been saying all along.
And the good news is that we may join Him in His kingdom — right now.
Love wins.
Dr. Mike Rosebush (Ph.D., Counseling Psychology; he, him, his;) is the creator and editor of GAYoda, plus a writer for Backyard Church. A short synopsis of Dr. Rosebush’s life can be found at I Lived the Most Unusual Gay Christian Life Ever. He may be contacted at mikerosebush75@gmail.com.
