Ordained Nor a Sacred Sacrifice
“COMPARISON BETWEEN THE SACRIFICES CITED IN THE OLD-TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT:
“AND TRULY THE SON OF MAN GOETH, AS IT WAS DETERMINED, BUT WOE UNTO THE MAN BY WHOM HE IS BETRAYED. (Luke 22:22)
We understand from the above verse, that crucifixion though being an appointed event, those that had involved themselves in betraying Jesus so as to be crucified would be meted with severe punishment. If it were to be really a godly ordained sacrifice why should guilt (sin) be assigned on those that carry out this sacred duty of sacrifice in order that many souls are to be saved from eternal punishment? But quite contrary to this type of sacrifice we have the incident of ABRAHAM who offered his only son for sacrifice and was blessed. (Thus we read in Genesis 22: 16-18) (God said through His angle).
“BY MYSELF HAVE I SWORN, SAITH THE LORD, FOR BECAUSE THOU HAST DONE THIS THING (Sacrifice of his only son) AND HAST NOT WITHELD THY SON, THINE ONLY SON: THAT IN BLESSING I WILL BLESS THEE, AND IN MULTIPLYING I WILL MULTIPLY THY SEED AS THE STARS OF THE HEAVEN, AND AS THE SAND WHICH IS UPON THE SEA SHORE: AND THY SEED SHALL POSSESS THE GATE OF HIS ENEMIES. AND IN THY SEED SHALL ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED: BECAUSE THOU HAST OBEYED MY VOICE” (Genesis 22: 16-18)
Similarly if the crucifixion of Jesus had been a Devine ordained sacrifice, there would have been no sin attached to those who crucified him, and they would have been blessed too like Abraham had been.
The spontaneous offering of Abraham of his only son for sacrifice had been in implicit obedience to God. Therefore to carry out God’s command Abraham immediately made every thing ready for the burnt offering without hesitation and led his only beloved son to the mount to sacrifice him. He did not pray God in supplication asking him to remove the cup (of trial) from him if possible saying “Nevertheless not as I will but as Thou wilt”, as Jesus did.
But quite contrary to this Jesus was terribly afraid of being betrayed and so prayed repeatedly that God might save him from death. This shows that the crucifixion of Jesus was not at all the sacrifice and was neither God-ordained nor was it a voluntary submission of Jesus to go through the sacrifice for atonement. Had it been really God-ordained, Jesus would not have appealed to God to save him. But on the other hand he would have willingly and whole-heartedly atoned …… just like Abraham had sacrified his only son. Had he not?
Thus from the above arguments on the two points, it is clear that neither atonement of Jesus was ordered by God nor Jesus himself was willing for atonement; as a matter of fact the crucifixion of Jesus had taken place as a result of a conspiracy by the enemy who was seriously desirous of putting an end to the mission of Jesus.
