Christian Sacrifice

WED., FEB. 9, 2000, 9:12 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

The culture of which you are a part is an interesting amalgam, in relation to this theme. Christianity is your dominant religion, but it often appears that materialistic humanism is more powerful, with more people. So come with Me, as I offer some thoughts on the merits of sacrifice.

Christianity is based, fundamentally, on My teachings, as Jesus, AND on My Life, as I lived it for a short time. And, because it was not a long, complex life it must include some lessons from My death.

As the story is told in the Gospel of Luke, I expressed, as the Son of God, that I had to die, a sacrifice for the spirits of all who would acknowledge Me as Lord, then and for… eternity. It had to be a noble death, but My life had to be taken from Me. Simply committing suicide was not “the Way.” I was enjoying My life, but I knew, as the Son, that I was here on earth to “give up something good for something better.”

My disciples didn’t understand this. Some envisioned Me as a conquering hero, the King David of My time. I would emerge, rather magically, as the Leader all would follow. It was a marvelous vision, and, as a man, I was tempted (slightly) to use My powers, of which I was quite aware, to become… and accept… this leadership role. I could have accomplished this in natural ways, for I was quite a superior human. Or I could have used supernatural powers that I had in abundance. OR I could have combined these in some artistic way.

( 9:31 / 9:44 )

My life was “good.” I was making an impact. I had followers, a combination of some whom I, as the Triune God, “called,” for My purposes… the “free wills” of these folk were not as powerful as Mine… and some who truly responded to Me of their own free will(s). (Remember the Parable I gave you years ago… “in My Fathers’ house… some who were called, for My purposes, and some who came of their own free response to Me… and I make no distinction among these.

But I saw that sacrifice was necessary… even a “better good” than continued earth life. My Jewish culture had sacrifice as a kind of institution. A lamb, portrayed as a meek, gentle form of life, was the sacrificial animal at Passover. I offered Myself as the “human lamb.” Now actually, as the story is told, I had to “arrange it.” If I had been too meek it wasn’t likely to happen. Both Pilate and Herod were in favor of some punishment, but not death. I had to speak… and to refrain from speaking… in ways that infuriated “the Jews,” the excitable crowd that saw Me as some kind of threat. It was mob action. Few individuals would have been able to say, clearly and definitively, why I should be crucified… put to death in this painful, degrading way.

All through human history, since My time in the earth, there have been sacrifices, for causes, great and small. In wars this is highly valued, the sacrifice of lives for a worthwhile goal. In your youth you can recall developing fantasies of how you would die for some noble cause or reason… like saving the life of another… or lives of others. You never had such an opportunity presented starkly… and you wonder if you would have followed through with your picture of yourself.

Your humanistic culture gives some applause to sacrifice, as a humanistic “gift,” but, in more dominant ways, it strongly favors maintaining human lives almost “no matter what.” The fact that you are not seeking invasive treatment for your cancer is not the expected, valued behavior, for one in your “position” in life. Modern medicine can achieve “miracles” in prolonging lives… even yours.