The claim of Christian evangelists--that trust in Jesus is the only way to God—rings shrill in the ears of nearly every person who has not made Jesus Christ their Lord. It sounds arrogant, unfeeling, and rude. And without any explanatory context, it sounds ridiculous. So why do Christians believe it?
It may seem strange, but Jesus Himself asked the second question, and even asked His Heavenly Father to let the burden of His impending death pass if there was any other way than that of the cross. Jesus was, however, fully aware of the answer to the first question; He knew exactly why His death was necessary.
Understanding both the purpose and the necessity of Jesus’
death are central to a proper understanding of who Jesus is, what He did on the
behalf of those who believe in Him, and why there is no other way to a right
relationship with the one true and holy God.
This constitutes an essential teaching of the Christian faith, because a
misconception on these points can lead the believer to the wrong Jesus or the
wrong sacrifice—and belief in the wrong Jesus and trust in the wrong sacrifice can
be disastrous.
The Apostle John records the words of John the Baptist when he first encountered Jesus of Nazareth: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ESV) This strange greeting provides a powerful statement of who Jesus is, but it takes some knowledge of the history and religious practices of God’s special people, the Jews, before the full import of these words can be clearly understood.
The history of mankind’s relationship with its Creator as recorded in the Holy Bible is riddled with sacrifices. The Bible indicates that God is pleased with some sacrifices, while He is not pleased with others. The brothers Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam and Eve, offered the first of man’s many sacrifices to God. Cain offered part of his agricultural harvest, while Abel offered the firstborn of his flock[1]. Since Abel offered his sacrifice through trust in God’s provision, his sacrifice was more acceptable to God, while Cain’s was not[2]. (It is interesting to note that Abel’s sacrifice involved the shedding of blood.)
Noah, as well, offered a blood sacrifice to God after
exiting the
The implication from
these earliest sacrifices seems clear: among sacrifices offered through
thanksgiving and faith in God, there is a special significance given to the blood
sacrifice. This importance of the
shedding of blood becomes clearly evident as God continues to interact with the
Jews in the Old Testament.
Abraham, the father of the Jewish people and the original recipient of the Old Testament covenant of circumcision, had been promised that a great nation of as many descendants as the stars in the heavens (see Genesis 15). These descendants were promised to come to him through his son Isaac.
So, imagine Abraham’s confusion when God calls to him in
Genesis 22:2: “Take your son, your only
son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the
The significance of the fact that Abraham and Isaac were
going off to offer a sacrifice without a sacrificial animal was not lost on
Isaac. “Behold, the fire and the wood,”
he said to his father in Genesis 22:7, “but where is the lamb for a burnt
offering?” (ESV) Abraham knew what he
had been told, but also knew that God would not break his solemn oath. “God will provide for himself the lamb for a
burnt offering, my son,” he replied (Genesis 22:8, ESV). Just the same, though, he intended to carry
out his assignment, and when they reached the proper place on the mountain,
Abraham laid Isaac on the altar and reached for his knife to carry out God’s
command—but was stopped short by the Angel of the LORD, who said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy
or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have
not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
At that moment, Abraham saw a ram with its horns caught in a thicket,
and he took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. God provided an acceptable sacrifice in place
of Isaac.