In this season when we celebrate the birth of Christ, to many the Savior of the world, I thought I would write a post on a question I've had for a very long time: was Jesus necessary?
In orthodox Christian teaching, faith in Jesus is the only way to be saved, to be considered right before God. Yet the first part of the Christian Bible seems to contradict that doctrine from begining to end. In the Old Testament, as Christians call it, numerous people from Abel to Noah to Abraham to Moses and many more are called righteous, often by God Himself. They had an intimate relationship with God without "knowing the Lord". In short, they were saved. This has always perplexed me.
If Christian teaching is true, and no one is saved apart from Christ, then everyone who lived before Christ died eternally lost. But if pre-Jesus people could be and were saved, then Jesus was unnecessary. Really, what would be the point of sending Christ if salvation was already obtainable? And the Old Testament clearly reveals that it was.
Some Christians might argue that salvation by faith is the same in the Old and New Testaments and point to the NT Book of Hebrews as proof. In that epistle is the famous Roll Call of Faith where OT heroes and heroines are lauded for their unwavering commitment to God. The problem for Christians is that the people on the Roll Call of Faith had faith in God NOT Jesus, who hadn't come in their time. Yet they were righteous enough without Christ to be praised in the NT. So I ask again: was Jesus necessary?
I once posed this question to a nice pastor. I asked him how was it possible for people to be saved before the coming of Christ. His answer was that Christ's coming, death, and resurrection had already happened in God's mind so, for pre-Jesus people, believing in God was believing in Christ. I'm still disappointed at how lame that answer was. I expected more from a pastor.
So I still have the question: was Jesus necessary? If you take the OT seriously then the answer is no, Jesus wasn't necessary, at least not for salvation. He may have fulfilled other Messianic requirements, but saving souls couldn't have been on the list because righteousness was already obtainable. I realize that's a big monkey wrench in Christian doctrine. People could be righteous before Christ? That changes everything! Yes, it does. But if your heart is to follow the Bible you will happily change to align yourself with it.
On the other hand, I could be wrong. My understanding of Old Testament righteousness may be incomplete. The people of that time may have been lacking something that only Christ could give. In that case, Christ would indeed be necessary. A big part of me really hopes He was.
2 comments:
This was an excellent read. I am not a theologian. I am a Christain and believer in God Almighty,Jesus his Son, and the Holy Ghost. Jesus came into the world to fulfill the word. And his word was made flesh. Faith is also a large part of Christian Belief. If one has the Faith of a Mustard seed one can move mountains.....Prior to Jesus' Birth, Gentiles were not part of God's plan. ( use this as a layman's term, because I'm not sure) When Jesus came He included all mankind. He came ot fulfill the prophesy in Isiah. The Jewish people did not accept him as their messiah, they are still looking for him. Hence"They received him not". If a person knew Jesus and refused to accept him, They were in danger of the Hell Fire....That takes care of the people who were in the old testment. They didn;t know him. I maintain that people of other religions who do not know of his existance and believe in God will also go to Heaven. ( just my philosophy). When He was crusified the "vail in the temple was rent" This in essence broke the inner sanctum. of the Jewish inner temple. He died for the sins of all people. AS he said "I go to prepare a place for you. that where I am you may be also" I ramble.....I hope this shed some light on what I believe, Maybe not so clear????? stay well....
The answer to your question is really pretty simple.
That pastor is wrong when he claims that what Jesus Christ did already happened in God's mind. If it had then Jesus Christ, who is God, would not have spent that time before His death asking God the Father to let this cup pass from Him. So, Jesus Christ definitely didn't consider it as already having occured or happened that is for sure.
There is a specific reference to those saints who had already died that were waiting for the atonement that Christ's death brought about. Here it is.
Luke 16:19-23
" There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 "But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 "So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to ABRAHAM'S BOSOM. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 "And being in torments IN HADES, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
You see that? One died and went to a part of Hell known as Abraham's Bosom which is where the faithful Jews went. The evil rich man went to Hades and had to deal with torment and thirst. This is not at all a description of Heaven that those of us in the BODY OF CHRIST are part of and share in found in Paul's epistles (the only part of the bible addressed to the Body of Christ).
Once Christ made atonement those saints were able to go from Abraham's Bosom into the direct presence of God.
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