The Problem with Dismissing Christ’s Sacrifice

So, a dear person I know shared a post, and when I read it, it took me three days to digest what the post they shared was saying (Here is the link to the post if you would like to read it: https://www.facebook.com/592076093/posts/10158702196236094/). My visceral response was to be angry. It felt like my religion was being attacked. My values, things I hold dear. It was gut-wrenching. Instinctively, I wanted to respond to the shared post, explain my side of things. But, then I had to sit back. Recognize that this post wasn’t shared as an attack on anyone personally, It is a viewpoint shared by many. But, I did feel compelled to share this and offer a different perspective. So, here we go:

• The first thing I need to address is the idea that Gospel singers “fetishize” Christ’s crucifixion by stating that, “He died for me.” Well, it isn’t a fetish, it’s truth based on Romans 5:8. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Christ didn’t just die for those who were living during His time, He died for all. Past, present, and future. And, when you come to realize the WHY, it COMPELS you to personalize it. Because, the life I’ve lived warranted death on MY part. But Christ took my place.

• The OP asks the question, “Why would you want or need

someone to sacrifice themselves. in such a horrible way for you?” It isn’t that we asked for it, it is that Christ knew what needed to be done. Now, a few things to note: 1. The idea of sacrifice isn’t née nor is it only a Christian principle. Most major religions of that time understood the importance of sacrifices. They were to atone, to give thanks, to appease, etc. The Greco-Roman gods, Norse Gods, Aztec Gods, Mayan Gods, Egyptian Gods, even the God of Judaism, etc. all demanded sacrifices of some kind. The difference with Christ’s sacrifice is that His sacrifice was a perfect one that allowed it so NO MORE needed to be made. Hebrews 10:12 says, “But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”

• The OP goes on to then state that Jesus wasn’t part of our African journey PRIOR to slavery and colonization. I can’t agree nor disagree with that statement in full, but I can offer this. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus (also named Yeshua in Hebrew) made this command of His disciples, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” We see this being played out in many instances in the NT, but there is a specific encounter I want to bring you to. In Acts 8:26–40, there is an account of the apostle Philip meeting an Ethiopian eunuch. This man also happened to be the treasurer of Ethiopia under the rule of the Kandake, queen of Ethiopia. During this encounter, after having been ministered to, this eunuch is converted. He then travels back home. I would gather that this man brought his new beliefs with him once he returned home. We do see that there was a spread of Christianity in Ethiopia, as the Ethiopian Bible is said to be the oldest and most complete version of the Bible to date. It predates the Western Slave Trade times. So, it would stand to reason that some (maybe not all) of our ancestors were more than likely already Christians before becoming enslaved.

• She goes on to then talk about the sadism of Christianity and how Jesus never died for black people. I have to admit, this was the part that angered me at first. It actually infuriated me. I have grown tired of people dismissing Jesus and Christianity as a “White man’s religion,” when the truth is…Yeshua was a whole person of color! He was Middle Eastern. Having been born in Jerusalem, and then spent the first few years of his life in Egypt to escape being killed by Herod at the time of His birth. Not only that, but He was a man for the people. He was for those who were oppressed. He tells us, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). He constantly challenged those in power, and held them accountable at every turn. He was a spiritual leader to all who sought Him, and He even made Himself known to those who didn’t realize they needed Him.

• The final thing I need to recognize is this: the thing that the OP fails to make aware of is the reason WHY Christ died. It wasn’t to fulfill some fetish. It wasn’t a sadomasochistic thrill that God had for His Son. It was one thing and one thing only: love. One of the most famous verses in the Bible says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16–17). Christ came down from His place of power and privilege and humbled Himself by taking on the form of man. He lived as we lived. He endured all the emotions that we did. He suffered and died — for our sakes. Because He loved us.

And you want to know the craziest thing? After enduring all of that, He never once FORCED us to accept Him. He wants us to come to Him willingly. Now, I recognize the damage colonization did and how it weaponized Christianity. But, that was not the true form of God; rather the selfish ideals of man that we are still having to clean up to this day.

I often think about the love a parent has for their children. Mother’s and fathers who make daily sacrifices so that their children will have all they need. Parents will protect their children to keep them safe, even at the risk of their own lives being taken. Christ’s sacrifice was done in love. He knew we needed saving. And the only way that could happen so that we could be able to be saved was if a sacrifice was made on our behalf. And Christ was the sacrifice that saved us once and for all.