Is God a sadist?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -- John 3:16 (NIV)

This is probably one of the most well known, yet misunderstood scripture in the Bible. Often this verse would be quoted out of context to proof that God had to sacrifice Himself. They reason that if God loved to sacrifice someone else, he would be a sadist and broke His own laws which forbid child sacrifices (Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 12:31). Therefore, the only other alternative according to them is that God had to sacrifice Himself and by doing so God proved that he loved the world.

However, John never wrote that God "sacrificed", nor "murdered" His own Son, but instead John wrote that God "gave" His Son to save us. This is a very broad term, therefore we need to understand the context in which God "gave" His Son.

The context of John 3 is that:

1. John 3:1-12: John used Nicodemus as an example of an important Pharisees who refused to belief Jesus teaching on the requirements to enter the Kingdom of God.
2. John 3:13-18: John then highlights that we should not repeat Nicodemus mistake, but instead we should trust that the prophesied Son of Man was "lifted up" by God into the authority where he can save us.
3. John 3:19-21: John also warns that obeying the "light" (truth) inconveniently exposes the "darkness" (evil deeds) and that we need to choose whom we would obey.

That is why John wrote:

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in (trust) him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God (not Jesus) so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in (trust) Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name (authority) of the only begotten Son of God.

-- John 3:13-18 (KJV)

Common misunderstandings regarding John 3:

• Scholars debate where Jesus words were supposed to stop. The original Greek manuscripts did not contain the English quotation marks to show where a dialogue stopped. This is evident when one compare different bible translations. I believe it is highly unlikely that Jesus would say that he is already in heaven while he was still speaking to Nicodemus (John 3:13) and that he would refer to himself in the third person. Therefore, from verse 13 onwards it is no longer Jesus' dialogue, but instead John's commentary.
• The "name" of Jesus is the authority of Jesus and has nothing to do with the correct pronunciation of his designation nor was it intended as stop-word at the end of prayers.
• The word "belief" simply means "trust". We should not trust our own ability to have enough "faith", but we should trust that Jesus has the authority from God to save.
• "lifted up" does not mean crucify. Moses did not crucify a snake. The Greek word hupsoó means to: to exalt. John was possibly paraphrasing Isaiah's prophecy of Isaiah 52:13 where the Hebrew "lift up" means to: be accepted, forgiven; honored; promoted; respected; and so forth. Therefore, instead of looking at the cross, we should trust (believe) in the authority (name) of Jesus.
• God "gave" His only son to save the world. Not to be tortured to death. His crucifixion was the result of a Jewish rebellion.

While it is true that Paul did compare the crucifixion with a sacrifice (Ephesians 4:31-32,5:2), he never implied that God was a brutal sadist who tortured Jesus to death. Paul always referred to Jesus as a hero (saviour) who humbly "sacrificed" his own life (1 Corinthians 5:7) to saves other.

Unlike the gentiles who sacrificed their children to foreign gods:

• Jesus had other options (Luke 4:2), but choose to obey his God instead.
• Jesus knew upfront that Judas would betray him and which death he would die.
• Jesus had plenty of time to hide or runaway (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36), but instead he chooses to wait in the Garden of Gethsemane for Judas to betray him. God did not force the crucifixion on him.
• Jesus wanted to proceed with God's plan (John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38) because they were in agreement on it (John 10:30).
• Jesus could have let his disciples defend him, but instead he ordered them to put away their swords and to comply with the Roman soldiers.
• Many disciples have to make some major sacrifices during their lives and some also had to pay with their lives like John the Baptist, Stephen and many more.
• Jesus suffering and death was only temporary. God did resurrect Jesus again, and exalted ("lifted up") Jesus to the greatest glory and authority.

Jesus knew it would be beneficial if he dies:

And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

-- John 12:23-25 (ESV)

Jesus did not doubt in his Father's love:

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in my love.

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

-- John 15:9-12 (NKJV)

Ezekiel prophesied:

"For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone", declares the Lord GOD. -- Ezekiel 18:32

and

Say to them, "As surely as I live," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I take no pleasure in the death" -- Ezekiel 33:11

Paul wrote:

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. -- 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (ESV)

The reason why Jesus' temporary death pleased God was not because God was a Sadist, but because He loves us (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7, 2:4-5; Romans 8:37-39; 1 John 3:1, 4:7, 4:16; Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 86:5, 136:26) and the blood (life) of Jesus was necessary to save His children from eternal death.

Kind of sacrifice

If one simply look at bible author's scripture to determine what kind of sacrifice Jesus was, they seem to contradict each other:

Bible authors compare Jesus' sacrifice with other sacrifices that their audience would have been familiar with. For example:

• To the Jews it was explained that Jesus sacrifice would cleanse them from their sin like a scape goat or sin offering.
• Often Jesus is also compared with a humble lamb that is led to slaughter, like a passover lamb.
• To the gentiles who were familiar with slave trading, Jesus sacrifice is considered a redemption price to set the enslaved sinners free.

For example, John uses all of the above metaphors to explain what Jesus sacrifice had meant to him:

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that

God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

-- 1 John 1:5-10,2:1-2 (ESV)

To group sacrifices under a common kind implies there has to be more sacrifices of that same kind.

However, Jesus sacrifice was unique in the sense that:

• The prophets prophesied that only one Christ was expected.
• Jesus was the only human sacrifice that God had accepted.
• Jesus was God's only-begotten son (John 3:16-18 KJV), therefore he was worthy enough to be able to save the whole world.

God can easily recreate anything any time, therefore nothing can truly cost God anything to count as a sacrifice, except someone with a free will who willing love and obey God as His Own "beloved Son with whom He is well pleased" (Matthew 3:17; John 3:16).

Why is another human's death not sufficient?

Jesus was without sin

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.

And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

And the angel departed from her.

-- Luke 1:26-38 (ESV)

Gabriel himself states that Jesus unnatural birth is necessary so that he can be "holy".

Sin is inherited through the father's blood and not the mother's according to Paul who only mentions Adam and not Eve in Romans 5:12-19.

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. -- 1 Peter 2:22-24 (ESV)

All other humans, including Moses and Eliyah were sinners.

Some reason that the sacrifice had to be without sin to pay for sin.

Jesus was special to God

And a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” -- Mark 1:11 (ESV)

Jesus was God's "only-begotten son". A unique position that noone else can claim.

For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -- John 3:16 (KJV)

For the almighty God Who can recreate anything anytime to be able to make a costly sacrifice, He had to offer someone very special to Him. Jesus voluntarily loved, obeyed and respected God by his own choice and free will. If God recreated that, then God would have ended up with robots. God gave Jesus a freewill and a choice to obey Him. Therefore, Jesus could be tempted (Luke 4). This special quality is not something that God can force onto anyone.

How could Jesus pay for sin committed after his crucifixion?

The Levitical animal sacrifices only paid for past sin of those who made the payment.

People came up with different possible explanations to support their theologies, for example:

• Some argue that this somehow proof that Jesus must have been outside time (eternal), hence this argument promotes the idea that Jesus is God Himself. This argument is build on the assumption that God can only forgive sin that occurred during the lifetime of the sacrificed being. There is no such statement anywhere in the bible.
• The satanic argue that Jesus was God's payment to the devil to buy humanity back.
• Other argue that Jesus only died for previous sin, but because Jesus has the authority to forgive sin, he still intercedes today for our sin (Romans 8:34) so that we and our future children could also be forgiven.

However, Jesus sacrifice was not a typical Levitical sin offering.

Instead, the purpose of his sacrifice was a form of redemption price (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45) to establish a new blood covenant which reconciles mankind with God (Romans 5:6-11). God's blood covenants only has to establish once as they last forever.

What about the people how lived before the covenant?

It does not matter, because God's judgement did not take place yet. They were not condemned yet, because they are still "sleeping" (unconscious). The covenant is applicable to all people (Isaiah 55:1-2, 56:1-8, 61:8-11; Hosea 1:10, 2:23; Romans 9:1-6,10:11-13).

Did Jesus meet the sacrificial requirements?

Moses' laws have special requires for sacrifices.

Was Jesus a scape goat?

And when he (Aaron) has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.

Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there. And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.

-- Leviticus 16:20-24 (ESV)

Certain elements of the concept of a scape goat does rhyme with the event of John the Baptist, who happen to be the son of a priest:

These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.

-- John 1:28-31 (ESV)

Which could be considered "the priest" who "bathed his body in water" that "presented the live goat" for the sin of Israel (and the rest of the world).

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days... -- Luke 4:1-2 (ESV)

Luke mentioned that after Jesus' baptism at the Jordan river, he was "led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days" like a scape goat.

Inconsistencies regarding the scape goat offering

However, there are some inconsistencies the theology that Jesus was a "scape goat".

Firstly, Jesus was not a "goat" and John referred to Jesus as a "the Lamb of God".

Secondly, the timing does not align:

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” -- John 1:35-36 (ESV)

This means Jesus was not yet led into the wilderness for 40 days. Therefore, Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness is a distinct experience from this ceremony of his baptism.

Thirdly, if Jesus already took the sin of the world into the wilderness, then his crucifixion would have been redundant.

Was Jesus a sin offering?

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; He has put him to grief when his soul makes an offering for guilt... -- Isaiah 53:10 (ESV)

or

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. -- 1 John 2:2 (ESV)

Because a sin offering also make propitiation for sin or guilt, some consider Jesus' sacrifice as another sin offering. However, sin offerings are not the only way to make propitiation for sin, for example people also did ritual cleansing (Leviticus 12:1-8, 15:1-33), fasting (1 Kings 21:27-29, Jonah 3:5-10) and intersession (Genesis 18:23-33, Exodus 32:11-14).

Inconsistencies regarding a sin offering

According to the law of Moses, only certain clean animals were allowed to be sacrificed (Leviticus 1:2-14, 11:1-47).

Instead, the following animals were sacrificed:

• For most people: a female goat or lamb (Leviticus 4:27-28, 32)
• For leaders: a male goat (Leviticus 4:22-23)
• For priests or the whole community: a young bull (Leviticus 4:3, 14)
• In cases of poverty: two turtledoves or two young pigeons (Leviticus 5:7)
• In extreme poverty: fine flour could be offered (Leviticus 5:11)

Jesus does not appear on any of these lists.

According to the law, the priests need to inspect the sacrifice (Leviticus 4:3,23,28). While the priests did trail Jesus, they found him "guilty" instead of innocent. This might have disqualified Jesus from a sin offering from their perspective.

The law requires that:

• That the altar should be cleansed (Exodus 29:36-37)
• That the offerer should be ceremonial cleansed (Exodus 30:17-21)
• That the offerer should lay his hands on the head of the animal (Leviticus 4:4, 15, 24, 29)

There are no record that neither the Priests nor the Roman executors did these.

Therefore, Jesus did not qualify as a "sin offering" in the sense of how the Levitical priests used to perform it.

However, this was never the intention. If Jesus was just another sin offering, then we would need even more people to be sacrificed.

Jesus sacrifice was a unique and therefore the Levitical laws of Moses do not have to apply.

Was Jesus the passover lamb?

Isaiah only compared God's servant (Jesus) with lamb:

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. -- Isaiah 53:7 (ESV)

And John the baptist said:

“Behold, the Lamb of God!” -- John 1:29,36 (ESV)

This still does not proof that Jesus is the passover lamb. At that point nobody suggested yet, that Jesus would be a passover lamb. John more likely referred to Isaiah's prophecy.

The book of Revelation also refers numerous times to Jesus as "the Lamb", but never as "a Passover lamb: Revelation 5:6, 7:17, 14:10, 15:3, 19:9, 21:23, 22:1, 22:3.

However, Paul did write:

For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. -- 1 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)

In the context of 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (ESV) Paul was concerned about "your boasting is not good". Therefore, he warns them that this behaviour is not acceptable to God, but instead they should behave like Christ who was willing to give up his life like a "passover lamb". I do not think Paul meant that Jesus complied with Moses laws to replace the "passover lamb", but instead the comparison was made to highlight Jesus' humility for those who were boasting.

According to Paul, a "sacrifice" is anyone who lives "holy and acceptable to God".

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. -- Romans 12:1 (ESV)

Often Paul uses "sacrifices" in a metaphorical sense:

Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. -- Philippians 2:17 (ESV)

Therefore, we should understand Paul's words in a metaphorical sense, instead of assuming that Jesus (or communion) replaced Passover.

Inconsistencies regarding the Passover lamb

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats... -- Exodus 12:5 (ESV)

Jesus was no sheep, nor goat.

... and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. -- Exodus 12:6-7 (ESV)

The Jewish days starts at sunset. So on the 14th of Nisan, they had to slaughter the lamb at twilight then immediately after the sunset (the beginning of the 15th of Nisan), they would celebrate the Passover meal but also the beginning of the feast of Unleavened bread. Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples (Luke 22:8) before he was trailed or "slaughtered" (crucified).

They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. -- Exodus 12:8 (ESV)

Some scholar will argue, that is why Communion were instituted: to "eat the flesh" of Jesus, but Moses wrote that

• "the flesh" must be "roasted on the fire". Jesus was not burned, nor do we celebrate communion with meat that is roasted on the fire.
• the lamb's meat (flesh) was consumed with unleavened bread, instead of like bread as churches celebrate modern communion.
• the lamb's flesh should not be eaten raw, yet that is how communion bread is eaten.

Perhaps, the intention was not that "Communion" or should replace Passover, nor that Jesus would replace the Passover lamb. Instead, it could be considered an antonomasia which means was not literally considered an animal, but like the Passover lamb, Jesus symbolized God's protection (or forgiveness).

Was Jesus a fragrant offering?

But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put His name and make His habitation there. There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you...

Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see.

-- Deuteronomy 12:5-7,13 (ESV)

Worship is meant to take place at a holy "place that the LORD your God will choose" and the people should "rejoice". However, Golgotha (John 19:17-18) was chosen by a gentile Roman nation (not God), was certainly not holy or clean (Numbers 19:11-22) for worship purposes as it was the site of public executions. The crowd also did not rejoice when Jesus died (Luke 23:48).

Yet Paul wrote:

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. -- Ephesians 4:31-32,5:2 (ESV)

Paul did not mean that Jesus was literally "a fragrant offering and sacrifice" in the sense of how these rituals were performed by the Levites in the Temple. Because of the chapter division between Ephesian 4 and 5 it is often missed that Paul was comparing things with each other.

• Be kind ... as Christ
• Be imitators of God as children
• Walk in love as Christ
• Walk in love as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God

Paul actually wrote that his congregation has to be like "fragrant offering and sacrifice to God".

A "fragrant offering" was considered a sacrifice that was pleasing to God (Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:18,25; Psalm 141:2). In other words Paul wrote that his congregation has to "walk in love" in such a way that it would be pleasing to God.

Although one can reason that Jesus' blood (life) can be considered "a sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2) in the sense of a hero willing to sacrifice his life to save others, if was not the main purpose of Jesus to maintain the existing sacrificial system, because that would mean that more such sacrifices would be required.

So what was the purpose of Jesus' "sacrifice"?