Was Jesus’ Death pointless?

Introduction

This article is a bonus question concerning Jesus that I came up with after I had finished the series. It goes along with the subject of Christ’ death and is basically a pet peeve of mine.

Often, I hear someone lead a prayer to God; thanking him for sending his son, Jesus, to die on the cross. Though he was sent for that reason, it wasn’t the only reason. I think that if that was the only reason his death would have been pointless.

Why Was Jesus Sent?

1.   To Fulfill prophecy—If you go through the Old Testament, there are many prophecies given concerning Jesus coming to Earth. The first example took place in the Garden of Eden. In Gen. 3:15 God said to the serpent, “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." This was fulfilled when many people followed Jesus; knowing that he was the Son of God. Their put their lives and souls in his care. Paul writes in Gal. 4:4 something similar to the Genesis account, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”

2.   To Complete the Old Law—In the Sermon on the Mount he stated that he came to fulfill the law (Mt. 5:17-18) and nothing would be removed until all was fulfilled. It was fulfilled in his death on the cross.

One of the final things Jesus said upon the cross in Jn. 19:30, “…it is finished.” He prefaced it in the garden when he prayed in Jn. 17:4, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” Thus, his death brought the Old Law to an end according to Paul in Col. 2:14, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

3.     To Make way for New Law—All through Jesus’ ministry, he was giving new law for us. In his Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5:1-7:29), he referenced the Old Law by saying, “You have heard that it was said to those of old…” (5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43) and he would follow it by saying, “But I say to you…” which signifies he was giving law. He wasn’t destroying the Old Law but giving New Law. Further proof of this was found in Mt. 7:28-29, And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. The scribes only read the Law and gave the sense of it; Jesus spoke with authority given to him by his Father (Mt. 28:18).

4.  To Be an Example—When Jesus walked the earth, he set the example of how we should live our lives as Christians (1 Pet. 2:21).  He led a sinless life which shows that we, too, can do the same. Some people would argue that since he is deity it was easy. If that’s the case, then his death would definitely be pointless. Look at what Paul wrote in Php. 2:5-8:

Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.  (ASV)

Jesus had a human form; he needed to eat, sleep, and ward off temptation. This is why he was the perfect example for us and the right choice to die in our place for the sins of the world. The Hebrew writer wrote of this in Heb. 4:15, For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

5.  To Be a Sacrifice for Sin—Under the Old Law, animals were sacrificed on a daily basis for the sins of the people. However, it was done year after year but never completely made man sin free (Heb. 10:1-4). It wasn’t until Jesus went to the cross in which all sins were forgiven completely (Rom. 6:10; Heb. 7:27; 9:12; 10:10).

Keep in mind that although all sins are washed away through baptism (Acts 22:16), this doesn’t mean that you can continue to sin and still be right with God. Paul writes in Romans 6:1-2, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Once we’ve been saved, there is always a chance that we can be severed from Christ. Paul writes in Gal. 5:4, Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. (ASV)

Conclusion

When leading a prayer about Jesus being sent to earth, it’s a good idea to mention more than his death on the cross. You can’t expect those who are listening to you to automatically understand that there’s more to his presence on earth. You need to set the example just as Christ set the example for us.