Lent: Why Jesus?
The Atoning Sacrifice
Third of five parts
Yeshua or Joshua (meaning: the Lord’s salvation) was a common name in biblical times. “Jesus” is the Greek version. Why did only one of many boys bearing this name become the atoning sacrifice? Could God have picked any one of them to fulfil this purpose?
When the first humans fell into sin, God promised that the seed of the woman would crush Satan. Genealogies in the Bible list the names of fathers and sons, but God was Jesus’ father, and Mary was the mother of his human nature. He was the promised seed of a woman. He was unique.
Prophecies of the Hebrew Bible noted that the Saviour would be divine (Ps. 2:7, 110:1, 4, Is. 9:6, Mic. 5:2). The second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God, would become the Son of Man (John 3). The angel Gabriel conveyed it explicitly to Mary (Luke 1:30-35).
Mary knew she did not have intercourse with a man, and Joseph accepted it after an angel explained it to him in a dream. Simeon, Anna and the shepherds of Bethlehem confirmed what they already knew: Jesus was special — the promised Saviour and Messiah.
Except for one episode when Jesus was 12 years old, the Bible does not tell us about his life as child, adolescent and young adult. The gospels resume his story with the beginning of his public ministry.
At that moment, when he was baptized by John, his Father affirmed clearly from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17, Luke 3:22). The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove on him. After that, he prevailed over Satan in the wilderness, and since then, the demons fled from him in fear.
Sadly, he got a mixed reception from mankind. The crowds followed him for healing and feeding miracles, without saving faith in their hearts (Matt. 11:2024, Luke 19:41-44, John 6:26). His popularity filled the leaders with vicious envy (Mark 3:6, Matt. 27:18, John 11:47-53).
Because of their skewed expectations about a royal Messiah, his disciples were unsure about him, despite his convincing deeds and words (Mark 4:41, 6:51-52, Matt. 11:2, Acts 1:6). Therefore, the Father spoke to three of them directly on the mountain: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him!” (Matt. 17:5).
The Father enlightened Simon Peter to proclaim Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16). He did not understand yet that the Messiah had to purchase salvation with his own death.
The hostility against Jesus came to a climax at the Passover in Jerusalem. There God gave his only Son as atoning sacrifice for humanity.
Jacob Van Zyl of Lethbridge is a retired counsellor and the author of several faith-based books.