The massive Cognitive Dissonance at the core of conventional Christianity

I am referring to the belief that Jesus came to die. Jesus' death on the cross was caused by the then chosen peoples' disbelief in Jesus. If they had believed in Jesus as the long awaited Messiah would they still have had him killed as a 'perfect' sacrifice? The verse most often quoted by Christians from the gospel, according to John, seems to support this: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Now many Christian churches are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus but, early next year will have to come to terms with what actually happened to Jesus - who was ostracized by the then chosen people who conspired to have him executed (the ultimate cancellation).

Was Jesus' death on the cross the most desired Will of God? Let's look again at this from 4 fundamental standpoints.

First to examine the words and deeds of the disciples as recorded in the Bible. There was one unanimous feeling evident among the disciples concerning the death of Jesus: They were grief-stricken and indignant. 

Stephen, for example, burned with indignation over the ignorance and disbelief of the Jewish leaders, and he condemned their actions, calling them murderers and rebels. (Acts 7:51-53). If the death of Jesus on the cross was the Will of God it means that those who conspired to effect this Will are murderers and rebels (against God).

Second to examine  from the viewpoint of God's providence whether the crucifixion of Jesus was inevitable as the predestined Will of God. God called the chosen people of Israel out of the descendants of Abraham. He protected them, nurtured them, and at times disciplined them with tribulations and trials. God sent prophets to comfort them with the unshakable promise that one day He would send them a Messiah. He prepared them to receive the Messiah by having them build the Tabernacle and the Temple. When Jesus was born, God proclaimed his advent. He sent the three wise men from the East as well as Simeon, Anna, John the Baptist and others to testify widely. Concerning John the Baptist in particular, many people knew that an angel had appeared and testified to his conception. The miracles surrounding his birth stirred all of Judea in expectation. Furthermore, John’s ascetic life in the wilderness was so impressive that many people questioned in their hearts whether perhaps he was the Christ. (Luke 3:15) God’s purpose behind sending such a great personality as John the Baptist to bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah was to encourage the Jewish people to believe in Jesus. Since God’s Will was thus to have the Jewish people of that time believe that Jesus was their Messiah, the Jewish people, who were trained to live by God’s Will, should have believed in him. Had they believed in him as God desired, would they have even entertained the thought of sending him to the cross? Would they have wanted any harm to come to the Messiah whom they had so eagerly awaited? However, because they went against God's Will and did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, he was delivered to be crucified. We must understand, therefore, that Jesus did not come to die on the cross.

Third, let us examine the words and deeds of Jesus himself to ascertain whether his crucifixion was in fact the way to completely accomplish his mission as the Messiah. Jesus' words and deeds were meant to engender belief on the part of the people that he was the Messiah. For example, when the people asked him what they must do to be doing the works of God, Jesus replied: "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom He has sent>" (John 6:29)

On another occasion, Jesus lamented the stubbornness and disbelief of the people of Jerusalem, saying: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! (Matt. 23:37)

How many miracles and signs did Jesus perform in his desperate efforts to lift the people from their disbelief! Yet, even as they were witnessing the wondrous works of Jesus, the religious leaders mocked him as one possessed by the Devil. (Matt. 12:24) In the midst of such a wretched situation, Jesus cried out: Even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. (John 10:38)
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Then, confronting his opponents, he scathingly denounced their hypocrisy. (Matt. 23:13-36) Through his words and deeds, Jesus tried to bring his people to believe in him, because it was God’s Will that they do so. If they had followed God’s Will and believed in Jesus as their Messiah, then who among them would have dared to send him to the cross?

From all the above evidence, we can deduce that Jesus’ death on the cross was the unfortunate outcome of the ignorance and disbelief of the people of his day; it was not necessary for the complete fulfillment of his mission as the Messiah. This is well illustrated by Jesus’ last words on the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

Fourth: Another indication that Jesus’ death on the cross was not the Will of God, but rather due to the disbelief of the people, is that Israel declined after the crucifixion. After all, it had been prophesied that Christ would come and sit on the throne of David and establish an everlasting kingdom:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isa. 9:6-7)

An angel appeared to Mary prior to Jesus’ conception and made a similar prediction:
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. (Luke 1:31-33)

God’s clear intention for the chosen people of Israel, whom He had led through all manner of difficulty from the time of Abraham, was to send them a Messiah and build an eternal Kingdom on earth. Nevertheless, when the Jewish leadership persecuted Jesus and led him to the cross, Israel lost its qualification to be the founding nation of God’s Kingdom. Within a few generations, the people of Israel would be scattered over the face of the earth. They have suffered oppression and persecution ever since. This can be viewed as the tragic consequence of the mistake their ancestors committed when they condemned to death the Messiah, whom they should have honored, thereby preventing the completion of the providence of restoration. Moreover, not only the Jews, but also many faithful Christians have shouldered the cross as their portion for the collective sin of having killed Jesus.

These are logical reasons showing that the death of Jesus was not the primary Will of God but, rather, due to the mistake of the chosen people who, "did not know the time of their visitation." (Luke 19:44)

There are other 'cognitive dissonances' when we consider John the Baptist who not only denied that he was the Elijah in contradiction to what Jesus said of him; but that there is no evidence that he ever attended Jesus as his foremost disciple. Instead, Peter, a rough uneducated fellow, became the chief disciple of Jesus. Doesn't make sense. right? 

We should learn from history that the real Messiah, Jesus, was tragically rejected by the then chosen people so that we (the Christians of the Last Days) don't make a similar humungous mistake. There is a lot of evidence that the 2nd coming of the Messiah will not take place in a supernatural way but will take place in the same manner as Jesus did - born on the earth.

Let's move away from the cognitive dissonance of the traditional Christian beliefs and start to connect with the Blessing and teaching of the 2nd Advent! Praise God ! ! ! 

Andrew and Marie Derricutt