a victim, but willing to be satisfied with an innocent victim. What good is it to see Jesus as kind and good, if we see God as sadistic, corrupt, or weak?
There is something not quite healthy in the obsession with blood, as seen in Billy Graham, for instance: “Blood redeems . . . Blood cleanses . . . His blood pumps through your spiritual veins with eternal life . . . Blood justifies . . . Jesus paid for our sins with His blood.”2 William Placher wrote “Christ is our sacrifice. His blood transforms us into people who can once again come into the presence of the holy God.”3 This seems like blood-magic. Further, isn’t it an over-emphasis on Jesus’ death? Shouldn’t we be focusing upon his whole life, his experience of God, and what he actually taught?
The teachings of Jesus go right against the notion that there would be no salvation until he had spilled his blood. God does not need to be paid or persuaded. Rather, God already loves us: “The Father himself loves you” (John 16:27). God’s loving attitude is no different from Jesus’ loving attitude. “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). If we recognize the character and the love of Jesus, we should recognize that these are also the character and love of God. No Christian who understands that will ever again think that the Father required the crucifixion of Jesus—or of anyone.
We should stop assuming that God needs any transaction, any payment. God’s arms are wide open to receive. God is loving, like any good father: “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? . . . How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt 7:9, 11).
Not only does this affirm a positive and loving God, it strongly asserts the basic goodness of human fathers! Jesus appeals to fathers: don’t you love your children? You wouldn’t play a cruel trick on your child, would you? And your children trust you, don’t they? In these remarks Jesus backs up the basic goodness of fathers. Elsewhere he admires mothers, children, and even Gentiles. He is affirming people, and also family, using family imagery for both God and the community of believers. Jesus tells us the truth about God, and he offers the appealing prospect of cooperating with God.
He says very positive things about people. When a scribe agrees with Jesus’ articulation of the command to love God and others and then adds “this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices,” Jesus tells the fellow “you are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:33–34).
Some Christians are profoundly pessimistic about the human heart, but Jesus says anyone with an honest heart can receive the kingdom of God. Those who “receive the kingdom of God as a little child” will enter it (Luke 18:17). He taught that sincere faith really is possible, and is effective. Further, he says that people can actually do the will of God: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35). This would make no sense if he thought that doing the will of God were impossible. He believes in the goodness of anyone who wants to do right: “the good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good” (Luke 6:45). He tells his disciples to love, “so that you may be children of your Father in heaven . . . Be perfect . . . as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:45, 48). By practicing love and mercy people are actually imitating God!
Of course, this goes against the old notion that people are evil and that God is burning with wrath against them. The gospel is meant to dispel such fearful and pessimistic views of God. “Fear not” (Luke 8:50; 12:7, 32 KJV).
If we follow Jesus, our entire life, our minds, and our ethics, will be forever changed.
God’s Attitude, Our Attitude
Jesus’ ethics are based on the assumption of family-relatedness between all people (“brothers”) who have a common divine Parent (“Father”). His ethic was based on service rather than on patronage and self-interest. Leadership is servant-leadership, rather than the selfish exchange of favors between clients and “benefactors” (Luke 22:25). Jesus is reacting against the selfish practice of patronage in ancient society, where one only did favors in order to obligate others. People gave banquets in order to “be repaid” (Luke 14:12), but Jesus said we should hold banquets and be sure to invite “the poor . . . the lame, and the blind . . . because they cannot repay you” (14:13–14). And, really, “there is no pulling rank in this family. All allegiance is directed toward God,”4 because “you have one teacher . . . you have one father” (Matt 23:8–9).
We are called to practice the ethics that Jesus taught. He taught that God sets out to save, to forgive, and to transform human beings. God is not being a hypocrite when God demands that we forgive. How unfair it would be if God demanded that we humans be more spiritual and forgiving than God is! But that is not the case. Jesus demonstrated the way of forgiveness (Luke 23:34; John 12:47).
God wants what is good for the children, as any good parent would want. Jesus shows the same attitude when he heals people and lifts them up. He healed a woman with a bent spine, saying “Ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” (Luke 13:16). The religious people of her day were undoubtedly ashamed of this woman, and avoided her, but Jesus lifted her up, calling her a daughter of Abraham.
God cares about each person. Further, God would give spiritual blessings to us right up to the limit of our ability to receive: “God gives to all generously” (Jas 1:5). Each person will tend to develop a hunger for a particular quality of truth or goodness, and God wants to give us those qualities. This is the real meaning of the saying “Ask and you will receive” (John 16:24). It is not a promise of indulging every wish, but a promise that we can get some of the Godly qualities that we crave. “God . . . gives the growth” (1 Cor 3:7).
Our own giving should be modeled on God’s generosity: “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matt 10:8 NIV). Ethics grows out of an understanding of God: “It is precisely the fact that the community knows and calls upon God as ‘our Father in heaven’ that obligates them in turn to treat each other with familial love and care.”5 To the extent that we are able, we should seek to emulate God: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Of course, we must believe in the mercy and goodness of the Father if we would reflect it. What good could we reflect if we thought of God as angry and judgmental? But if we know God is forgiving, then we can be forgiving, too. In our prayer life, if we pray for our own forgiveness we should also forgive those who have sinned against us (Luke 11:4).
Forgiveness is not isolated from other life requirements. When forgiveness functions properly, it is part of what happens when people become educated and sensitive to each other, learn to develop mutual understanding, and set about to restore damaged relationships. Of course, the process doesn’t work fully if all parties are not willing participants. Forgiveness works best within a religious community with a healthy level of spirituality, where people are considerate of others and are seeking to do the will of God.
As a pastor, I have observed that there is a link between what people believe about God, and how they treat each other. Problems follow when God is thought to be vindictive. That belief does damage to our ethics, stifles our spirituality, and leaves people emotionally wounded and theologically confused. Even when God is said to be a just but punishing judge, distortion occurs, since that idea generates fear. The next time someone tries to convince you of the payment-in-blood theology, take notice of how much fear and pressure that person is using to try to convince you. There is an ugly psychology that underlies atonement, and it is often communicated in a mean-spirited and bullying way.
The Neglected Teaching
The most neglected of all of Jesus’ teachings is this one: “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37). He came to earth to teach truth, to reveal God, to live out goodness, and to demonstrate spiritual beauty by implanting and nurturing love.
His revelation of truth goes beyond just his teachings. It is very much revealed in his way of living, since that is where he really shows the intimate trust he had in God, whom he called “Father.” Whenever he says “my Father,” we can sense