How was Jesus’ death a real sacrifice if He knew He would be resurrected?

Answer

Christianity teaches that God, in human form, humbled Himself to the point of being humiliated and killed by His own creations. This sacrificial death paved the way to salvation for all who have faith in Jesus Christ. Christ faced death knowingly “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”, (Mark 8:31), fully aware that He would endure suffering on a cross and then be resurrected from death “and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:”, (Luke 24:46). Given that Jesus knew the ultimate outcome, some question whether this constituted a genuine sacrifice. Was Jesus’ crucifixion truly sacrificial if His resurrection was guaranteed?

Those who question the authenticity of Jesus’ sacrifice fail to grasp the full significance of what transpired on the cross. Christ’s sacrifice was not solely about the termination of His physical life. In reality, the events on the cross went beyond the cessation of a heartbeat. Christ’s sacrifice also encompassed His emotional anguish (Isaiah 53) and the ordeal of an all-powerful, perfect God being tormented and shamed by His own creations (Philippians 2:6-8). There is profound symbolism in the physical aspects of Christ’s death and resurrection, along with the fulfillment of prophecy. However, the sacrifice of Christ extends beyond just the death and resurrection of His physical body, as significant as those events were.

The restoration of the physical body does not diminish the sacrificial or traumatic nature of preceding events. SiSimply knowing that something good is coming after the bad does not make the bad any less painful. A child knowing he will get ice cream after his tonsillectomy does not make the surgery and its aftermath any less harrowing and uncomfortable. Seeking peace, a strong man might allow a bully to spit on him and throw food in his face. The body and clothes can be easily cleaned, but that doesn’t at all change the experience of indignity and shame. We don’t dismiss the sacrifice of families of military veterans simply because their loved ones made it home. Victims of sexual assault may experience physical healing, but that’s not nearly the worst damage they’ve experienced.

Jesus Himself used the analogy of a woman in childbirth to illustrate the anguish the disciples would experience at His death (John 16:20-22). He reassured the disciples that their sorrow would be turned to joy; the ultimate outcome was worth temporary suffering. Just as a woman who gives birth is more invested in joy over her newborn child than looking back at the pain of giving birth, the disciples would be focused on the joy of Christ’s resurrection, despite their prior pain. Of course—as many mothers will attest—the joy of childbirth doesn’t disaffirm the pain and suffering involved in the birth. Only an extremely foolish child would dismiss a mother’s birth pains by saying, “So what? You got over it, and you got me!” The mother’s agony was real, and that reality exists even for mothers who are entirely confident that the birthing process will end in joy and health.

Enduring even momentary insults, indignity, and disrespect is a sacrifice in and of itself. This is true when the victims are finite, sinful humans, and the sacrifice is amplified when the victim is the perfect and sinless Son of God. Added to the emotional pain caused by injustice was the physical pain, something that can be overcome but not undone. The cross was truly sacrificial becauseUse Jesus experienced it in the same way as any other human being would—even though He was not obligated to be there and He did not deserve to be there.

When Christ came to earth, He experienced everything human beings normally do. This included the physical (Matthew 4:2;John 4:6), spiritual “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”, (Hebrews 4:15), and emotional (Matthew 26:37-39;John 11:33-35) aspects of humanity. Jesus suffered the same physical and mental anguish as any one of us would in the scourging and crucifixion. The brutality of His death was not an easy thing; the cross was not trivial to Christ simply because He knew He was going to be resurrected. The gospel promises all believers will be resurrected (John 11:24;Acts 24:15;Revelation 20:6). That promise doesn’t make the expense of one’s earthly life any less meaningful or sacrificial “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”, (John 15:13).

When Jesus arrived at the tomb of Lazarus, He wept “Jesus wept.”, (John 11:35). Even though He had come to Bethany knowing He would resurrect His friend (John 11:11-15), Jesus still expressed sorrow for the pain and suffering the situation had caused. Scripture speaks of God wiping our tears away in eternity “AndGod will wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither will there be any more pain: for the former things have passed away.” , (Revelation 21:4), without causing us to forget. All things will be aligned «And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. », (Romans 8:28), and all things will be renewed «And he who sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. », (Revelation 21:5), but God never implies that what we go through or feel along the way is insignificant. Understanding that goodness and restoration await us gives us great strength in the midst of suffering (Hebrews 12:2;Philippians 2:8-9), but hope does not diminish the pain or deflect the wounds.

The death of Christ was about atonement for sin, and the infinite sacrifice of God humbling Himself accomplished that atonement. Jesus knew what awaited Him—both in pain and in glory—but this knowledge did not lessen His suffering. He was just as emotionally distressed, grappling with His choices «And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. », (Mark 14:36), and His body was just as shattered and disfigured (Psalm 22:14-18) as if He were not the God-Man. Jesus’ humanity recoiled at the idea of suffering on the cross., but He sacrificed His will to the Father’s «saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. », (Luke 22:42). At any moment, He could have called down heavenly help, but He sacrificed His rights in order to provide us salvation «Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? », (Matthew 26:53).