Refuting the Claim That “Jesus Did Not Come to Die”

Refuting the Claim That “Jesus Did Not Come to Die”

1. Jesus’ Mission and the Foreknowledge of His Death

The assertion claims that Jesus came only to preach the Law and the Gospel and that he never intended to die. This directly contradicts both prophetic statements in the Hebrew Scriptures and explicit statements in the New Testament.

• Prophecies in the Old Testament clearly indicate that the Messiah would suffer and die:

  • Isaiah 53:5-6: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities… the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

  • Psalm 22:16-18: “They have pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me.”

• Jesus’ own predictions of His death appear multiple times in the Gospels:

  • Matthew 16:21: “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day.”

  • Mark 8:31: “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected… and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

  • Luke 9:22: “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected… and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

These verses make it clear that Jesus was fully aware of the purpose of his mission, which included his sacrificial death for humanity. Suggesting otherwise is a selective reading of the Gospels.

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2. The Misinterpretation of “I Came to Preach”

The passages cited (Mark 1:38, Luke 4:43, Matthew 18:11, Luke 19:10, etc.) are often used to argue that Jesus came only to preach. However, this is a partial truth:

• Jesus’ ministry involved preaching the kingdom of God, healing, and calling sinners to repentance.

• Preaching and dying are not mutually exclusive; rather, preaching prepared the way for his sacrificial death.

• Jesus’ preaching was a component of his mission, not the totality of it. His death was the climax of his redemptive mission: John 12:27: “Now is my soul troubled… for what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

Thus, claiming he “never came to die” misrepresents his words and the narrative of the Gospels.

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3. On the Historical Claim About “Palestine”

The statement claims Palestine did not exist during the time of Jesus. Historically:

• The region was known as Judea, Galilee, and Samaria under Roman rule during Jesus’ lifetime.

• The name “Palestine” (Palaestina) was introduced by the Romans after 135 CE, following the Bar Kokhba revolt, to rename Judea and suppress Jewish identity.

• Using “Palestine” anachronistically to describe Jesus’ time is historically inaccurate. At the time, Jesus lived in first-century Roman provinces: Galilee and Judea.

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4. The Crucifixion is Historical and Theologically Central

• Crucifixion of Jesus is widely attested historically, even in non-Christian sources (Josephus, Tacitus).

• Denying Jesus came to die ignores both biblical prophecy and historical evidence.

Summary:

1. Jesus explicitly predicted and accepted his death.

2. Preaching was part of his mission, not a replacement for the sacrificial purpose.

3. Historical “Palestine” did not exist in Jesus’ time; using it misleads.

4. Denying Jesus’ crucifixion contradicts Scripture, prophecy, and historical record.

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