Jesus on Jewish animal sacrifices?

[Robot iMonkey]

What did Jesus say about animal sacrifices conducted at the temple?
If no clear sayings, what is the general Christian interpretation about
His views, actions or attitudes toward the animal sacrifices practiced at the Jewish temple during his years of ministry?

 

[Lukaris]

I believe the Lord voiced His opinions toward the religious rank of the temple rather than the sacrifice itself. Nonetheless He came to fulfill and replace the sacrifice which is explained in Hebrews 9. His institution of Hoy communion confirms His body & blood replacing the animal sacrifice In John 6:44-71 (read all of John 6 though). Also St. Paul testifies to holy communion in 1 Corinthians 11 (mainly verses 20-30).

 

[Robot iMonkey]

Was Jesus FOR them or AGAINST them?

 

[fm107]

Jesus was the one who instigated animal sacrifices. But now that he has come to Earth and died for our sins, he has told us not to do animal sacrifices anymore as he is the ultimate sacrifice. Animal sacrifices have been done away with.

Hebrews 10:12
But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.

 

[Robot iMonkey]

Jesus said a lot of angry sounding things about various groups, but the only people to whom Jesus showed physical agression toward was THOSE INVOLVED IN ANIMAL SACRIFICES.

Lukaris, Jesus said quite clearly He is BREAD. Not MEAT.

 

[Lukaris]

Jesus said a lot of angry sounding things about various groups, but the only people to whom Jesus showed physical agression toward was THOSE INVOLVED IN ANIMAL SACRIFICES.

Lukaris, Jesus said quite clearly He is BREAD. Not MEAT.

Yes, but the blood was always the atonement though (see Leviticus 16 & chptr 17:11). Compare these to the Lord's statments in John 6.

 

[Robot iMonkey]

Did Jesus go to the temple and make sacrifices? Did He tell anybody else to? Did He praise or thank the priests for making sacrifices?

A lot of people talked to Jesus about their sins. Considering this is the core subject of many conversations recorded, if Jesus had anything positive to say about temple sacrifices, it would be there.

Jesus is offering a new and betterway. Manna. The blood of bread. Not of animals.

 

[Lukaris]

Did Jesus go to the temple and make sacrifices? Did He tell anybody else to? Did He praise or thank the priests for making sacrifices?

A lot of people talked to Jesus about their sins. Considering this is the core subject of many conversations recorded, if Jesus had anything positive to say about temple sacrifices, it would be there.

Jesus is offering a new and betterway. Manna. The blood of bread. Not of animals.

Yes this is true and as I have been saying He came to fulfill and replace the blood atonement sacrifice through His own blood sacrifice which is fulfilled in the Eucharist which is also thanksgiving as well as remembrance. Nonetheless, the blood sacrifice was a divine ordinance under the old covenant so He had no condemnation of it since it was coming to an end.

 

[Robot iMonkey]

Yes, the blood sacrifices came to an end when the temple was destroyed about 30 years later and have not resumed.

The words said about someone at their funeral are not the same thing as their words. I'm not asking about Paul or Moses.

Show me any indication Jesus gave a big "two thumbs up" to animal sacrifices.

 

[marlowe007]

Was Jesus FOR them or AGAINST them?

Jesus taught repeatedly ~ against ~ the practice of sacrifice in the Gospel of Matthew, where he twice invoked Hosea 6:6 to argue that God desires mercy instead: the very opposite notion.

If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

 

[ebia]

What did Jesus say about animal sacrifices conducted at the temple?
If no clear sayings, what is the general Christian interpretation about
His views, actions or attitudes toward the animal sacrifices practiced at the Jewish temple during his years of ministry?

He takes the animal sacrifices for granted - they are part and parcel of how the Temple worked. He says a lot about how that Temple system has lost track of its purpose, but isn't interested in addressing the fine detail because that would be a waste of time.

What would be the point of giving a thumbs up to something that is about to end anyway?

 

[Robot iMonkey]

So throwing the people selling animals for sacrifce was just taking "the animal sacrifices for granted" ?
No, it is clearly presented as the most violent actions Jesus ever took.

I think you are confusing cause and effect on "something that is about to end." I see his message of oppostion to the temple sacrifices as bringing about their end.

 

[Sketcher]

Jesus said a lot of angry sounding things about various groups, but the only people to whom Jesus showed physical agression toward was THOSE INVOLVED IN ANIMAL SACRIFICES.

Every Jew was involved in animal sacrifices. His physical aggression was towards those who turned the Court of the Gentiles into a noisy market that wasn't even needed.

 

[drich0150]

So throwing the people selling animals for sacrifice was just taking "the animal sacrifices for granted" ?
No, it is clearly presented as the most violent actions Jesus ever took.

I think you are confusing cause and effect on "something that is about to end." I see his message of opposition to the temple sacrifices as bringing about their end.

Let look at the story as it was recorded:

Mark 11:
15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written:
" 'My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations'[c]? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'[d]"

Matt21:
12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,'[e] but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'[f]"

Why do you suppose that Jesus's actions in both of these accounts focus on him turning over the tables of the money changers? why do you think both accounts records Him saying The bit about turning my fathers house into a den of robbers if His actions were in protest to the sacrifice, rather than how they were being conducted?

Do you know of the history of the money changers? Do you know what service they provided and why? Do you know how the Holy temple was being used to steal from the faithful Jews? (Trying to make the animal sacrifice that the OT commands them to make.)

Jesus was angry at those how looked to profit from God's faithful flock. Until Jesus made His sacrifice animal sacrifice was indeed necessary.

 

[Robot iMonkey]

So He turned over the benches of those SELLING DOVES and would not allow anyone to carry MERCHANDISE (I presumed sacrificial animals) through the temple courts. What does Jesus want the temple to be? A house of PRAYER for all nations. Does PRAYER involve killing animals?

What I know about the money changers is similiar to current banking. Put probably better since Jewish laws forbid charging interest. But that is not what I am asking about. Back to animal sacrifices and identifying the view of Jesus...

Just because Jesus is Jewish tells absolutely nothing about his opinion on anything. He's the guy throwing tables around, not walking down the street. (And even that assumption about the guy walking down the street is like saying all men in San Francisco are gay and all women living in Amsterdam are prostitutes.)

But, OK, most responders have said Jesus came to the temple and was upset the people were being overcharged. Not upset about the practice they were condicting. So OK, please tell me. What's so great about ritualistically killing animals that you do not find it mortifyingly revolting?

 

[Sketcher]

So OK, please tell me. What's so great about ritualistically killing animals that you do not find it mortifyingly revolting?

What we in the 21st century think about it is not relevant. Until Christ died, that was God's chosen method for taking care of the sin problem that was between him and his people.

 

[ebia]

So throwing the people selling animals for sacrifce was just taking "the animal sacrifices for granted" ?
No, it is clearly presented as the most violent actions Jesus ever took.

I think you are confusing cause and effect on "something that is about to end." I see his message of oppostion to the temple sacrifices as bringing about their end.

What he's doing there isn't about condemning animal sacrifice as such, but about condemning the state of the Temple system and those running it (and, at the same time, staking a claim as the one authorised to cleanse the Temple - YHWH and/or his annointed King).

 

[ebia]

So OK, please tell me. What's so great about ritualistically killing animals that you do not find it mortifyingly revolting?

Are we trying to read what's in the text, or read 21st century sensibilities back into a 1st century text?

 

[Robot iMonkey]

Are we trying to read what's in the text, or read 21st century sensibilities back into a 1st century text?

Technology may have changed in 2000 years, but human nature is completely unchanged. That's what makes classic texts timeless.

 

[ebia]

Technology may have changed in 2000 years, but human nature is completely unchanged. That's what makes classic texts timeless.

I'm sorry, but reading some things into an ancient text is anachronistic, and looking for a condemnation of animal sacrifice in that story because it is "mortifyingly revolting" to a 21st century urbanised Western mind-set is one such.

More broadly, coming at the text and saying "I find x revolting, therefore this must be a condemnation of that" is the wrong way to approach most texts and certainly the wrong way to approach any biblical text. You need to read the text for what it addresses, not what you think it should address.