Did Jesus Have to Suffer? Trying to Make Sense of a Troubling View

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Did Jesus himself think or talk about his imminent sufferings—did he predict his own brutal end, or have those parts been creatively interpreted by later authors to fit a theological agenda? This episode offers a chance to uncover the layers of historical, religious, and philosophical complexities surrounding these ancient texts.

Megan asks Bart:

Why is the suffering of Jesus so fundamental to Christianity?

What was Jesus’ own view of his suffering?

Can we put Jesus’ crucifixion for the sins of the world in the context of his own teaching? To begin with, what sources do historians turn to to know what he actually taught?

What were his overarching concerns in his message?

Explain the difference between the idea of forgiveness and the idea that someone has to suffer for sins.

If that’s forgiveness, then what is atonement?

Was forgiveness widely taught in the ancient world?

Was atonement widely taught?

If Jesus taught that God forgives sins, then why would Jesus have to suffer? Couldn’t God just forgive everyone’s sins?

If Jesus taught forgiveness, why does Christianity teach atonement?

Did early Christians seem to have a similar understanding of his fate? Were there different views amongst the different Christian sects?

What passages of the OT are used to explain his suffering?

Who then IS the suffering servant in Isaiah 53?