, Robin"]It is very common to hear people (including NT scholars) say that Jesus’ death is sometimes presented using the image of sacrifice. Jesus’ death was sacrificial. To us it seems so obvious that sacrifice is about death that we never even think to question the assumption.
I just read an interesting little book:
Christian A. Eberhart, The Sacrifice of Jesus: Understanding Atonement Biblically. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2011.
Eberhart looks into the OT background to the NT images of Jesus as a sacrifice. He argues that OT sacrifice was not, contrary to common evangelical opinion, about death (the animal being punished instead of the human offering the sacrifice) and that NT images of Jesus as a sacrifice are also not about penal substitution. In fact, he argues, they are not even focused on Jesus’ death.
Here are a few thoughts about OT sacrifice (according to Eberhart): …Thanks Robin, that’s very interesting, I’ve added the book to my reading list!