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Nothing but the Blood of Jesus: How the Sacrifice of Jesus Saves the World from Sin
Why is the Bible so violent and bloody? How can God's behavior in the Old Testament be reconciled with that of Jesus in the New? Do you find yourself trying to rationalize God's violent demeanor in the Bible to unbelievers or even to yourself? Does it seem disconcerting that God tells us not to kill others but He then takes part in some of the bloodiest wars and vindictive genocides in history? The answer to all such questions is found in Jesus on the cross. By focusing your eyes on Jesus Christ and Him crucified, you come to understand that God was never angry at human sinners, and that no blood sacrifice was ever needed to purchase God's love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy. In Nothing but the Blood of Jesus, J. D. Myers shows how the death of Jesus on the cross reveals the truth about the five concepts of sin, law, sacrifice, scapegoating, and bloodshed. After carefully defining each, this book shows how these definitions provide clarity on numerous biblical texts. If you have ever wanted to see God in the light of Jesus, seek no further. J. D. Myers masterfully reveals the truth of who God is, as well as the missing pieces you have been searching for in order to truly understand what is written in the Bible. You will also gain insight into the true plight of humanity and what Jesus came to rescue and deliver us from. Read this book. You will not be disappointed.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 6, 2017
100 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Myers
6 books4 followersJ. D. Myers is a popular author, blogger, podcaster, and Bible teacher. He has written over a dozen books, with many of them hitting #1 on various best-seller lists on Amazon.
J. D. Myers also hosts an online discipleship group at RedeemingGod.com. This group allows people to ask the hard questions about Chrsitianity in a safe and open environment. Members of the group can take online courses, download free eBooks, and participate in the group forum and private Facebook group.
J. D. Myers lives in Oregon with his wife, Wendy, and their three daughters.
J. D. Myers also hosts an online discipleship group at RedeemingGod.com. This group allows people to ask the hard questions about Chrsitianity in a safe and open environment. Members of the group can take online courses, download free eBooks, and participate in the group forum and private Facebook group.
J. D. Myers lives in Oregon with his wife, Wendy, and their three daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 23, 2017
This book is the latest (I will review the others soon) in my current reading of writers who claim Christian faith while they rethink centuries of theological assumptions. Sometimes this happens in a rediscovery of Eastern fathers. What informs and encourages me even more is when they handle Scripture in a way that is faithful to the longer Biblical narrative and supported across the Biblical authors (Peter supporting Paul supporting Moses, etc.).
J.D. Myers does this well as he addresses the basic problem humanity faces (sin/violence) and the way it is resolved (scapegoating). As a newbie to this way of seeing things, it felt counter-intuitive to view the whole Old Testament as a concession from God to a people who were not prepared to relate personally with Him. From Genesis 3, He had already forgiven everyone due to his nature of love. The question was how to help people trapped in sin/violence move toward him and others in a new way (i.e. redemption). Jesus exemplified this new way by his refusal to defend himself or retaliate. I had known of the Biblical scapegoat, but this book helped me understand the human cycle of blame and destroy in order to find peace. God made his ultimate appeal to us by becoming the ultimate scapegoat.
One of the more controversial points Myers makes is that Jesus' death adds nothing to God's forgiving of humanity, but it means everything to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Books like this can cause evangelical readers like myself to to ask, "What is the Gospel I am called to share or better yet, live out in these latter days?"
J.D. Myers does this well as he addresses the basic problem humanity faces (sin/violence) and the way it is resolved (scapegoating). As a newbie to this way of seeing things, it felt counter-intuitive to view the whole Old Testament as a concession from God to a people who were not prepared to relate personally with Him. From Genesis 3, He had already forgiven everyone due to his nature of love. The question was how to help people trapped in sin/violence move toward him and others in a new way (i.e. redemption). Jesus exemplified this new way by his refusal to defend himself or retaliate. I had known of the Biblical scapegoat, but this book helped me understand the human cycle of blame and destroy in order to find peace. God made his ultimate appeal to us by becoming the ultimate scapegoat.
One of the more controversial points Myers makes is that Jesus' death adds nothing to God's forgiving of humanity, but it means everything to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Books like this can cause evangelical readers like myself to to ask, "What is the Gospel I am called to share or better yet, live out in these latter days?"
March 18, 2019
For most people, including me, this book will turn their doctrine about the blood of Jesus inside out. This was a very challenging read for me, because it delves deeply into the theology of who killed Christ - it was not God but people who killed him. J.D. Meyers also reveals why the cross was not a sacrifice necessary to appease a wrathful God, nor the sacrifice that bought our salvation, nor the payment to God or the devil for our sins. Meyers' philosophy is that God has always forgiven us, and that Jesus personified God as God has always been since before time began - a loving, compassionate, forgiving, merciful God. Not the monster that is depicted in much of the Old Testament. Meyer's interpretation of the last supper is tremendous! I'm sure this review will be confusing to many - I encourage you to read the book to see for yourself what Meyers means by the blood of Jesus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2018
This is a remarkable book that opened my eyes to a whole new way of reading the Bible. Here are some of the main themes:
Jeremy defines sin as rivalry that leads to scapegoating and violence using Cain and Abel as the first example of sin in the Bible (rather than Adam and Eve).
He says that the law was given because the Israelites asked for a mediator (Moses) because they feared God instead of wanting a personal loving relationship with him. Humans often abused the spirit of the law (to lead us to a loving relationship) to actually commit more sin following the letter of the law so the law is not the answer to sin nor does it help in defining sin.
Sacrifices are something we humans wanted to do, not God's desire, but He tolerated the practice (and took the blame for it) because the act of sacrificing helped reduce the violence in our communities through psychological and social effects which led us to believe that God had sent peace post-sacrifice.
Jeremy shows that humans are prone to scapegoating without even realising it. We scapegoat and then sacrifice mostly innocent people for the sake of a stronger community. Jesus blood as the ultimate perfectly innocent scapegoat sacrifice exposes the truth about this practice and also our tendency to blame God for evils that we humans have in fact initiated eg. when we claim that God has called us to kill our enemies, when we (mis)use the law to scapegoat, when we believe that a bloodthirsty god needed Jesus sacrifice as an appeasement - we scapegoat God Himself and have done so repeatedly throughout history as evidenced all over the Bible if we open our eyes to see.
To quote the book "This is why the Bible contains more violence than any other ancient religious text. The Bible places so much emphasis on war, violence, bloodshed, and sacrifice because God wants to reveal the true source of violence and sacrifice, and in so doing, put a stop to it."
Jeremy defines sin as rivalry that leads to scapegoating and violence using Cain and Abel as the first example of sin in the Bible (rather than Adam and Eve).
He says that the law was given because the Israelites asked for a mediator (Moses) because they feared God instead of wanting a personal loving relationship with him. Humans often abused the spirit of the law (to lead us to a loving relationship) to actually commit more sin following the letter of the law so the law is not the answer to sin nor does it help in defining sin.
Sacrifices are something we humans wanted to do, not God's desire, but He tolerated the practice (and took the blame for it) because the act of sacrificing helped reduce the violence in our communities through psychological and social effects which led us to believe that God had sent peace post-sacrifice.
Jeremy shows that humans are prone to scapegoating without even realising it. We scapegoat and then sacrifice mostly innocent people for the sake of a stronger community. Jesus blood as the ultimate perfectly innocent scapegoat sacrifice exposes the truth about this practice and also our tendency to blame God for evils that we humans have in fact initiated eg. when we claim that God has called us to kill our enemies, when we (mis)use the law to scapegoat, when we believe that a bloodthirsty god needed Jesus sacrifice as an appeasement - we scapegoat God Himself and have done so repeatedly throughout history as evidenced all over the Bible if we open our eyes to see.
To quote the book "This is why the Bible contains more violence than any other ancient religious text. The Bible places so much emphasis on war, violence, bloodshed, and sacrifice because God wants to reveal the true source of violence and sacrifice, and in so doing, put a stop to it."
January 25, 2019
Two stars may be too high considering how much I disagreed with this book. But the book was well written, and clear. The chapters on the law are worth the whole book, however, that material is not original with this author. I am sympathetic to the author's project which is why I read the book, but Myers fails to attempt to interact with the many potential critiques of his view. He argues that God never wanted sacrifice, going so far as to suggest that Abel did not sacrifice an animal, but consecrated a living animal and offered dairy products to God. He explains away anything unpleasant in the OT simply by arguing that the writers grossly misunderstood and maligned God by attributing those actions or attitudes to him. There are better answers than this.
April 9, 2018
Powerful and necessary for people to read
PENAL SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT is a poison in Christian theology that needs cleansed; this book makes so much more sense vs. teaching the God saves us basically from Himself. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
PENAL SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT is a poison in Christian theology that needs cleansed; this book makes so much more sense vs. teaching the God saves us basically from Himself. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
March 3, 2021
Theologically unsound
It appears that the author has a vision of what he thinks God should look like and has gone to lengths to create a gospel that fits God into an image that agrees with this. We should seek to understand who God is not make God into what we want him to be.
It appears that the author has a vision of what he thinks God should look like and has gone to lengths to create a gospel that fits God into an image that agrees with this. We should seek to understand who God is not make God into what we want him to be.
May 13, 2019
A fresh view and clarity of the Cross of Christ. Jeremy briefly tells the story of God's love for Man kind and how humanity, on the other hand, has always wanted a scapegoat to feel good about after sinning. Jeremy uses many examples from scripture to show this. Whereas God has always forgiven humanity and desired fellowship rather than sacrifice.
Jeremy continually reiterates each point he makes through this book about God desiring obedience and worship rather than sacrifice and yet continually accepts mans devise and condition for worship through sacrifice and allowing humanity to blame God for everything even today. Jeremy shows the cross is the ultimate human scapegoat where Christ displays the scapegoat mechanism and through this God show forgiveness to humanity through the cross.
Jeremy will turn your theology upside down and in the end.. it just makes sense. He gives a fresh look at even difficult passages.
For the one who wants to fresh look at the Gospel beginning at Genesis right into the New Testament, this is a very good read.
Jeremy continually reiterates each point he makes through this book about God desiring obedience and worship rather than sacrifice and yet continually accepts mans devise and condition for worship through sacrifice and allowing humanity to blame God for everything even today. Jeremy shows the cross is the ultimate human scapegoat where Christ displays the scapegoat mechanism and through this God show forgiveness to humanity through the cross.
Jeremy will turn your theology upside down and in the end.. it just makes sense. He gives a fresh look at even difficult passages.
For the one who wants to fresh look at the Gospel beginning at Genesis right into the New Testament, this is a very good read.
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August 29, 2018Filed under "more strange things I read for story research".
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews