Was Jesus Sinless? YES!
John wrote, "In Jesus there is no sin" (1 John 3:5). Peter wrote, "Jesus committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2:22). As Christians, we believe that the one person who was without sin--Jesus--nevertheless died for our sins.
But here I will dig a little deeper. It will surprise me if I do not lose friends over the content of this post. But please hear me out, before you push the 'unfriend' button;
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| "Go, and sin no more." |
Can an Infant Sin?
If an infant throws a bottle out of his crib, intentionally hitting his sibling on the head, did he sin? (Same question for her/she.) After the first time, he/she may even be aware that this is a wrong action, earning parental disapproval, not to mention the disapproval of the sibling. But is this sin?
If it is indeed sin, does the infant need to repent? The Christian definition of repent is "to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life." This infant may be learning the difference between right and wrong behavior, but I find it unlikely that he/she is ready to understand the concept of repentance.
Nevertheless, wrong has been done, and in the Christian worldview, wrong must be atoned for, after repentance. But how is this possible?
The Answer From Judaism
Speaking from the first century, among Second Temple Judaism, there is recognition that such wrong can take place, and there is a remedy: When an infant sins, the fault for the sin falls on the father, who must atone for the sin. The infant--or toddler, or child--has no blame imputed to him or her, and no obligation to atone for the sin before God.
In ancient Jewish culture, there is a tradition (unmentioned in the Bible, as far as I know) called bar Mitzvah. In today's culture, this is often a coming-out party, when the youngster takes on adult responsibility--not far different from a quinceanera in Latino culture.
But bar Mitzvah in Aramaic means "son of the Law," and was originally a celebration for the father, not the child, for the day when the father no longer was responsible for the sins of the child. Cracking open a flask of wine may have been a suitable action for that celebration. From this point onward, the youngster was expected to atone for his/her own sins, at the temple if called for. It was the responsibility of the father to prepare the son for this day.
A similar tradition may have been observed for mothers and daughters, but this is unclear in the sources to which I have been exposed.
So, What About the Young Jesus?
We actually have an incident documented in the Bible when Jesus committed wrong and was responsible for damages to others. You'll find it in Luke's gospel, chapter 2 verses 41-52.
As Jesus' parents were returning from Passover, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents were unaware of it. Supposing him to be in the Caravan, they went a day's journey; and they began looking for him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening and asking them questions (Luke 2:43-46).
His mother said to him, "Why have you treated us this way? Look, your father and I have been terribly worried looking for you." He answered, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I would have to be in my Father?" (This may be translated "in my Father's house" or "about my Father's business," referring to his Father in heaven.
TERRIBLY WORRIED! Two days travel and three days searching! It is likely that some of their relatives came back with the distraught parents, to help them look for Jesus. Although Jesus thought he had a good excuse, the time had not yet been fulfilled when he would leave his family and become a wandering prophet. Besides the worry and the travel, his parents (especially Joseph) experienced a loss of honor among his acquaintances, for having such a wayward son.
Did Jesus sin? Ah, here is where Luke helps us out. At verse 42, Luke writes,"When Jesus became 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the Passover custom," as had been their yearly custom. Barely 12 years old, as Luke points out, Jesus was not old enough to have become a "son of the Law," and no sin would be imputed to him. It was Joseph who had sinned, for not training Jesus to know that his action was inappropriate, and also for not adequately supervising Jesus in Jerusalem. Joseph likely had to make a guilt offering in the temple to atone for his sin, perhaps with Jesus in tow to show him the consequences of his actions.
At verse 52, Luke writes that "Jesus kept increasing in wisdom," pointing out that Jesus' actions were likely a result of immaturity in wisdom at age 12.
Did Jesus sin? Before God, no he didn't. Did he cause harm to others? Yes, but it was his adoptive father's job to set things right. Did he experience what all humans experience? Yes, including what happens when he does harm to others.
As Jesus' parents were returning from Passover, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents were unaware of it. Supposing him to be in the Caravan, they went a day's journey; and they began looking for him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening and asking them questions (Luke 2:43-46).
His mother said to him, "Why have you treated us this way? Look, your father and I have been terribly worried looking for you." He answered, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I would have to be in my Father?" (This may be translated "in my Father's house" or "about my Father's business," referring to his Father in heaven.
TERRIBLY WORRIED! Two days travel and three days searching! It is likely that some of their relatives came back with the distraught parents, to help them look for Jesus. Although Jesus thought he had a good excuse, the time had not yet been fulfilled when he would leave his family and become a wandering prophet. Besides the worry and the travel, his parents (especially Joseph) experienced a loss of honor among his acquaintances, for having such a wayward son.
Did Jesus sin? Ah, here is where Luke helps us out. At verse 42, Luke writes,"When Jesus became 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the Passover custom," as had been their yearly custom. Barely 12 years old, as Luke points out, Jesus was not old enough to have become a "son of the Law," and no sin would be imputed to him. It was Joseph who had sinned, for not training Jesus to know that his action was inappropriate, and also for not adequately supervising Jesus in Jerusalem. Joseph likely had to make a guilt offering in the temple to atone for his sin, perhaps with Jesus in tow to show him the consequences of his actions.
At verse 52, Luke writes that "Jesus kept increasing in wisdom," pointing out that Jesus' actions were likely a result of immaturity in wisdom at age 12.
Did Jesus sin? Before God, no he didn't. Did he cause harm to others? Yes, but it was his adoptive father's job to set things right. Did he experience what all humans experience? Yes, including what happens when he does harm to others.
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