An Inquest into Jesus’ Death. By Dr Chapman Chen

Jesus died for the sake of humans and animals, but not in place of humans.

1. Jesus Chose to Die

Jesus took the initiative to die in order to align with God’s grand scheme (Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42), to fulfil the prophecy of the Scriptures (Matt. 26:54), and to wake us up from our falsities (e.g., Matt. 23:27–28), our indifference, and our atrocities toward animals and humans, raising us to a level of love (e.g., “Blessed are the merciful” — Matt. 5:7; cf. 1 John 3:16), purity (e.g., “Blessed are the pure in heart” — Matt. 5:8), and veganism (e.g., “I desire compassion, not sacrifice” — Matt. 9:13; 12:7; cf. Hosea 6:6; Luke 21:34, Evangelion Da-Mepharreshe; Mark 12:31; Matt. 10:29, 21:1-7, 25:40; Linzey 2010: 60-61; Luke 14:5; Panarion Book I, 30.18.9). According to 1 Peter 2:21, Jesus expected us to follow His example, carry His cross, and share His resurrection. In the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39–46), He could have escaped but chose to stay.

Jesus’ cause of animal liberation, particularly His assault on the sacrificial system, directly led to His death. This may be divided into direct action and ritualistic replacement.

2. The Temple Raid 

Regarding direct action, by raiding the Holy Temple immediately before Passover, by calling the Temple-turned-butcher-shop “a den of robbers/murderers” (Mark 11:17; cf. Jeremiah 7:11), and by freeing the innocent sacrificial animals from it, He debunked the fraudulent nature of the entire institution and disrupted the lucrative income stream of the big bosses behind it—the chief priests and scribes—who immediately afterwards plotted to have Him killed (Mark 11:18; Akers 2000).

3. The Last Supper as a Vegan Replacement of the Sacrificial System

Regarding ritualistic replacement, during the Last Supper, He substituted bread for the body and wine for the blood involved in the sacrificial system. When Jesus said, “This is my blood… This is my body” (Mark 14:22–24; Matt. 26:26–28; Luke 22:19–20), He did not intend us to drink His blood or eat His flesh in the Eucharist, not even symbolically, for blood-drinking is strictly forbidden in Moses’ Law (Leviticus 17:10–14; Deut. 12:23–24). He was simply saying, in accordance with Hebrew usage, “This is my (vegan) version of the blood and the body” (cf. Bruce Chilton, The Eucharist: Origins and Contemporary Understandings, 2008).

4. Direct Access to God

In general, Jesus offended the chief priests and the Pharisees by teaching truths that undermined their authority: “Ye are gods” (John 10:34; Psalm 82:6); “Ye are children of God” (John 1:12; Matt. 5:9); “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21); and “I and the Father are ONE” (John 10:30). This implies that we can gain direct access to God without any mediator, religious agent, or priest (cf. Brittney Alexander 2025)—a truth that would destroy the livelihood of priests and even entire religious institutions whether 2,000 years ago or now.

5. A Threat to National Security?

The chief priests and scribes and Pharisees therefore went to the Roman authorities and framed Jesus up for sedition, accusing Him of being a Jewish king who incited the Israelites to revolt against Roman colonial rule (Luke 23:2; John 19:12). The Romans generally did not care about internal Jewish religious disputes. But when Jesus entered Jerusalem in high profile, receiving the applause of tens of thousands (the Triumphal Entry: Mark 11:9–10; Matt. 21:8–9; Luke 19:37–38; John 12:12–13), they became alert to Jesus’ potential threat to the national security of the Roman Empire. Consequently, although Pilate did not truly believe the priests’ accusations against Jesus (Luke 23:4, 14, 22; Matthew 27:18), for safety’s sake—and under heavy pressure from the Jewish authorities—he still acquiesced and sentenced Jesus to crucifixion.

6. No One Can Die for Anyone Else

The mainstream Pauline church’s reinterpretation of Jesus’ death as a cannibalistic blood-atonement for human sins is invalid because, according to the Scriptures, everybody must bear the consequences of their own choices (Deut. 30:19; Joshua 24:15; Proverbs 16:9). No one can die for anyone else (Deut. 24:16; 2 Kings 14:6; Jer. 31:30; Psa. 49:7; Ezekiel 18:20; Numbers 35:33).

Indeed, both God (Amos 5:21–22; Isa. 1:11; Jer. 7:22; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6–8) and Christ detested sacrifice (Matt. 9:13). Both God and Jesus forgave sins without requiring bloodshed—the adulterous woman (John 8:1–11), King David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:13), and the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32) are cases in point.

The idea that God wanted Jesus to die as a blood sacrifice is incompatible with Jesus’ teaching of God as a merciful deity (Luke 15:11–32). #VeganChrist #VeganGod #VeganTheology

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