Jesus’ Sinlessness

Jesus’ Sinlessness: 

The biblical record consistently claims that Jesus is sinless, perfect, and Holy. Jesus’s perfection is a foundational Christian doctrine. This post will attempt to strictly utilize biblical evidence to support Jesus’ sinlessness. Not only did the New Testament authors believe that Jesus was perfect, but so did multiple other characters in Jesus’s historical account (such as Pilate’s wife and Judas). 

At the beginning of Jesus’s ministry John the Baptist saw Jesus and stated the following, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). John was invoking the symbolism of Jesus being the Passover Lamb, without blemish, that is sacrificed, and the lamb’s blood was put on the doorposts so the “destroyer” would not strike down God’s chosen people (Exod. 12:5, 7, 21-26). Jesus is the true Passover Lamb who brings about a greater exodus, freeing us from the slavery of sin. Jesus as the Lamb of God without blemish or spot is a recurring theological point made by New Testament authors (1 Cor. 5:7; Acts 8:32; Rev. 5:12).   

When Jesus began calling the Twelve, he told the disciples to put out their fishing nets and begrudgingly they obeyed Jesus’ request (Luke 5:4). The nets filled with fish and their boats began to sink (Luke 5:6-7). When Peter saw this he stated, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). When faced with Jesus’ Holiness, Peter was forced to realize his own sin. During Jesus’s ministry, some quit following Jesus and He asked the Twelve if they wanted to leave (John 6:67). Peter told Jesus that He had “the words of eternal life” and was the “Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). Peter also stated in his epistle, “With the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). Peter also stated in the same epistle, “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

John stated, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John explains that Jesus is God and is divine. God is also perfect and “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Isa. 6:3). John also states in 1 John 3:5, “In him there is no sin.”

Prior to Jesus’s crucifixion, the high priests paid Judas to betray Jesus. Judas was devastated after betraying Jesus and brought back the “blood money” to the high priests (Mat. 27:6). Judas' reason for giving the money back is that he had sinned “by betraying innocent blood” (Mat. 27:3-4). The high priests' schemes continued and they actively sought false testimony about Jesus because he had not broken any of their Old Testament laws (Mat. 26:59-60, Mark 14:56-59). In the end, the high priests wrongly thought that Jesus was blaspheming.  

Once Jesus was delivered over to Pilate, even Pilate’s wife had dreams concerning Jesus and told Pilate to have nothing to do with “that righteous man” (Mat. 27:19). Pilate himself even questioned the logic and motives of the Jewish leaders calling for his crucifixion, “Why? What evil has he done?” (Mat. 27:22, Mark 15:14). Pilate also stated that he had found “no guilt in this man” (Luke 23:4, 14; John 18:38, 19:4, 6). Pilate sent Jesus to Herod who also found no guilt in Jesus (Luke 23:15).  Jesus was crucified on the cross with other criminals. One of the criminals being crucified rightly stated that they were being punished justly, but this criminal made the clear distinction that Jesus had “done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41).

Paul the apostle stated in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Paul the apostle maintained Jesus’ sinlessness. The author of Hebrews also argued, “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Heb. 7:26).  

Jesus’ sinlessness is necessary because in Him we have a perfect high priest. Jesus is remarkably different from Old Testament priests because He was “tempted in every way” and “yet is without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Jesus is the perfect example to follow and imitate since He was perfect (1 Cor. 11:1). Priests of old had to offer sacrifices daily for their own sins, but Jesus has no need since He is sinless (Heb. 7:27). Instead, Jesus offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice “without blemish to God” in order to atone for our sins (Heb. 9:14, 22). Through faith in Christ’s death on the cross, believers are “sanctified” through the offering of His perfect sacrifice (Heb. 10:10). This is why Christians hold firmly to the doctrine that Jesus was and is sinless.    

Additional Resources:

Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2013, (P. 655-656).

Biblical References:

Mat. 27:19, 22; Mark 15:14; Luke 23:4, 14, 41; John 18:38, 19:4, 6; John 1:29; John 6:68-69, 7:18; Mat. 26:59-60; Mark 14:56-59; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 1:19; Heb. 4:15, 7:26, 27, 9:14; 1 John 3:5, 1 Peter 1:19