Although the Watchtower teaches that Jesus made the “ransom sacrifice,” in an article entitled “Appreciating Why the Messiah Was to Come,” the Watchtower makes the following claim:

“The most important reason why God’s Son came to earth was not to save mankind. Rather, it was to settle the slanderous issues raised by Satan with regard to Jehovah’s sovereignty.”

In a later post, I will explain what they mean by their second sentence and the issue of “Jehovah’s sovereignty.”

For now, I want to discuss the first sentence—specifically, the Watchtower’s contention that saving the lost was not the most important reason why God the Father sent Jesus into the world.

My own opinion is that his mission to save us from our sins was the most important to God.

Without that motivation, would the Father have sent Jesus at all?

In response to the Watchtower’s claim, I would point out the obvious.

Nowhere in the gospels does Jesus say anything such as:

  • “The Son of Man came to vindicate Jehovah’s sovereignty.” or
  • “The Son of Man came to settle slanderous issues raised by Satan against God.”

Nowhere do the epistles make such statements either.

In contrast to the Watchtower’s “sovereignty issue” claim, a large number of scriptures center on Jesus’ atoning sacrifice as the reason he was sent.

I’ll set them out below, using the Watchtower’s Bible translation, and let them speak for themselves.

  • Luke 19:10: “For the Son of man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
  • John 12:27: “Now I am troubled, and what should I say? Father, save me out of this hour. Nevertheless, this is why I have come to this hour.”
  • Matthew 26:53-54: “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father to supply me at this moment more than 12 legions of angels? In that case, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must take place this way?”
  • Isaiah 53:4-6: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,and with his wounds we are healed.”
  • Matthew 9:13: “Go, then, and learn what this means: ‘I want mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.”
  • Matthew 10:26-28:This must not be the way among you; but whoever wants to become great among you must be your minister, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. Just as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many.”
  • Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many.”
  • 1 John 3:5, 8: “5 You know, too, that he was made manifest to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him… 8 The one who practices sin originates with the Devil, because the Devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was made manifest, to break up the works of the Devil.”
  • Hebrews 9:15: “That is why he is a mediator of a new covenant, in order that because a death has occurred for their release by ransom from the transgressions under the former covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance.”