The skeptic may well wonder how a dying saviour can save anyone. Indeed those who passed by Jesus on the cross mocked he saved others, himself he cannot save. Dying saviours, however, are not so unusual.
In London’s Postman’s Park, people who died after saving others are remembered in The Memorial to Heroic Self-sacrifice. For example, one memorial reads, Mary Rogers – Stewardess of the Stella March 30,1899 – self-sacrificed by giving her life belt and voluntarily going down in the sinking ship.
It’s not unusual to have a dying saviour and it should not have given cause for many of Jesus’ fellow Jews to reject Him since their own scriptures predicted the Messiah’s sacrificial death (e.g. Daniel 9:25-26, Isaiah 53 & Psalm 22). What is unusual though is to have a risen Saviour. Of the major religions, only Christianity boasts an empty tomb for their leader.
It’s unique in history to have such a well-attested-to death and resurrection of an individual who was dead for a significant time. The Bible records there were over 500 witnesses who saw Jesus alive from the dead over a period of 40 days after His very public death. Post-resurrection, some even ate and talked at length with Him. Their words can be believed as they would not have been willing to in turn sacrifice themselves for a resurrection lie they’d made up.
It’s not strange to have a Saviour who sacrificed Himself, but it does show we have a very loving and committed Saviour. The great news is – He’s alive!