I would say it's madness.

You don't go around claiming to worship a jew who died on a cross for the sins of the world if you didn't really believe that. Paul even remarks that it was scandelous to preach such a thing to jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.

He would have just said "Jesus was a good man who came to show us the right path to righteousness, but was killed before his time. We must follow in his footsteps if we are to become as he was."

That's preaching a works based salvation, which is not about repentence at all, but penence. The prophet Isaiah said that all of our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God. The writer of Hebrews says that without the shedding of blood there is NO remission for sin.

So, that's my answer. If you take away the sacrifice, all you're left with is a jewish rabbi who was killed on the cross and is dead, and it would be foolish to worship just another "good teacher" And you would still be left in your sins.