Abstract machines and just-in-time compilers make languages like Java more efficient, not less. Compilation direct to machine code for many languages that are more dynamic produces inefficient code because it has to be pessimistic. Even C can sometimes run faster on an abstract machine (concrete example is inlining through function pointers at runtime when they can’t be at compile time.)

Compare the efficiency of the same Java machine code compilers in AOT mode to them in JIT mode - JIT is more efficient for anything beyond short-living programs.

That doesn't address your concern about distribution - so that does still remain.