I was with a group of teenagers once and asked, “why did Jesus die, what was the purpose of the crucifixion?” The answer came back fast and with certainty: “Jesus died for our sins!” So I followed up with “what does that mean, ‘Jesus died for our sins?’” I was met with nearly blank stares. These young people who had dutifully gone to Sunday School had learned, almost by rote, that simple answer to one of the most profound and complex questions of the New Testament. And I would venture that the so-called Doctrine of the Atonement, the doctrine of why Jesus died, is no better understood by a great many adults.
The truth is that there is no single answer to that question. The writers of the New Testament instead offer a variety of images and understandings and Reformed theology has steadfastly refused to elevate one above another. Our Book of Confessions, in fact, calls God’s reconciling act in Jesus a “mystery which the scriptures describe in various ways. It is called the sacrifice of the lamb, a shepherd’s life given for his sheep, atonement by a priest; again it is ransom of a slave, payment of a debt, vicarious satisfaction of a legal penalty, and victory over the powers of evil. These are expressions of a truth which remains beyond the reach of all theory in the depths of God’s love for humanity. They reveal the gravity, cost, and sure achievement of God’s reconciling work.” (Confession of 1967, 9.09)] Even that list of images and metaphors does not exhaust the all the scripturally rooted understandings of what was on display, what was achieved, on the cross. And theologians continue to explore and recontextualize the meaning and purpose of God’s reconciling act for new generations of Christians.
What we might say with some certainty is that in the death and resurrection it is we who are reconciled to God and not God who is reconciled to us. That is, “It is not we who make peace with God but God who makes peace with us.” What we see and experience on the cross and in the resurrection is a powerful expression of God’s love for us. And it is God who makes the first move. Jesus is not meeting some divine requirement or making some gruesome sacrifice in order to satisfy God’s sense of wounded pride. Quite the opposite: Jesus is God-with-us so what Jesus does is God’s work. Jesus does not stand between us and God as a mediator or peacemaker. Instead, Jesus reveals the whole character of God, Jesus reveals the depths of God’s love.
Certainly it is fair to say that in some sense, “Jesus died for our sins.” But that barely scratches the surface of the meaning of his most profound sacrifice. As we journey through Lent I invite you to think about how you understand Jesus’s death. Are there things about it that have troubled you? How have you see God at work in it?
Starting on March 8 and continuing through March 29 I’ll lead our Sunday morning adult education class in a series of discussions on the atonement. Our jumping off point will be four scripturally rooted atonement images for which I’ll provide a list of the relevant texts for your exploration. Even if you’re not a regular attendee for Sunday School, this four-week series might be a good (and relatively easy) addition to your Lenten discipline.
During our service on Maundy Thursday I’m amazed at the visceral effect the sound of the nails going into the cross has on me, the way it conjures up the whole scene of our Savior’s sacrifice, all the emotion, the sorrow. Certainly it was not a sacrifice made in vain. But “Jesus died for our sins,” does not tell the whole story. This year perhaps we might move beyond that to a fuller understanding of the depths of God’s love for the world…and for you.
Peace be with you,
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