Jesus Died "For us"!
The Meaning of Jesus's Death
The New Testament tells us that Jesus died "for us" and "for our sins." But what does the "for" actually mean? How does Jesus' death benefit us and change our relationship with God? These questions revolve around the concept of “atonement,” where God addresses human sin through the cross, restoring humanity's relationship with him. The cross brings those estranged and alienated from God into unity with him through faith in Jesus as their Savior. However, when examining atonement, we encounter a complex issue.
While the early church agreed on Jesus's dual nature as fully divine and fully human, it did not reach a consensus on the specifics of atonement, its mechanism, logic, or results. The church was content to affirm that Jesus died "for us" without specifying how the atonement works. Theologians have thus used various parts of biblical language and imagery to develop a theory of the overarching idea behind the atonement. This often involves fitting the Easter story and its apostolic proclamation into a philosophical explanation like ransom, substitutionary, or Christus Victor “theories” or “models” of the atonement.
Be that as it may, we can summarize the cross's achievements by examining the biblical testimony to the saving effects of Jesus’s death. Perhaps that is a better way to proceed than trying to come up with a theory behind Scripture’s testimony. In the end, Scripture teaches that Jesus's death was:
A ransom for sins (Mark 10:45; Matt 20:28).
Protection from tribulation and future judgment (Matt 23:37-39).
The inauguration of the new covenant (Mark 14:22-25 and parallels).
The restoration of Israel and inclusion of the nations into Abraham's family (Mark 9:12; Luke 1:68; 2:38; 23:27-31; John 11:51-52; Acts 3:18-21; 13:25-29; Gal 3:13; Rev 5:9-10).
Rescue from the kingdom of darkness and the present evil age (Col 1:14; Gal 1:4).
Reconciliation (Rom 5:10-11; 2 Cor 5:18-20; Eph 2:16; Col 1:20, 22).
Redemption (Gal 3:13; 4:5; Rom 3:24; 8:23; 1 Cor 1:30; 7:23; Eph 1:7, 14; Col 1:14; Heb 9:12; Tit 2:14; 1 Pet 1:18; Rev 5:9).
Justification (Rom 3:24; 5:9; Gal 2:21).
Forgiveness of sins (Matt 26:28; Luke 1:77; 23:24; Acts 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; 3:13; Heb 9:22; 1 John 1:9; Rev 1:6).
Peace (Isa 53:5; Acts 10:36; Rom 5:1; Eph 2:14-17; Col 1:20).
Healing (Exod 15:26; Isa 53:5; Mal 4:2; 1 Pet 2:24).
Cleansing (1 Cor 6:11; Tit 2:14; Heb 1:3; 9:14-22; 10:2, 22; 1 John 1:7, 9; 2 Pet 1:9; Rev 7:14).
An example to follow (Phil 2:5-11; 1 Pet 2:21; Heb 12:1-4).
It's unfair to reduce the cross's impact to just one of these images. Together, these biblical images provide a comprehensive testimony to the results of the atonement: peace with God, the cancellation of our sins, the setting aside of divine anger, the end of enmity, and the cessation of hostilities. They collectively proclaim that nothing can separate us from God's love in Jesus the Messiah. Through the cross, we have communion with God the Father, unity with God the Son, and life in the Holy Spirit.
Happy Easter everyone!
I love this!! So well stated!!!
Well said! Happy Easter!