1000

The Bible views Jesus’ death primarily as an act of substitutionary atonement. Jesus is the “lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). He died in our place, taking on himself the curse of death due us because of our sin. In this he made it possible for us to be reconciled with God.

. . . [A]ll have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished . . . (Rom. 3:23-25)

Creation was broken. We were broken. Someone needed to bear the cost of this brokenness. We broke it; we should pay. God in his mercy made it possible for us to be forgiven by he himself bearing the cost of redeeming humanity along with the rest of creation.
If a person doesn’t believe in substitutionary atonement they aren’t orthodox. I’m not saying they can’t still be a Christian, or a follower of Jesus. I’m not saying they can’t still be forgiven and live in right relationship with God. I’m saying they are either denying or ignoring what the New Testament teaches. I’d just like people to be upfront about their beliefs. I know this substitutionary atonement is not a very attractive doctrine – it seems barbaric. If you don’t like it, be honest, not sneaky.
Now, I believe substitutionary atonement is a symbol, which helps us understand the nature of God’s holiness and justice, our sin, the curse we were under, and what Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection. Can we really claim to fully understand what occurred on a transcendent level, or within God’s infinite Trinitarian relationship? I do not believe so. Jesus himself, let alone his death and resurrection, is a mystery. Substitutionary atonement is the primary metaphor we are given in order to understand what Jesus has done for us, but there are many other ways in which the Bible describes that strange event. If we push any of these metaphors to far, things can get ugly.
Since I’m near the subject I’d like to say something brief about Jesus’ resurrection. The Bible claims that Jesus rose from the dead. This is an objective historical claim. It is a claim subject to rational debate. If it is not true, Christianity is false. The Bible would still contain some good morals, some wise teaching, along with the ravings of some crazy (or possibly just misguided) people. The Christian religion would still, most likely, help many people live better, healthier, and happier lives. But that’s it – it would just be about pragmatism. Does it make you feel better? However, Christianity does not simply claim that it is useful, it claims that it is true.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Col. 2:13-14)