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[Agent 007]

I've never understood this. I understand he is selfless and a role model of Christian virtue but how was his death necessary to rescue the people of his time and us now?

[jimwalton]

Great question. It has several facets, so I'll try not to write too huge an answer.

God is life, and when people sinned they separated themselves from God, and therefore they "died". The payment for sin is death, not because God is cruel and brutal, but when you are cut off from life, the only possible consequences is death. Jesus died for our sins so that we could be restored to life (dead people can't restore themselves).

Let me try another tack, answering, "But why did he have to DIE?" The only way to break the power of death is not to wave a magic wand, but to enter death and prove that it is not strong enough to hold you. (The only way to show a prison is not escape-proof is to enter the jail and prove that you can break out.) Otherwise it's just bravado: "I could break outta there." "Nuh-uh." "Uh-huh." "No you couldn't." "Yes I could." Somebody finally has to put their money where their mouth is and show that death doesn't have the ultimate power. Therefore the way to break the power of death and sin is to die as anyone else would, and then break out, to show that death has no power over you (Heb. 2.14-15).

"Yeah, but why did he have to die?" There are different ways of looking at the substitution concept. On the one hand, if someone wants to pay a monetary debt in our place, we're grateful. On another hand, if someone innocent wants to serve a jail sentence for a convicted criminal, we think that's not fair, and rightly so. Jesus' sufferings for us are more like the first rather than the second, according to the Bible.

If you have a debt of, say, $50,000, and a friend of yours steps up and offers to pay it for you, just because he's your friend, you would (I bet) gladly accept. It's the same thing here. Each of us has a debt, a debt of sin and the payment is death (Rom. 6.23). So instead of money, the debt is life. Jesus stepped up and offered to pay it for you, just because he loves you. He has a right to be generous with you if he chooses. You may logically object, "Life is different from money." Not as far as the definition of debt is concerned. You may object that money debt is different from punishment debt. Let's look at the technicalities of the law. Supposing a slave back in colonial America was due to receive 40 lashes, and another man stepped up and offered to take the 40 lashes in his place. Technically as to the law, as long as the 40 lashes got delivered to a back, the law was served. That's the point here. Technically, as long as the punishment is paid, justice is served. But is it fair?

It's fair on two points: The first is that Jesus volunteered to be the substitute. He had every right to make the decision, and he chose to take the punishment for you (Jn. 10.17-18). Doesn't he have a right to be generous towards you? The second point would be that Christian Trinitarian theology says that the Son and the Father are one, and so whatever the son does, the father also does. Thus, the father didn't place the punishment on anyone other than himself, so you can't fault him for cruelty. In a courtroom analogy, the judge doesn't throw the punishment on some innocent, objecting bystander, but takes it upon himself. Doesn't he have a right to be generous towards you?

I'll try a 3rd angle. If all humans are "dead" in our sins, none of us can help ourselves. We need the help of someone who is not "dead," who is not worthy of death, and who never would have died otherwise, to take our place. Hm. That means we need someone who is perfect, without sin, not deserving to die, but willing to do so to take my place. Jesus is the sinless Son of God who came to earth, lived perfectly, and died (unjustly), to die instead of me, taking our sins upon himself so that we could be redeemed. It was like he was paying a ransom for our lives.

It really has very little to do with being selfless (though the truest love is selfless) or a model of Christian virtue (though the truest love is sacrificial).

Not sure if all this hits the target. Write back if you have more questions or want to talk more.

[Agent 007]

Thanks so much for the long response, I really appreciate it. As I get older I understand more if something doesn't make sense to me it doesn't make it wrong, I just can't see how it's right - so I keep trying.

[jimwalton]

That response shows some real wisdom. You're well on your way.