Jesus’ Death on the Cross
If you have ever attended a Baptist Church or tuned into a Billy Graham crusade you have heard a sermon based on the most popular protestant theology concerning Jesus’ Death on the Cross. It is known as the Penal-Substitution theory of salvation. It is very Biblical and makes for effective preaching for most people.
The basic metaphor is a courtroom. God is the Judge and you are the defendant. Jesus is your defense attorney. The idea is that someone must pay the penalty to satisfy the demands of God’s justice. Our sins have brought this trial upon us. Jesus however, not only pleads our case, he takes our place and accepts the punishment of death on the cross for us. God’s justice is satisfied and we get to live for ever in heaven.
There is a slight problem in this view of salvation. Many people feel cut off from God not by what they have done, but by what has been done to them. The Bible presents other ideas about the meaning of the cross. People who have been the victims of sexual abuse often feel dirty. It makes no sense to further victimize them by telling them their problem is their fault. Thus for some the image of being washed in the blood of the lamb makes more sense. To be saved means to be cleansed by Jesus precious blood shed on the cross.
The earliest idea of Jesus saving act was one of ransom. The devil has taken mankind captive and Jesus pays the ransom price, his life, to set us free. Another view is called Christus Victor. This view uses the metaphor of Spiritual Warfare. The battlefield is the cross. Jesus’ death and resurrection bring about a surprise victory and wins us salvation. C.S. Lewis wove this idea into his children’s books, The Chronicles of Narnia. You may have seen the movie.
In the Gospel of John Jesus talks about his coming death by referring to an event in the Old Testament. The people of Israel were complaining so badly that God let snakes bite them. Then he told Moses to put a bronze snake on a pole so that when the people looked at it they might be healed. Jesus said his death would be like that. So another meaning of the cross of Christ is healing.
These are not conflicting views. It is not that one is right and another wrong. Nor does it mean the Bible contradicts itself. Jesus death on the cross is such a powerful event it defies complete comprehension. It is powerful enough to carry many layers of meaning that can reach the lives of different people in different ways. One more Biblical idea of the cross is this. Paul says the people believed that anyone who died on a tree was cursed. Therefore Jesus was cursed by hanging on the cross that we who believe in him might be blessed. Which ever idea or theology of the cross touches you I hope one inspires your faith and bring you to the blessings of salvation.
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