KCU/04/Tan's Clan

Topic 10: Why did Jesus have to die? Question: Based on what you know from the Bible & other sources (including the Theology Matters readings), why do you think Jesus had to die? (Be sure to do more research into the issue. If the group cannot come to a consensus, feel free to have different group members each express their own opinions.)

Since Jesus died for our sins, we can be saved. Because of him, we are new creations, free from the bondage to guilt, sin, and death. Three basic theories on how we have been saved through Jesus' death. A first theory emphasizes rescue and deliverance from the grasp of the "principalities and powers" of evil (Eph. 6:12). Iranaues, a second century theologian, argued that since the power that has entrapped humans is a personified and deceptive Satan, God's reasonable response was to redeem us by the real, human jesus, offering him to the devil. On the cross jesus "gave himself as a ransom for all" (1 Tim 2:6). This view often is termed the "christ as victor" theory. Gregory of Nyssa, a fouth-century church leader compared satan to a greedy fish that had taken the bait (Jesus) and had thereby been "hooked" by God's divine plan to redeem sinners from their captivity. The Christ as Substitute theory stresses that we are saved not through some kind of deal or trick made with satan, but instead because Jesus has satisfied the necessary demands of the justice of God. To be sure, a price is paid for our sinfulness; however, it is paid not to the devil but to God. In our sins, we fail to meet the ethical and spiritual demands of a holy, just and honorable God. A breach has developed, and no human endeavor can repair it. Yet neither can any sort of cheap grace; God's own identity and justice make such an "easy forgiveness" impossible. The only sufficient satisfaction would be one who was both God and man. Thus Jesus becomes "a curse for us" (Gal 3:13), dying in our place for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21). The Third theory, Christ as Example, answers positively, but with radically different perspective. Both ransom and substitutionary theories emphasize what occured for us; they are identified as "objective views". The third model stresses what happens to us when we understand the atonement: when we see what great love God has for us- that christ would die for us- we become comepelled to imitate this love. Because of the radical nature of this love, we receive the power to follow Christ. Jesus by his very example, saves us from such impotence and ignorance. He provides us an example, a way of salvation that has very real and immediate practical implications. Thus, our redemption through Christ's suffering not only frees us from slavery to sin, but also wins for us the true liberty of the sons of God, so that we do all things out of love rather than fear.