Atonement

The significance of Easter is that it is a celebration of the “Good News,” that salvation has been made possible through the death of Jesus Christ. Underlying this concept is the doctrine of the Atonement. Here are two short definitions of atonement. The first is a regular dictionary definition: “atonement; a reparation for an offense.” The sense of this definition is that an offense has been made against another party and restitution needs to be made to the offended party. The second definition: “atonement; the death of Christ on the cross which effects salvation as the reestablishment of the relationship between God and sinners.”

If we apply the first definition to Christianity, then we can see that mankind has transgressed the commands of God by his disobedience, (sinned). Man must therefore make restitution to God in some manner. The second definition explains how this restitution to God has been made. The death and sacrifice of Christ on the cross has satisfied the reparation to God for violating His Holy command for obedience. Even though the offense was made by man, it was necessary that God pay the penalty because man is not capable of doing so. This may seem puzzling at first because man is the guilty party, and God is the offended party. The answer lies in the person of God himself. God is a Holy and an infinite being, whose character demands absolute justice. The offense against an infinite being requires infinite restitution. A finite being such as man is incapable of paying an infinite penalty, only God can do so. God’s justice must still be paid, but God’s justice is tempered by his other attributes; such as love, mercy, and grace. Consequently, God sends His Son to pay the penalty for man’s offense.

Christ, dutifully accomplishes the Father’s plan of redemption. He  humbles himself and becomes fully human, lives a sinless life subjected to the same temptations as other men. He then allows Himself to be tortured and suffer death at the hands of man. By allowing Himself to be crucified, Christ accepts responsibility for those who belong to Him, (John 10:27-30), and accepts the consequences of their transgression. Dying on the cross, He took the full and infinite wrath of God for the penalty of sin. By doing so; man is redeemed of his sin, and the relationship between God and man that was severed by Adam’s disobedience is reestablished.

This is the Atonement; the Creator lowered Himself to the level of the creature, He suffered humiliation, torture, and death so that His beloved creation; mankind, is redeemed, restored to relationship, and given eternal life with Him in the Eternal Kingdom. This is our cause for celebration. Blessed be the name of our Lord!