How does Christ's death atone?

[Littlelambseativy]

Though God knew before man was created that Jesus would be the pure sacrifice,it started even in Eden when man first sinned that God Himself offered the first sacrifice on earth by killing an animal to clothe Adam and Eve. A blood atonement is what God insists on and that is why the Jews must offer a spotless animal or bird to be sacrificed. That is also why Jesus, God of very God had to be the sacrifice once for all. No one was good enough or sinless other that the Son of God and it was a pure sinless atonement that God required. Those who accept that sacrifice for their sin are free. Jesus took His own blood and placed it on the altar in heaven once for all a pure, spotless sacrifice.

[Kan]

To begin to understand, one needs to start with realizing that the life is in the blood (Genesis 9; Leviticus 17; Deuteronomy 12).  The life, or blood Jesus shed, is what covers our sins.

 

To understand the question about why He suffered, it is easier to accept when we also understand that our life here on earthy is no more then a vapor in time, as stated in James 4:14b

 

For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

 

His suffering was just a fraction of time, done from His pure love to us, when compared to eternity.

 

Your question encompasses all of who God is and there is no one post explanation, but a life time of study to only scratch the surface.

 

You have touched on an issue which became clear to me this morning. Thanks.

[Kan]

Jesus punished, but not sinned ... Literally, there was an injustice given to Jesus ... Equivalence to that, father provide anything Jesus asked to Him ... But Jesus not asked any other thing, but only the salvation of His beloved.

How can there be any good law which would agree to the punishment of the innocent?

I believe the answer may be in the text which says , "For He (God) hath made him (to be) sin for us who knew no no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." II Corinthians 5:21. KJV

 

The words "to be" in italics are supplied, so the text literally says that Christ became sin for us.

It is not possible for a man to become sin for anything is it? A man can sin and be destroyed for it, but he cannot become sin can he?

The Son of God became flesh for us, but also sin for us, if it wasn't a big enough step just for God to become just a man, He was "made sin for us."

So only (a) God could become something for us, man is not able to do that. 

This has major implications. And on top of that, as you have said Christ asked nothing for a favor except for others. It is astounding.

[Kan]

 

We can understand to a degree why Christ is our substitute, but how can it be so?

 

How can His death pay for the penalty of the world, let alone His sinless life as the substitute for ours?

In God's plan blood shed can cover sins if the lamb is without blemish, Jesus was a perfect lamb and those who receive Him will receive forgiveness.

 

 

It cannot be right for the perfect Lamb to die in our stead can it? However if the Lamb became sin for us, then it is just for the law to put it to death, is that so?

It is quite a shock to me.

[Kan]

Though God knew before man was created that Jesus would be the pure sacrifice,it started even in Eden when man first sinned that God Himself offered the first sacrifice on earth by killing an animal to clothe Adam and Eve. A blood atonement is what God insists on and that is why the Jews must offer a spotless animal or bird to be sacrificed. That is also why Jesus, God of very God had to be the sacrifice once for all. No one was good enough or sinless other that the Son of God and it was a pure sinless atonement that God required. Those who accept that sacrifice for their sin are free. Jesus took His own blood and placed it on the altar in heaven once for all a pure, spotless sacrifice.

 

You have answered the most important Q of "why," but the answer of the "how" may add to it, and I am sure that you, the previous posters and others will be able to help crystallize it all.

Edited January 9, 2015 by Kan

[Kan]

I may not have commented directly on your posts, and just added what I wanted to say, I just want you to know that your comments are causing the picture to expand. Thanks.

[Littlelambseativy]

The why is that man through animal sacrifice could never fully atone for our own sins. Jesus who was sinless, and very God Himself, loved us so much and wanted us to be able to one day be with Him, yet knew we could never be on our own merit that He took the sin of man for all eternity on Himself ..the sinless God...covered with all of mans' sin..so despised by men. Could we accept that act of love of selflessness and LOVE Him for what He did for us? Sadly man is selfish, self-centred,and genuinely wicked and chose to accept the filthy gift offered by God's enemy Satan, for immediate gratification instead of looking to a future of bliss spent with the Father and Jesus who loved us enough to die in our place.

Are we not a people to be pitied for refusing such a selfless and priceless gift of pure love in exchange for gaudy trinkets of immediate gratification, when all that God wants from us is to love Him and He in return will bless us and call us "child" and shower all His love on us.

Why would any one turn Him away...

The how is a mystery that God wants us to accept on faith because we call Him "Father" ...just as earthly fathers want children to accept their loving acts without question, God wants us to believe. One day ..if it really maters to us He will let us know. ...but then...we won't care...we will be in His presence and nothing will mater or need explaining because we will know what it is to be In the presence of PURE love.

[Kan]

The how is a mystery that God wants us to accept on faith because we call Him "Father" ...just as earthly fathers want children to accept their loving acts without question, God wants us to believe. One day ..if it really maters to us He will let us know. ...but then...we won't care...we will be in His presence and nothing will mater or need explaining because we will know what it is to be In the presence of PURE love.

 

The how is a mystery? God becoming human, is a mystery which cannot be known.

 

I was awake at 1 am the other day, and the answer came to me about how, but it is too broad for me to explain, and I am lost for words. But I will try, trusting in the truth of it to open up as I go. 

 

The lack of knowledge on this question of substitution lies in the fact that humans do not acknowledge how God creates and how life is maintained. They believe that life rolls on with some sort of self existence.

But when God made man in the beginning, it was clear that if they ate of the forbidden tree, they would die, showing that life is conditional and not inherent.

The fact that did not die on the day they sinned as foretold by God, was because there had been a substitute for them then, as the Scriptures say "the lamb (the Son) slain from the foundation of the world."

 

If that had not been put in place by God then the pair would have been dead as soon as they ate the fruit.

 

Today we live our lives by the same substitute for life, and it embraces the entire world, life cannot be without Christ. Even the Devil lives on borrowed life from God.

This life of God is continuous even though it was only granted once to the world by the Word in the beginning. This is because the creative Word of God is eternal, it is living and cannot be switched off. It continues to give life, and it fact the entire universe is built by it, and sustained moment by moment by its power. This was demonstrated when God rested and did nothing for one day, the word sustained the universe during that time, and even if God did nothing for ever, it would do the job of organizing everything necessary for life for ever, as well as maintaining every check and balance of the entire physical universe.

 

The entry of sin throws in a whole lot of dynamics, which are taken care of by the substitute Jesus. More later.

[ayin jade]

Look up leviticus 16 and 17, I cant recall exact verses at the moment. But it talks about the scapegoat and how sin was transferred on to it. And then it talks about blood atonement.

[ayin jade]

Also since He is our passover lamb, consider how the angel of death in exodus passed over those whose lintels were painted with lambs blood.