The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Jesus as a blood sacrifice

Why did Jesus have to die? This often comes us when people ask why couldn't God save us without the blood atonement of Jesus. They say that since God is holy, just and merciful, then couldn't he have saved us without Jesus death.

Any thoughts on this or good resources?

John,

Surely, you know the answer to this question, yes? There are many things that could be said but I'll give the most basic elements.

1. We cannot pit any of God's attributes against another since they are of His very essence. For example, love doesn't 'trump' holiness nor does mercy take precedence over being just.
2. From Gen 2:16,17; 3:3 we learn that the transgression of God's law demands the death of the transgressor. Ezekiel 18:4 (ASV) "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." This is confirmed in Hebrews 9:22, "without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin." (cf. Lev 17:11) Sin demands atonement.
3. God's inexorable holiness demands that all things be holy, perfect, undefiled, glorifying to God's nature.
   Habakkuk 1:13 (ASV) "Thou that art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look on perverseness,..."
4. God being just demands that transgression be dealt with.
5. God's mercy is the not exacting of punishment where it is deserved upon the one who should be punished. But this does not mean that the offender nor the offense can be ignored.
6. Thus we have the Gospel that proclaims that all men are transgressors. All men are under the curse of God and liable to judgment. God's incarnate only begotten Son came to be a substitute, an acceptable atoning sacrifice in the place of those upon whom God's wrath should have fallen. In the cross we see perfectly expressed God's love, mercy, holiness and justice.

As initially stated, there is MUCH more that could be said. I think Heb. 9:22 makes a good summary however, "without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin." The truth simply stated is that there simply is no other way that God could receive guilty sinners and by which they could escape eternal damnation other than by the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Yes, I knew the answer lie in dealing with sin.

A person on another forum had a friend or acquaintance asking him "why couldn't God just forgive people of their sins without Jesus dying on the Cross. Doesn't He have the power to do so"

I was just looking for a well-articulated argument as that is not my gift. I deal mostly with bullets. I remember reading an excellent article a couple of years ago that explained why it was necessary. The overall thrust in the article was arguiing against liberal theologians saying that the talk of blood sacrifice today is barbaric (or some other word for it).

Thanks for you answer.

John the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement is a doctrine long under attack by liberals and unbelievers here is some resources from Monergism that may help you out. http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/Atonement/Penal-Substitutionary-Atonement/