The Cyber Kazbá

Finally I am going to take a crack at this; though I have to warn you that it may not be all worth all that build up.

For some time I have begun to re-examine the Christian faith and doctrines in many new and different ways. When I was in college studying theology I began my studies thinking that I had my beliefs pretty much figured out. Going to college was a way for me to just prove to everyone else that I knew what I was talking about. Little did I know that when I left college I had nearly abandon all theological systems I previously held to. I went through another similar change when I went through grad school and have never really been able to shake the trend since. I am constantly being challenged theologically to examine and re-examine what I truly believe and consequently how do those beliefs affect what I do.

One theological perspective that has kept with me, until as of late, has been the doctrine of the crucifixion. Simply, Why did Jesus die on the cross? For most of my life I think I would have given the answer: Jesus came to earth and died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for my sins. Because I have sinned, fallen away from God and am incapable of bringing myself in a right relationship to Him, Jesus' blood sacrifice covers my sin and restores my relationship with God. Jesus substituted himself on the cross in my place because I deserved death and punishment. Because of Jesus' work on the cross I now have two choices: I can accept his sacrifice and he can pay for my sins, or I can reject this sacrifice and choose to pay for my own sins through eternal death and punishment.

So how did I do? Sounds pretty good? I left out some biblical reference but for the most part this is how I looked at the crucifixion; in academia they call this penal substitution atonement. This view I believed is very widely held in most parts of evangelicalism. It is this view that we usual use to evangelize and how most of us were converted. This view I believe is very accurate and true...in so far as it goes.

This view I would argue is a very narrow look at the work of Christ. It fits really nicely into our Western individualistic worldviews, where we (or I) fall into the center of our own universe. Jesus came for ME! :) The consequences of this view have turned many people's faith into a me and Jesus type of faith. Well, isn't that convenient that Jesus came just for me, I wonder what else He is doing just for me? Unfortunately the Me and my personal Jesus faith tends to change Jesus into looking like us instead of the other way around.

What about he bigger picture? Are there any cosmic reasons for Jesus' death?

When I was in theology class and my teacher was introducing theological views of the atonement one view always seemed a bit absurd. It was the ransom view of the atonement. It is the idea that earth in a sense no longer belonged to God. Through man's destructive choices he was leading the world to hell (Literally!!), and consequently into the hands of the devil. Somewhere along the line the ownership of the earth had changed hands. Therefore, in order to get the earth back Jesus had to come and offer himself as a ransom exchange for the world.

The reason that I thought it ridiculous at first is, if I'm honest, it kinda left me out of the picture. Also, I found it absurd that God ever lost ownership of the world, his most prized creation. How could an all powerful God let such a thing happen? It's impossible! Right?

Well, looking at the Bible and looking at reality, I started to grasp the possibility that indeed the ownership of the world had changed ownership. Over and over the Bible has names for Satan that show that this has happened: He is the prince of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11); he is the ruler of the air (eph. 2:2); He is god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4); the power of this dark world (Eph. 6:12) etc. Also during Jesus' temptation in the desert, the devil offered all the kingdoms of the earth to Jesus. Why? Because they were his to give! :-O

Also we have other biblical evidence that points to saying that this was what Jesus was doing on the cross: 1 John 3:8 says, "The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil" (NASB). The idea of ransom is in several passages regarding Jesus' death: Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Tim. 2:6; 2 Peter 2:1. There is also a beautiful picture of this in Revelation chapter 5; when the Lamb who was slain is the only one worthy to open the scroll with seven seals (the deed to the earth).

So if this has some truth to it what does it all mean? Well first of all the atonement has a much broader scope than just me and my sins. It is the defining moment of the beginning of the end. The kingdom of this earth no longer has dominion as it shrinks back against the kingdom of God. The work of the cross was not just about me and my sins, or even us and our sins, but rather the reconciliation of all of creation back to God. It thus becomes the mission of the followers of Jesus to continue the work of the cross by taking part in reconciling the world.

How is this done? Well thankfully we have the life Jesus as a perfect model. Everything he did was an act against the devil and furthering the kingdom of God: healing the sick, freeing the enslaved, opening he eyes of the blind, and forgiving sin. Calvary was the climax of all that Jesus did as he sacrificially gave everything in order to restore what he loved so much.