Question 39: Is it really that important that Jesus died on the cross rather than any other way?

 

Question 39: Is it really that important that Jesus died on the cross rather than any other way?

Answer: Yes. Since death on the cross was a death cursed by God, His death gives me the assurance that He bore the curse that I deserved.

Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’”

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree; you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, for anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.”

Deuteronomy 21 deals with the laws concerning dead bodies. Whether the body was murdered or hung on a tree for a crime, the shedding of blood in Israelite society was considered a defilement of the land. Responsibility for that blood was borne by the community, believing that only in this way could piety and holiness be maintained within Israel. The village nearest the body was to carry out the laws of atonement for the death. The unharnessed, unyoked heifer chosen for the atonement ritual symbolically covered the death. The death of the heifer served to prevent bloodshed within the Israelite community, and also foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The entire village performed a grand ritual, and while burying the dead, they offered prayers together. Through these prayers, the entire community pledged to live holy lives on this battlefield-like land, and shared a sincere desire to seek God's grace. A true community was one that could pray together so that sin would not remain in this life, this land, and their hearts, granted by God. Because faith communities are always at risk of extinction and disintegration due to external influences, Deuteronomy strongly emphasizes absolute purity and obedience, refusing to tolerate any compromise.

In the ordinance regarding hanging a corpse on a tree, this punishment was intended to raise awareness throughout the village. However, the corpse was not to be left overnight because its blood would defile the ground. This meant that a curse should not remain on the land, a gift from God where blessings should dwell, a blessed foundation for a life where a community of faith should reside.

From God's perspective, Jesus' death on the cross was death for sin and death for the world. God condemned the sinful world by sending His Son, Jesus, to die a cursed death. God poured out His wrath on His Son hanging on the cross. The blood Jesus shed became a curse for the world mired in sin.

From the Jewish perspective, Jesus Christ became a curse under the law, and died on the cross under that curse. Jesus, though not under the law, was cursed. The Pharisees, priests, and scribes judged and condemned sin based on their own legalism. They violated human rights regardless of whether others were under the law. Jesus was neither under the law nor sinful, yet the Jews, using the law, framed him and executed him.

As the Jews believed, God also placed His own Son under the law and sent Him to die on the cross. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for the same purpose, but God placed His Son in His place to judge the world, and the Jews opposed God through Jesus' death. God bestowed grace by judging His sinless Son, but the Jews, driven by their greed to become like Him, opposed Him. While God remains angry with humanity, He shows love to those who repent and turn back.

Jesus was the Son of God. This is testified by God and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:16-17 states, "When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. Behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'" God called Jesus his Son, but the Jews, who claimed to believe in God, executed Jesus for blasphemy.

However, the book of Hebrews reveals that Jesus died under the law to atone for the sins of the people. Hebrews 9:28, "So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for him."

Those under the law are under sin, and the Pharisees and priests of that time committed blasphemy against God by killing His Son. When they realized their wrongdoing, God offered them forgiveness through the sacrificial offering, the death of Jesus Christ. This is the meaning of atonement. However, they neither realized it nor repented. The atonement death is not limited to the Jews of that time, but applies to all people.

Since Jesus was under a curse according to the law, how does this atonement (redemption) take on the meaning of sin? It is the transference of the sins of those under the law to God's Son. Therefore, since God's Son became a sinner, God conceals the sins of those who repent through His dead Son. This begins with the predestination of Christ before the creation of the world. God imprisoned the fallen angels on earth, but established the grace to bring them back. Jesus Christ took on the role of dying in their place, a fact foretold through the prophets beginning in Genesis 3:15.

Hebrews 9:22-25 『And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered a holy place made with hands, which is a copy of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place every year with blood of another kind.』