| “THE ATONEMENT: CAN IT REALLY BE?” John 3:13-21; Hebrews 9:1,7-10,15; 10:1-18 Olivet Covenant Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA © Rev. Linda Jaymes, 3/22/09 |
As we get closer to Holy Week we are nearing the end of this series on the essential tenets of Reformed Christianity.
Today’s doctrine is The Atonement, a concept that I think will be familiar to all of us since it is basically what Good Friday and
Easter are all about. The Atonement refers to Jesus’ death on the Cross to pay for our sins, something you have heard time and
time again from this pulpit! But there’s a reason for emphasizing Atonement—the Christian faith actually hinges on it. We
would still be lost in our sin, separated from God and facing eternal damnation if Jesus had not gone to the Cross on our behalf
and destroyed the hold that sin and death has on the human race once and for all through the Resurrection. Because Jesus died
and rose again He has provided a way back into God’s good graces, so to speak. In fact, if you break the word “atonement”
into syllables so that it reads, “at-one-ment,” it helps us to remember that Jesus’ death and resurrection has made us one with
God.
But perhaps you’re wondering why Jesus had to suffer that grizzly death on the Cross for our sins. Wouldn’t it have been
enough if Jesus had simply brought us the Good News that God will forgive our sins if we repent of them and put our faith in
Jesus? Couldn’t the Lord have ascended to heaven without bothering with the Cross and all that blood? Well of course, the
answer is no, and that’s what I hope to flesh out today.
Sometimes I think of the reason for the Cross in terms of a scientific principle I learned back in grade school, the one
which says that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” Well, a few weeks ago when we looked at the doctrine of
Original Sin I said that God is a God of justice, and so when Adam and Eve disobeyed God it threw the whole creation out of
balance. That was the “reaction” to Adam & Eve’s sinful “action.” It might help us to picture the scales of justice and realize
that human sin is sin against a perfect and Almighty, Holy God. God is without sin; God can neither look upon sin nor have
anything to do with anything that is tainted by it. And so the sin of humanity sends one side of those scales crashing to the
ground, while the other side, where God dwells, rises out of sight and beyond reach. And so the question is, “How can we set
things straight—bring the scales back into balance?”
Unfortunately, the answer is that we can’t! Our omniscient, omnipotent and perfect God stands at the top of those scales
and because of the weight of our sin, all the best efforts of the entire human race cannot balance them again. Remember that
we humans are created in the image of God but we are not equal to God. We cannot reach up to or climb up to God—and
even if we could, God could have nothing to do with us because we are covered with the dirt of our sin. That brings us back
to our original question, “How can this disastrous situation, this mess, possibly be fixed?”
The answer is that we would need someone who is perfect to go to God on our behalf and suffer the consequences of our
sin for us. The only trouble is that since the time of Adam’s expulsion from the Garden, human beings have not been perfect.
And even if such a person did exist, a mere human would not have the strength to take on the burden of all human sin. It’s a
“Catch 22” for us—God is the only one who is perfect and powerful enough to balance that sin; He is the only one who can
mediate and atone for us. But He’s the one who’s mad at us! He’s the one we have offended! In other words, we’re stuck in
a vicious cycle; we’re doomed. There’s no way out, no way to fix this. At least, no way that we humans can fix this mess.
One pastor says it like this,
“The Scripture states clearly, ‘Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom
of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit” (Ps. 49:7-9, ESV). If a mere
man was to pay for the sins of another, even if he was a perfect man, what penalty would he have to suffer? He would have
to pay an infinite penalty, eternal hell, proportionate to the penalty for the sins of the one for whom he suffers. In other
words, he would never be able to suffer enough. The penalty would go on forever and would never be complete. Much less
would that person be able to suffer for a whole world of men.” 1
Thankfully, our all-knowing God knew that humans would sin, and because He loves us beyond our wildest imaginings, He
already had a plan in place—from all eternity, in fact—a plan that would fix everything. And since He is the only perfect being
that exists, it was a plan that He would have to carry out Himself. But first, He would have to become fully human, because
only a human can atone for or make amends for human sin. In the words of the most well-known verse in the bible, “God so
loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17)
Almighty God humbled himself, descended from heaven and became incarnate in Jesus—a real, live, human being—but one that
was not only fully human but also fully divine. That way, through his perfect humanity, Jesus could satisfy the justice
requirements of a perfect and Holy God.
But what are those justice requirements? Well, sin against this Holy God can only be satisfied or atoned for with the
ultimate consequence: the death penalty. Death was one of the consequences when Adam and Eve were thrown out of the
Garden. And death involves blood. Scripture tells us that “the life is in the blood” (Leviticus 17, Deuteronomy 23) and “there
is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood” (Hebrews 9:22) and so blood is the required payment for sin. That has
been true ever since the Law of Moses, which centered on the sacrifice of animal blood for the forgiveness of sin. The blood
was used for cleansing, and when an animal was sacrificed the priest splashed its blood against the altar and sprinkled it on the
Torah scroll and the person making the sacrifice. It was meant to represent the blood of that human sinner, and in the Old
Covenant it was offered in place of the blood of the person who had sinned.
Now the only trouble with this sacrifice for sin was that the blood of animals could not really atone for the sins of
humans. It couldn’t really cleanse people and make them perfect in God’s sight. If that had been the case, these animal
sacrifices would not have had to be repeated day after day, month after month and year after year. Once would have been
enough! A person would have been forgiven and his or her guilt removed once and for all. But that was not the case with
those sacrifices, and so they had to be repeated over and over again. They were only a reminder of sin, “…because it is
impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4)
But not so with Christ. Since He is not a mere man but the God-man, He was able to make up for the infinite duration our
punishment demanded as well as the vast number of humans in the infinite value of His person. And He did it in less than three
days and then rose from the dead! Our atonement was complete through Him, and was fully sufficient to pay for the sins of
the entire world, including the sins of the past, present and future. Jesus brought the scales of Holy Justice back into balance
again. Charles Hodge, in his Systematic Theology, reminds us that
“…the obedience of Christ was the righteousness of God, and the blood of Christ was the blood of God. It is to this fact that
the infinite merit and efficiency of his work are due. This is distinctly asserted in the Scriptures. It is impossible, says the
Apostle, that the blood of bulls and of goats could take away sin. It was because Christ was possessed of an eternal Spirit
that He by the one offering of Himself hath perfected forever them who are sanctified. This is the reason given why the
sacrifice of Christ need never be repeated, and why it is infinitely more efficacious than those of the old dispensation. This
truth has been graven on the hearts of believers in all ages. Every such believer says from his heart, "Jesus, my God, thy
blood alone has power sufficient to atone." 2
In other words, since God has suffered and died and has obeyed in our place, there is nothing we can add to it. There is
nothing we need to add to it. All we can do is receive it with thanksgiving and respond in love and repentance—i.e. changed
lives.
A beautiful picture of what The Atonement means for us can be found as an essay in a book by Joshua Harris, written
when he was just 21 years old. Apparently, this book turned the Christian singles scene upside down...and more than 800,000
copies later, with its inspiring call to sincere love, real purity, and purposeful singleness, it remains the benchmark for books on
Christian dating. Today he is a pastor in Maryland, and he says that this essay was actually a dream that he had as a teenager.
Harris says that “The night I had the dream and wrote the article I knew it was something very special. I think I even told
people I felt like God had written it and had me type it.” This essay or article is called, “The Room,” 3 and Harris writes,
“In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features
except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or
subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction,
had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read 'Girls I have
liked.' I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names
written on each one... And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.
“This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my
every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror,
stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content... Some brought joy and sweet memories;
others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching…”
Harris goes on to list some of the titles of the files, such as ‘Friends,” “Friends I have betrayed,” “Books I have read,” “Lies I
have told,” and many more. Then he says,
“When I came to a file marked 'Lustful Thoughts,' I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not
willing to test its size and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content.
“I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated
my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!' In insane frenzy I
yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards… But as I took it at one end and began
pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as
strong as steel when I tried to tear it.
“Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-
pitying sigh.
“And then I saw it... The title bore 'People I Have Shared the Gospel With.' The handle was brighter than those around it,
it seemed newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands.
I could count the cards it contained on one hand.
“And then the tears came... I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through
me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves
swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I
pushed away the tears, I saw Him.
“No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus... I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the
cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow
deeper than my own.
“He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me
from across the room… He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head,
covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so
many things. But He didn't say a word... He just cried with me.
“Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one,
began to sign His name over mine on each card. 'No!' I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was 'No, no,' as I
pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive.
The name of Jesus covered mine... It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back... He smiled a sad smile and
began to sign the cards... I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard
Him close the last file and walk back to my side…
“He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, 'It is finished.' I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no
lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.”
I think you will agree that Harris’s essay is more than sobering. Every one of us has a room of index card files that we
hope no one ever sees. But Jesus sees them—yet still loves us so much that He is still signing his name in blood over our sins
every time we confess them and repent of them. It’s his blood that balances the scales and sets us right with God again. God
can look at us again and fellowship with us again because the blood of Jesus Christ has us covered—once and for all. That’s
what The Atonement is all about, and that’s why God, in Jesus Christ had to shed his blood and die on our behalf. It almost
doesn’t seem possible—it’s certainly not logical or rational by human standards—but it’s true, really true. And it can be our
reality through faith, because God promises that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. The price for
our sin has been paid—atoned for—through the costly, sacrificial blood of Jesus shed on the Cross.
Let us pray.
1. The Rev. Wes White, online at www.johannesweslianus.blogspot.com/2008/08/helpful-book-on-incarnation_11
2. Hodge, Charles, Systematic Theology 2:395.
3. Harris, Joshua., in I Kissed Dating Goodby. Multnomah Publishers, Sisters, Oregon, 2003.
Today’s doctrine is The Atonement, a concept that I think will be familiar to all of us since it is basically what Good Friday and
Easter are all about. The Atonement refers to Jesus’ death on the Cross to pay for our sins, something you have heard time and
time again from this pulpit! But there’s a reason for emphasizing Atonement—the Christian faith actually hinges on it. We
would still be lost in our sin, separated from God and facing eternal damnation if Jesus had not gone to the Cross on our behalf
and destroyed the hold that sin and death has on the human race once and for all through the Resurrection. Because Jesus died
and rose again He has provided a way back into God’s good graces, so to speak. In fact, if you break the word “atonement”
into syllables so that it reads, “at-one-ment,” it helps us to remember that Jesus’ death and resurrection has made us one with
God.
But perhaps you’re wondering why Jesus had to suffer that grizzly death on the Cross for our sins. Wouldn’t it have been
enough if Jesus had simply brought us the Good News that God will forgive our sins if we repent of them and put our faith in
Jesus? Couldn’t the Lord have ascended to heaven without bothering with the Cross and all that blood? Well of course, the
answer is no, and that’s what I hope to flesh out today.
Sometimes I think of the reason for the Cross in terms of a scientific principle I learned back in grade school, the one
which says that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” Well, a few weeks ago when we looked at the doctrine of
Original Sin I said that God is a God of justice, and so when Adam and Eve disobeyed God it threw the whole creation out of
balance. That was the “reaction” to Adam & Eve’s sinful “action.” It might help us to picture the scales of justice and realize
that human sin is sin against a perfect and Almighty, Holy God. God is without sin; God can neither look upon sin nor have
anything to do with anything that is tainted by it. And so the sin of humanity sends one side of those scales crashing to the
ground, while the other side, where God dwells, rises out of sight and beyond reach. And so the question is, “How can we set
things straight—bring the scales back into balance?”
Unfortunately, the answer is that we can’t! Our omniscient, omnipotent and perfect God stands at the top of those scales
and because of the weight of our sin, all the best efforts of the entire human race cannot balance them again. Remember that
we humans are created in the image of God but we are not equal to God. We cannot reach up to or climb up to God—and
even if we could, God could have nothing to do with us because we are covered with the dirt of our sin. That brings us back
to our original question, “How can this disastrous situation, this mess, possibly be fixed?”
The answer is that we would need someone who is perfect to go to God on our behalf and suffer the consequences of our
sin for us. The only trouble is that since the time of Adam’s expulsion from the Garden, human beings have not been perfect.
And even if such a person did exist, a mere human would not have the strength to take on the burden of all human sin. It’s a
“Catch 22” for us—God is the only one who is perfect and powerful enough to balance that sin; He is the only one who can
mediate and atone for us. But He’s the one who’s mad at us! He’s the one we have offended! In other words, we’re stuck in
a vicious cycle; we’re doomed. There’s no way out, no way to fix this. At least, no way that we humans can fix this mess.
One pastor says it like this,
“The Scripture states clearly, ‘Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom
of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit” (Ps. 49:7-9, ESV). If a mere
man was to pay for the sins of another, even if he was a perfect man, what penalty would he have to suffer? He would have
to pay an infinite penalty, eternal hell, proportionate to the penalty for the sins of the one for whom he suffers. In other
words, he would never be able to suffer enough. The penalty would go on forever and would never be complete. Much less
would that person be able to suffer for a whole world of men.” 1
Thankfully, our all-knowing God knew that humans would sin, and because He loves us beyond our wildest imaginings, He
already had a plan in place—from all eternity, in fact—a plan that would fix everything. And since He is the only perfect being
that exists, it was a plan that He would have to carry out Himself. But first, He would have to become fully human, because
only a human can atone for or make amends for human sin. In the words of the most well-known verse in the bible, “God so
loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17)
Almighty God humbled himself, descended from heaven and became incarnate in Jesus—a real, live, human being—but one that
was not only fully human but also fully divine. That way, through his perfect humanity, Jesus could satisfy the justice
requirements of a perfect and Holy God.
But what are those justice requirements? Well, sin against this Holy God can only be satisfied or atoned for with the
ultimate consequence: the death penalty. Death was one of the consequences when Adam and Eve were thrown out of the
Garden. And death involves blood. Scripture tells us that “the life is in the blood” (Leviticus 17, Deuteronomy 23) and “there
is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood” (Hebrews 9:22) and so blood is the required payment for sin. That has
been true ever since the Law of Moses, which centered on the sacrifice of animal blood for the forgiveness of sin. The blood
was used for cleansing, and when an animal was sacrificed the priest splashed its blood against the altar and sprinkled it on the
Torah scroll and the person making the sacrifice. It was meant to represent the blood of that human sinner, and in the Old
Covenant it was offered in place of the blood of the person who had sinned.
Now the only trouble with this sacrifice for sin was that the blood of animals could not really atone for the sins of
humans. It couldn’t really cleanse people and make them perfect in God’s sight. If that had been the case, these animal
sacrifices would not have had to be repeated day after day, month after month and year after year. Once would have been
enough! A person would have been forgiven and his or her guilt removed once and for all. But that was not the case with
those sacrifices, and so they had to be repeated over and over again. They were only a reminder of sin, “…because it is
impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4)
But not so with Christ. Since He is not a mere man but the God-man, He was able to make up for the infinite duration our
punishment demanded as well as the vast number of humans in the infinite value of His person. And He did it in less than three
days and then rose from the dead! Our atonement was complete through Him, and was fully sufficient to pay for the sins of
the entire world, including the sins of the past, present and future. Jesus brought the scales of Holy Justice back into balance
again. Charles Hodge, in his Systematic Theology, reminds us that
“…the obedience of Christ was the righteousness of God, and the blood of Christ was the blood of God. It is to this fact that
the infinite merit and efficiency of his work are due. This is distinctly asserted in the Scriptures. It is impossible, says the
Apostle, that the blood of bulls and of goats could take away sin. It was because Christ was possessed of an eternal Spirit
that He by the one offering of Himself hath perfected forever them who are sanctified. This is the reason given why the
sacrifice of Christ need never be repeated, and why it is infinitely more efficacious than those of the old dispensation. This
truth has been graven on the hearts of believers in all ages. Every such believer says from his heart, "Jesus, my God, thy
blood alone has power sufficient to atone." 2
In other words, since God has suffered and died and has obeyed in our place, there is nothing we can add to it. There is
nothing we need to add to it. All we can do is receive it with thanksgiving and respond in love and repentance—i.e. changed
lives.
A beautiful picture of what The Atonement means for us can be found as an essay in a book by Joshua Harris, written
when he was just 21 years old. Apparently, this book turned the Christian singles scene upside down...and more than 800,000
copies later, with its inspiring call to sincere love, real purity, and purposeful singleness, it remains the benchmark for books on
Christian dating. Today he is a pastor in Maryland, and he says that this essay was actually a dream that he had as a teenager.
Harris says that “The night I had the dream and wrote the article I knew it was something very special. I think I even told
people I felt like God had written it and had me type it.” This essay or article is called, “The Room,” 3 and Harris writes,
“In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features
except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or
subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction,
had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read 'Girls I have
liked.' I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names
written on each one... And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.
“This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my
every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror,
stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content... Some brought joy and sweet memories;
others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching…”
Harris goes on to list some of the titles of the files, such as ‘Friends,” “Friends I have betrayed,” “Books I have read,” “Lies I
have told,” and many more. Then he says,
“When I came to a file marked 'Lustful Thoughts,' I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not
willing to test its size and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content.
“I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated
my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!' In insane frenzy I
yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards… But as I took it at one end and began
pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as
strong as steel when I tried to tear it.
“Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-
pitying sigh.
“And then I saw it... The title bore 'People I Have Shared the Gospel With.' The handle was brighter than those around it,
it seemed newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands.
I could count the cards it contained on one hand.
“And then the tears came... I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through
me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves
swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I
pushed away the tears, I saw Him.
“No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus... I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the
cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow
deeper than my own.
“He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me
from across the room… He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head,
covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so
many things. But He didn't say a word... He just cried with me.
“Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one,
began to sign His name over mine on each card. 'No!' I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was 'No, no,' as I
pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive.
The name of Jesus covered mine... It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back... He smiled a sad smile and
began to sign the cards... I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard
Him close the last file and walk back to my side…
“He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, 'It is finished.' I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no
lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.”
I think you will agree that Harris’s essay is more than sobering. Every one of us has a room of index card files that we
hope no one ever sees. But Jesus sees them—yet still loves us so much that He is still signing his name in blood over our sins
every time we confess them and repent of them. It’s his blood that balances the scales and sets us right with God again. God
can look at us again and fellowship with us again because the blood of Jesus Christ has us covered—once and for all. That’s
what The Atonement is all about, and that’s why God, in Jesus Christ had to shed his blood and die on our behalf. It almost
doesn’t seem possible—it’s certainly not logical or rational by human standards—but it’s true, really true. And it can be our
reality through faith, because God promises that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. The price for
our sin has been paid—atoned for—through the costly, sacrificial blood of Jesus shed on the Cross.
Let us pray.
1. The Rev. Wes White, online at www.johannesweslianus.blogspot.com/2008/08/helpful-book-on-incarnation_11
2. Hodge, Charles, Systematic Theology 2:395.
3. Harris, Joshua., in I Kissed Dating Goodby. Multnomah Publishers, Sisters, Oregon, 2003.
