Definition
Central to the redeeming work of our Lord Jesus Christ is his death for our sins. A theology of atonement is a biblical-theological explanation of why Jesus, as God’s Son, had to die and what he achieved in his death for us as our Savior.
Summary
This essay will seek to explain why Jesus had to die and what his death achieved for us as our Savior and Lord. After setting the larger biblical-theological context that the New Testament locates the cross within, the diverse biblical language describing the cross is outlined and explained, before concluding with how best to think theologically about the why and nature of the cross.
Course
The Final Days of Jesus
Explore the Background and Significance of the History-shaping Events That Occurred Leading Up to Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Podcasts
Articles
Why (and How) to Preach Christ’s Descent to the Dead
Matt Emerson on the pastoral implications of Christ’s descent to the dead—and how to preach it.
A Crossless Gospel Makes Spineless Christians
No one endures the life-altering and exceedingly uncomfortable call to follow Christ because of something they read in a Hallmark card.
3 Ways to Help Muslims Understand the Cross
Islam differs in its understanding of atonement, sacrifice, and the overall story.
Did God Die on the Cross?
Can we say God died on the cross, or is that blasphemy?
What Should Evangelicals Think About the Shroud of Turin?
Is the Shroud of Turn evidence for the resurrection of Jesus or just a masterful forgery?
Good Friday in Real Time
Put these events in your calendar and set them as reminders to sound throughout the day on Good Friday.
Book Reviews
Is It OK to Confess That Jesus Descended into Hell?
Christ’s descent pushes us to recognize that Jesus doesn’t simply know what it’s like to die. He knows what it’s like to be dead.
10 Reasons You Should Read Fleming Rutledge’s ‘The Crucifixion’
It’s good for evangelicals to read Christian books outside our bubble. And this is a magnificent one.
N. T. Wright Reconsiders the Meaning of Jesus’s Death
Bearing many significant caveats, I found 'The Day the Revolution Began' exhilarating and stimulating.
The Crucified King
This book shows us how the cross truly is the hinge of the Bible’s storyline.
The Final Days of Jesus
We can be grateful for this historically anchored and reverent work.
Killing Jesus
‘Killing Jesus’ only scrapes the surface of who Jesus truly was.
Forsaken
McCall’s book deals with questions related to the work of the triune God in the cross of Jesus Christ.
Scandalous
What the world sees as scandalous, the believer interprets as spectacularly glorious.
