Tag: crucifixion

  • Couldn’t God just forgive us? Why was the cross necessary?

    A person might look at the crucifixion, look at what the Lord did on the cross, and wonder “Why was that the only way? Why was that necessary? Couldn’t God simply forgive us?” No. This is an idea I’ve heard from Tim Keller before, and it’s an important idea on having a theology of forgiveness.

  • Jesus cross-examined

    We see symbols everyday. Symbols of peace, strength, royalty, and victory. Within Christianity, there is no greater symbol than the cross, something so obvious that we take it for granted. Something so pervasive, so associated with Christianity that we might not even question it. But why is the cross the symbol? Doubtless there could have…

  • Murderers, mobs, dictators and the gospel

    Originally posted March 7, 2016 In the gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was before the ruling Jewish council, he made a reference to his divine status. To the ruling council, this was taken as blasphemy. Within Rome, they didn’t have the authority to execute Jesus for his action, so they took him to Pontius Pilate, who…

  • 4th century theology of Athanasius still fresh today.

    Originally published March 18, 2016 Why did Jesus have to die? For years, this puzzled me. I could get on board with the idea that I fell short of God’s perfect standard. But why did Jesus need to die? Couldn’t God have just forgiven me? Like some sort of Spiritual write off? One of the…

  • The cross of Christ shows us the cost of sin

    We have a sinfully low view of sin. We cannot overestimate the weight of sin when we see the cost of sin on the cross. None of us lives up even to our own moral standards. Do you ever get mad and you regret it? Ever yell at someone and wish you hadn’t? Ever look…