Three Trails to Better Understanding

Although Jesus was clear that his death was inevitable and necessary, he wasn’t nearly so clear about the reasons. His own disciples did not, at least initially; comprehend his predictions of his death. They were notably confused about what was going to happen and why.  In the New Testament, there are only statements like this terse remark by St. Paul: “For I handed on to you as of first importance… that Christ died for our sins...”

Therefore, there is merit in reflecting on the Crucifixion to be able to provide reasons to those who question either the merits of Christ’s death or why, as St. Paul says, it is a matter “of first importance.” 

So with these three principles in mind: 1) there is no one complete answer, 2) that God’s ways are “higher” than ours, and 3) The Bible addresses but is not explicitly clear on the matter, I begin a simple exploration of why Christ had to die.

To adequately scan the breadth and depth of Christ’s death on the cross, we must climb to a gain a better view. So let's hike up three trails to access a highpoint.  There is the Central Corridor (CC), the Right-Front Trail (RF), and the Left Side trail (LS).  Specifically, we have the concepts of: Conduct and Consequences (CC), Revenge and Forgiveness (RF) and Love and Sacrifice (LS).

To be continued…  In Christ, Ken.