In Front | Atonement: An Open Conversation

If we were to summarize the basic agreement among Christians about Jesus’ saving sacrifice it would look something like we showed you in the table on the previous exercise: “Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God, was crucified, died and was resurrected in first century Palestine for our salvation.” 

The question of how Jesus’ saving work “works” is another matter and remains an open conversation. Theologians have been answering the “how?” question with different explanations since the days of the Early Church. Many different theories have surfaced that have helped people frame the importance of Jesus’ sacrifice in their lives but none has received the same kind of consensus as the five W’s. 

A broad network of biblical ideas has shaped the explanations theologians have given. Gospel connections to the Old Testament and the testimony of Apostles in New Testament letters have informed the way Christians have understood Jesus’ passion through the centuries. The variety and richness of biblical connections has led to equally varied and rich interpretations. But at the core of each is the same Bible story and every helpful explanation remains grounded in the text itself.

As important as it is to explore theories or explanations of “how” Jesus’ crucifixion achieves atonement for us, it’s just as important to return to the Christian consensus and simply celebrate what God has done. 

Read the selection from an ancient liturgy below. This celebrates Holy Saturday and dates to the fourth century, an era when more stress was put on the question of what Jesus had done than how he had done it. 

What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps…God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.

Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains…

The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross…(and he says) ‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son…Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.

‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image.

‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead…

‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own image.

‘See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one.

‘I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.

‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life.’ 

Source: “From an ancient homily for Holy Saturday: The Lord’s descent into hell,” accessed December 19, 2017, http://www.vatican.va/spirit/documents/spirit_20010414_omelia-sabato-santo_en.html