The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ

by Fleming Rutledge

Leanne Van Dyke puts it well, from a Reformed perspective: Atonement theories do not claim to define or explicate the inner mechanics of salvation. They seek to express in limited, analogical language the reality of God’s decisive act on behalf of a broken world. There was some kind of victory that took place, some kind of power shift in the universe, some kind of ransom paid, some kind of healing initiated, some ultimate kind of love displayed, some kind of dramatic rescue effected. Of course, the terrible paradox of the Christian faith is that this rescue, this victory, this healing happened because of a death — a notorious public execution. This is the dark mystery of the Atonement. No theory of the atonement can effectively account for that central paradox. Rather, the range of atonement theories attempt to focus our attention, illuminate the truth and point beyond themselves to God.