MWR : Paying the penalty

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July 12, 2010 issue

Paying the penalty

By Reta Halteman Finger Harrisonburg, Va.

I agree with Carl Wesselhoeft that there is substitution language about Jesus’ death in the Bible. His life, death and resurrection can be explained in many ways to show that God is “for us” and that God incarnate in the human Jesus indeed suffered for human sin. Both religious and political sins brought about his shameful crucifixion.

What I object to is the forensic legal transfer of sin from humans onto Jesus as he hung on the cross, which is what “Jesus paying the penalty for sin” means. The same text that Wesselhoeft quotes also includes the parallel line, “he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases” (Isaiah 53:4). Matthew applies this to Jesus after he had healed every sick person in Capernaum who came to him that day (Matt. 8:17). But Jesus did not literally become sick in place of those he healed. By “carrying our diseases,” it must mean he took responsibility for them.

Wesselhoeft also reads too much into Jesus’ struggle in Gethsemane. None of the Gospels tells us the exact reason for Jesus’ agony, but if he was truly human like us, how could he not dread a violent, painful, shameful, unjust execution? At any rate, there is no hint of substitutionary atonement in Luke and Acts, where Jesus is the Innocent One killed by the powers of evil. Peter clarifies this to his Pentecost audience: Although “you crucified and killed this man by the hands of those outside the law, God raised him up” (Acts 2:23-24).

I reaffirm my concern about the practical danger in the theology that Jesus “paid the penalty” for sin: Since our sin is already paid for, we can do what we want. There is no need to “take up our cross” and follow Jesus in his life and death.

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