What’s the cross of Christ all about?

The first step of faith requires an introduction to Jesus and his work on the cross. We call this work the atonement, or Christ’s payment for sin, which reunites us with God. (Literally, the word means at-one-ment.) Most Christians recognize the importance of sharing the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection with others, but often find it difficult to explain, especially to non-believers or children.

That’s where word pictures can help.

Substitution/payment

Perhaps the most common metaphor in the church today uses the language of “substitution” to describe the atonement. We say, “Jesus took the punishment for our sins and paid our debt when he died on the cross.” (See Romans 5:8–9 or Galatians 3:13, for example.) It’s a picture that comes from the realm of legal transactions and law courts.

Using this biblical metaphor, we communicate the idea that God’s anger must be appeased. We put the emphasis on the fact that individual sinners are bound for hell without Christ. Much of our children’s Sunday school curriculum focuses on this idea, encouraging kids to “ABC” (admit you’re a sinner, believe that Jesus paid the price for your sins, and choose to follow him) in order to escape just punishment. For many, there are large amounts of fear and anxiety embedded in this picture.

So, is there more than one image or metaphor to help us communicate God’s saving work to others? Which biblical word pictures have we possibly overlooked in our quest to understand the meaning (and mystery) of Jesus’ death and resurrection?

Triumph over evil

In several passages, biblical writers also use the language of “victory” to describe the atonement. Colossians 2:15 and 1 Corinthians 15:20–26, for example, paint a picture of Jesus winning victory over sin, evil, and death. In other words, Jesus conquered the devil through his work on the cross!

This metaphor might be particularly helpful for young children (who are at a developmental level where it’s difficult to understand the language of substitution) or people from other cultures (where sin may be understood from a perspective of shame and broken relationships, instead of a legal perspective). It’s a picture of celebration, providing empowerment for those who might feel “small” or insignificant.

Welcome to the family

Historically, Anabaptists have gravitated towards a community-focused understanding of the cross. Jesus’ death wasn’t simply intended to save individual sinners from death, but to heal our relationship with God, and to gather a people – a family – to himself.

The MB Confession of Faith states it this way: Through His obedient life, His death on the cross and His glorious resurrection, Christ triumphed over Satan and the powers of sin and death, opening the way for all people to follow. Convicted by the Holy Spirit, people turn from sin, entrust their lives to God, confess Jesus Christ as Lord and join the family of God. All who receive Christ are born again, and have peace with God, and are called to love one another and live at peace with their neighbour.

This family-oriented metaphor can be communicated using coloured jelly beans and a stone. It’s especially helpful for children who easily understand the concept of family and the importance of getting along with others. A red jelly bean is used to indicate God’s love for us; a stone to indicate sin and the fact that it doesn’t belong; a white jelly bean to indicate how Jesus forgives, making our sins “white as snow” and restoring our relationship with God; a green jelly bean to indicate that we can grow as Christians in the family of God; and a yellow jelly bean to remind us of heaven and the streets of gold. (A more detailed explanation can be found in First Steps for Kids, available through Kindred Productions.)

This description of the atonement (relying on passages such as John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 5:18–19, and Ephesians 1:5) emphasizes restored relationship and community. It paints a picture of healing and friendship. Although used less frequently than the metaphor of substitution, it’s another word picture we can rely on to help us understand Jesus’ glorious death and resurrection. It offers a wonderful portrait of Christ’s love and the Christian community walking alongside us on the journey of faith.

As we seek to introduce others to Jesus and help them take the first step of faith, let’s be open to the many ways God provides for us to understand, communicate, and embrace his work of salvation on the cross.

For more reading on this topic and additional biblical images, please see Mark Baker (MBBS faculty member) and Joel Green’s book, Recovering the Scandal of the Cross: Atonement in New Testament and Contemporary Contexts (InterVarsity, 2000).