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Christianity Today, May, 2009 |

Surveying the Wondrous Cross

Understanding the Atonement is about more than grasping a theory.

Philip Yancey | posted 5/27/2009 10:35AM

Google the words atonement and emergent church together, and your computer screen will soon heat up a few degrees. A lively (and not always civilized) debate has broken out among those who defend classical ...

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Peter the Soleman

Posted: June 02, 2009 2:56 PM


Great Article.....Sorry people dislike MYSTERY and want to think they have it all figured out .....Let me recite "the mystery of faith"....Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again....Amen

Klaas Epp

Posted: June 02, 2009 10:55 AM


Yancey, does a great job of expounding the theological nature of "mystery" as it relates to the reality of our lives.

Jan	Posted: May 30, 2009 6:54 AM


I agree with dr. Willingham that Philip Yancey is not taking a position. But taking no position is like swimming around, without reaching the shore. Therefor I was more confident with the article of Mark Dever 'Nothing but the Blood', from may 2006. This article I advice for you all.

John	Posted: May 29, 2009 3:59 PM

I appreciated this article, and especially its focus Jesus humbling himself as we should do, and its focus on the reconciliation that Jesus' death and resurrection bring. The various atomentment theories remind me of the tale of the various blind men trying to describe an elephant. They do help us, but I don't think they can explain the whole thing because, to borrow a phrase from C.S. Lewis, there's a "deeper magic" going on than human theories alone can fully grasp. At the heart of that magic is not only a mystery, but also a love and desire for reconciliation like none other. Thanks, Mr. Yancey, for pointing us to this. P.S. Lighten up on Merton, folks. Saying no one saw something isn't the same as saying it didn't happen at all.

AP	Posted: May 29, 2009 8:53 AM


Good article overall. My only issue is with the Flannery O'Connor quote. To put it in one theologians words, it sounds like an inversion of Romans 5:8--that God shows his love for us in that while we were "diamonds" Christ died for us.

Chris

Posted: May 28, 2009 3:58 PM


Instead of finding fault for what it did not say, I enjoyed it for what it did say: That God, knowing that we could not save ourselves, would rather die than be separated from His creation. I think Mr. Yancy was merely sharing with us, without complication, the majesty and of our loving Creator.

Paul	Posted: May 28, 2009 9:38 AM

It seems as if people want to move too quickly into conclusions, as opposed to understanding that the incarnation of God into humanity was climaxed with the death on a cross. There is meaning in this event. How does this event fit into this kingdom which Jesus brought near? Why was Jesus in the Temple, overturning tables and shortly thereafter he is hanging on a cross? Are these correlated? Can I take up arms to fight and kill and put others on crosses, if my lord is hanging next to them? Why would some in the Greek world laugh at the thought of a god becoming flesh and (dying on the cross of shame) was completely ludicrious? (Read Celsus). This is why Jurgen Moltmann says that, 'we need to take the roses off the cross and stop thinking of the cross as an atonement theory'.

Peter

Posted: May 28, 2009 2:55 AM


A thought provoking article. I did not read that Yancey was in any way denying the reality or centrality of the resurrection. Rather that no-one actually saw the act of resurrection take place. There were an abundance of witnesses who saw and interacted with the risen Lord, thus giving clear evidence that the resurrection had indeed occured.

Chris - deployed in Iraq

Posted: May 28, 2009 2:37 AM

In a time when it seems that pastors and religious leaders do all the thinking for their churches it is refreshing to have someone like Mr. Yancey who makes the individual think for themselves. He doesn’t give you a “how to” manual (God already did that and it is called the Bible) or try to outline the 3 easy steps to being a better Christian. He has the same questions that you and I have and he takes you on his journey of discovery where you can reach deep into the Heart of God and find out what He has in store for you. Thank you Mr. Yancey for having the honesty to say you haven't figured it all out. One of the great things about God is we will never figure Him all out. We will never be able to fully grasp; to understand, just what it cost Him when He died on that cross, and I for one am thankful I will never have too. “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: May 28, 2009 12:33 AM

If we take our cue from the Lord Jesus, rather than the theologians of any century, we will give serious consideration to advice given by Moses and the prophets as basis for a fuller understanding of the deep mystery in the cross of Christ (Luke 24: 25-27). For our obedience, a different and powerful version of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ will emerge! Briefly, all the road signs lead to the greatest, non-stop self-revelation of God since the incident of Moses' vision of "SELF-SUFFICIENT FIRE" in the middle of a bush (Ex. 3: 1-15) followed by a vision with a greater scope of "SELF-SUFFICIENT LIFE" for all, bearing the same signature, "I Am Who I Am" right in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross (John 8: 1-28). This is the power of the resurrection or the theater of war where the Devil, with his power over death, was destroyed for good (Heb. 2: 14-15). Are we on the side of the winner or loser?

joe	Posted: May 27, 2009 10:22 PM

I have many concerns. The author said nothing of real substance that added nothing new to this conversation. There is no question that the cross had many aspects to it according to the new testament but unless you see the heart of it as some form of substitutionary atonement (or whatever you want to call it) at the end of the day it is a false, damnable and wicked ''gospel''. Any theology that says we can have peace with God or any sort of relationship with him apart from the person and work of Christ is not Christian rather comes from the pits of hell. And anyone who preaches that let him be anathema. I am not sure what Yancey believes but unless you deal with the so called ''Theoretical'' aspect (which is not theoretical because Christ DID DO something) of the cross all pragmatic points are worthless.

Suzy Pantzer

Posted: May 27, 2009 9:17 PM


Thank you for this quote, Mr. Yancey: Love finds a way to overcome all obstacles to uniting with the beloved, no matter the cost.

Dr. James Willingham

Posted: May 27, 2009 9:13 PM


I was dissatisfied with this article, because it state positions without taking a position. There is evidence for taking a position. The article fails as it never addresses why people took a position which requires a comparison. If the power is in the blood, then there must be some principle involved that provides the potency to remove sin.

Peter Spadzinski

Posted: May 27, 2009 8:31 PM


The atonement is the culmination of God's plan to restore fallen humanity to that perfect "garden" relationship of pure intimacy. What more do I need to say, except, thank you for saving a wretch like me? Nothing could for my sin atone, nothing but the blood, His very own. Thank you Father! Thank you Jesus!

Atonement and reconciliation are a fine amalgam

Posted: May 27, 2009 7:15 PM

Many of the points made need fleshing out. A greater emphasis should be on the response needed from us to God's atonement, namely reconciliation. Too many of us rest on the laurels of receiving God's grace without our own confession and repentance. We are drawn to Jesus rightly out of sympathy for his wounds and his death and his suffering under our sin, but we do not then reform either ourselves or our church. The article also doesn't refer to God's historical wrath against Israel; we read in Jeremiah that he will give his beloved people and also typologically and prophetically his beloved son into the hands of the enemy (Jer12:7 "I have given the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies.") The wrath of God is real against the stiff-necked people. All of God's people, Israel and Christians past and present, incur his wrath (substitution theology is only half right.) Only his own sacrifice can bring the atonement God freely wants: His love wins out in the end. Does ours?

usernametodd

Posted: May 27, 2009 6:36 PM


The ascension is, in large part, the resurrection. And was witnessed faithfully.

John Payne

Posted: May 27, 2009 4:31 PM


Greg, Merton is not denying the fact that the Resurrection took place. He is simply stating a Biblical Truth . . . that there were no eyewitnesses, therefore it IS indeed a true statement. Brother Philip, another excellent article. Thank you for articulating this so well.

debdessaso

Posted: May 27, 2009 3:05 PM

I loved the article. Someone once said that if you want to know how serious a problem is, look at the solution needed to solve it. The cross is a vividly constant reminder of God's solution to the universal problem of humanity: sin. Perhaps the reason so many nonbelievers (and, increasingly, evangelicals) think the cross is grotesque is because it reminds them that nothing is more grotesque than sin--and, by extension, sinners--and no one wants to be thought of as grotesque!

Montjoie

Posted: May 27, 2009 2:33 PM


Well done. To Greg, I think all Merton meant was no one saw the moment of Resurrection, and not that no one saw the Resurrected Jesus. Of course they did, 500 at once according to Paul, and Merton would have known that.

Greg	Posted: May 27, 2009 11:27 AM

Nice article, though I take issue with the Thomas Merton quote that "no one saw the Resurrection." Maybe I'm mistaking the quote's intention, but it is simply untrue to say such a thing. The Resurrection was and is the climactic event in the history of the church. This is how the gospel spread with such wildfire, this is what Paul says over and over again: that He is risen. He came back from the grave. The payment for our sins was made in full and the assurance for it rests in the resurrection. The cross is monumental to our faith, but we can't forget the equally important fact that Jesus is risen. If He is not raised, then we are still in our sins!

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