Thinking Out Loud with Alan Shlemon - Why Is Jesus Necessary?

Episode Date: May 5, 2018

Alan answers the question why Jesus is necessary by explaining how the Gospel works in non-Christian lingo. Download the mp3...

Jesus is the central figure in our faith. There's no doubt about that. But why? What's the reason for placing such prime importance on him? Now, this question isn't a pointless philosophical reflection. Rather, it's the core concern of Christianity. So why is Jesus necessary? Well, to answer it simply, Jesus is the substitute who was punished on our behalf and satisfied God's justice. You see, every person on the planet is guilty of committing crimes against God. Because God loves us, he offers us the option to accept Jesus' punishment in our place.

That's how Jesus is our substitute. He lived the perfect life we couldn't live, and then he paid the penalty that we owed. You see, we live in God's jurisdiction, the universe. It's his kingdom. He's the king and it's his domain. And God has set laws for the territory he governs. And his principle is simple. Guilty people are punished.

And this is just like an earthly government that sets laws for the territory it controls. The governing body has a system of punishments and pardons for criminals who break its laws. When a person is found guilty of violating the law, he is punished, often with time in prison. Now, occasionally the government will offer a pardon to a criminal for a chance to go free.

If so, it's the government that sets the terms of the pardon, not the criminal. And in the same way, God has a system to deal with those who break his laws. And that's because he's in charge, not us. If there's a chance for clemency, he's the one who decides the terms. We don't get to make the rules for reconciliation. God does. That's why thinking that we're a good person doesn't matter. Or seeking to be sincere is irrelevant. Trying to be true to yourself won't help. It's God's kingdom, and in his kingdom, he's the one who decides the terms for acquittal.

Now, the great news is that God doesn't want us to be punished, and the reason is simple. He made us. He created our creaturely bodies with his own hands. He breathed in us a spirit. He fashioned our souls. We are his handiwork. He loves us because we are his creation. And that's what motivates his mercy. He also shows no partiality towards those whom he's willing to pardon. For example, a churchgoer has no advantage over a cheater or a child killer. Clemency is equally available to each no matter what they've done, and this is great news. Therefore, God is willing to grant us a pardon

for our criminal behavior. We can accept his offer and go free or pay the penalty ourselves. It's our choice. Now, although this sounds too good to be true, people who are exonerated know it's anything but easy. And that's because the process involves an important trade. We hand over the ownership of our life to God in return for amnesty. And that means we're no longer the absolute arbiter of our

life. Rather, we hand over that privilege to the judge who negotiated our freedom. privilege to the judge who negotiated our freedom. Fortunately, the judge is good and looks after us, but his provision came at a price. You see, in order for us to be absolved from our crimes and freed from our punishment, justice had to be completed. If our guilt was to be lifted from us, it needed to be placed on another. And so the judge made an arrangement with a willing substitute to bear the blame, his son. Now, this substitute agreed to trade his innocence for our guilt, and he was able to make the trade because the judge sanctioned the deal. And the deal was fair because the substitute was willing,

and he was willing because he's part of the judge's family. You see, it's a family affair. By agreeing to this trade, we are adopted by the judge who negotiated our freedom. We become part of his family and therefore heirs. We can rightfully claim our inheritance. Now, knowing all this and all that the judge has done, who wouldn't want to take him up on his offer? Who wouldn't want to trade away their guilt? Who wouldn't want to be free of punishment? Who wouldn't want to be grateful to the son for his trade? Notice God has done everything possible to keep people from being punished. Some people, though, rebel and refuse to meet God on his terms. And they're guilty of

breaking laws and refuse to cooperate with the power who offered them a pardon. And they'll end up paying for their crimes and getting what they deserve. Those who accept God's offer to be pardoned have much to be thankful for, and that's why Jesus is necessary. Our freedom comes at a cost, one that Christ was willing to pay. Without him, we'd be justly punished, because without him, we remain guilty.