CHRIST'S SELF-SACRIFICE

How can Christ’s self-sacrifice bring about our redemption? The key is in vs. 13: because of who He is. If He were not our “great God and Savior” then he could not have mollified the wrath of God the Father over our sin—so reasoned Athanasius in his dispute with Arius over the coeternality of the Son. One who is of the very nature as the One offended by human sin is required for true justice to be done. What was stolen must be replaced in kind. The rejection of a glorious God and the sweetness of His fellowship and presence was and is an incredible evil. For our redemption, what was stolen had to be repaid in kind, and that price could only be paid by the One who shares the Father’s own nature. Praise the Father, Son, and Spirit for the appearing of our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness...” (Titus 2:14, ESV)