What if It Was True

The Question

One of the most important questions of life is: “Who was Jesus?” The answer has eternal implications. What if Jesus really was who He claimed to be: the Son of God.  Then what?

A logical reaction would be to point out that if He really was the Son of God then He wouldn’t have let himself be crucified; He would have had the power to prevent that from happening.  While this is true, it must also be accepted He wasn’t obligated to prevent it from happening. He had a choice, and what if, in obedience to His Father, He deliberately allowed it to happen?

The Problem

This obedience aspect does, however, present a family problem. What father would let, or want, his son to die, let alone endure the agony of a death by crucifixion? Furthermore, no father would want to punish his own son for someone else’s misdeeds. From the perspective of the Son, this does not seem to be a loving Father.

So the question is: why. Why would God the Father treat His own Son like dirt? Either it was a monumental screw-up or something much larger was involved. Something that would make sense of what appears to be a very messed up father/son relationship.  To answer that question we must examine more of the attributes of God, along with the man He created.

The Attributes

What if this God of perfect love was also a God of perfect justice? What if the man He created in His own image decided to do what he wanted rather than what he knew God wanted? Being in the image of God he also had the power to choose wether to obey or disobey. And he chose to disobey.  As a result of his disobedience his pure relationship with God was severed. Spiritually, man died. Physically he would die. Generationally, all his children would inherit the same disobedient nature and be born separated from God.

It made sense, of course, because being perfect, God could not accept imperfection. Moreover, a perfect God would dispense perfect justice by banishing the disobedient, imperfect man from His presence. Forever. It would be hell. As God had promised, if man sinned then man would die.

But God was also a God of mercy. Yet, how could He have mercy without accepting sin? His perfect justice demanded payment. There was only one way: have someone else pay the penalty for man’s sin.  True, since man had a free will he could still reject the payment and be no better off, still doomed to receive the perfect justice of an eternity apart from God. But those who would accept the payment for sin on their behalf would have their sin forgiven and enjoy  eternity in communion with God.

Who could pay the penalty for man’s sin? A person could only pay for their own sin, not that of another’s. The only suitable substitute would be His own Son. His own Son would have to become a man, live a perfect life, die a perfect man, and as the sinless God-Man suffer the Father’s wrath for all who would accept His payment for their sin.

The Solution

But His Son would not stay dead because as infinite God He could pay the eternal penalty for sin and, with that penalty having been paid, rise again! This would satisfy God’s perfect justice and prove the penalty had been paid. It would demonstrate His mercy and grace toward man. It would show His love for man and, in a beautiful manner, His Son, to whom He would give all those who accepted His payment for their sin.

Was it harsh and cruel? Yes. Was it loving and kind? Yes. Was it necessary? As a payment for man’s sin, yes. Did it demonstrate positive familial qualities? Yes. Love and obedience on Jesus’ part. On the Father’s part, adoption as sons of those who trust in Jesus’s payment for their sins.

It Matters

What if Jesus really was who He said He was? Then He is the Son of God, and His payment for sin is the answer to man’s dilemma. Man must accept it, of course, no longer trusting in himself but rather trusting in Jesus’s payment for his sin, seeking to live like Jesus, once again in accord with God’s desires.

A most important question: “Who was Jesus?” What if He really is who He said He was? It matters. Eternally.