It’s risky business to talk about the cross in ways that mainstream protestant-evangelicals aren’t used to. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I do this quite often.
There are several dimensions of the cross and salvation (soteriology and Christology in particular) that go overlooked. My goal in writing is to simply redirect readers’ attention to these dimensions.
The tendency of mainstream Christianity is to focus on the spiritual and theological dimensions of the cross (because of our Reformation heritage). We tend to talk about salvation in terms of how the cross resolve the sin crisis of the individual. Sadly, the part of Israel’s story too often gets left out altogether (more on this below).
The theological dimension of the cross is the concept of substitutionary atonement (propitiation and expiation). Propitiation is the appeasement of the wrath of God incurred towards sinners for violating his moral standard (ethical code; thus the need for the Ten Commandments and other stipulations of the Torah). When Jesus dies in our place as the innocent man (“spotless lamb”) God the Father’s wrath towards sinners is appeased thereby creating the opportunity for individuals to reconcile with God and re-enter into perfect relationship with him. The justice of God is served.
Expiation is the cleansing of the sinner’s sin-guilt. This works together with propitiation (there’s more to it than this, but this will suffice for now).
This is the theological dimension of the cross that tends to get a lot of, if not all of our focus.
The spiritual dimension of the cross is Christ’s work as the Son of God overthrowing the Adversary and his network of demons that oppress and accuse God to humanity. Christ’s death and resurrection is a sign of victory in the great cosmic battle in the war between good and evil.
These are the nuts and bolts of the spiritual dimension of the cross (this is also where western theological dualistic tendencies in thinking come from (as well as Plato)).
Now, let me say right here in this place, that this is TRUE and CORRECT. This is precisely Paul’s (and the writer of Hebrew’s) articulation of the Gospel. I fully embrace this doctrine.
These two dimensions get all the attention while the political and historical dimensions of the cross too often go overlooked.
This is a problem.
This is a problem mainly because when we talk about the cross this way, WE are the focus, or goal, of the salvation event. It’s all about US. This is the very essence of the sin nature—everything is about me, even the cross and Jesus. This means that when we look upon the cross, we see what Christ has done for ME.
I’m making an appeal for Christians to remember that THERE IS MORE TO THE STORY.
I’m also making an appeal for Christians to go further in their thinking. I’m challenging Christians to see the cross for ALL its dimensions so that when we look at the cross, we not only see a solution to our sin-guilt problem as individuals, but the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
We must account for Israel’s story and the First Covenant (i.e., the Old Testament) when we think about what salvation is and how it impacts us as believers).
The cross and salvation isn’t about you and I, it’s about Him and His work and His mission to the world. When we see the cross, we are to not think first of ourselves, but of Him, then others. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts moving us away from a “me-and-Jesus-centered” soteriology.
We must remember that the interpretation of the cross is not only properly placed within the framework of the sacrificial system (theological dimension of the cross concerning substitutionary atonement), but also within the exodus framework as well as the Davidic framework. We must go beyond “me-and-Jesus” theology to a covenantal theology that takes into account the corporate people of God, the mission of God, and the kingdom of God.
In the cross we find not only substitutionary atonement, but also the establishment of the Davidic king. This is the thrust of the gospel message in the Gospels. Jesus Is King. His coronation day is the day of the cross (irony); the day that he mocks the powers of the world by subliming to them and resurrecting.
The salvation project is much greater than you and I. We are a very small part of the story.
We must take account for the exodus dimension of the cross. Christ is not only King and Lamb, but also Covenant-Maker; the second Moses. He creates the new covenant through which salvation becomes available to the world.
Don’t give me the reduced gospel, give me the FULL GOSPEL.
AMEN.
