The Meaning of Christ's Substitutionary Death

The reason for Easter is the belief that Jesus Christ died on the cross as a substitute for humanity, taking upon Himself the punishment that we deserve for our sins. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), creating a separation between humanity and a holy God, with the penalty of sin being death (Rom 6:23). This isn't merely physical death but spiritual death - eternal separation from God.

God's nature is perfectly holy and just, demanding that sin be punished. Because sin is committed against an infinite God, it carries infinite consequences that no finite human could ever pay. Christ's substitutionary death provides the solution: as both fully God and fully man, Jesus was the only one who could serve as an adequate substitute, offering Himself as a perfect sacrifice despite living a sinless life.

"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor 5:21). This satisfies God's righteous demands against sin, removing guilt and restoring our relationship with God. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8), providing the only way for sinful humanity to be reconciled to a holy God.