How Exactly Does Jesus' Death Take Away Sin?
With all due respect, I had always wondered this myself as a child and an adult. Especially since sin (wrong thinking/acting) is still rampant. If you are a Christian, I beg of you to read this short article. I will clarify for you something you have never heard from the pulpits.
So, how does it work? The Bible says that GOD said he will hold no children responsible for their Fathers sin. The Bible also says God keeps no records of wrongs. God also tells the Hebrews that their burnt offerings stink, and do nothing for him.
So, then how does a man dying an excruciating death on a cross take away the sins of the world? I am sure that I am not the first to ask this question. Nor will I be the last.
Well. as much as I hate to be the bearer of new news ... he couldn't do it. It is impossible for one person to take on the karma or effect of someone else's sin (wrong thinking or action). If I run a red light, my son cannot go to jail for me in my stead.
However, when we look at the Jesus story the way it was meant to be, it all makes perfect sense. You see, Jesus, is everyman ... not just one man. Jesus represents the mankind part of all of us, and the Christ represents the Divine Spark of God part of us buried within each person. Our Divine Spark ... is our Christ consciousness, and always knows best. But it must be resurrected. for it lies dormant, or inert.
Jesus ... the "ego-man" must die (be extinguished) in order for the Divine-Man ... the Christ ... to be able to resurrect within each of us. Much in the same way that a butterfly cannot return to being a caterpillar or the ways of a caterpillar, a Christ (or Divine one) cannot return to being just a man again.
As Paul said in the Bible, the old man must die before the new man can resurrect. Adam must die, before Christ can live. Paul also said that he travails in labour until Christ be born within us ... and that WE are the body of Christ.
So now we get to the meat and potatoes of the allegory and metaphor of the crucifixion and the resurrection story. As "Jesus" the sinful "man" in each of us human being dies, the "Christ" within each of us human beings will resurrect. And there is no turning back.
This event was not meant for just one man named Yehushua (Jesus/Iesus) who wandered the hills of the Galilee ... but it is OUR story. The entire Bible was written as allegory, not literal history. These are lessons for US to learn ... not literal or historical events ... but usable every single day by every man, woman, and child forever.
So when Jesus (mankind) crucifies himself and the "old" ego-man dies, the "new" man resurrects as the Christ and can sin no more. Just as the butterfly can no longer me a caterpillar. The sins of the world are taken away by this process.
The NT Bible in the original Greek clearly says that Jesus was "A" son of God. The translators from Greek to Latin and ultimately English in the 1611 KJV Bible ... took liberties and made him "THE" Son of God. This is a subject that I can spend days on ... and if you choose to believe there was a literal Jesus Christ who literally and historically died on the cross ... well then so be it. I am not here to convince you otherwise ... I'm here to present the deeper story. But you must understand the Inner Mysteries of Christianity, to get the full meaning of ancient scripture. Otherwise it holds no meaning or effect.
And as for Easter, Spring Solstice, it was a Pagan holiday ... as is the entirety of Christianity's teachings. The celestial pagan holidays were specifically aligned with the new Christian celebrations to find as many converts to Roman Christianity as was possible from within the Pagan world.
Just remember, when you change ... when you transform or better yet when you go through a metamorphosis such as spoken of in Romans 12:2 ... you will then fully understand how Jesus (the old man dies) and you are morphed into the Christ. You will never sin again. By Jesus/man dying and Christ/Divine resurrecting within you ... you can sin no more. Ever. There is simply no turning back. This is the deeper message of this passage. This is the "pearl of great price" hidden in the field. This is a Personal Revelation ... the Apocalypse (meaning in Greek "an unveiling from that which was hidden).
Just a thought ...
~Justin Taylor, ORDM., OCP., DM.
