No mere man or created being could have made that perfect sacrifice for our sins. Only God the Son, taking on human flesh and human nature, the Spotless Lamb, could do this. As another theologian had put it, the conflict over man’s sins was taken up into the Trinity itself.
Amen! That is the amazing part of the amazing grace of God. It is like a man being hauled before the judge after being found guilty of a serious crime. The judge pronounces the penalty the man must pay to satisfy his debt to society and then the judge stands up, takes off his robe and steps down to the clerk's desk and pays the fine out of his own pocket. The guilty man deserved the penalty, but the judge showed both justice AND mercy by not ignoring the seriousness of the crime yet making propitiation for the guilty.
Scripture repeatedly says we have ALL sinned and fall short of the perfection of God, that there is NONE righteous and that the "wages" (payment) for sin is DEATH. It is because of this that we cannot save ourselves - we would spend eternity separated from God because of our sins. But, in His grace, the Son of God humbled Himself and took on flesh, lived a perfect and sinless life and died IN OUR PLACE making satisfaction for the sins of the world. ONLY God is without sin - with man it is impossible because even one sin makes us guilty of the whole law. That is how we can KNOW that Jesus IS the incarnate God - something He promised all the way back in the garden to Adam and Eve when he cast them out. The very act of covering their nakedness with the skins of animals was demonstrating that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins.
We celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and rejoice that over two thousand years ago:
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8-14)
the conflict over man’s sins was taken up into the Trinity itself.
***well said. I like to think of it in the mathematical terms of infinite...
http://www.truncale.com/Infinite_Justice.htm