“But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!” — Romans 5:8–9 (BSB)
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21 (BSB)
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His stripes you are healed.” — 1 Peter 2:24 (BSB)
“But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” — Hebrews 9:26 (BSB)
In the words of the Nicene Creed: “For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven… was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, He suffered and was buried.”
Jesus, fully God and fully man, alone could offer a perfect sacrifice. His suffering was real—He was mocked, beaten, pierced, and forsaken. But His death was not only physical—it was spiritual and substitutionary. He endured the wrath of God so that we would not have to. This is the heart of the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement, long upheld by Anglican theology.
Article II of the Thirty-Nine Articles affirms: “[Jesus] truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried… to reconcile His Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men.”
Bishop J.C. Ryle wrote: “Christ’s death was no mere example of love—it was an atonement, a ransom, a substitution. He died that we might live; He suffered that we might be pardoned.”
Contemporary Anglican theologian Dr. Gerald Bray states: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Christ’s death is not only God’s justice satisfied—it is God’s love demonstrated in its most costly form.”
The suffering and death of Jesus also display the depth of human sin and the greatness of divine mercy. At the Cross, justice and grace meet. Jesus endured judgment so that we might be justified. He bore the curse so that we might receive the blessing. His dying words—“It is finished”—declare that the debt has been paid in full.
In Anglican worship, this truth is central: the Eucharist proclaims the Lord’s death until He comes. Every time we receive the sacrament, we remember that our salvation cost Christ His life.
Athanasius taught that only the death of the God-man could restore humanity.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 AD): “The Lord redeemed us by His blood, giving His life for our life, His soul for our soul. In His obedience even unto death, He undid the disobedience of Adam.” — Against Heresies, V.1.1
Irenaeus emphasized Christ’s substitution and reversal of Adam’s curse.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD): “The cross was the pulpit from which Christ preached the love of God. There justice and mercy met, and our salvation was accomplished.” — Sermon 184
Augustine saw the crucifixion as both the judgment and the mercy of God.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313–386 AD): “Christ stretched out His arms on the Cross to embrace the whole world. He died that we might live and rose that we might never die.” — Catechetical Lectures, 13.1
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
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