The purpose of the passion

Archbishop William Goh (18 Jan 2021)

Heb 5:1-10

Mark 2:18-22

In the bible there are different theories as to the cause of our salvation in Christ's death on the cross.  

• The most common is the expiation theory that Christ needs to die to pay for our sins.  
• This is to satisfy the justice of God.  Man's sins have caused irreparable damage to God's dignity 
• and hence only the sacrifice and death of Christ, the God-man could redeem us.  
• This analogy was useful in olden days when there was a strong sense of justice and paying for our sins.  
• But today, the sacrificial death of our Lord is seen not so much as a payment to an angry Father 
• but rather it is the expression of the Father's unconditional love and mercy for humanity so that looking at God's love in Christ, man would be brought to repentance and come back to His love.   
• So it was not so much a repayment of a debt owed to God but an appeal of love and mercy.

Today, the scripture readings provide another dimension to the cause of our salvation through the obedience of Christ.  

• The first reading underscores that is it the obedience of Christ that saves us. "Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek."  
• St Paul reiterates this point in his letter to the Romans.  He wrote, "Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous."  (Rom 5:18f) 
• In his letter to the Philippians, he cited from an ancient hymn, that says, Christ "humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross."  (Phil 2:8)