Why is Easter Good News? Part 2

God doesn't demand death to pay for sin

Hi there! This is part 2/6 in our series on Why Is Easter Good News? You can read Part 1: Peace, here. Today: it shows us what God is really like.

YOU ASKED: I know I’m supposed to say Easter is good news, but it’s also tangled up with fear for me. It’s like God got mean on Good Friday. What gives?

I hear from folks who avoid talking about the Jesus part of Easter pretty often now. And mainly, they aren’t talking about it because of who the god of the Easter story they were told is – a bloodthirsty, angry, hard-to-please sort of god, whose anger is only appeased by Jesus taking the punishment we deserve. These folks don’t trust the god of Penal Substitutionary Atonement and they certainly aren’t going to introduce their children to Him. (And He’s a He.)

Familiar?

I hope today’s theme helps speak to this, namely:

Easter is good news because it shows us what God is really like. 

And I’d argue the god of PSA Easter and the God of the Bible’s Easter are not the same. And the more we become confident in that, the more we feel open to letting our kids hear this story and get to know this God. 

We’re looking at reason number two that Jesus’ death and resurrection are Good News – that Jesus’ death and resurrection show us most fully who God is. Just not in the way the PSA wants us to think. 

We’re going to unpack two key ideas:

1. God doesn’t demand death, payment or punishment for Sin and

2. Instead, God sacrifices Themself for us.

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ONE: First, God Doesn’t Demand Death, Payment or Punishment for Sin 

One of the planks the troublesome perspective I just mentioned is built upon is that God demands payment, specifically death, for sin. If people sin, God will be against them until payment (death) is made. 

Let’s look at a few examples, using the verses PSA proponents love to quote.