The cross is seen as the supreme example of God's love for us, but many struggle to understand why Jesus had to die or if He had to die at all. There's no one right answer, but the Bible offers us glimpses or clues as to what Jesus's death really means for our lives. Traditionally, these “answers” are called atonement theories.

The answer to the question this week is, "to forgive us." We, as humans, miss the mark. For thousands of years, some theologians explain Jesus' death on the cross as "Penal Substitution". What Jesus did was something that we cannot do. And because of God's love for us, while being just, we are (really) forgiven.