Calvary and Atonement

Though many limit God's work of atonement to Jesus' crucifixion, it actually had its substantial fulfillment in the phenomenon of incarnation, which was then worked out through Jesus' life of faithful sonship. His death on Calvary simply brought God's atoning work to its climax, universalizing it as His promised redemption by which He would end the creation's captivity and exile and reconcile all things to Himself. This is the scriptural context for interpreting Jesus' cross and its work, underscored by His choice of Passover as the setting for His self-offering.