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This is what we are about to celebrate during the Triduum and during every mass. It is no different than two brothers doing something wrong and one accepts the punishment of the Father by taking the entire blame. Because God loves us, He sent Jesus who willingly surrendered himself to take the punishment, the curse of sin from us so that the barrier of sin between us and God would be removed.

Because God is loving and merciful, He sent Jesus to receive the wrath of God, the punishment of God for all sins of every generation. Why did God do it this way? Because wrong must be punished, and sin cannot exist in the presence of God. The Holy God would no longer have a universe untainted by sin and sin cannot exist in the presence of God. Yet if God forgave them and brought them back into His presence they would have sinned again and have kept sinning. But here is the human dilemma, we may show remorse, but our self-serving inclinations will cause us to sin again and again.Īdam and Eve’s sin does not seem big enough to the punishment of having to endure sickness, famines, hard work, disease, wars, rejection, immortality and losing intimacy with God. They also understand how a stated punishment can be lessened if remorse is shown and their father’s wrath can be assuaged. A child understands right from wrong and how wrong is punished and good is rewarded. Jesus willingly submits to God’s plan for our salvation and the key question I heard from a child was “why did God do it this way?” Why indeed is the question and we have great theological writings about the way but great theology does not answer the question of a 10 year old child. Jesus understood as did John the Baptist when he pointed to Jesus and said “Behold the Lamb of God.” One lamb on which “…all the sinful faults and all the sinful transgressions of all the Israelites was laid on the head of the lamb which was led off into the desert carrying away all their sins (Lev.16:20). On the Feast of Atonement, one sacrifice is offered. It is on that one day when the sins of everyone are carried away. That one day stands out from the individual sacrifices to be offered. That image is reinforced in the Book Leviticus where the sacrifice for sin is to be offered by the priest for the whole tribe of Israel. They were given a visual image by Moses when he described the formula for forgiveness. The Israelites were aware of the sacrifice needed. Jesus knew the plan of God to overcome our sinfulness was for blood to be shed. But also acknowledging if it does not pass God will give Him the grace to overcome. It is in that kingdom where we hear Jesus during his final day, begging God to let the cup pass. Immediately after Jesus came out of the desert after being baptized by John, He proclaimed “the Kingdom of God is at Hand.” His first pronouncement ushered in the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth where we are nurtured, schooled and live with confident assurance that our God is always with us. The prophets in the Old Testament prepared us for this day.