Dear Editor,

Erick Erickson’s April 21, 2022, column “Remember the greatest event in history” is not the first to put forth an interpretation of Jesus the Christ’s crucifixion that contradicts the scriptural account of the Incarnation from conception through Golgotha to this very moment.-Mt 1:18-23, 3:15-17, Jn 1:29, 36, 17:19, 26, Heb 10:4-10, RSV

Erickson states that, “The first person of the Trinity turned His back on the second person of the Trinity and even the sun refused to shine on Christ as the sins of mankind, past, present and future, were placed on him to satisfy God’s wrath.”

Simply and sadly, this interpretation is blasphemous.

Some of Jesus’ own words that repudiate Erickson’s interpretation are: 1) “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.”-Jn 5:22; 2) “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of man.”-Jn 5:26-27 3) “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father has taught me. And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.”-Jn 8:28-29 4) “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”-Jn 9:39 5) “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father.”-Jn 10:17-18

Erickson ignores Jesus’ extensive testimony based on his misinterpretation of II Cor 5:20-21, “So we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Apparently, Erickson never asked himself, “How did God do this?” Again, he ignores Jesus’ testimony, “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” On the cross, Jesus atoned for his own murder and saved the universe by his words of spirit & life.-Lk 23:34, *Mt 27:45-46, Jn 19:30 “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.”-II Cor 7:10, Isa 53:10 God’s revelation to Jesus that “The End” (Mt 24:34-36) was at hand crystallized Jesus’ grief into the prayer* that delivered the universe.-Heb 1:1-4, Jn 3:14-16, I Jn 4:14-18 Over two thousand years later, Mr. Erickson still does not believe in Jesus’ God-given authority to do so.-Mt 5:43-48, Rev 19:10-11, I Cor 14:3

The Great Salvation is not the acceptance of a legal transaction between God the Father & God the Son which amounts to a type of an “indulgence” that Jesus’ wailing prayer, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” totally dispels.-Heb 2:1-4, I Cor 13:4-7 Jesus lived the Great Salvation through horrific suffering perfecting love eternal for God & the world in his body of flesh.-Heb 2:9-18, Mk 12:29-31, Jn 17:19-26, 6:51.

William M. Yavelak

Belmont