Text Michele

Good Friday invites us to pause and reconsider the dominant narratives we’ve inherited about the cross. Did Jesus die as the object of God’s wrath — or as the Victorious One who forever conquered sin and death?

This episode reexamines the popular Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA) theory, which frames salvation as a legal transaction where Jesus absorbs our punishment and pays the penalty for our sin. In contrast, the much older Christus Victor view tells a very different story — the story of a heavenly rescue mission where the Trinity conspires together to heal our soul sickness and set us free from sin and death.

Here’s what we unpack:

• Penal substitution didn’t emerge until the 1500s with John Calvin’s legal framework
• The early church saw sin as a sickness of the soul to be healed, rather than a crime to be punished
• Jesus wasn’t punished by God; he willingly entered our suffering in order to overcome it
• His cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” was a quote from Psalm 22 and not a cry of abandonment
• The Trinity was never broken apart, but God was always in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself
• Jesus didn’t “pay for” our sins; he forgave them
• Jesus didn’t die to change God’s mind about us, but to change our minds about God
• The cross reveals love, not wrath — a rescue, not a retribution

Buckle up because this episode is PACKED and might challenge some long-held beliefs and assumptions!

If this episode brought clarity or challenged something that never quite sat right in your spirit, share it with someone who might need that same freedom. And I’d love to hear your biggest takeaway! Just text me using the link in the show notes.

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Today’s Kus Word is spiritual growth with a touch of snark! Join author and spiritual formation prof, Michele Kus, as she serves up short, powerful teachings, immersive meditations, bold declarations, and f(reedom)-bombs to fuel your faith and get you laughing. #TodaysKusWord

*There is no actual cussing on Today's Kus Word. We keep it squeaky clean!

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