Why does Jesus' "suffering" matter?

[Randy Carson]

The latter execution is FAR more graphic and helps us to appreciate the lengths to which God was willing to go in order to redeem us. It was a heavy price, but He paid it.

Jesus did not pay the price for our sins. The penalty for sin is to burn for eternity in hell. If Jesus wanted to pay the price then his ass would be in hell for eternity.

Incorrect. Jesus didn't simply take our place in hell; he paid a price that we were unable to pay so that we do not have to go to hell for eternity.

If your child breaks a large bay window in a neighbor's house that he cannot possibly pay for by himself, you step in to pay the debt to the neighbor. The neighbor is satisfied and the child is no longer under obligation.

We could not possibly repay our debt to God for the sins we commit, so Jesus stepped in to pay it for us. We are absolved, and we are no longer under obligation.

The crucifixion means everything.

Bad example. A window? Let's put this into greater perspective. Let's say a vile person breaks in your house and rapes and kills your family.

Then someone steps in and pays the price for the crime. For the sake of argument let's say the person either pays for it monetarily or chooses to take the vile person's place in jail.

Would that be a just thing? Would you feel that justice was served? I mean it really doesn't matter who gets punished as long as someone does. Right?

I eagerly await your reply.

In our court system, part of the justice is punishment of the person who did something wrong. A murderer may be forgiven by God for his sins and go to heaven even though he is executed by lethal injection by the state which convicted him of the crime.

Now, the punishment for sin is death, but Jesus did not merely save us from punishment. He made it possible for those who have faith to be completely made new and restored to a right relationship with God. Therefore, God does not look at us as sinners who got away with something but as new creations in Christ.

Remember, the one who owns the window is God, and He alone determines what satisfies His own view of justice.