Objections to Christianity
ATONEMENT
Jesus bore the full wrath of God against sin on Himself
Isaiah 53:10
10
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;[a]
when his soul makes[b] an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
1 John 4:9-10
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
What also matters is who was sacrificed
Colossians 3:15-19
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[f] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus took our place
1 Peter 2:22-24
22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Jesus ransomed us from sin death and satan
1 Timothy 2:5-6
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Jesus defeated the power of sin death and satan
Hebrews 2:14-15
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
Fulfill the Law as the final sacrifice
Hebrews 9:23-26
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Ultimate act of love
Romans 5:8
God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus fixes what man broke
1 Corinthians 15:20-28
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God[c] has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
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Do you have any questions or thoughts from this lesson?
What stood out to you most?
Why does it matter who Jesus is (Colossians 1:15–19) when we talk about His death and resurrection?
Which image of atonement resonates most with your personal faith journey—and why?
In what ways do you see Jesus’ death and resurrection as more than just a personal salvation story—as something cosmic in scale?
How do we answer the objection “What is the big deal, Jesus only died for a weekend?”
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How was your emotional and physical health this week?
What is a serious stressor in your life?
How has your personal time with God been this week?
Would you like to share your personal temptations and how can we help you overcome them?
Is there anything that we need to discuss that we have not already?
How can we pray for each other this week?
Pray for one another, invite each person to pray even if it is just a few sentences.