“Jesus died for your sins.”
For many of us who grew up in church, that phrase felt like Christianity 101. But what does it actually mean – and is there only one Christian way to understand what happened on the cross?

In this episode of Holy Uncertain, Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod are joined by pastor and author Derek Vreeland to explore how Christians have understood the death of Jesus throughout history. Together, they talk about penal substitutionary atonement, why punishment became such a dominant way of explaining the cross in some Christian traditions, and the other biblical images Christians have used to understand salvation.

They also wrestle with bigger questions like ‘What are we actually being saved from?’ ‘What does sin mean if we understand it through the lens of love rather than shame?’ and ‘What do we do when the Bible gives us metaphor and mystery instead of a tidy theological explanation?’

This conversation isn’t about replacing one rigid answer with another. It’s about making room to ask what the death and resurrection of Jesus might mean – and whether our understanding of the cross leads us toward greater love of God, ourselves, and one another.

Continue to learn from Derek Vreeland:
www.derekvreeland.com
Instagram: @derekvreeland
Substack: Peaceable and Kind
Listen to Derek’s Podcast: Peaceable and Kind

Read Derek’s Books:
Centering Jesus: How the Lamb of God Transforms Our Communities, Ethics, and Spiritual Lives
Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us
And many more books

Have a question or topic you want us to explore?
Email us: questions@holyuncertain.com

Holy Uncertain is a Blue Elevator production.