Please help with something i cant seem to get my head around - and apologies if it seems a silly question
When jesus died on the cross, how did that take our sins away.
Welcome to the forums!
It isn't a silly question. Perhaps we need to first understand that God is perfectly holy, so sin is an affront to his holiness. He is also perfectly just, so even the smallest sin is deserving of punishment, which is his wrath (Rom. 1:18-20; 2:5, 8; Eph. 5:3-6). Since all humans have sinned (Rom. 3:23), prefer their sin (John 3:19), and cannot
not sin, all humans are said to be "by nature children of wrath" (Eph. 2:3), that is, deserving of God's wrath.
Next, the writer of Hebrews says that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Heb. 9:22). We see that in the OT Law, in the sacrificial system. In the Passover (Exodus 12), blood from a lamb, without blemish, was applied to the door posts and lintel of the houses, so God wouldn't kill those inside the house. We also see blood being used to purify and consecrate things of the Tabernacle, such as the altar and the priests and their garments, for their service to God. It was used in other instances as well for purification.
So, it is the blood of specific animals, given in sacrifice to God, that God accepted for the forgiveness of sins and for purification. Why blood? I don't think the Bible ever really tells us, but there are a handful of verses in the OT that speak of the life of an animal being in its blood (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:11, 14; Deut. 12:23). Perhaps it has something to do with the giving of life of an innocent (without blemish) animal that appeased the wrath of God, that covers sin, for a time. Where there is sin, there must be sacrifice to appease God's wrath and pay the penalty for sin, so that God is just.
Jesus, being the Son of God, God in human flesh, was sent to earth to live a perfect, sinless life and die for our sins. And he did; the only person who will ever be able to have done so. He was crucified on Passover, hence why he is referred to as a lamb in the NT, particularly in Revelation. This fullfills the OT sacrificial system, providing a once for all sacrifice, of God himself, for our sins.
2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2Co 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2Co 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2Co 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (ESV)
God placed all our sins onto Jesus on the cross. He died in our place, dying the death we deserve, and in exchange we receive the righteousness of Christ. Jesus received God's wrath in our place, so that those who put their faith in Christ will be imputed his righteousness and avoid God's wrath.
I highly recommend reading Isaiah 53 and Heb. 7-10, as they relate much of the OT sacrificial system to Christ's death.
Sorry, it's a bit rambling as I am just trying to get thoughts down. But, all of this is to say that God did for us what otherwise could not have been done--he took his punishment for us on himself, so that his justice is satisfied once and for all, and those that believe receive the righteousness of Christ and eternal life. In this we see the ultimate example of love, mercy, and grace. Those who don't look to and accept his free gift of grace in Christ's death and resurrection, will face his justice and get what they deserve--eternity apart from him.
