If you ever watch a sporting event you have probably seen someone holding up a sign which reads John 3:16. If you’ve been meaning to look it up here it is: God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. Why did God send Jesus? Love. There is a theological theory going back to St. Anselm called satisfaction or atonement. It goes something like this. The sin of Adam was an offense against an infinitely good God. God locked the gates of heaven as a result. It would take an infinite remedy to correct an infinite offense. The Son of God came to offer his life so that God would feel satisfied that the offense against God was remedied. But that is not what the Bible says. The Bible says that the Son of God came out of love. God did not need to be placated. God wanted, as the loving Father, to give love to those who were lost. Any theory which does not stress the unconditional love of God is deficient.
