The Paradox of Crucifixion and Redemption
Christian doctrine views the crucifixion of Jesus – including its execution at the insistence of Jewish religious leaders – as a profoundly paradoxical act in which the Savior’s human nature accepts the full penalty for sin, while His divine nature secures victory over death through resurrection. In other words, through the crucifixion, Christ as a human voluntarily confronted the death necessary for humanity’s redemption, whereas His Divinity enabled Him to rise, ultimately triumphing over death.
As noted in one of the sources, “Thus, during the sufferings, death, and resurrection of the Savior, His divine nature was not inactive. It assimilated what was carried out by His human nature, and in its own right, it assimilated by the human nature what it accomplished itself. Without the participation of divine power, the final and most important act in the salvation of mankind – the victory over death – could never have taken place, and without the involvement of human nature, the first essential act of salvation – the bloody sacrifice for human sins – could not have been executed.” (source: link txt)
This statement emphasizes that although the crucifixion was carried out by Jewish authorities within the framework of their legal and cultural tradition, the act was neither a mere accident nor solely an instance of human evil. On the contrary, it was a predetermined step in the plan of salvation, whereby the Savior’s suffering led to His ability to resurrect with divine power – an outcome that would have been impossible without the union of His human and divine natures.
Another quote from the same source states, “Divinity could not be subjected to suffering or death. A man experienced death, while the immortal nature did not endure the suffering of death; yet it did not separate from the deceased. Just as during His suffering, divinity was in inseparable unity with suffering humanity, so too during death it did not separate from it, remaining with both soul and body in an unbreakable union. It is precisely through this union that St. Gregory explains the possibility of the Savior’s resurrection.” (source: link txt)
Thus, according to Christian teaching, the role of the crucifixion—even when initiated by Jewish figures—is not only to administer the supreme punishment for sin but also to realize the union of the Savior’s two natures, making the miracle of resurrection and the gift of salvation for believers possible. This dual aspect of the crucifixion – human suffering leading to atonement and divine intervention enabling resurrection – is the cornerstone of the Christian understanding of salvation.