How can one man pay for the sins of another?
Christians teach that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that his perfect sinless sacrifice is the only way for us to receive eternal forgiveness and life. Muslim leaders reject this idea. They say that even if Jesus did die on the cross it is not possible for him to bear our sin because the Qur'an says,
Every soul earns only to its own account; no soul laden bears the load of another. (Qur'an, 6:164, 17:15, 29:7, 53:38, Arberry)
From verses like these Muslim leaders conclude that it is not possible for Jesus to bear our sin, instead each person can only bear their own load before God. They also point to verses in the Bible which they think teach a similar idea.
Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. (Deuteronomy 24:16, NIV)
The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him. (Ezekiel 18:20, NIV)
Therefore, are Christians wrong to say that Jesus died for our sins?
I will answer this question in three stages.
- What the Qur'an and Hadith actually say.
- Reading Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:20 in context.
- What the Bible says about Jesus.
I will also engage with common objections that Muslims have raised with me in debates and emails.
