Athanasius – Why the Cross and Not Another Form of Death?

The Four Reasons Why Christ Suffered on the Cross According to Athanasius:

24. But what others also might have said, we must anticipate in reply. For perhaps a man might say even as follows: If it was necessary for His death to take place before all, and with witnesses, that the story of His Resurrection also might be believed, it would have been better at any rate for Him to have devised for Himself a glorious death, if only to escape the ignominy of the Cross. 2. But had He done even this, He would give ground for suspicion against Himself, that He was not powerful against every death, but only against the death devised for Him; and so again there would have been a pretext for disbelief about the Resurrection all the same. So death came to His body, not from Himself, but from hostile counsels, in order that whatever death they offered to the Saviour, this He might utterly do away. 3. And just as a noble wrestler, great in skill and courage, does not pick out his antagonists for himself, lest he should raise a suspicion of his being afraid of some of them, but puts it in the choice of the onlookers, and especially so if they happen to be his enemies, so that against whomsoever they match him, him he may throw, and be believed superior to them all; so also the Life of all, our Lord and Saviour, even Christ, did not devise a death for His own body, so as not to appear to be fearing some other death; but He accepted on the Cross, and endured, a death inflicted by others, and above all by His enemies, which they thought dreadful and ignominious and not to be faced; so that this also being destroyed, both He Himself might be believed to be the Life, and the power of death be brought utterly to nought. 4. So something surprising and startling has happened; for the death, which they thought to inflict as a disgrace, was actually a monument of victory against death itself. Whence neither did He suffer the death of John, his head being severed, nor, as Esaias, was He sawn in sunder; in order that even in death He might still keep His body undivided and in perfect soundness, and no pretext be afforded to those that would divide the Church.

25. And thus much in reply to those without who pile up arguments for themselves. But if any of our own people also inquire, not from love of debate, but from love of learning, why He suffered death in none other way save on the Cross, let him also be told that no other way than this was good for us, and that it was well that the Lord suffered this for our sakes. 2. For if He came Himself to bear the curse laid upon us, how else could He have become Galatians 3:13 a curse, unless He received the death set for a curse? And that is the Cross. For this is exactly what is written: Cursed Deuteronomy 21:23 is he that hangs on a tree. 3. Again, if the Lord’s death is the ransom of all, and by His death the middle Ephesians 2:14 wall of partition is broken down, and the calling of the nations is brought about, how would He have called us to Him, had He not been crucified? For it is only on the cross that a man dies with his hands spread out. Whence it was fitting for the Lord to bear this also and to spread out His hands, that with the one He might draw the ancient people, and with the other those from the Gentiles, and unite both in Himself. 4. For this is what He Himself has said, signifying by what manner of death He was to ransom all: I, when John 12:32 I am lifted up, He says, shall draw all men unto Me. 5. And once more, if the devil, the enemy of our race, having fallen from heaven, wanders about our lower atmosphere, and there bearing rule over his fellow-spirits, as his peers in disobedience, not only works illusions by their means in them that are deceived, but tries to hinder them that are going up (and about this the Apostle says: According to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience); while the Lord came to cast down the devil, and clear the air and prepare the way for us up into heaven, as said the Apostle: Through Hebrews 10:20 the veil, that is to say, His flesh — and this must needs be by death — well, by what other kind of death could this have come to pass, than by one which took place in the air, I mean the cross? For only he that is perfected on the cross dies in the air. Whence it was quite fitting that the Lord suffered this death. 6. For thus being lifted up He cleared the air of the malignity both of the devil and of demons of all kinds, as He says: I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven; and made a new opening of the way up into heaven as He says once more: Lift up your gates, O you princes, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors. For it was not the Word Himself that needed an opening of the gates, being Lord of all; nor were any of His works closed to their Maker; but we it was that needed it whom He carried up by His own body. For as He offered it to death on behalf of all, so by it He once more made ready the way up into the heavens.

(Athanasius of Alexandria, On the Incarnation, sections 24-25)

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The crucifixion of Jesus Christ stands at the heart of Christian faith, a moment of suffering that reveals profound spiritual truths. Athanasius, one of the early Church’s great theologians, reflects deeply on why Christ allowed Himself to be crucified, identifying four key purposes that reveal His divine wisdom, power, and love.

1. To Demonstrate His Fearlessness and Sovereignty over Death

Christ’s willingness to endure crucifixion, chosen by His enemies, reveals a fearlessness unmatched by any human measure. Athanasius compares this to a wrestler who does not choose his opponent: if the crowd selects the fiercest challenger, yet the wrestler triumphs, his victory demonstrates his unparalleled strength. Similarly, by allowing His foes to determine the method of His death, Christ demonstrated sovereignty over death itself.

Athanasius also emphasizes that Jesus was not beheaded like John the Baptist or sawn in half like Isaiah. By remaining whole and undivided, His body becomes a symbol of judgment upon those who would seek to fracture His mystical body, the Church. In Christ’s endurance of the cross, His courage and sovereignty shine with clarity, transforming suffering into a testament of divine authority.

2. To Undo the Curse of Sin

The cross was also the instrument through which Christ reversed humanity’s curse. Scripture declares, “Cursed is he who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13), yet Christ bore that curse willingly, turning the instrument of shame into a sign of redemption. Through His crucifixion, the weight of sin and condemnation that had bound humanity was lifted, offering the hope of reconciliation with God. What was meant for humiliation became the very path to salvation, showing that God’s plan can transform suffering into triumph.

3. To Unite All People in Himself

Athanasius highlights the universal significance of Christ’s outstretched arms on the cross. Just as Ephesians 2:14 describes the breaking down of the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, Jesus’ crucifixion becomes a gesture of unity. One hand extended to each, He draws humanity together into a single Body. This theme is echoed in John 12:32, where Jesus declares, “When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself.” In this sense, the cross is not merely a site of individual salvation but a cosmic instrument of reconciliation, inviting all people into communion with God.

4. To Conquer Satan’s Dominion and Open Heaven’s Gates

Finally, the cross signifies Christ’s victory over the powers of evil and the restoration of creation. Athanasius links Christ being “lifted up” with Ephesians 2:2, which describes Satan as “the prince of the power of the air.” By ascending on the cross, Jesus entered the realm of darkness to overthrow its ruler and purify creation from corruption. This triumph opened the gates of heaven, fulfilling Psalm 24:7: “Lift up your gates, O you princes, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors.” The crucifixion, therefore, is not only a moment of earthly suffering but a cosmic victory, opening the way for humanity to enter eternal life with God.

Conclusion

Athanasius’ reflection on the crucifixion presents a rich and multifaceted understanding of the cross. Far from being merely a symbol of suffering, the cross reveals Christ’s fearlessness, reverses the curse of sin, unites humanity, and conquers evil itself. Through His crucifixion, Christ transforms shame into glory, death into life, and division into unity—demonstrating that even the most extreme suffering can be redeemed into divine triumph.