In the 13th chapter of his book, Principles of Christian Theology, Macquarrie insists that while reviewing the work of Christ, we should not separate his life and death. He notes the tendency among Christians to give superior emphasis to Christ’s death as opposed to His life which ends up subordinating the works which lead the crucifixion.
There are two main themes which recur in the works of Christ. The first is obedience where Jesus fulfills the divine will by being “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God”. The second theme is absolute self-giving where Jesus became both priest and victim in order to win all humanity to God.
According to Macquarrie, Christians should avoid viewing Christ’s atonement as a “once-for-all” event in history that is symbolized by his death on the cross. Instead, they should put emphasis on the significance of this event which was an instrument through which God revealed His divine will for human beings. God’s reconciliatory efforts with humanity should therefore not be viewed merely as a historical event but rather as a fact that is present in all his activity.
To further illustrate this point, Macquarrie mentions the parable of the prodigal son in which the father has a constant longing to be reunited with his son. This only happens when the son recognizes the disorder that characterizes his life and seeks a better way. In the same way, God eagerly awaits human beings to turn from their wicked ways and be reconciled to him.
Macquarrie also advocates for a shift from the traditional views of atonement as objective and subjective. Objective views approached atonement as being “outside of man and independent of him”. Subjective views were concerned with the belief that love is awakened in man in response to the impression that the life and death of Jesus had upon him. Macquarrie insists that an