Dear Leon:

The death of Jesus is demanded by justice. He was the sacrificial lamb that was slain for the sins of Mankind. Mankind committed the crime of rebellion against God. Justice demands that this crime be paid for. If this justice is not done, then the crime becomes acceptable. Crime can never be acceptable because crime, by definition, does violence against Truth and virtue.

Jesus was the Second Adam. The first Adam was given the test and failed. Adam committed the crime of rebellion and thus brought original sin into the world. Adam condemned mankind and brought it under the penalty of death.

Jesus, as the new Adam, past the test and remained obedient to the Father even to the Cross. In this He redeemed mankind from its pitiful state. He paid the penalty of Adam's crime (and the crimes of all of us). Justice was served. The slavery to sin broken. The penalty (of death) satisfied. Justice satisfied.

Then the Resurrection brought new life, a new life free from the fetters of the baggage of original sin and its penalty (which is death). Jesus defeated death and allowed us to participate in this new life forever.

The one to pay the penalty must be without any crime himself. How can someone pay the penalty for another's crime if he has crime of his own to pay for? He must be an innocent. It is only the self-sacrifice of one innocent of crime that can pay the penalty for another's crime. The reason that Jesus had to be the one to pay this penalty of Mankind's crime is because Jesus was innocent, He was the unblemished lamb. He had no crime on his own shoulders and thus He was free to accept the penalty of our crime upon himself. By this act of love He redeemed Mankind from the penalty of its crime so that we do not have to pay the debt; it has been paid for us allowing us to live forever in the friendship of our God.

You ask to whom was this debt paid? It was paid to Justice. It was paid to God who is Justice. It was paid to love, which was violated by our crime (sin). It was paid to God who is love.

I don't know if this helps, but I hope it does.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary