On the atonement.

 How can one man (not God-man) atone for the sins of a world of humans? To understand the mechanics of the atonement we first need to understand the true nature of man. Man is a physical being i.e his life is sustained by a physical form. 

Ecclesiastes3;19,20NIV"19Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath c ; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all RETURN."  Of course one cannot RETURN to where one has never been e.g the spirit world. The inspired writer truthfully states that man and beast return to the same state, lifeless as the dust from which they were both formed. This is important to note as the atonement works via substitution, that is to say the victim must suffer the penalty meant for the one being redeemed. 

So let us review what the Bible really teaches re:the penalty for sin. 

Genesis3:19NIV"19By the sweat of your brow

you will eat your food

until you return to the ground,

since from it you were taken;

for dust YOU are

and to dust YOU will RETURN.” 

So the bible does not concur with Christendom's historical revisionism note the person(not merely his body) as indicated by the second person pronoun is said to have been made from dust ,and his penalty was that he would revert to his pre-creation state. JEHOVAH the holy God is not merely the creator of all souls (superhuman,human,subhuman) but their preserver. 

Acts17:28NIV"For in him we live and move and have our being" thus there is no life, existence or motion apart from JEHOVAH. So this reversion to our pre-creation state is what the Bible really teaches is the penalty for sin ,and not the eternal torment of our spirit soul(a mythical fabrication) and our resurrected body in some underground furnace. Spirit creatures do not bleed hence blood would be of no redemptive value for the life of a spirit soul. 

Hebrews2:16,17NIV"16For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17For this reason he had to be made like them, k fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. " There is no gospel for rebellious spirit sons of God. Their lives are not sustained by flesh and blood hence cannot be redeemed by those means. Thus in order to redeem lives sustained by flesh and blood Christ needed to take on such a life himself. 

Hebrews2:9NIV"9But we do see Jesus, who was made LOWER than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." 

Thus our Lord first needed exchange his superhuman soul/life for a human soul/life, because only a soul sustained by flesh and blood could redeem us. 

Mark10:45NIV"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give(not lend) his life(greek.psyche) as a ransom for many.”"  The only difference with this particular human soul was that he was without sin and hence entitled to perpetual life and the right to Father offspring also entitled to such, hence Jesus is called the second/last Adam, 

1Corinthians15:45KJV"45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." The same God who made the first Adam a perfect human soul also made the last Adam a perfect superhuman soul by a resurrection, 

Acts13:33KJV"33God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." 

1Peter3:18NASB"18For Christ also [m]suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh(human), but made alive in the [n]spirit(Superhuman); "  

This permanent surrender of his human life was necessary before he could serve as JEHOVAH'S priest.

Hebrews8:4NASB"4Now if He were on earth (i.e human), He would not be a priest at all, since there are [d]those who offer the gifts according to the Law" ,remember his human life was declared righteous by his perfect adherence to the mosaic law only death would liberate him and those putting faith in him from that law, 

Romans7:1NIV"Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives?" 

Having taken on a superhuman life he is now free to impute his right to  sinless human life to any who put faith in him and his God. 

Romans10:9NIV"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  

JEHOVAH over ruled the judgment of the false teachers of that time declaring his loyal son righteous by means of a resurrection from the dead. 

Acts2:36NIV"6“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: (the) God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah." 

Thus to the God and Father of Jesus Christ must go the primary glory as the one through whom our Lord remained holy ,and the one who was able to ensure  justice was done by resurrecting his righteous one and empowering him to serve as priest.

Thus our hope is for a resurrection like his i.e an irreversible one ,one that in effect declares us righteous like our Lord. 

John11:25NIV"25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; "