A RELIEF

As I have been looking into the "penal substitutionary atonement" as an explanation of how the death of Jesus functions to bring reconciliation between God and humanity, one of my biggest face palm moments has come with the realization that there is no single model of the atonement that every orthodox Christian agrees on.

In fact, most Christians are pretty OK with mixing and matching the various models.

How did I get to be 55 - having grown up in church, a Christian since college, a graduate of seminary, and now two-thirds of the way through a doctorate of ministry program - and fail to comprehend that nobody from the Church Fathers to present-day preachers has a firm grasp on the mechanics of the cross? 

I really thought it was just me.

What a relief. 

Now my question is this: Is what happened on the cross simply a mystery at heart or is it a topic that has been gooped up by human tradition and presuppositions over the years?