Father knows Best??

Imagine we have a father named Mr. Jones. His son has a playmate who lives next door. Both boys have been told multiple times not to play ball near the house. One day, while the Jones boy was visiting his grandmother, the boy next door plays ball near the house anyway and breaks Mr. Jones' window. So, the little boy tells Mr. Jones that he broke the rule and is sorry. He asks Mr. Jones to forgive him. Imagine Mr. Jones telling the little boy, "Yes, I can forgive you. But first I must beat my own son with a belt.......so I can forgive you." Now Mr. Jones has the full power to just forgive the boy. But no! He chooses to beat his own son first.

What kind of father would do such a thing? Christians believe that a God so powerful, and so wonderful, a God which spoke the Universe into existence with nothing, can't figure out a better way to forgive sinners than having his own son tortured and murdered.