Who we follow...
Why Did He Die?
Why was Jesus the only one who could pay for our sins?
Jesus unique claims as the Saviour of the World are rooted in His very identity. Some have lauded Him as a great teacher, a wise man, a holy man and a worker of good. True as all these claims are, they really fail to grasp the reason why Jesus uniquely could reconcile the broken relationship between God and mankind.
The Great Divide:
You may say what broken relationship? The Bible describes our world as one where it’s Creator (God) is in a state of separation from His creatures (us). This is because of the problem of sin; things we do wrong that have fractured our relationship with our Creator.
You may say that you don’t believe in sin, but look around and you will see sin in the paradox of a world we live in:
- We spend millions on advancing life saving medical treatments and at the same time continue to develop weapons of mass destruction.
- We develop more and more sophisticated methods of fertility treatments and yet abort thousands of babies.
- We create amazing architectural designs and allow the development of disgusting slums.
- We make marriages based on life long promises of selfless love, and then break them in anger and vitriol.
- We build huge mountains of unwanted food whilst 2/3rds of the world lives in poverty.
There is no doubt that our world is built on foundations of self-centredness, dishonesty, anger, hatred, jealousy and pride. I guess many of us think that we are not part of that system that we are basically good. However, I think Aleksander Solzhenitsyn gets to the heart of the matter in his book The Gulag Archipelago…
If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?
That is the sad fact of the seriousness of sin! It draws a penalty that requires death. It really is that serious in the eyes of a Holy God. What is needed is someone who can cross the great divide between man and God, someone eligible to pay that price. That person is Jesus.
The God Man:
There is no doubt that Jesus was a man. We have records of his birth, childhood, occupation and death. He exhibited emotions and had all the needs that we experience: warmth, food and shelter etc. BUT! He was also God. He stated this and it is backed up by His miracles: power over nature, sickness, demons and death. What better bridge between man and God than a man who was also God!
The Great Exchange:
Because of His unique identity Jesus was able to fulfil a role that no one before or since has been able to or needed to. On that bloody and brutal Cross outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago he once and for all bridged the great divide between man and God.
Your enduring memories of Easter may be the brutal torture and execution of this man. But it was not just His physical suffering that paid that great debt. In that moment he cried out to God the father “Why have you forsaken me?” he endured separation from God so that we should not. In that moment the penalty of every sin ever to be committed was heaped upon Him. In that moment he became the rapist, the murderer, the adulterer, the child molester, the liar, the thief, the selfish, the arrogant, the proud, the mugger, the violent husband, the arrogant, the…
In that moment he paid the penalty for all that sin, for all your sin. At the Cross, the perfect life that deserves heaven, the life He lived is offered to us. At the Cross, the sinful life we have lived has been paid for. There need be nothing now that separates us from a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus said I come that may have life and life to the full!
Take Your Medicine:
On the Cross Jesus died and was separated from the presence of God so we should never be. However, His offer of life is a conditional one…
Imagine you have a life threatening illness and the doctor correctly diagnoses it. He gives you a prescription of a revolutionary medicine, which will guarantee that you live. Imagine you collect that prescription but never take it…?
Jesus’ payment for our debt, a payment that will allow us a relationship with God for eternity is conditional upon us applying his sacrifice to our lives. Believing in Him, trusting in the sacrifice he made on your behalf, following Him, living His way…
Would you like that relationship? Would like that forgiveness? Would like that assurance of peace with God…? Then please look at the link "Following Jesus?"
If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?
That is the sad fact of the seriousness of sin! It draws a penalty that requires death. It really is that serious in the eyes of a Holy God. What is needed is someone who can cross the great divide between man and God, someone eligible to pay that price. That person is Jesus.
The God Man:
There is no doubt that Jesus was a man. We have records of his birth, childhood, occupation and death. He exhibited emotions and had all the needs that we experience: warmth, food and shelter etc. BUT! He was also God. He stated this and it is backed up by His miracles: power over nature, sickness, demons and death. What better bridge between man and God than a man who was also God!
The Great Exchange:
Because of His unique identity Jesus was able to fulfil a role that no one before or since has been able to or needed to. On that bloody and brutal Cross outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago he once and for all bridged the great divide between man and God.
Your enduring memories of Easter may be the brutal torture and execution of this man. But it was not just His physical suffering that paid that great debt. In that moment he cried out to God the father “Why have you forsaken me?” he endured separation from God so that we should not. In that moment the penalty of every sin ever to be committed was heaped upon Him. In that moment he became the rapist, the murderer, the adulterer, the child molester, the liar, the thief, the selfish, the arrogant, the proud, the mugger, the violent husband, the arrogant, the…
In that moment he paid the penalty for all that sin, for all your sin. At the Cross, the perfect life that deserves heaven, the life He lived is offered to us. At the Cross, the sinful life we have lived has been paid for. There need be nothing now that separates us from a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus said I come that may have life and life to the full!
Take Your Medicine:
On the Cross Jesus died and was separated from the presence of God so we should never be. However, His offer of life is a conditional one…
Imagine you have a life threatening illness and the doctor correctly diagnoses it. He gives you a prescription of a revolutionary medicine, which will guarantee that you live. Imagine you collect that prescription but never take it…?
Jesus’ payment for our debt, a payment that will allow us a relationship with God for eternity is conditional upon us applying his sacrifice to our lives. Believing in Him, trusting in the sacrifice he made on your behalf, following Him, living His way…
Would you like that relationship? Would like that forgiveness? Would like that assurance of peace with God…? Then please look at the link "Following Jesus?"
