The Person of our Lord Jesus Christ: His Central Work - His death on the Cross

1. The Death of Christ.

   

1. The Importance of the Death of Christ:

The Outstanding Event and the Central Doctrine of the New Testament may be summed up in the Words of the Apostle Paul “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” 1 Cor. 15:3

The Atoning death of Christ is the unique feature of Christianity. 

Martin Luther said that the Christian Doctrine was distinguished from every other kind, especially from that which seems to be ‘Christian’ by the fact that it is the Doctrine of the Cross. The whole battle of the reformation was for the right interpretation of the Cross. That He who understands the Cross rightly, understands the Christ and the Bible, was the Teaching of the Reformers.

It is this unique feature of the Gospels which makes Christianity the religion; for the problem is the sin problem, and the religion which makes perfect provision for the deliverance from the guilt and power of sin has a divine finality. Jesus is the Author of “Eternal Salvation” i.e. Final Salvation; all that salvation can mean is secured by Him.M.P. p.171

Heb 5:7  For Jesus, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryings and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared,

Heb 5:8  though being a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

Heb 5:9  And being perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him,

Heb 5:10  being called by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek;

b. The Meaning of the Death of Christ.

There is a certain true relationship between man and his Maker; but something happened that destroyed this relationship. Not only is man far from God, and unlike God in character, but there is an obstacle so great that man cannot remove it by his own efforts.

That Obstacle is SIN and thus GUILT, which means man as a sinner is condemned by God.

Man cannot remove this obstacle; only God can bring deliverance from this huge obstacle. God took the initiative to save man.

That God has done this is the Testimony of the Scriptures. He sent His Son from Heaven to earth to remove this obstacle, this barrier to our relationship with God.

Jesus bore the debt that we should have paid. He accomplished for us what was impossible for us to do. He did this by obeying the Will of God the Father. This is the essence of the ATONEMENT.

Rom 5:6  For we yet being without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom 5:7  For one will with difficulty die for a righteous one, yet perhaps one would even dare to die for a good one.

Rom 5:8  But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Rom 5:10  For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

If the Death of Christ is the Central Teaching of the new Testament, why is there so little Exposition on the Atonement and the Salvation wrought by Christ on the Cross of Calvary?

Have you accepted Christ's offer of forgiveness and Salvation from Damnation? He has completely finished the work of Removing the Obstacle of Sin and Guilt. Repent and Believe the GOOD NEWS TODAY !