| The Death of Christ |
| “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” (I Corinthians 15:3). |
The greatest event that has ever happened on this earth took place on the cross of Calvary,
just outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem, almost two thousand years ago. It was there that
God gave His only begotten Son to die for the sin of the world. It was there that the sin
question for the sinners was settled in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He died, not for
Himself, but for His people.
The death of Christ on the cross almost two thousand years ago, reaches back into the eternal
decrees and counsels of God before the world was ever created. His death was not an
accident, or an afterthought of God. It was planned before the foundation of the world. We see
this in (Acts 2:22-24) in Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost. He said, "Ye men of Israel,
hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and
wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken,
and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the
pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it."
Here we see that it was by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, that Christ was
delivered into the hands of the Jews, and was taken, and by wicked hands crucified and slain.
King Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and the Jews, did nothing to the Lord Jesus but what God the
Father had decreed and ordered to be done.
We see this again in (Acts 4:26-28), where the church was praying and praising God. It says,
“The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord,
and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed,
both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered
together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”
By this we can see that God overruled all things by His providence in time to bring about what
He had decreed to be, and without this decree nothing could have been done to the Son of
God. Pilate had no power over the Lord Jesus but what was given to him from God. It was
God’s hand in all this just as Isaiah prophesied in (Isaiah 53:10), where it says, “Yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering
for sin...” God did not spare His Son, but smote Him with the sword of justice, delivering Him
up for us all, into the wicked hands of men, and delivered Him unto death; and the moving
cause behind all this was the gracious love of God. “For God so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
So the true cause, the true reason for the death of Christ on the cross, is God’s great love in
providing a remedy for our transgressions, to make satisfaction for them. It was not for any sin
of His own that Jesus died, because He had no sin, but it was for the sin of others; He was
wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquity; He was stricken for the
transgression of His people; He died for their sins, and He did this according to the Scriptures.
Now let us look at some of the things that the death of Christ accomplished.
just outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem, almost two thousand years ago. It was there that
God gave His only begotten Son to die for the sin of the world. It was there that the sin
question for the sinners was settled in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He died, not for
Himself, but for His people.
The death of Christ on the cross almost two thousand years ago, reaches back into the eternal
decrees and counsels of God before the world was ever created. His death was not an
accident, or an afterthought of God. It was planned before the foundation of the world. We see
this in (Acts 2:22-24) in Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost. He said, "Ye men of Israel,
hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and
wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken,
and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the
pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it."
Here we see that it was by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, that Christ was
delivered into the hands of the Jews, and was taken, and by wicked hands crucified and slain.
King Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and the Jews, did nothing to the Lord Jesus but what God the
Father had decreed and ordered to be done.
We see this again in (Acts 4:26-28), where the church was praying and praising God. It says,
“The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord,
and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed,
both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered
together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”
By this we can see that God overruled all things by His providence in time to bring about what
He had decreed to be, and without this decree nothing could have been done to the Son of
God. Pilate had no power over the Lord Jesus but what was given to him from God. It was
God’s hand in all this just as Isaiah prophesied in (Isaiah 53:10), where it says, “Yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering
for sin...” God did not spare His Son, but smote Him with the sword of justice, delivering Him
up for us all, into the wicked hands of men, and delivered Him unto death; and the moving
cause behind all this was the gracious love of God. “For God so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
So the true cause, the true reason for the death of Christ on the cross, is God’s great love in
providing a remedy for our transgressions, to make satisfaction for them. It was not for any sin
of His own that Jesus died, because He had no sin, but it was for the sin of others; He was
wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquity; He was stricken for the
transgression of His people; He died for their sins, and He did this according to the Scriptures.
Now let us look at some of the things that the death of Christ accomplished.
Through His Death He Redeemed His People
The Bible says in (I Peter 1:18-19), “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition
from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot.” And in (Ephesians 1:7) it says, speaking about Jesus Christ, “In whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”
By His shed blood on the Cross of Calvary, the Lord Jesus has redeemed us from our sin, the
curse and condemnation of the law, from the power of satan, and from the wrath of God to
come. Again, all of this is through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ which He shed in
His death on Calvary. Through His death, He gave His life as a ransom, and became the
Author of eternal salvation.
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition
from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot.” And in (Ephesians 1:7) it says, speaking about Jesus Christ, “In whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”
By His shed blood on the Cross of Calvary, the Lord Jesus has redeemed us from our sin, the
curse and condemnation of the law, from the power of satan, and from the wrath of God to
come. Again, all of this is through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ which He shed in
His death on Calvary. Through His death, He gave His life as a ransom, and became the
Author of eternal salvation.
Accomplished a Pardon for Our Sins
The pardon of sin is a part of the redemption through the blood of Christ. His blood was shed
for the remission of sins. The Bible says in (Hebrews 9:22), “And almost all things are by the
law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Then in (Colossians
1:14) it says, speaking about Christ, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even
the forgiveness of sins.” The shed blood of Christ, through His death on the cross, is the
ground upon which God forgives us of our sins. So His death accomplished a way for God to
pardon, to forgive us of our sins.
for the remission of sins. The Bible says in (Hebrews 9:22), “And almost all things are by the
law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Then in (Colossians
1:14) it says, speaking about Christ, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even
the forgiveness of sins.” The shed blood of Christ, through His death on the cross, is the
ground upon which God forgives us of our sins. So His death accomplished a way for God to
pardon, to forgive us of our sins.
Accomplished a Means of Justification
The Bible says in (Romans 3:24-25), “Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God”
Justification is the act of God whereby God declares us to be righteous in His sight.
Justification is a change in our standing before God. It is a change from guilt and condemnation
to forgiveness and acceptance. When we are born again, regenerated, we receive a new nature
from God, thus a change of nature. At the same time God regenerates us, that is, the moment
we are saved, God also justifies us, and therefore we have a new standing before God. So
then, as regeneration gives us a new nature; justification gives us a new standing before God.
Now again, justification is a legal act of God whereby He sets us forth as righteous; to declare
us not guilty, and puts us in a right relation to Himself. It is the judicial act of God whereby all
who have been saved are declared righteous in His eyes, and free from guilt and
condemnation. All of this is through the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In
justification, all of our sins are forgiven, and the guilt and punishment is removed, thus God
sees the believer as without sin and guilt in Christ. We see this in (Romans 8:33-34), “Who
shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that
condementh? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right
hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” So then, we see that the death of Christ
has made it possible for us to justified before God.
redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God”
Justification is the act of God whereby God declares us to be righteous in His sight.
Justification is a change in our standing before God. It is a change from guilt and condemnation
to forgiveness and acceptance. When we are born again, regenerated, we receive a new nature
from God, thus a change of nature. At the same time God regenerates us, that is, the moment
we are saved, God also justifies us, and therefore we have a new standing before God. So
then, as regeneration gives us a new nature; justification gives us a new standing before God.
Now again, justification is a legal act of God whereby He sets us forth as righteous; to declare
us not guilty, and puts us in a right relation to Himself. It is the judicial act of God whereby all
who have been saved are declared righteous in His eyes, and free from guilt and
condemnation. All of this is through the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In
justification, all of our sins are forgiven, and the guilt and punishment is removed, thus God
sees the believer as without sin and guilt in Christ. We see this in (Romans 8:33-34), “Who
shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that
condementh? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right
hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” So then, we see that the death of Christ
has made it possible for us to justified before God.
Accomplished Our Reconciliation to God
It is through the death of Christ that we are reconciled to God. We see in (Colossians 1:20-22),
"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto
himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that
were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he
reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and
unreproveable in his sight."
To be reconciled to God means that we are at peace with God. Through the death of Christ we
enjoy peace with God, and peace of God.
The death of the Lord Jesus Christ is the heart of Christianity. Without His death there could
be no forgiveness of sins, no justification, no peace, no redemption, no eternal life. We would
have no way of salvation.
Beloved, if you have never been saved, would you look back to the cross of Calvary and see
there the Lord Jesus Christ as He died for your sins? Would you call on Him to save you now?
He gives you a gracious invitation. He says in (Matthew 11:28), "Come unto me, all ye that
labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto
himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that
were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he
reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and
unreproveable in his sight."
To be reconciled to God means that we are at peace with God. Through the death of Christ we
enjoy peace with God, and peace of God.
The death of the Lord Jesus Christ is the heart of Christianity. Without His death there could
be no forgiveness of sins, no justification, no peace, no redemption, no eternal life. We would
have no way of salvation.
Beloved, if you have never been saved, would you look back to the cross of Calvary and see
there the Lord Jesus Christ as He died for your sins? Would you call on Him to save you now?
He gives you a gracious invitation. He says in (Matthew 11:28), "Come unto me, all ye that
labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
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Blessed Hope
A Continuing Ministry of Milford Cecil
A Continuing Ministry of Milford Cecil
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