TEXT: ISAIAH 53:3, 5.
Sermon by: Pastor I. D. Balewa
CHARGE:
“Death sentence that leads to crucifixion is passed on a person who is duly convicted of a crime, like robbery or murder. But in this case, Jesus was sentenced unjustly to be crucified.”
Crucify: To crucify is to kill someone by nailing or binding him to a cross and leaving him to die.
What is Sin? Sin is moral evil, transgression of or rebellion against God's laws.
INTRODUCTION
The biblical history can be divided into three main sections:
1. Paradise (Genesis 1—2);
2. Paradise lost (Genesis 3—Rev. 20); and
3. Paradise regained (Revelation 21—22).
Illustration:
Imagine that you went to a restaurant and ordered a plate of food. As you finished eating, you discovered that you don’t have money to settle the bills. Then, suddenly out of the blue, someone shows up and settles everything on your behalf. What will you do or tell that person?
That's what Jesus did for us. He paid the price in full.
Somebody may ask you today, why did Jesus have to suffer and die? The answer is simple, “Jesus had to suffer and die because He was the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Isaiah predicted Jesus’ suffering in this way: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3, 5). This passage specifies the reason for Jesus suffering: for our Transgressions, for our healing, and to bring us peace.
There are three specific reasons for Jesus suffering:
1. For our Transgression (Wrong doing), and to understand the devastating nature of sin. Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and falling short of the glory of God.
2. For our Healing.
3. To bring us Peace. Romans 5:1 says, therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our lord Jesus Christ.
Paul uses the following words to describe us before we became believers: helpless, ungodly, sinners, enemies. In order words, by nature we were bad Romans 3:23. It is totally impossible to save ourselves.
But what we could not do, God did for us. Christ came and died in our place and took away our sin.
Question: If God hates human sacrifice, how could Jesus' sacrifice be the payment for our sins?
The Bible makes it quite clear that God hates human sacrifice. The pagan nations that surrounded the Israelites practiced human sacrifice as part of the worship of false gods. God declared that such “worship” was detestable to Him and that He hates it (Deuteronomy 12:31; 18:10).
Furthermore, human sacrifice is associated in the Old Testament with evil practices such as sorcery and divination, which are also detestable to God (2 Kings 21:6).
So, if God hates human sacrifice, why did He sacrifice Christ on the cross and how could that sacrifice be the payment for our sins?
There is no doubt that a sacrifice for sin was necessary if people are to have any hope of eternal life.
God established the necessity of the shedding of blood to cover sin (Hebrews 9:22). In fact, God Himself performed the very first animal sacrifice to cover, temporarily, the sin of Adam and Eve. After He pronounced curses upon the first couple, He killed an animal, shedding its blood, and made from it a covering for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21), thereby instituting the principle of animal sacrifice for sin.
When God gave the Law to Moses, there were extensive instructions on how, when, and under what circumstances animal sacrifices were to be offered to Him.
This was to continue until Christ came to offer the ultimate, perfect sacrifice, which made animal sacrifice no longer necessary. “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3–4).
Then when we believed, he counted us righteous because of Christ sacrifice.
Adam brought sin and death, Christ brings righteousness and life ROMANS 5:6-19.
Through Adam sin and death came to the human race.
Through Christ righteousness and life have come.
All human beings are sinners because the one man sin and became a sinner. Sin was passed from generation to generation.
Adam is called the type of Christ who was to come. Christ is called the last Adam in 1 Corinthians 15:45.
How was Adam a type pattern of Christ? Not in his sin, for Christ never sin at all Hebrew 4:15.
In Adam all die because of Him v15. But those in Christ all live because of Him v 18, 19. In Christ you are more than conquerors Romans 8:37.
Conclusion
Romans 8:1-2 says, therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
You are the reason why Jesus suffered: He suffered for our Transgressions, for our healing, and to bring us peace. The aim is to reconcile us back to God.
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