2008-03-22 - Why Did Christ Die? ~ Part 2

Titus 2:14, "Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."

This is the second devotional of why Christ came to die, and in this I would like to look at what Christ accomplished in His death. In short, Christ paid the penalty for the sins of all who come to Him in faith. There surely is much to unpack here, and we will not try to do it on a single page, rather I would like to look just at the act of the Father laying upon Christ our sin. When we say that Christ died for our sins, the whole Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit play an active role. They are one in their design, which is the redemption of sinners, but each fulfills aspects within the Atonement. The Spirit, for example, is central (not exclusively) in Christ's resurrection, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you," Romans 8:11.

Isaiah 53 is one place where we see the Father's laying our sin upon Christ, "The Lord has caused the iniquity (sin) of us all to fall on Him," Isaiah 53:6. But we see the same truth even clearer in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." He (Christ) did not have sin, but the Father made Him to be sin for us so that we might, in place of our sin, have Christ's righteousness. Christ took our punishment for sin upon Himself on the cross. But it was the role of the Father to actually inflict Christ by placing our sin upon Him. Christ bore the curse of the Law of God, which is upon all who do not completely fulfill God's Law. He became a curse for us. He did this, as Galatians 3:13 says, "having become a curse for us." Christ died in our place, and for our sins. He took our punishment, and having fulfilled the demands of the Law of God Himself, He becomes our righteousness. Having punished Christ, the Father has no argument with the follower of Christ because His justice has been satisfied in Christ's Sacrifice. "All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all, to fall on Him," Isaiah 53:6.

So what was accomplished in Christ's death? He had our sins laid upon Him, and He paid the debt we owed for our rebellion against a holy God. "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings," Hebrews 2:10. In Christ, in whom all things are, and through His sufferings, many are brought to glory. It is an immense thought. Christ's sacrifice secures glory for His people. The work of salvation is done in Christ. His resurrection and ascension show His work is finished respecting our salvation, and by His death we, who place all our trust in Him, are saved and brought to glory.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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