I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker The Creed of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again I BELIEVE from the dead; he ascended in CHRIST S into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to SUBSTITUTIONARY judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy DEATH catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; Part and 2the life everlasting. Amen I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen Key Question Why Did Jesus Have to Die? and what did it accomplish? 1
Aristotle on the Life of a Perfect Man Aristotle asked the question (hundreds of years before Christ came), what would happen if a man arose that lived such a perfect life that people thought he was a god? Answer: He would have to be killed because the perfection that shown from his life would expose the bankruptcy in the lives of everyone around him. Dimensions of Christ s Death Jesus of Nazareth died on a cross Jesus Christ died for me VS. History The Gospel We need to examine both history and God s plan of salvation Christ s Death From History 2
" Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, Are You the King of the Jews? And Jesus said to him, It is as you say. And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Then Pilate said to Him, Do You not hear how many things they testify against You? And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed. Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him. But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. But the governor said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas. Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all said, Crucify Him! And he said, Why, what evil has He done? But they kept shouting all the more, saying, Crucify Him! When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, I am innocent of this Man s blood; see to that yourselves. And all the people said, His blood shall be on us and on our children! Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified."(matthew 27:11-26) Pontius Pilate Pilate, Pontius, Roman prefect of Judea, the fifth governor of the province and the second-longest holder of the office (a.d. 26-36). His term included the time of John the Baptist s activity, as well as that of the public ministry and crucifixion of Jesus. We have information about Pilate and his rule in the historical writings of Philo Judaeus and Flavius Josephus. An important piece of archaeological evidence is a dedication inscription, found in Caesarea Maritima in 1961, where Pilate is given his correct title of prefect. Pontius Pilate "Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, Are You the King of the Jews? Jesus answered, Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me? Pilate answered, I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm. Therefore Pilate said to Him, So You are a king? Jesus answered, You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. Pilate said to Him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, I find no guilt in Him."(John 18:33-38) 3
" And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross. In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, I am the Son of God. The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words. Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, This man is calling for Elijah. Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. But the rest of them said, Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him. And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit."(matthew 27:33-50) History from Josephus Josephus: Born A.D. 37; Jewish historian; wrote History of the Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jewish People. People mentioned by Josephus: The Herods, Pilate, Felix, Festus, Annas, Capiaphas, Ananias, James the brother of the so-called Christ Events mentioned by Josephus: famine in the days of Claudius (Acts 11:28) History from Josephus At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good and was known to be virtuous. Many people among the Jews and other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive; accordingly, he was perhaps the messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders. Antiquities 18.3.3 (undisputed rendering) 4
History from Tacitus Senator and Roman historian Nero substituted as culprits and punished with the utmost refinements of cruelty, a class of men loathed for their vices whom the crowd styled Christians. Christus, from whom they got their name, had been executed by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate when Tiberius was emperor. Annals, Book 15. History from Lucian 2nd Century Greek writer and critic of Christianity (enemy attestation) The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites and was crucified on that account these misguided creatures deny the gods of Greece and worship the crucified sage and live after his laws The Works of Lucian of Samosata. History from the Talmud On the eve of Passover Yeshua was hanged since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover! Sanhedrin 43a. 5
Did Jesus Really Die? The nature of the wounds brought about death (scourging, crucifixion, spear) Witnessed by close friends Roman executioners acknowledged death Confirmed by Pilate Wrapped in 75 pounds of grave clothes Sealed in tomb for three days Non-Christian historians recorded death Was Jesus Really Buried? Burial recorded in all gospels Joseph of Arimathea petitioned Pilate for body Joseph put Jesus in his own tomb Burial witnessed by close friends Tomb guarded by soldiers Jews never denied that Jesus was dead and buried Christ s Death From God s Plan of Salvation 6
The Substitute Sacrifice "Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. He said, Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me. Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. (Genesis 22:9-13) "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? - Romans 8:32 The Substitute Passover Lamb "Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt...they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers households...your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old...the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it...for I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. - Exodus 12:1-13 7
"The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! - John 1:29 The Substitute Sin Offering " Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them, if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord a bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord, and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull and slay the bull before the Lord. Then the anointed priest is to take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the tent of meeting, and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense which is before the Lord in the tent of meeting; and all the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. - Leviticus 4:1-7 "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God. - Hebrews 10:4-7 8
The Substitute Criminal "Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our wellbeing fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 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 53:4-6) "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. -1 Peter 2:24 Theories of Christ s Death Recapitulation Christ went through all the stages of human life, resisted all temptations, died and arose a victor over death and the devil, making all benefits of His victory available to us. Ransom Christ s death was paid to Satan to purchase human beings who were captive in sin and set them free. Moral example Christ s death provided an example of faith and obedience that inspires others to be obedient to God. Necessary-satisfaction it was necessary for God s offended justice and honor to be satisfied by a penalty that only Christ could pay. Anselm proposed this. Moral influence Christ s death was not a moral example to us, but as a demonstration of God s great love for us. We have a spiritual sickness from which we must be healed. 9
Theories of Christ s Death Optional-satisfaction allows for but does not require satisfaction of God for the sinner. God could have freed man in another way for nothing is impossible with God. Substitution builds on Anselm s necessary-satisfaction theory, but adds that because God s absolute justice has been violated, a substitution for our sins had to be made by the sinless Son of God. Calvin gets credit for this. Government stresses law of God and says God has right to punish sin but it is not mandatory that He do so since Love is His main attribute. Mystical God became man so that man may become God. God and man become mystically united in the Person of Christ. Support for Substitution Position God s absolute justice demands a perfect substitute for us since He cannot overlook sin Our total depravity demands a sinless substitute because we cannot measure up to God s standards The Old Testament sacrifices implied a substitutionary atonement as the one offering the animal laid his hands on it to symbolize a transfer of guilt Isaiah 53 uses the word for many times indicating that someone took the place of someone else; Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of Isaiah 53 Jesus was presented as the Passover lamb Jesus presented his death as a ransom, which means a deliverance from bondage in exchange for a payment or substitute for something Christ presented Himself as a consecrated priest and sacrifice The word for is used many times in the New Testament to indicate an exchange for something Appeasing God s wrath implies a substitutionary death What did Christ s Death Accomplish? 10
Justification? Redemption? Reconciliation? Propitiation? Atonement? Justification Act of God by which we who are unrighteous in ourselves are nevertheless declared righteous before God while still in the sinning state. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. - Rom 5:18 Redemption To buy back, redeem, ransom Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree -Gal. 3:13 11
Creation Redeemed Also Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; Gen. 3:17-18) And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. - Mark 15:17 "And he... showed Him all the kingdoms of the world... And the devil said to Him, I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, "(Luke 4:5-6) One like a Son of Man was coming... And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom.... His dominion is an everlasting dominion"(daniel 7:13-14) Reconciliation To bring together; restore a broken relationship For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. - Rom 5:10 Atonement The means by which the guilt-punishment chain produced by violation of God s will is broken, as well as the resulting state of reconciliation ( at-onement ) with God. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. - Rom. 5:11 (KJV) 12
Limited Atonement? The concept: The L in the Calvin TULIP, it means that Christ s death was only for the elect of God and not for all mankind. Isaiah 53:6 the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all Matthew 23:37 how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks He wanted all of them. John 1:29 Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John 3:16. Romans 5:18-19: also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. Limited Atonement? 2 Corinthians 5:19 "namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, 1 Tim 2:3-4: "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Hebrews 2:9 so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. " But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves."(2 Peter 2:1) 1 John 2:2: Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world. Either God is all loving and loves all people (omnibenevolence) or he only loves some with a salvific love. Propitiation To satisfy God on behalf of the sinner and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. - 1 John 2:2 13
Jesus had to be man to represent mankind as its substitute Jesus had to be God to carry the qualities of an infinite, perfect, and eternal Being "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15) He descended into Hell "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. (1 Peter 3:18-20) 14
He descended into Hell "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him." (Colossians 2:15) "And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day," (Jude 6) "Therefore it says, When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men. " (Ephesians 4:8) For three days Jesus fought with the enemy. It was the battle of the ages. Light versus darkness. Good versus evil. Satan was no match for our Champion. Jesus crushed Satan s head with His foot. He bruised his head. And He once and for all, forever defeated and dethroned and demoralized our enemy. One translation says, He paralyzed him and rendered him powerless. He didn t even stop there. He went over and ripped the keys of death and hell out of Satan s hands. And He grabbed Satan by the nap of his neck and He began to slowly drag him down through the corridors of Hell. All beat up and bruised because He wanted to make sure that every single demon saw very clearly that Jesus was indeed the undisputed Champion of all time! - Joel Osteen He descended into Hell 1. Christ offered a second chance at salvation to those who lived before Noah 2. Christ simply announced His victory over sin to those in Hades, specifically fallen angels who sinned in Genesis 6 and were confined in Hades (see Jude 6) 3. This is a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ preaching through Noah to those who, because they rejected that message, are now spirits in prison 15
If all religions lead to God then explain the cross. I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker The Creed of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again I BELIEVE from the dead; he ascended in CHRIST S into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to SUBSTITUTIONARY judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy DEATH catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; Part and 2the life everlasting. Amen 16