April 8 Message: Death of Christ

I began the message by asking the question "What makes you think you can approach a holy God?".  My systematic theology professor repeatedly asked this question in his class.  There are many ways to phrase this question, but there is only ONE answer to this question.

We believe that the death of our Lord Jesus Christ satisfied all the demands of God’s law, redeeming us by shedding His blood and assuming our curse, men and women can have a just standing before God.



We then read the whole chapter of Mark 15.  Here is a summary of what happened:

Jesus before Pilate: sinless and innocent
Soldiers mocked Jesus: tortured and humiliated
Crucifixion: further insults and punishment
Death of Jesus: darkness and forsakenness from God

Total Depravity:   “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).   Sin is not just big things like murder or blasphemy but also includes lying, lusting, and stealing. Even the love of money or hatred of enemies is sin, according to the Bible. Good works cannot make up for wrongs against the holy God.

God is Holy:  Having sinned against God, we deserve His punishment. A judge who pardons lawbreakers isn’t a good judge.  God is justice.  Likewise, God will not overlook sin. He pours out His righteous wrath against sinners.

Atonement for sin:  In the Old Testament, innocent lambs were sacrificed as a substitute for the punishment men deserved.  Sacrificing an animal acknowledges that sin required death.  Only a sinless person can sacrifice once and for all.  Jesus finished paying the punishment for sin as the perfect Lamb of God.


Authenticity of God's witness:  The prophets foretold Jesus’ death.  From Adam to Jesus, God sent prophets to mankind, warning them of sin’s punishment and foretelling the coming Savior. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah described Him: The prophet compared the coming Saviour to a lamb, slaughtered for the sins of others.

Conclusion: We hope that with a deeper understanding and conviction.  You can confidently approach God because of what Jesus Christ has done for you.

The take away is:  How are you responding to the love of God?