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This page contains part of the text (Appendix Six) for Sabbath Challenge, Sabbath Delight! by Dr. David Bird. This book is available on the web from www.xulonpress.com.  Material presented here can be copied and transmitted on the condition that the following sentence is clearly mentioned: "From Sabbath Challenge, Sabbath Delight!, Copyright, David Bird, 2003, available from www.xulonpress.com. Please include this sentence if quoting."

In this appendix we discuss 37 amazing achievements of Christ’s death and resurrection. Many books could be written about these glorious victories of our Lord and Savior, and the comments given here are, at the best, only an introduction. To properly understand these accomplishments they must each be studied in the context of Jesus’ entire ministry, including His incarnation, sinless life, ascension, ministry in Heaven as our High Priest and His second coming. Every aspect of Christ’s ministry is necessary for the final completion of His purposes. All of the achievements in Appendix Six have been referred to, in one way or another, earlier in this book where a number in square brackets, e.g. [2], has been used to alert readers to the particular accomplishment that has been mentioned. The number correlates with the listing of the achievement in this Appendix. It is surprising and enlightening to realize how many of these wonderful attainments are related in some way to the seventh-day Sabbath.

1. He took upon Himself our sins and died in our place (1 Corinthians 15:3).

He bore our sins in His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). He paid the penalty for our sins; "He was wounded for our transgressions." (Isaiah 53:5). He did this for everyone, He tasted death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9). On Him was laid the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). This is the central truth.

There are two aspects to Christ's suffering for us to meditate upon, namely (a) The taking upon Himself of our sins, and (b) The punishment He suffered for our sins. Let us consider these two aspects in more detail:

a). He took upon Himself our sins. Christ the Sinless One suffered by being in contact with the cesspit of our slimy, filthy, disgusting, nauseating sins. Oh, they don't seem that bad to us. But that is because we have become so accustomed to sin that we don't realize its true abhorrent, malignant, filthy nature. However, for Christ this association with sin was agonizing torture of the worst degree. Amazingly, the Bible actually says that Christ, who knew no sin, was made "to be sin for us" (2 Corinthians 5:21). As we quoted above, "On Him was laid the iniquity of us all." 

b). He paid the penalty for our sins. Not only did Christ suffer from being associated with our sins; He also suffered the penalty of those sins. As we have quoted above, "He was wounded for our transgressions." (Isaiah 53:5). The penalty for sin is eternal death, eternal separation from God. Therefore Christ suffered the real sense of being eternally separated from His Father. Both Christ and the Father suffered as their eternal union was temporarily broken on account of Christ bearing our sins. This suffering was so great that we cannot ever really fathom it. Christ expressed this sense of separation in His words "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46).

2. He took upon Himself our emotional and mental ailments. He bore "our griefs and carried our sorrows". Isaiah 53:4 says,

Surely He hath borne our griefs [Hebrew Choliy, sickness, from chalah, to be or become weak, sick, diseased, grieved, sorry],

and carried our sorrows [Hebrew mak'ob, pain, sorrow, from ka'ab, to be in pain (physical or mental), be sore, have pain, be sorrowful]:

yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

So when we are feeling depressed, grieved, hurt, emotionally wounded, lonely and sad we can look to Jesus for relief. He is able to lift the weary burden from us and give us strength to cope. Why? Because He has already borne all our sorrows and also those of the whole world. Amazing, marvelous Savior! Praise and glory be to Him!

He took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses (Matthew 8:17). By His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). There is a vital connection between the healing of disease and Christ's sacrifice upon the cross. Those who trust in Jesus will one day be free from the various sicknesses that afflict them, if not in this life, then in the life to come. His sacrifice has guaranteed the physical restoration of believers. When the saints are raised at the last day to glorious immortality (1 Corinthians 15:46-54) they will have no physical defects. However, when the unrighteous, who have rejected the benefits of Christ's sacrifice are resurrected (John 5:29b) they will, no doubt, bear their physical defects.  We should mention here that it is not always God’s will to heal Christians in this present life. This is because His primary purpose is to eternally save people and sometimes illness aids in this aim. Many great men in the Bible suffered sickness and either were not healed or only healed after a lot of suffering. Often accidents and sickness are the meaningless result of sin in this crazy world. They may happen for no obvious reason and we have to just remember that God suffers with us and offers us His comfort and support.

4. He took upon Himself the curse of sin and provided deliverance from this curse for both believers and the Earth.

A curse is upon all who have not obeyed God’s law (Galatians 3:10; Deuteronomy 27:26). We have all, from Adam down, suffered under this curse. The Earth itself was also cursed as a result of Adam’s sin. It would now bear thorns and thistles (Genesis 3:17, 18). It was again cursed when the first murder occurred and Abel’s blood was shed upon the ground (Genesis 4:11, 12). Jesus took upon Himself the curse of the broken law that was upon both man and the Earth. Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree [a reference to the crucifixion]". Concerning Jesus’ final trial, just before the crucifixion, the Bible says, "And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!" (Matthew 27:29). Notice He was crowned with thorns, a symbol of the curse. But, praise God, because of Jesus’ sacrifice there will one day be no more curse:

1 And He shewed [showed] me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him:

4 And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. (Revelation 22:1-4).

 

5. He redeemed Adam's failure and became the new, successful head of humanity.

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21, 22).

In Romans 5:12 –19 it says:

Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned… For if through the offence of one [Adam] many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many… For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)… For as by one man's [Adam’s] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Christ] shall many be made righteous.

The Son of God took upon Himself humanity that He might become a new, second Adam. He redeemed Adam's failure by being successful in resisting Satan's temptations and by taking upon Himself the results of Adam's transgression.

• Genesis introduces the first Adam and the New Testament introduces the second Adam.

• Genesis describes Adam as being made "in the image of God" (Genesis 1:26-28). The New Testament describes Jesus as being in the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).

• Genesis describes Adam's sin and failure, and the resultant breakdown in his relationships with God, fellow humans and the natural environment. The New Testament describes Jesus' sinless life and success. It presents Him as having a perfect relationship with God, people and the natural world. The New Testament presents Jesus as, "Adam as he was intended to be" (the New Testament, of course, presents Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, as being far more than this too).

What were Adam's relationships with God, fellow humans and the natural environment supposed to be like? He should have had perfect, submissive obedience to His Maker who was infinitely greater than he. He failed because he disobeyed God. He was supposed to have perfect love and regard for his human companion, who was one equal to him. He failed because he blamed Eve for his troubles and gave no proper confession of his own guilt (Genesis 3:12). He was supposed to exercise loving dominion over the natural environment, over the animals and the plants. But this relationship broke down too. The ground was cursed, thorns and thistles grew and animals became fierce, unruly or fearful. Jesus redeemed Adam's failure. He maintained a perfect, submissive, obedient relationship with the Father. As the second Adam He voluntarily took a position of subordination to His Father. Thus He said, "And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him." (John 8:29) and "I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me." (John 5:30). Jesus had a perfect relationship with fellow humans (Mark 10:45; Philippians 2:5-7; John 13:1-35, etc.). Jesus also had a perfect relationship with the environment. The animals and environment were in subjection to Him as they were supposed to be back in the beginning with the first Adam. This dominion is seen in such experiences as Jesus calming the storm at sea (Mark 4:37-39), the fish caught with the coin in its mouth (Matthew 17:27), the two huge catches of fish (Luke 5:5, 6; John 21:8-11) and riding on the foal of a donkey that had never been ridden before (Matthew 21:2-7).

Jesus’ experience was modeled on the first Adam. Adam was tested about eating something, and failed. Jesus was severely tested in the wilderness about eating something, and succeeded. Adam sinned and brought into the world thorns, sweat, nakedness and death. Jesus took upon Himself the consequences of Adam's failure, and on the cross suffered thorns, sweat, nakedness and death. Praise and glory be to Him!

6. He provided a resurrection for all people.

1 Corinthians 15:21, 22 says, 

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

There are two general resurrections, one for the righteous and one for the unrighteous. John 5:28, 29 says, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." The righteous are raised to eternal life, and the unrighteous to "damnation". By His death and resurrection Christ obtained for Himself the keys of the grave and of death. Revelation 1:18 says, "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [the grave in this text] and of death." For more information on what happens when we die and related subjects please see Appendix Five.

7. He provided justification for believers (Romans 5:9). Because of His death, resurrection and heavenly ministry Christ is able to justify all who believe in Him. He washes them from their sins (Revelation 1:5). He purges their consciences from "dead works" (Hebrews 9:14, c.f. Romans 4:25).

Lets look at what these passages actually say:

Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Romans 5:9).

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5).

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14).

Notice that we have written, "He provided justification for believers..." Many of Christ's accomplishments for us are conditional. In the Bible, when God justifies somebody He forgives their transgressions, counts them as not having sinned, makes them righteous, and adopts them into His family. This cannot happen until the person sincerely comes to God in repentance, confession and surrender. Therefore, although God is portrayed in the Bible as being ready to forgive or pardon, His forgiveness is conditional. Likewise, we should constantly be in a forgiving attitude, not harboring bitterness or revenge towards anybody. However, because Biblical forgiveness involves a restored relationship, we cannot truly forgive someone without his or her repentance (a sorrow for what they have done and a turning away from it).

Does the above mean that we have to repent before we can come to God to seek His forgiveness? Absolutely NOT. We must come to Christ just as we are, with all our faults (Matthew 11:28-30). He then gives us the gift of repentance (Acts 5:31).

The fact that God stands ready to forgive (has a forgiving attitude, as we should have) is described in the following texts:

For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee (Psalms 86:5).

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).

Concerning our avoidance of bitterness and thoughts of revenge, please notice Ephesians 4:31, 32:

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

 

8. He crucified the "old man" (sinful passions) in the lives of believers and made them no longer slaves of sin (Romans 6:6, 7; 7:5, 6). Just as Christ was raised from the dead they will walk in newness of life through the power of the Holy Spirit who brings the living Christ into their lives (Romans 6:4; 8:9-11; Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 6:14). In other words He saves believers from the power of sin and enables them to live victorious lives.

Notice the following:

Knowing this, that our old man [sinful passions] was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin (Romans 6:6).

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [give life to] your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you (Romans 8:10, 11).

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

The greatest delusion in the Christian world today is the idea that God’s moral law cannot be kept by Christians. Those who claim that converted Christians cannot completely obey God’s moral law are taking their stand on the side of Satan who has, from the beginning, maintained that God’s character is faulty (the moral law is a transcript of God’s character). Satan says, "Yea, hath God said…?" (Genesis 3:1), implying that there is something wrong with God. Of course, the unconverted person has no hope of obeying God’s law because sin still reigns on the throne of their heart and they are disconnected from the source of power. An unconverted person may agree that God’s law is good, as Paul does in Romans 7:7-24, but they are powerless to obey it. Romans 7:7-24 is not about the experience of a converted person, but about the struggles and anguish of a convicted non-Christian. A converted person has been delivered from "the body of this death" (Romans 7:24). The experience of the converted person is described in Romans chapter 8, which says, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (vs. 3, 4). We are sure someone will object here saying, "We cannot hope to fully obey God’s moral law because we have to be completely perfect, not even committing sins of omission." But it is not we who are perfect. It is Christ. Did not Christ live a perfect life in human flesh? Was He not tempted far more than we will ever be? Christ can live His perfect life in us. He can live a life that is free from sins of omission. If we let Him, His love will take care of every thought, word and deed of our lives. Where is our faith as Christians? We freely admit the omnipotent power of God when it comes to talking about anything other than our sins. We freely confess that He upholds the universe and we stand in awe of His miraculous works in nature. We believe in Christ’s incarnation and resurrection. We gratefully acknowledge that angels can stop whole mountains from falling on us, if need be. We gasp as we try and fathom the idea that God knows everything and that He is present everywhere. But we are unwilling to confess that He can do the very thing that He is most anxious and willing to do, namely, give each Christian a victorious life of obedience enabling them to fully keep His law. If we have faith to believe that Jesus has forgiven us, so also we should have faith to believe that He will change our characters and give us the sweet fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). Let us hang onto His promises. This is the key. The Bible is absolutely full of promises that God will keep us from sin. Every command of His is a promise because He will not ask us to do anything without also supplying the power. We should pray in full faith for His victory in our lives and believe that we will experience it. We should ask for our character defects to be remedied and expect that, in God’s appointed way and time, they will be. We should pray for Christ to take complete control of our hearts and believe that He will. We must not dwell on our own weakness and emotions but on Christ’s power. He is the Savior, not us. Of course we need to cooperate with Him as He works in our lives, as it is written, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12, 13). Just as Christ said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily" (Luke 9:23), so we need to die daily to self and to daily let the resurrected Christ reign in our lives.

Here is a small sample of the many promises of God for full victory. They are a faithful pledge that Christ can live without sin in our lives. (Christians of today seem to have "blinkers" on when they read or hear these promises):

For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off…But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it… I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it (Deuteronomy 30:11-16).

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways (Psalm 119:1-3).

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them (Ezekiel 36:26, 27).

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23).

Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee (John 5:14).

And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (John 8:11).

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13).

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin (1 Peter 4:1).

And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him (1 John 3:5, 6).

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in Him: and He cannot sin, because He is born of God (1 John 3:9).

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen (Jude 1:24, 25).

What we are advocating here is not perfectionism. We are not promoting the idea of trying to be perfect in our own supposed strength. We are not saying that we will be able to boast, "I am now perfect". We are talking about having faith in God and His promises. Even when Christ is fully reflected in our lives and totally in control of all our thoughts and deeds, we will never boast of being perfect because it is Christ’s perfection, not ours. We will not say, "I have no sin" (1 John 1:8) because this is being boastful and proud. And if we are proud "we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (Christ is not in us). Those who are closest to Christ will have the deepest sense of the frailty and evilness of their own sinful natures. The Christian’s goal is character perfection, but the Christian’s self-view is always one of saying with Paul, "I have not yet attained" (Philippians 3:12). And if the devil does trip us up we are not to be discouraged. God still loves us. Let us remember the words of 1 John 2:1: "these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous".

9. He provided sanctification for believers (Hebrews 10:29; 13:12).

To sanctify (Greek hagiazo) means to make holy, to set apart from profane things and dedicate to God, or to purify. Hebrews 13:12 says, "Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate."

There are two aspects to sanctification, as follows:

a). An ongoing state of being set apart and dedicated to God. This is our state as long as we are abiding in Christ (as the branch is to the vine, John chapter 15). This is what it means to be a saint in the Biblical sense. All true Christians are saints on the basis of what Christ has done. The Greek word for saint, hagios, is obviously related to the Greek word for sanctify mentioned above (hagiazo).

a). A process of being purified and made more like Christ. This sense is expressed in such verses as the following.

That He might sanctify and cleanse it [the church] with the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:26).

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth (hagnizo) himself, even as He is pure (1 John 3:3).

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify (hagnizo) your hearts, ye double minded (James 4:8).

 

10. He provided reconciliation with God (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21).

Sin separated us from God. But Christ has brought believers into fellowship with Him again because of what He has done. Romans 5:10 says, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."

11. He provided redemption for believers (Revelation 5:9; Ephesians 1:7). He purchased or bought them (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:20).

Redemption in the Bible is associated with the buying back of someone who had become so poor that they had sold themselves to a stranger (non-Israelite, Leviticus 25:47-49). The person who "purchased" them was to be a close relative, somebody "near of kin". It is a great comfort to know that Christ our Redeemer is One "near of kin" to us. As Hebrews 2:11 says, "He is not ashamed to call them brethren". Christ bought us back after we had sold ourselves to the devil. He paid an infinite price for our redemption. Praise, glory and honor be to Him!

Here are some of the passages on this subject:

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 (Peter 1:18, 19).

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Revelation 5:9 says, referring to Christ, "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation".

 

12. He released believers from the fear of death and its associated bondage.

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage

(Hebrews 2:14, 15).  

Jesus has "abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light" (2 Timothy 1:10).

13. He provided believers with deliverance from the wrath of God against sin.

Believers can say, with Paul, "Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Romans 5:9). We are "to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

14. He made believers kings and priests to God.

Revelation 5:9, 10 records a hymn sung in Heaven to Jesus, the Lamb that was slain, and reads as follows:

9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

See also 1 Peter 2:9.

15. He gave believers a "living hope" of going to Heaven.

Because Jesus rose from the dead, those who die in Christ will rise again to be with Jesus in Heaven. As it is written:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively [living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you
(1 Peter 1:3, 4).

See also 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:14.

16. He gave believers boldness in approaching God.

Hebrews 10:19 says, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus". The idea of coming boldly (confidently) before God may seem strange. How can we, sinful mortals, do this? The key is to remember that it is "by the blood of Jesus". So we are not coming boldly to God because of some supposed merit of ours, but because of our relationship with Someone else who is very great and who has merit that He has given to us. It is perhaps like being a common person who is invited to see a king or president because of a famous brother whom the king knows personally. See also Ephesians 3:12.

Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." The blood of the Lamb is what silences the accusations of Satan. We must plead the merits of Christ’s sacrifice in our battles with evil. As the song goes, "Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war/ With the cross of Jesus going on before!"

18. He demonstrated God's amazing love.

But God commendeth [demonstrates] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). See also John 3:16.

Romans 3:24-26 says,

Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His [God’s] righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 

 

20. He revealed the beautiful balance between God's mercy and God's justice, between God's grace and God's righteousness (Romans 3:21-26).

The death of Christ enabled God to be both "just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). God's righteousness required a penalty for our transgressions of the law, namely, eternal death. God's mercy provided a substitute: Christ's death. Thus both attributes of God's character were satisfied. "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalms 85:10). Jesus, the Divine Son of God, has given us, in His life and death, a perfect demonstration of God's attributes. He is God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). The Bible describes Jesus as righteous (Isaiah 53:11; 1 John 2:1), just (Zechariah 9:9; Acts 3:14, 7:52), merciful and gracious (Romans 16:24; Hebrews 2:17; Jude 1:21). Christ's sacrifice on the cross is the ultimate demonstration of God's righteousness, justice and mercy. The cross perfectly demonstrates the unity and balance between God's righteousness and mercy, His justice and grace. This balance is expressed in other Bible passages: "The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty…" (Numbers 14:18, see also Exodus 34:7; Psalm 89:14; James 1:27; 1 John 3:10).

God's law could not be altered in order to save us and since the law could not be modified Christ had to die for our transgressions if He wanted to rescue us. "Sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4) and "Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3). If it had been possible for us to be saved through the moral law (which is a transcript of God's character) being modified, then Christ need not have perished upon Calvary suffering the punishment of the broken law. If we claim that the Ten Commandments have been altered or abolished then we negate both Christ's own testimony (Matthew 5:17-48) and the significance of His atonement. If God's moral law has been adjusted or changed for our sake then Christ died needlessly (c.f. Galatians 2:21). The great sin of the Jewish nation was their rejection of Christ. The great sin of the Christian world today is their rejection of God’s moral law, and especially the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11 c.f. James 2:10).

Nothing less than the divine blood of the spotless Son of God could suffice to save us (1 Peter 1:18, 19). Sin is not something to be trifled with. "It was only a little thing that Adam and Eve did when they ate that fruit," someone may say. "It was not!" we reply, "Just look at Christ hanging on the cross and see that it was a terrible thing." Do we crucify the Lord afresh with our "little" sins?

Philippians 2:8 says, concerning Christ, "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (see also Hebrews 5:7-9). Why does Satan tempt people to sin? One main reason is that he wants to show that God's law is faulty and that it cannot be kept. Jesus has refuted this charge completely. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He was also tempted far more than we will ever be, and yet did not sin. Which of us has ever been tempted to turn away from bearing the sins and guilt of the world? Which of us has ever been tempted to use divine power to save ourselves? Thus we can see that Christ was tempted far more than we will ever be.

In 1 Peter 2:20-24 and 4:1, 2 it says:

20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps:

22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth:

23 Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:

24 Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

 

 

Hebrews 9:13, 14, 23-26.

For thousands of years animals had been sacrificed to symbolize the coming of the Redeemer. Christ's death put an end to this system of animal offerings because He was the reality that these symbols had been pointing to. Even in the Old Testament there is a reference to Christ’s death putting an end to the ceremonial sacrifices. Where is this found? In Daniel 9:24-27. These verses are poetical and many modern Bible versions express them in poetry. We need to note specifically that verses 26 and 27 are arranged in an A B A’ B’ pattern. This means that the first part (A) of verse 26 and the first part (A’) of verse 27 refer to the same subject. Likewise the last parts of these two verses (B and B’) are about the same subject. This may be illustrated as follows:

Vs. 26: A…

And after threescore and two [62] weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself:

Vs. 26: B…

and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Vs. 27: A’…
And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,

Vs. 27: B’…
and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

It says in the first part of verse 27, "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [offering] to cease". This is referring to the work of the Messiah who is described in the first part of verse 26: "And after threescore and two [62] weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself ". Christ, by His death on the cross, brought to an end the system of rituals and offerings that had previously pointed forward to His ministry (See also Matthew 27:51; Ephesians 2:14, 15; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 10:1-9).

Also by His death Christ earned the right to be our priest and mediator in Heaven as previously typified by the work of the earthly Jewish priests. Hebrews 8:1, 2 plainly states that Jesus ministers as a priest for us in the heavenly sanctuary:

1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Hebrews 9:11, 12 says further:

11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Thus, as a result of His death and resurrection, Christ:

a). Put an end to the earthly sacrifices because He was the true sacrifice offered once for all.

b) Put an end to the earthly priesthood because He was the true priest who would henceforth minister in Heaven for us.

This fact verifies the inspiration of the Bible and the identity of the Messiah. Such prophecies include the following:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it [He] shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel (Genesis 3:15).

For Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption (Psalm 16:10, c.f. Acts 2:25-27).

7 All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 He trusted on the LORD that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him…

14 I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My bowels.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and My tongue cleaveth to My jaws; and Thou hast brought Me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have compassed Me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed Me: they pierced My hands and My feet.

17 I may tell all My bones: they look and stare upon Me.

18 They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.

(Psalm 22:7, 8, 14-18, c.f. Matthew 27:35-43).

20 Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

21 They gave Me also gall for My meat; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.

(Psalm 69:20, 21, c.f. Matthew 27:34).

7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken.

9 And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

(Isaiah 53:7-9, c.f. Acts 8:32-35).

12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

(Zechariah 11:12, 13, c.f. Matthew 27:7-10).

 

27. He made possible our adoption as God’s sons and daughters (Romans 8:8-11; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:5-7; John 1:12).

To be adopted into the family of God through the merits of Christ is the highest privilege possible. The Bible says that our heavenly Father cares for even the sparrows. Therefore we can rest assured that He cares for us who are "of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31).

28. He abolished the separating wall that the Jewish ceremonial laws had been made into (by their religious leaders) and verified the equality of all men and women of every race (Ephesians 2:13-16; Colossians 2:14; Galatians 3:26-28).

The passages in Ephesians and Colossians are discussed in detail in the answer to Question 19, so readers are referred there for further comment.

By revealing God's love and justice, and by revealing Satan's wickedness, Jesus has vindicated God's cause before both the heavenly beings and those upon the Earth. As it is written, "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." (Colossians 1:20).

One day, because of Christ’s sacrifice, all will realize the justice and love of God. Yes, one day "at the name of Jesus every knee… [shall] bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth"…and every tongue shall "confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10, 11).

30. He exposed Satan for who he is -- a liar and a murderer (John 8:37-44; 13:2, 27). Satan was the one behind the cruelties of the trial and crucifixion.

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14, see also John 12:31, 32).

 

All are judged by their relationship to Christ and His sacrifice (1 Peter 2:7, 8; Luke 9:23; 1 Corinthians 1:23, 24). How do we relate to Jesus Christ and His crucifixion? Are we attracted or repelled by what He has done?

Let us consider Luke 2:34, 35. These verses record the words of the prophet Simeon given on the day of Jesus’ dedication as an infant in the temple. They read as follows:

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary His mother, Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Notice these last words, "that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." The true nature and motives of all are revealed clearly when considered in light of the life and death of the Son of God. See also John 12:31.

Christ’s resurrection assures us of the future, final judgment and hence provides certainty that all the injustices of this cruel, unfair world will one day be rectified. Acts 17:31 says, "He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead."

Romans 1:3, 4 reads as follows:

Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 

The resurrection of Christ dramatically proved that His claims about His identity were true.

35. He glorified the Father and Himself (John 12:23-28; John 17:1).

God was glorified because His character was revealed as never before.

a). In the Old Testament the faithful people of God anticipated a wonderful new era, the era of the Holy Spirit. This era would be ushered in through the work of the Messiah, the Anointed One (anointed with the Holy Spirit): Ezekiel 36:26, 27; 39:29; Joel 2:28-32; Zechariah chapters 12 and 13, especially 12:8-10, which says:

8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.

9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

(Zechariah 12:8-10).

b). We know from reading the Old Testament that the Holy Spirit was active in these times (e.g. Genesis 6:3; 1 Samuel 10:10; Psalm 51:11). But the true era of the Holy Spirit could not come until Christ had done His work on earth and ascended up to Heaven (to claim His right as the true King of Earth) John 7:37-39; Ephesians 4:8-13; Revelation 5:5-12 (notice the reference to the Spirit in Revelation 5:6). John 7:37-39 says:

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

In saying, "Jesus was not yet glorified" John meant that He had not died, risen and ascended. This is made clear by John 12:16; 23-31; 13:31-33; 17:1-5

c). John the Baptist had two main messages about Christ, namely, that He was the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33; Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16) and that He was the One who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). John’s cry was, "And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost" (John 1:33).

d). Jesus Christ said He was the One who was able to give the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39; 4:10-25). He looked forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit upon His followers (John 16:7-14). Jesus predicted the coming of the Holy Spirit in connection with His ascension (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8). We should rejoice in the privilege of being in the era of the Holy Spirit for Jesus said, "I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you" (John 16:7).

e). We can read about the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit all through the book of Acts. We are now living in the long-awaited era of the Holy Spirit.

37. He became the only one in Heaven and Earth who was worthy to "take the book [scroll], and to open the seals" (Revelation 5:1-14).

What the contents of this book are is not clearly revealed to us. But it is obvious when we read Revelation that the opening of this book is vital for the accomplishment of God's plans and the final eradication of sin. Also, it is very apparent when we study these verses in Revelation chapter 5, that Christ’s sacrifice is the central reason for His worthiness. He is represented as "a Lamb as it had been slain". When the "new song" is sung because the Lamb has taken the book, Christ is extolled with the words, "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain." Following this, ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of angels take up the melody, singing:

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power,
and riches,
and wisdom,
and strength,
and honour,
and glory,
and blessing.

"And every creature which is in heaven,
and on the earth,
and under the earth,
and such as are in the sea,
and all that are in them,
heard I saying,
Blessing,
and honour,
and glory,
and power,
be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb
for ever
and ever."
(Revelation 5: 12,13).
Amen!