Note: this page is a work in progress. I pray that what you read will be a blessing.

INTRODUCTION: MY JOURNEY WITH THE SCRIPTURES ABOUT THE CROSS

The belief that God punished Jesus in our place advocates that there was a behind the scenes exchange between God and Jesus, whereby Jesus suffered rejection from God, and/or experienced God’s wrath. The premise of this view is that the physical death of Jesus at the hands of sinful men was not sufficient for our salvation, and something more was needed, namely divine punishment, or else the cross would not have been efficacious in saving us. Thus, Jesus had to suffer spiritually under God’s condemnation in some manner. There had to be a divine exchange.

When I began to deal with this ideology within my own beliefs, it took quite some time to work through all the verses that seem to support it. If Jesus didn’t suffer condemnation from God, what is the meaning of Paul when he says that Jesus was made a curse for us, and Isaiah when he says, it pleased the Lord to bruise him.

I remember toiling over what Paul said, and how I understood it, as I was embracing what Jesus had taught his disciples. When I began to embrace and teach what Jesus had taught the men he trained as apostles, my understanding of the gospel grew tremendously.

Interestingly, I have found that when I present the cross from the vantage point of what Jesus said, and what his first apostles taught, I have two completely different responses from Christians. When online, Christians can get very defensive towards me, and almost reject me as a heretic or a false teacher. In person, I have had a different experience, especially if it’s in a class setting.

About 3 months ago, a fellow who doesn’t know me, took it upon himself to rebuke me in an online setting, and among other things, he wrote the following:

I perceive that you are earnest in your desire for truth and refutation of error. As you, yourself, know, it is a fearful thing to undertake to teach God’s word to others and those who do will be held to stricter judgment. Given this, I would be remiss if I didn’t entreat you to earnestly reconsider what you are teaching others with regard to the atonement of Christ, lest at the last you find yourself on the wrong side of truth.

If believing the words of Jesus, which now stands as the foundation of all I teach about the cross, can put me on the wrong side of truth, then that’s a chance I will just have to take. I’d rather my understanding of the cross of Christ be developed by what Jesus and his apostles said, rather than what Calvin or Luther said.

His comment to me is not unusual. It’s typical of the replies I have received from people online. I once had another person on social media express their disapproval when I stated that Jesus had been murdered. Yet this is exactly what Stephen said in Acts 7 when he told the Jewish religious authorities that they had been betrayers and murders of the Just One.

He had an issue with me describing the death of Jesus exactly as Stephen in scripture had. Now, think about that. Let that resonate for a moment. His view of the cross made him think that I was off the mark because I described the cross as Stephen had.

How is it that we can all know that Judas betrayed Jesus into the hands of sinful men who had been plotting to kill him and not understand that Jesus’s death was a murder? How is it that we don’t get honest with ourselves and question our theological views and ask the question, If Jesus was murdered, and he was, how does this satisfy the justice of God?

If Jesus’s crucifixion resulted from his being betrayed, and it would have been better for Judas to have never been born than to betray Jesus, how does this involve the justice of God’s against Jesus?

These are the kind of questions I asked myself as I was unlearning some of the erroneous things I had embraced in my theological view. I have for a long time held to the opinion that you have no basis for doctrine until all the scriptures, or at least the majority of the scriptures on the topic, harmonize.

Now, my experience with people in person (in conversations and in class settings) have been quite different from online forums, because in person, I can walk them through the scriptures and show them exactly what Jesus and his original apostles said. I can also show them what Paul actually preached and how Paul’s gospel is the same as that declared by Jesus and the original apostles. Without fail, they jump on board with me because the scriptures convince them.

Once, while teaching a Bible School class in London, I taught this very topic. I am better at communicating as a preacher/teacher in person than I am as a writer. Anyway, during the first hour, I challenged some of the beliefs that many of us have long held, including myself. As we took a break between the first and second hour, there was a buzz among the students.

When we began the second hour, I took them through the scriptures, beginning with Jesus and continuing through the sermons preached in Acts. Somewhere in the process (it didn’t take very long), they were all on board. I don’t remember a single one of them not jumping on board with me. I can say with confidence that it was probably the first time someone had ever taken them through the narrative and showed them exactly what Jesus said about his death and what the apostles preached. As I was teaching, a lady suddenly overcome with the joy of the truth she was seeing from scripture, abruptly blurted out “where (or how) did you learn all this?!”

That is what revelation of the truth does. It causes a rejoicing in the heart at the discovery of truth, and it nurtures a desire for more. This was happening to her in that class.

So how did I learn this? Well, I had been a student of the cross for many years. The emphasis of my teachings for much of my ministry had been the blood of Jesus and the cross. My heart’s desire was to understand the power of the blood of Jesus. As a young man, I had some serious struggles, and there came a point when I knew that my victory over those struggles would come as I developed strong through faith in the blood of Christ. It’s somewhat of a long story, so I won’t  go into it here, but I began a journey of studying, praying, and listening to anyone who had any sort of understanding about the cross and the blood of Christ.

The most influential minister in my journey became the writings of Andrew Murray (I won’t go into how Murray’s writings helped me here), but suffice to say, I flourished in my understanding after being introduced to his writings.

As I continued on my journey I heard a Bible scholar, whom I have come to absolutely love, say something that I have never heard anyone else say. He was commenting about a particular book that had come out, which apologetically defended the theological view of the cross known as Penal Substitutionary Atonement. I had a copy of the book, and still have it.

He made the observation that these authors (it was co-authored by three individuals), had cited this theologian, and that theologian, and even had cited Paul, but they had given very little attention to Jesus. And he made the comment, “What did Jesus say about his death?”

In roughly 20 years (at the time) of study, and preaching, and teaching about the cross, I had never seriously considered what Jesus said, other than the verses from the Last Supper, and the references of giving his life as a ransom. I didn’t place much emphasis on Jesus’s description of his death. In fact, I didn’t even think that Jesus had anything of real importance to say because he didn’t address the behind the scenes narrative that so many of us tend to embrace. Like many people, I thought that Paul, and pretty much Paul alone, was the expert who had the spiritual insight into what happened at the cross.

I think my beliefs had been greatly influenced by the theology of E.W. Kenyon who is considered by many as father of the Word of Faith Movement. As a young man, I embraced the teachings of the Word of Faith movement, and Kenyon was held in high esteem as having great spiritual insights among the leading WOF ministers. Kenyon did have some good teachings, but he is also had some bad teachings, mixing metaphysics with the teachings of scripture.

Allow me to share with you a portion of what Kenyon taught about the cross, and as you read it, be honest and ask yourself if you interpret scripture similarly. I am not talking about the conclusion Kenyon came to, but how he got there. Below is a brief excerpt from Kenyon’s teachings taken from his book – The Bible in the Light of Our Redemption. I had a copy of this book (I may still have it), and I copied the following myself. I have added bold print for emphasis only.

Kenyon states the following:

The disciples knew the meaning of the Crucifixion of Christ, his burial, and his resurrection, only through their physical senses. They saw the beating of Christ; they saw the nails driven into his hands and feet. They heard his words, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me.” They saw and handled his body in the process of embalming it, as it was laid away for burial. They saw the stone rolled away from the tomb and the empty grave clothes. They saw and handled the resurrected body of Christ. They saw him ascend into heaven. This physical knowledge, however, gave them no insight into the meaning of the spiritual significance of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. In the crucifixion of Christ, they saw only his physical suffering. They knew nothing of the spiritual suffering of Christ as His Spirit was made sin. They knew not where Christ’s spirit was or what he was doing during the time his physical body lay in the tomb. They knew nothing of the conquering of Satan by Christ in his resurrection. They knew nothing of the ascension of Christ with his own blood into the Holy of Holies. They knew nothing of the ministry of Christ at the Father’s right hand after he left them.

Now, don’t focus on the conclusions Kenyon reached. This is not why I shared what Kenyon said. I want you to take note of how he read the scriptures.

Kenyon read the scriptures as if the disciples who walked with Jesus didn’t know what they were talking about on a spiritual level when they testified of the death of Jesus. Kenyon even implies they didn’t understand the resurrection on a spiritual level.

Now, consider the following statement I recently copied from someone else, and notice how he reads the New Testament, much like Kenyon, even though he likely comes to a different conclusion.

The “preaching of the cross” was the distinctive message of the Apostle Paul. It was the gospel he preached, that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead for our salvation ( 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Paul’s gospel was faith + 0. Neither the Twelve nor the other writers of the New Testament preached this gospel until they learned about it from Paul. And, as a result, Paul’s gospel, his “preaching of the cross,” precipitated a great crisis among the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem that resulted in the Council of Jerusalem (c. 51 A.D.) The goal of this study is to examine Paul’s message and how it was unique to his ministry as the “apostle to the Gentiles.”

Notice that this author actually says, Neither the Twelve nor the other writers of the New Testament preached this gospel until they learned about it from Paul.

Well, what in the world were they preaching in Acts then?!

If the apostles didn’t preach the gospel, then they would have been false apostles. In fact Peter stood up at the Jerusalem council and said, God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

Paul wasn’t the first to take the gospel to the Gentiles, Peter was. Peter was sent to Cornelius’s house in Acts 10 (at that time Paul was testifying to the Jews), and Peter preached the very same message about Jesus to Cornelius’s house as he had been preaching since the Day of Pentecost. He preached the gospel message he learned from Jesus, not Paul!

It is absolutely absurd to think that the original apostles did not understand what the gospel was until they heard it from Paul.

This is why it is so important how we read scripture. I tend to think that If a lot of Western Christians were to be brutally honest, they would have to admit they sort of read the New Testament through the same lense as Kenyon and the other fellow cited above. They would have to admit their thinking about the cross has been shaped along similar lines.

So I ask you, what did Jesus say about his death, and does it matter for us today? Are the words of Jesus, and what he told his disciples about his death and resurrection, which the disciples preached in Acts, important?

If I were to ask you to stop what you are doing right now and tell me what Jesus had to say about his death both before and after his resurrection, what would you tell me? Could you share the truth of the gospel with another person using only what Jesus said about his death?

Furthermore, would you have a greater appreciation and a greater understanding of the resurrection if you considered more earnestly what Jesus said?  Knowing what I know now, I would say yes! You would. The resurrection takes on a whole new and more glorious meaning when Jesus’s words become the foundation of how you interpret the cross. The gospel preached in Acts by Peter, and Stephen are an extension of what Jesus said.

I can honestly say that I can now stand up anywhere, and teach on the cross from any text that references the cross, and not contradict because the whole counsel of scripture on this topic harmonizes in my understanding. I don’t say this to brag, God forbid, but I have worked through the texts and now every scripture I know of in the gospels, in Acts, in Paul’s writings, and the rest of the New Testament, all harmonize, and I can’t find an angry God who used Judas and the chief priests to do his outward dirty work, anywhere.

At the cross, it was grace that saved us, not wrath being satisfied. Paul even tells us in Titus, that after the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, he saved us.

It truly is a wonderful, and joyous experience to be able to preach the truth of the gospel form Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, anywhere in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts, along with Romans 3- 6, Galatians 3, 1 Peter 2, the book of Hebrews, Ephesians, Colossians, and anywhere else we read about the cross and have the truth of the scriptures harmonize.

I am not saying I have perfect understanding, or that I have a complete grasp on all that scripture teaches about Christ’s redemption (there is so much to learn and to glean). I will never learn it all in this life. I continue to grow. I have more to learn than I currently know.

What I am saying is I now have an understanding of the cross in which the whole counsel of scripture does harmonize. I don’t have to ignore what Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, or what Stephen preached in Acts 7, because those texts harmonize with what Paul said to the Ephesians.

Paul’s word’s where he declares that Jesus was made a curse for us, and our old man is crucified with Christ now harmonizes with the narrative that Jesus died an unjust death at the hands of sinful men. I don’t have to ignore what Jesus and the original apostles said because of what I think Paul said.

JESUS’S DESCRIPTION OF THE CROSS

And he said unto them, these are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise again the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. ~ Luke 24:44-48 

Before his crucifixion, Jesus had begun preparing his disciples for the things he would soon suffer at the hands of sinful men. While at Caesarea Philippi, the very same place where Jesus asked his disciples “who do you say that I am?” Jesus began to speak to his disciples about the things he would suffer and the resurrection that would follow.

From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. ~ Matthew 16:21

Soon afterwards, Jesus was transfigured on the mountain known as the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter, James, and John witnessed as Moses and Elijah appeared in a cloud of glory with Jesus and spoke with him of his soon coming death which was to take place in Jerusalem. ~ Luke 9:31

After this, Jesus and those with him made their way down the mountain. As they journeyed, Jesus said to them, the Son of Man is going to suffer and be put at naught as it was written of him.

Jesus repeatedly appealed to the scriptures when speaking of his death (Matthew 26:24,31, 51-56, Mark 14:21, 27, 48-50; 15:27-28; Luke 18:31-33; 22:37; 24:25-27, 44-49; John 19:28, 37).

When Jesus, Peter, James, and John arrived at the foot of the mountain, they were met by a crowd of people, along with nine anxious disciples who had tried to cast out an evil spirit from the epileptic boy, but to no avail. When Jesus saw what was happening, he had compassion and cast out the demon and presented the young man back to his father.

As the crowd rejoiced, and the disciples wondered why they could not set the boy free, Jesus turned to them and said, “Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.”  ~ Luke 9:44

The disciples did not yet understand what Christ was teaching them, yet they were being prepared because Jesus knew the time was approaching when he would offer his life for the sin of the world. Luke tells us, It came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. ~ Luke 9:51

Not long afterwards, while in Galilee, Jesus again rehearsed to his disciples how he was going to suffer. Matthew tells us, while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. ~ Matthew 17:22-23

Still, the disciples did not yet comprehend these things. It wasn’t until after Jesus had risen from the dead and opened their understanding to the scriptures that they fully understood.

Nonetheless, Jesus was preparing them because they were going to be eye witnesses of the fulfillment of the scriptures concerning the Messiah, and they would testify of him with boldness in the power of the Holy Spirit.

As they made their way towards Jerusalem, Jesus again pulled his disciples aside and rehearsed to them what he was about to suffer.

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” ~ Matthew 20:17-19 NKJV

Luke gives us a little different insight: He took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. ~ Luke 18:31-34

Notice that the things the Jesus endured from the hands of men is described by Jesus as the accomplishment, or fulfillment of all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man.

In Luke 24:1-8, we read of certain women who came to the empty tomb on the day that Jesus was raised from the dead. They were greeted by an angel of the Lord, who said the following to them:

He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spoke unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. ~ Luke 24:6-8 

When the angel of the Lord said this to the women, the Bible says, they remembered his words.

Later, in Luke 24:13 -31, we read of two disciples of Jesus who traveled along the road to Emmaus. As they walked and talked together, they spoke of all these things which had happened.

As these two disciples discussed what had happened, a stranger suddenly came along for the journey. They had no idea their new traveling companion was none other than Jesus himself. The Bible says, their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ~ Luke 24:16

Jesus then asked them what they were having such an intense discussion about. One of them whose name was Cleopas answered Jesus and said, “Are you only a stranger in Jerusalem and have not known the things which have happened in these days?” 

Jesus responded, “what things?”

Then they said to Jesus, “concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.” ~ Luke 24: 19-21

Notice that, these things, of which these two disciples were speaking includes the betrayal and trial along with the crucifixion. It was now the third day since the Jesus had been betrayed.

As they proceeded to tell Jesus all that had happened to him and how they had hoped that he would have been the one who would have redeemed Israel, they still had no clue it was Jesus with whom they were talking. They even told him that they had heard reports of his resurrection, yet they were still in disbelief. Luke continues the narrative of Jesus’ response to their report of his death and resurrection.

Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. ~ Luke 24:25-27 

Notice how Jesus describes these things which they had witnessed as being that which all the prophets had spoken concerning his death. The context of this passage shows that Jesus revealed nothing other than that his sufferings, beginning with the betrayal by Judas into the hands of men and their condemnation of him,  was the fulfillment of all that the scriptures had foretold of His death.

Jesus expounded to them in the scriptures the things relating to his sufferings and the glory that was to follow. Jesus literally schooled these two disciples on the meaning of the scriptures beginning with Moses and continued through all writings of the prophets to show them that what they had just witnessed was the fulfillment of the scriptures.

THE APOSTLES AND THE CROSS

The Lord’s disciples were his personally appointed apostles, and they preached the cross throughout the book of Acts exactly as they had been taught by Jesus. Jesus had taught them that what they had witnessed was the fulfillment of the scriptures, and they were his eye witnesses.

As we read through the book of Acts, we see that the apostles laid the blame for the death of Jesus upon the people. As the apostles preached the gospel, their message was filled with overtones of “look at what you have done to him and repent.”

Consider the words of Peter in Acts 2:

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. ~ Acts 2:23-24

Later, in verse thirty-six, Peter says, “… let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made this same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” ~ Acts 2:36

In Acts 3, after the lame man was healed at the gate called Beautiful, a crowd quickly assembled around Peter and John. The people were amazed at what had happened because the man had been lame his entire life, more than 40 years. Peter quickly defused any attention towards him and John and preached the following to the people.

Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. ~ Acts 3: 12b-19

The remainder of Peter’s sermon is recorded in verses 20-26, but from the verses above one can clearly see that Peter blames the people and not God for the death of Jesus.

As we read into chapter four, we see that Peter’s boldness for Jesus invoked trouble from the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees. Peter and John were taken into custody because these leaders were angered that they had taught and preached about the resurrection of Jesus which resulted in approximately 5,000 people being saved.

The next day, Peter and John were placed on trial before the High Priest and were asked, “By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?” Peter’s response is worth examining because it again reveals how the apostles understood the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. ~ Acts 4:8-12 

Notice that Peter again directs the responsibility for the death of Jesus towards those who rejected him. He then attributes the resurrection to God showing how God had overturned what the people had done in condemning Jesus. God had raised him from the dead. Peter speaks of Jesus as the stone which his audience at that time had rejected and says the stone which they had rejected is the stone which has becomes the cornerstone of God’s house!

Peter would later write about this in his first epistle.

You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.  As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”  And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” ~ 1 Peter 2:4-8 TNLT

Peter is telling us the same thing in his first epistle as he preached to the religious leaders in Acts 4. Jesus is the Stone whom the people rejected. Not the one God rejected. In his death, Jesus suffered unjustly at the hands of sinful men, and in his resurrection he was vindicated by the justice of God, for God exalted him to the highest place of honor at his own right hand.

Peter’s words agree with the words that Jesus had spoken in a parable to the religious leaders.

In Matthew 21, Jesus had spoken of his death in the parable of the vineyard. The Lord of the vineyard had sent many different servants and they were all mistreated and killed by the wicked husbandmen (the caretakers of the vineyard). Eventually, the Lord of the vineyard sent his Son and they did the same to him and put him to death as well.

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that
they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. ~ Matthew 21:34-39

As we can see in this parable, the Lord of the vineyard was not the one condemning his
Son. Instead, it was the husbandmen who mistreated and killed the Son. They did to the Son as they had done to the other servants who were sent before him. This is an important point to remember in righty understanding how the prophecies concerning the sufferings, and death of Christ were fulfilled. Unfortunately, many have embraced a theological view of the cross that creates a narrative in which Jesus was condemned by God rather than sinful men. Yet the New Testament says otherwise.

According to the New Testament, the rejection of Jesus by those who condemned him was the culmination of their rejection of all the prophets and righteous men God had sent to them and their ancestors. They became guilty and the blood of all the righteous men and the blood of prophets whom God sent, by their rejection of Jesus ~ see Luke 11:46-52, Matthew 23:29-39

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. ~ Matthew 23:29 -38

And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute. That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him. ~ Luke 11:46-54 

These two references above in which Jesus reprimanded the religious leaders in Israel is exactly what is being referred to in the parable of the vineyard, and it is exactly what played out in the narrative of how Jesus was condemned by them. They rejected Jesus because he is the truth borne witness to by the righteous men and prophets who came before him. In fact, Jesus was God’s own Son whom God had sent to bear witness of the truth.

To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. ~ See John 18:37

Like many of the righteous men and prophets who came before him, Jesus would die a martyr’s death, but unlike those before him, Jesus’s death would make atonement for the sin of the world, for only Jesus is the Messiah, and only his precious blood can save us from our sins.

In the gospels, Jesus likened how he would die to those who had died before him for the glory of God. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus likened how he would die to the death of John the Baptist:

But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. ~ Matthew 12:12-13

John the Baptist was not condemned by God, he was a martyr who died for the glory of God.

Jesus also describes his death as a martyr in the parable of the vineyard referenced above. As we can see in this parable, the Lord of the vineyard was not the one condemning his Son. Instead, it was the husbandmen who mistreated the Son and killed him. They did to the Son as they had done to the other servants who were sent before him. This is the narrative according to Jesus and his apostles with regards to the nature of Christ’s sufferings. Jesus died at the hands of sinful men who unjustly condemned him.

As we continue reading the parable of the vineyard, Jesus says the following:

When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, he will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, did ye never read in the scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?  ~ Matthew 21:40-42 

The significance of Jesus as the Stone the builders rejected and the ONE God has chosen is abundantly clear throughout the gospels, the book of Acts, and the entirety of the New Testament.

Now, after Peter preached that Jesus is the Stone the builders rejected, in Acts 4 (referenced above), he and John were threatened by the council and let go, and then they returned to the other believers. The Bible says they reported to them all that the chief priests, and the elders had said to them. After hearing this, the whole assembly of believers began to lift up their voices in unity to God in prayer.

And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. ~ Acts 4:24-28 

Here we can see the disciples declared that it was not only Jesus that the people opposed but God as well. Those who condemned Jesus to death were gathered against the Lord and against his Christ.

The Lord and his Christ is a reference to God and his Son Jesus!

In John 15 Jesus had taught his disciples that the world hated him because it hated his Father in Heaven and interprets the scripture, “they hated me without a cause,” as hatred aimed at both he and his Father, God. Consequently the world would hate them as well.

This is what we are seeing in Acts 4 as well as the entirety of the book of Acts. The unrepentant religious hierarchy within Jewry were hell bent on silencing the testimony of Christ being witnessed by the apostles.

Yet, the power of the Holy Spirit could not be quenched, for Christ had overcome this world and was now the exalted King seated at the Father’s right hand. Christ’s gospel is unstoppable by the kingdoms of this world for it is not preached in man’s strength but in God’s, for the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power. (see 1 Corinthians 4:20).

After the company of believers in Acts 4 prayed, God shook the building and filled them all with the Holy Ghost.

God answered their prayer and did many signs and wonders among the people through the hands of the apostles. This caused quite a stir with the high priest and those with him. The Bible says they were filled with considerable resentment toward the followers of Jesus. Once again they tried to stop the work of the Holy Ghost, but this is how Peter and the other apostles answered them:

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. ~ Acts 5:29-32

The apostles not only blamed them again for the crucifixion of Jesus, but they declared that God, in opposition to what they had done, had raised Jesus from the dead. They made it clear they had been witnesses of all this themselves as well as the Holy Spirit.

This declaration by Peter and the apostles was met with such resistance by the high priest and his associates that they wanted the apostles dead just as they had wanted Jesus dead. Acts 5:33 says, “When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.”

It wasn’t the apostles only whom they wanted to stop. It was the work of the Holy Spirit through the apostles that they were opposing.

We can see this in the case of Stephen. Stephen was not an apostle, but a faithful disciple and deacon in the church. Stephen had been chosen as a deacon because he was of an honest report, and he was full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. In Acts 6:8 we are told that Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Yet there were some Jews from the Synagogue who stirred up debate with Stephen but when they could not stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke, they persuaded some men to lie about him. They accused Stephen of speaking blasphemous against Moses and God. This resulted in stirring up more trouble with the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law.

They then came and arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council and they publicly accused him falsely. It was in this setting that Stephen preached his last sermon before dying as a martyr for the Lord Jesus after being stoned to death by his accusers.

Yet, we need to ask, what exactly made them so angry? What did Stephen preach that so infuriated them that caused them to stone him to death?

Stephen testified of the long history of Israel and the continued rejection of God’s word by the ancestors of those to whom Stephen was preaching, this had culminated in their rejection of Jesus.

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers… ~ Acts 7:51-52

Stephen says to those who were about to stone him that they were betrayers and murders of Jesus, the Just One. Their fathers had persecuted the prophets who had showed beforehand his coming, and they had followed in their footsteps by their rejection of Christ. Stephen actually says that what they did to Jesus was that of resisting the Holy Ghost!

In Luke 11:46-52, Jesus had said to the leaders of the Jewish people that by their rejection of him they would be accounted as guilty of the blood of all the prophets from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah and by resisting Stephen’s preaching about Jesus, those who killed Stephen had also fallen into the same category because they too were resisting the Holy Ghost.

Because of his bold testimony for Jesus, Stephen was murdered by those to whom he testified of Christ. Stephen was martyred, just as his Lord had been martyred (Acts 7:52). Following in Christ’s footsteps, Stephen laid down his life for the glory of God. Stephen was not condemned by God, but rather was a chosen vessel who suffered martyrdom for the gospel and for the glory of Christ.

It is in this way – martyrdom – Jesus suffered and died. The nature of sufferings of Christ, according to the will of God, should be understood in the same way in which we understand others, who according to the will of God, suffered for the glory of God. Job and Paul are also examples. Both suffered for the glory of God, but it was not God opposing and afflicting them. Yet in their sufferings they were completely in the will of God and the purposes of God were accomplished through them. Likewise, it was the will of God for Christ to suffer for us to redeem us with his precious blood.

Because Jesus obeyed God’s will to give his life for the redemption of sinful men, God exalted him in righteousness in the resurrection, and delivered unto him the Kingdom. The stone the builders rejected is the precious cornerstone on which God has chosen to build his house and kingdom. Now all men are commanded to repent and serve him!

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because 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. ~ Acts 17:30-31

This is a major theme that runs consistently throughout the New Testament. God sent Christ to turn the hearts of his people back to him. Those who repented received the remission of their sins through the Messiah who died for them and rose again. Those who refused to repent were condemned by their rejection of Jesus.

In Acts 13, the Apostle Paul also preached this same Gospel when he said, Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work, which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

These words by Paul refer to the resurrection of Christ as the work of God which the scriptures foretold God was going to do. Here is the context of Paul’s message:

Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. ~ Acts 13:26-46

The apostles always preached the resurrection of Jesus as the work of God in contrast to what sinful men had done to Jesus. It was this testimony that the Holy Ghost affirmed with signs, wonders, and miracles.

In Acts 8, Philip the evangelist preached Christ to a high ranking Ethiopian. The Bible tells us that he was a eunuch and had great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians. He had oversight of all her treasure, and he had come to Jerusalem to worship God. On his way home he was reading from the prophet Isaiah as he sat on his chariot. The Spirit of the Lord spoke to Philip and said, “Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” Philip ran to him, and heard him reading from Isaiah and asked him, “do you understand what you are reading?” See verses 29 and 30.

The Eunuch replied, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” He then urged Philip to come up into the chariot and sit with him. The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: “In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.”  See verse 31-33.

It was at this place in scripture that Philip began to speak to him about Jesus. What’s significant here is the phrase, “In his humiliation his judgment was taken away,” is a reference to the unjust treatment that Jesus endured.

Here is what some other translations of Acts 8:33 says,

• He was humiliated and received no justice… (NLT)
• In His humiliation He was taken away by distressing and oppressive judgment and justice was denied Him… (Amplified Bible)
• In His humiliation justice was denied Him… (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Now, here is what some other translations of Isaiah 53:8 says, which is the verse quoted in Acts 8:33:

• Unjustly condemned, he was led away… (New Living Translation)
• By oppression and judgment He was taken away… (Amplified Bible)
• He was condemned to death without a fair trial… (Contemporary English Version)

Later, in Acts 10 when Peter was sent to the house of Cornelius, the message was the same. Peter preach about Jesus and said the following:

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. ~ Acts 10:39-43

Throughout Acts, regardless of the messenger, whether Peter an original apostle, or Stephen a deacon, or Philip the evangelist, or Paul who was an apostle to the Gentiles, the message is consistently the same. Jesus died an unjust death at the hands of sinful men and was vindicated when he was raised from the dead and exalted at the Father’s right hand.

THE RESURRECTION

In the New Testament we read that Jesus was raised from the dead by God the Father (Romans 10:9), by the glory of the Father (Romans 6:4), by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11), and by the authority Jesus was given from the Father to take up his own life again after he laid it down (John 10:18).

In Acts 2, Peter preached that God raised up Jesus having loosed him from the pains (throes) of death because it was not possible that he should be held by it. According to Paul, the resurrection of Jesus is the pivotal point on which our faith stands or falls. 

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:14-17

Within scripture, the resurrection of Jesus holds a place of prominence that is often not understood, even by the most devoted Christians. More time and attention is often given to seek understanding of the atonement of Christ on the cross than the resurrection. We absolutely ought to seek to understand the atoning death of Christ on the cross. We also need to understand the resurrection with the same fervency. Speaking of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, Paul writes:

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. ~ Philippians 3:8-11

Paul’s words in Philippians 3:8-11 is central to the cross theology that Paul taught and lived by.

The work of God in Christ’s death and in Christ’s resurrection is unified, and we must understand this if we are going to truly begin to understand the power of the resurrection. Now what do I mean by unified? Many hold to theological ideas about the cross which are actually contrary to the revelation of God’s power and glory displayed in the resurrection.

Many have embraced ideas which have God turning his back on his Son and treating him as a sinner under his wrath on the cross. Because of this, God’s reason for raising Christ from the dead is missed and not truly understood. Consequently we miss out on life changing truth regarding the resurrection and the revelation of Jesus, the Son of God.

If we remember the following three things, it will help us to properly understand the cross and resurrection in harmony with one another as revealed in the scriptures.

FIRST, the death of Christ from God and Christ’s perspective was a display of love and humility which was in Christ Jesus our Lord. His death was a selfless act of love in which Jesus willingly laid down his life to make atonement for our sins. This love is the very love that God has for us.

God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus. And Jesus also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice for a sweet fragrance to God. Because of Christ’s love for us, God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.

SECONDLY, the death that Jesus endured was carried out by the hands of sinful men who opposed both God and Christ. When Jesus began to reveal to his disciples the manner of death he was going to suffer, he rehearsed it much to them, preparing them for what was coming. Never once did Jesus ever describe his death as condemnation from God. Instead, Jesus described his death as condemnation from sinful men, and the resurrection would be God’s response to their verdict.

• Matthew 16:21; 17:9, 22-23; 20:17-19; 26:1-2, 24, 31, 45; 26:51-56
• Mark 8:31; 9:9-11, 31-32, 10:32-34; 14:27, 43-50; 15:27-28
• Luke 9:21-22, 44-45; 17:24-25; 18:31-34; 22:37; 24:1-8, 13-27, 44-48
• John 18:31-32; 19:24, 28

How often have we failed to consider Jesus as the ultimate authority on his death. Too often we string scriptures together to formulate a theological view of the cross which is entirely contrary to the narrative given to us in scripture. Many of the theological ideas about the cross which have been crafted by man would be proven untrue if we would simply consider how Judas, the traitor fits within the narrative of the cross. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, not God! It was Judas who betrayed Jesus into the hands of sinful men who wanted to kill Jesus because they hated both Jesus and the Father. 

When Jesus was alone with his disciples just prior to his trial and crucifixion, he addressed the hatred of the religious Jews and their leaders who were against him. Consider what he said:

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. ~ John 15:18-25 

The rejection which Jesus endured from men and which ultimately resulted in their putting him to death, was not only a rejection of Jesus, but a rejection of the Father as well. Jesus interprets the scripture, they hated me without a cause, as hatred aimed at both he and his Father, God.

This is consistent with the words prayed by the church in Acts 4.

And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. ~ Acts 4:24-28 

Notice that those who opposed Jesus and put him to death were gathered together against the Lord and his Christ. This is a reference to God and Jesus. Now consider the words of the prophet Isaiah.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. ~ Isaiah 53:4-5

The phrase “we esteemed him smitten of God and afflicted” is contextually a reference to the perception and not the reality, for it was sinful men and not God who unjustly condemned Jesus and who wounded him. The scars which marred his back from the lashings he endured, the nails which pierced his hands and feet, the crown of thorns which was placed on his head, and the shame he endured throughout his trial and crucifixion all came from sinful men who fulfilled what God had declared they would do to him. 

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead… ~ Acts 13:27-30

Take note that it was sinful men who fulfilled all that the scriptures had foretold about the sufferings of Christ on the cross, and take note that in response to this, God raised him from the dead. The phrase – But God raised him from the dead – in Acts 13 (above) sums up what the apostles preached over and over again throughout the book of Acts. And this brings me to my 3rd point.

THIRDLY: The resurrection of Jesus was God’s response to what sinful men had done to his beloved Son! Throughout Acts, the apostles and others like Stephen, always preached the crucifixion of Jesus as unjust condemnation of God’s Son and the resurrection as God’s vindication of Jesus.

This is the narrative: Jesus is God’s son and he willingly laid down his life as an innocent lamb for our sins. In doing so, he was put to death by evil men who were cruel and unjust in their treatment of him. Stephen actually accused the leaders of Israel of murdering God’s Son.

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: ~ Acts 7:51-52 

By refusing to acknowledge what God had done in raising his Son from the dead, these leaders to whom Stephen was speaking were continuing to resist the Holy Spirit. God had overturned their unjust condemnation of his holy Son when he raised him from the dead and exalted him at his own right hand.

Christ’s purity and innocence before God, his committing of his soul into the Father’s hands, and his laying down his life for our redemption, pleased God.

According to Peter, Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:.. ~ 1 Peter 2: 21-23

Jesus died, committing himself to God who vindicated him by raising him from the dead.

Remember in Acts 4, the church prayed the words taken for Psalm 2: Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. ~ Acts 4:25-26

In Psalm 2, the Psalmist says the following in response to those words: 

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them (those who were gathered against him and his Christ) in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Notice to whom God’s wrath and displeasure is aimed. It is aimed at those who dishonor him by dishonoring his Son. It is aimed at those like the ones to whom Stephen preached, telling them that they always resist the Holy Spirit. Rather than repenting and confessing that the One they murdered is indeed the Just One, the Son of God whom God exalted, they hardened their hearts and stoned Stephen. The message of the cross when preached correctly leads to either repentance, or a more hardening of the heart. We see this over and over again throughout the book of Acts.

The Psalmist continues:

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee (give to His Son) the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. ~ Psalm 2: 4-12

This is God’s response in his vindication of Jesus – Kiss the Son, lest he (God) be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him (in the Son).

Jesus, God’s Son, is the stone which the builders (the spiritual leaders in Israel) rejected, but whom God has chosen.  If we never grasp the resurrection as God’s vindication of his Son, we will never truly begin to grasp the place of prominence it has within the pages of scripture. Consider the words of Paul to his son in the faith, Timothy:

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. ~ 1 Timothy 3:16

Those words, justified in the Spirit, can easily be passed over or misinterpreted. Paul is actually saying that Jesus, who is God in the flesh was declared righteous. The word justified comes from the Greek word, δικαιόω, which means to show to be righteous, declare righteous. In usage form it means: I make righteous, defend the cause of, plead for the righteousness (innocence) of, acquit, justify; hence: I regard as righteous.

This is what God did when he raised Jesus from the dead. He declared him as the righteous One!

“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” ~ Acts 17:30-32 NLT

Jesus was raised from the dead, because God declared him to be righteous, and openly proclaimed that this is my Son! And this is what the resurrection declaration is all about. Jesus is Lord!!!

THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION

Jesus never once attributed the things he suffered in death to the justice or wrath of God, or as condemnation from God. He always attributed things he suffered in his death to the hands of sinful men.

Likewise, in the book of Acts, the apostles never interpret the death of Jesus as condemnation levied against Jesus from God. The apostles always held the people responsible for Christ’s death. Conversely, they attribute the resurrection to God in opposition to what the people had done in condemning and crucifying Jesus.

The message preached by the apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost was that Christ whom the people by wicked hands had condemned, had been raised from the dead and enthroned at the right hand of God. By this message, Peter exhorted the people of Israel to repent and to believe all that the prophets had foretold of the Messiah.

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. ~ Acts 2:23-24

Later, in verse thirty-six, Peter says, “… let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made this same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” ~ Acts 2:36

I want you to notice the contrast. Peter places the culpability for the death of Jesus on the people (ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain… whom ye have crucified). In contrast Peter declares, God raised him from the dead, and made him Lord and Messiah. The resurrection was God’s answer to the unjust condemnation that Jesus suffered when he was condemned to death and crucified by the wicked hands of sinful men. It was the resurrection that convinced the people that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s son.

The people of Israel, who heard Peter preach on the Day of Pentecost were persuaded that Jesus is the Messiah, not because he had died, but because he had been raised from the dead. Christ’s death has the power to cleanse us from sin because he was raised from the dead.

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:12-14

The act of God that saves us through the death of Christ is the resurrection, not wrath from God being poured out. Christ’s death has power to save because Jesus was holy, innocent, pure, and without sin. Jesus laid down his life in obedience to the will of God (John 10:18; Ro 5:19; Heb 5:8). Thus all who believe in him are accepted in the offering of himself and purified from their sins by his precious blood. 

As long as a person views the cross through the Satisfaction theory of Penal Substitutionary Atonement lens which states that the Father poured out his wrath on Jesus at the cross, grasping the glory and the power of the resurrection will be difficult. But once we are freed in our mind from this view and accept the gospel preached by the apostles in Acts, whose understanding of the cross was developed personally by Jesus himself, the resurrection takes on a whole new and glorious meaning. 

Now, let’s consider, once again, Stephen’s gospel message before the Sanhedrin. Stephen did not preach that Jesus had been condemned by God as a substitute so that the people could escape the wrath of God and be saved. In fact, no one preached that in Acts or anywhere in the New Testament.

Every gospel message in Acts confronted the people with the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, and the resurrection was the proof. People knew that Jesus had died, but it is the resurrection that brings to light the redemption that is obtained through his death. Again, If Christ is not risen from the dead, then we are still in our sins.

Now, let’s consider again, Stephen’s message to the members of the Sanhedrin. What was it that enraged them? Stephen’s gospel message was the story of Israel beginning with Abraham, and reaching its climax in the exaltation of Jesus. Stephen does not simply accuse them of betraying and murdering a man from Galilee who claimed to be the Messiah.

Throughout the first century, about a hundred years on either side of the time of Jesus, there were several Messianic movements and routinely they ended with the death of the leader. Thus the followers within those movements had to either move on with their life or find another leader to follow. None of them went around making claims that their leader had been raised from the dead.

The Jews as a whole believed in a resurrection of all of God’s people at the end of history, but no one was expecting a resurrection in the middle of history. The proclamation, with signs and miracles following, of Jesus’s resurrection was revolutionary, and something the people had never heard, seen, or even come close to experiencing before.

If there had been not miracles, others could have made the charge that the followers of Jesus were hallucinating. However, the empowerment of the Spirit enabled them to prove from the scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah, with signs, miracles, and wonders following. In fact Stephen was one who had such power in his ministry: And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. ~ Acts 6:8

The convincing proof that Jesus is the Messiah among the first century Jews was not simply that he had died, but that he had risen from the dead. The declaration of his resurrection wasn’t a Westernized, Easter Sunday-like proclamation. The resurrection was evidenced by the power of God, and in that proclamation, they declared that Jesus was more than a mere man. He is the exalted ruler and King. As he accused the Sanheridan of being betrayers and murders of Jesus, Stephen specifically refers to Jesus as the Just One.

Every gospel sermon in the New Testament comes with a declaration, revealing the glory of the person of Jesus Christ. For example, in Acts 3 Peter preached, The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. ~ Acts 3:13-16

The message was never about a transactional like, substitutional exchange, or as some call it, the great exchange. It was always about the revelation of who this man is! When Stephen declared that the people had betrayed and murdered the Just One, they were cut to the heart and gnashed on him with their teeth.

It was at that moment that Stephen saw the exalted Christ at the right hand of God.

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. ~ Acts 7: 55-56

Stephen’s declaration that the one they had betrayed is the Son of man standing at the right hand of God, was the ultimate confrontation and condemnation to these wicked leaders. They all knew what Stephen meant by referring to Jesus as the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

The One they hated and had put to death was God’s appointed ruler, judge, and King. They were confronted with the vindication of Jesus as the one they would answer to. Stephen was telling them that the One they betrayed and murdered was the Son of Man that the prophet Daniel had spoken of. 

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. ~ Daniel 7:13-14

Stephen seeing the Son of man meant that Jesus, the Messiah was now enthroned with all rule and authority under him.

Stephen had held the Jewish leaders responsible, and just as Jesus had pointed out that the blood shedding of righteous men and the prophets before his incarnation was on the hands of those who would eventually put him to death, Stephen tells the members of the Sanhedrin that their forefathers had persecuted the prophets who had showed beforehand the coming of Christ, and they had followed in their footsteps by their rejection of Christ. Stephen called this resisting the Holy Ghost!

Because of his bold testimony for Jesus, Stephen was murdered, just as his Lord had been.

Following in Christ’s footsteps, Stephen laid down his life for the glory of God. Stephen was not condemned by God, but rather was a chosen vessel who suffered martyrdom for the gospel and for the glory of Christ.

The glaring problem with the PSA theory that claims that the Father poured out his wrath on his Son is that it does not work with anything that Jesus said or taught regarding his death on the cross. And this is why there is little to no emphasis placed on the power of the resurrection within that theory of PSA. What happened at the resurrection actually disqualifies such a terrible theory, because the resurrection of Jesus was the vindication of the Son of God by the Father, and the revelation of the Son of man who would be exalted above the Heavens.

THE WONDROUS CROSS 

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. ~ Matthew 26:1-4 

Those who were plotting Jesus’s death had gathered together secretly in an effort to put a plan together as to how to pull it off. Their plot wasn’t put into motion until Judas approached them with an offer to betray Jesus to them.

In John 10 Jesus had declared,  No man taketh my life  from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. ~ v. 18

When we read the gospel accounts we find that even though Judas was a traitor, he didn’t betray Jesus until Jesus told him, “That thou doest, do quickly” ~ John 13:27. This happened during the last Supper, and the next day was Passover. Judas then went out and betrayed Jesus to them, and they arrested Jesus that same night.Now, I want you to notice the plan devised by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders, along with Caiaphas the high priest. When they discussed how they could take Jesus and put him to death, they agreed not to do it on the feast day, which was Passover.

They were cowards and had no justification for condemning Jesus. They simply hated him without a cause as Jesus says to his disciples in John 15. They wanted to kill him subtily, because the truth in Jesus was a threat to their corrupt religious dominance over the people. The plot to avoid the Passover failed. They were prisoners of the powers of darkness, the very power of darkness that did not understand the mystery of God, for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Jesus died at their hands, but the timing was in Jesus’s hands. It was at the time ordained by God, because Jesus is the Passover lamb who takes away the sins of the world.

Though they plotted to kill him secretly, it happened out in the open for all to see. Jesus died in God’s timing, not theirs. When Jesus was crucified, he gave up the ghost at the exact moment that the Passover lamb was to be slain, his body was taken down from the cross and rested in the tomb the next day on the first day of unleavened bread which was also the Sabbath. He rose from the dead on the third day which was also the first day of the week, and the day of the feast of first-fruits on the ancient Jewish calendar.

CHRIST OUR SUBSTITUTE

While I am not a proponent of the Satisfaction theory of Penal Substitutionary Atonement, I want to be clear that Christ’s death serves as the payment for our sins. Jesus clearly teaches that he would give himself as a ransom, and Paul tells us that we are bought with a price.

In Romans, Paul tells us that God condemned sin in the flesh of Jesus (Romans 8:1-3), which certainly is substitutionary and penal. We also read that Christ was made to be a curse for us. I will address this later in this study.

The substitutionary nature of Christ’s death must be kept in view of his death as a sacrifice and an offering. Christ’s substitution wasn’t that of a mere replacement, and that is what the Satisfaction theory of Atonement advocates (God was angry with sinners, therefore he had to punish someone to satisfy his justice and wrath, so he took out his anger against us on Jesus). That is not what the New Testament teaches. God did not treat Christ as a sinner when he died on the cross.

Instead, Jesus was our representative substitution, and as our representative substitution, he fulfilled the penal aspect needed for our redemption. We could never give to God what Jesus gave to God for us, which was a holy, sinless, unselfish, perfect life. Jesus did what none of us could do.

Jesus was not a substitute like a pinch hitter in baseball or a substitute teacher filling in while the teacher is out for the day. Jesus wasn’t role playing sinner on our behalf. Jesus was the perfect, beautiful lamb of glory and he died for us. He laid down his life because God sent him to save us from our sins.

Jesus obeyed the will of the Father and gave himself for me and for you, and Jesus’s sacrifice was the outward expression of the love that God has in his heart for you and for me. In Jesus, the love of God took our place and died so that we could live – that is substitution and that is penal!

We could never do what Jesus did. We could never give the Father such perfect obedience, and such self surrender as to lay down our lives for others who were guilty while we were innocent, but this is what Jesus did. Jesus’s death for us was the outworking of divine love, mercy, and grace.

THE CROSS AND THE JUSTICE OF GOD

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his 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. ~ Romans 3;24-26

These verses contain the answer, from the perspective of God’s justice, as to why Jesus died on the cross. The New Testament goes into much detail to tell us that Jesus died for us because of God’s love, mercy, and grace.

But what about God’s justice? Where does God’s justice fit into the equation? Let’s go through the the text above and unpack it somewhat. First notice the word justified.

Being justified…

Justified is a judicial term. In Christ we are justified, but how?

… freely by his grace…

Our justification in the sight of God is a gift given to us by God’s grace.

… through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus …

The free gift of grace that justifies us comes through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, i.e, his finished work on the cross.

Whom God set forth…

God set Jesus forth, or presented Jesus to us

… to be a propitiation…

Propitiation in scripture means an atoning sacrifice, a covering for sin, a mercy seat. It does not mean an act of appeasement as it does in pagan sacrifices to appease their gods.

… through faith in his blood …

Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins through faith in his blood. This text can also be read as, through his blood, by faith. As the one whom God set forth, or presented, Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins through his blood, whom we trust by faith.

… for the remission of sins that are past …

This is where we really begin to get into the judicial side of the cross. God freely forgives sin, but remission in this sense is the cancellation of all the charges that were against us for breaking God’s law. Consider Paul’s words from the book of Colossians:

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross… ~ Colossians 2:13-14

Our sins are forgiven on both a personal level, and a judicial level. God forgives our sins on a personal level because he is a merciful, loving God. He remits our sins on a judicial level by declaring his own righteousness through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Paul tells us, But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe… ~ Romans 3:21-22

Faith in Jesus declares God’s righteousness. Thus the righteousness of the law is fulfilled through faith in Jesus. And, as Paul says to the Corinthians, God hath made him to be sin (a sin offering of atonement) for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. In Christ, we are the display of God’s own righteous act that he accomplished through the redemptive work of Christ Jesus our Lord.

… through the forbearance of God…

Through his forbearance (his patience and long-suffering), not wrath.

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness…

Through his forbearance, God declares his own righteousness through the atoning sacrifice of his Son.

… that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Do you see it?!

God set forth Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for sin, so that he could be Just, in justifying the one who has faith in Jesus! Hallelujah !!!!!!

CHRIST OUR PROPITIATION 

If you were to do an internet search of the word propitiation, you would likely find that it is used by some to support their belief that Jesus suffered under the wrath of God. I’d like to present to you why I believe those who do so are being careless with the scriptures, by considering how the scriptures actually use it.

Now, before we look at the meaning of the word propitiation, let’s take a look at the context of every time it is used in the New Testament. Since not every translation of the Bible uses this word, we’ll look at the texts where it is used in the King James Version of the Bible: Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:2, and 1 John 4:10

Let’s consider first, it’s use in Romans 3.

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his 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. ~ Romans 3:21-26

Notice that the overwhelming thought here is the righteousness of God, and justification. Notice also that Christ is said to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. The word propitiation (whatever its meaning) is applicable to us through our faith in the blood of Jesus. It can also be read as through faith, by his blood. Either way, propitiation (whatever it means) is mentioned as something that Christ is for us, in connection to our faith in his blood.

Now let’s consider how it is used in 1 John.

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, 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: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. ~ 1 John 1:5:-2:2

Notice the mention of God’s light, fellowship, and cleansing from all unrighteousness. Notice also the use of the words faithful and just, and the word advocate as a description of Jesus Christ the the righteous One. John says, Jesus Christ the righteous One is the propitiation (whatever it means) for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now, let’s consider the use of the word propitiation in 1 John 4.

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. ~ 1 John 4:7-11

The word love is mentioned eleven times in the 5 verses referenced above. Whatever propitiation means, God sent Jesus to be that for our sins as an expression of his love, and because of this we ought to love one another. In other words, God’s love in sending Jesus to be our propitiation is the love we are to follow in our relationships with one another.

So what is the meaning of propitiation? Well, in the hellenistic world of the ancient Greeks it does mean appeasement, and a simple definition from a dictionary would likely support this idea. Thus, some will appeal to its use in the Bible as justification for their position that God poured out his wrath on Jesus at the cross. However, the Bible wasn’t written with the hellenistic view of false god’s in mind when it describes our relationship with the One True God who sent his Son.

The word that is translated propitiation in the three texts we are considering is the Greek word hilasterion. This is the same Greek word that is used by the Septuagint to describe the mercy seat. The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, and is believed to be the translation often used during the time of Jesus. In Hebrews 9:5 the mercy seat in the tabernacle of Moses is mentioned by the use of the Greek word hilasterion, which is translated elsewhere as propitiation in the KJV.

The mercy seat was the lid, or covering of the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament. Inside of the Ark of the Covenant were the tables of stone containing the Ten Commandments which God had given through Moses. Each year on the Day of Atonement, the blood of the sin offering was applied to the Mercy Seat, and the sins of the people (their breaking of God’s law) was atoned for. This is the idea that is behind the Greek word hilasterion, translated propitiation, when it is used in the New Testament.

Now, let’s look again at the 3 uses of the word propitiation as referenced above. Let’s consider if it makes sense that it is referring to God’s wrath being poured out on Jesus, or does it make more sense in connection to God’s mercy and forgiveness for our sins.

First, consider Romans 3. Jesus is our propitiation through faith in his blood. Should we understand that to mean that Jesus is the object of God’s wrath through our faith, or Jesus is the atoning sacrifice through whom we are forgiven through our faith?

Jesus is the propitiation through our faith.

Does our faith have anything to do with God’s wrath being poured out? Certainly not. But our faith does have something to do with our being forgiven and justified by God. So Christ is our atoning sacrifice, whose blood takes away our sins, by faith! This, the context supports.

Secondly, let’s again consider 1 John 2. Jesus is said to be our propitiation in connection with being our advocate with the Father for the forgiveness of sins, and not ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Is Jesus our advocate when we sin, because of God’s wrath? Or is Jesus our advocate when we sin because of his atoning sacrifice? Remember, John says that it is Jesus Christ, the righteous One who is our advocate with the Father, not Jesus Christ who was condemned by God as the Unrighteous One. This is why the idea that Jesus somehow became unrighteous through the transference of our sins and guilt on the cross, ought to be rejected. God doesn’t pour out wrath on the righteous, and it is Jesus Christ, the righteous One who laid down his life for our sins. Therefore, God is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness when we confess our sins.

Finally, let’s consider the word propitiation in 1 John 4, one more time. The overwhelming thought is God’s love. Because he loved us, God sent his Son to be a propitiation for us. Thus we ought to love one another with the same kind of love. Now, did God demonstrate his love for us by taking out his wrath on Jesus? If so, how does that serve as the example by which we are to show love to others? Earlier in chapter 3, John says, Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ~ 1 John 3:16

God’s love was expressed by Jesus laying down his life for us, and this example is what we are to follow as we are called to love others as God loved us. God’s love for us wasn’t expressed by his satisfying his anger or wrath. We are not called to be people of wrath. We are called to put away all anger and wrath. We are called to be long-suffering, loving, kind, merciful, and gracious – all which are descriptions of God in connection to Christ’s redeeming work on the cross.

The word propitiation should be understood as atoning sacrifice, in view of Jesus laying down his life as the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus did this to demonstrate God’s love, mercy, and grace towards us, and because Jesus was and is righteous, God declares us righteous through faith in him. In this way, Jesus is our advocate with the Father, and in this way, God can be just in justifying those who have broken his law!

REMISSION OF SINS

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. ~ Matthew 26: 28

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. ~ Hebrews 9:22

The word remission is a word that we see several times in the New Testament, and it has to do with the forgiveness of sins. In the Old Testament we have numerous accounts of God forgiving sin, and in the New Testament we see Jesus forgiving sin before he died on the cross. It is therefore fair to ask, If God forgave sin in the Old Testament, and Jesus forgave sin in the new, why did Jesus need to be sacrificed on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven?

It is because remission is forgiveness on a legal or judicial level, and not just on a personal offense level. God is a forgiving God because of his love and mercy. However, he is also the Just Judge whose law we have all broken with our sins.

The Greek word translated as remission is aphesis, meaning dismissal, release, pardon. Its usage has to do with, a sending away, a letting go, a release, pardon, complete forgiveness.

In the Strong’s Concordance Word studies helps, it has the same linguistic derivation as aphíēmi, meaning to “send away, forgive”, releasing someone from obligation or debt.

When Jesus died on the cross God dealt with our sins on a divine judicial level, by setting Jesus forth as an atonement sacrifice for all to behold. It’s interesting that the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes wanted to murder Jesus secretly, but because of God’s sovereign wisdom, it did not happen that way. Paul says to the Galatians, Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. ~ Galatians 3:1 NLT

God did not allow those who put Jesus to death hide the affects of our sins. God set him forth for all to see, and Jesus crucified is the the scales of justice by which God judges every man. Paul declares in Acts that God has 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. ~ Acts 17:31

For those who have faith in Jesus, God remits their sins and he is just in doing so, granting them full pardon and justification in his sight unto eternal life, and this is what the remission of sins is about!

BY THE GRACE OF GOD JESUS TASTED DEATH FOR EVERY MAN 

For He has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about. But one has somewhere testified: What is man that You remember him, or the son of man that You care for him? You made him lower than the angels for a short time; You crowned him with glory and honor and subjected everything under his feet. For in subjecting everything to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we do not yet see everything subjected to him. But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone—crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering in death. For in bringing many sons to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—all things exist for Him and through Him—should make the source] of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying: I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing hymns to You in the congregation. Again, I will trust in Him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave Me. Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the Devil— and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it is clear that He does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested. ~ Hebrews 2:5-18 (HCSB)

Note: the word propitiation can also be translated as atonement. In the KJV it is rendered as reconciliation.

There is a lot in this set of verses. First, consider that Jesus is the one that we see crowned with glory and honor. But why? According to the writer of Hebrews, it is because of the things he suffered for us.

I won’t you to consider with me that the writer of Hebrews makes no mention of any condemnation, judgment, or punishment from God when he references the things that Jesus suffered. On the contrary, he tells us that by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone, and he did so for the purpose of being perfected as the Captain (author or founder) of our Salvation, and to become our merciful and faithful High Priest.

It was the will of God for Jesus to experience the depths, sorrows, pain, despair, and trauma of human suffering – to be made like his brethren in all things – so that he might become the perfect representative for humanity in the presence of God.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus did this so that he could declare God’s name to his brothers (and of course his sisters). Have you ever considered why there is unfailing faithfulness to God within the hearts of so many believers who have suffered much? Where does such faithfulness come from? It comes for the Spirit of Jesus, who declares to the heart the faithfulness of God, even in the midst of human suffering.

The writer of Hebrews also tells us that Jesus shared in our human experience so that he could destroy the one holding the power of death – that is the devil, and in doing so he frees us who were all our lifetime held in slavery by the fear of death.

Consider for a moment Jesus’s human experience. Jesus was betrayed by one of his own disciples that he appointed as an apostle. Have you ever been betrayed? It’s very painful isn’t it? Jesus knows the feeling.

Jesus’s crucifixion would have never happened if he had not been betrayed by Judas. The scriptures of the prophets had foretold that it would happen this way. The Jewish authorities had wanted to kill him for some time, and Jesus knew this. Imagine what it’s like living among those who hate you and want to kill you. Jesus experienced this.

After this, Jesus traveled in Galilee, since He did not want to travel in Judea because the Jews were trying to kill Him. ~ John 7: 1

Didn’t Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law! Why do you want to kill Me?” ~ John 7:19

I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill Me because My word is not welcome among you. ~ John 8:37

But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! ~ John 8:40

Notice the indictment that Jesus gives them. They wanted to kill him because his word was not in them, because they did not want the truth in him, and because they were not Abraham’s true children. Nevertheless they could not touch his life because his hour in which he would lay it down, had not yet come.

Then they tried to seize Him. Yet no one laid a hand on Him because His hour had not yet come. ~ John 7:30

He spoke these words by the treasury, while teaching in the temple complex. But no one seized Him, because His hour had not come. ~ John  8:20

It wasn’t until Satan entered into the heart of Judas that the crucifixion was set in motion.

Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. Now by the time of supper, the Devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Him. Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands, that He had come from God, and that He was going back to God. So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him. ~ John 13:1-5

I want you to notice from the text above that Satan put it into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus. I also want you to notice that Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands. It was at this point that Jesus took off his robe and tied a towel around himself, as a servant (though he was Lord) and began washing his disciples’ feet.

This is what the cross is all about. The King of glory, who has authority over all things, took the place of the lowliest servant so that he might have compassion on all. This is the work of grace that God was perfecting in the humanity of his Son, Jesus. Now, consider the following from the same chapter in John’s gospel.

“I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: The one who eats My bread has raised his heel against Me. “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. I assure you: Whoever receives anyone I send receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” When Jesus had said this, He was troubled in His spirit and testified, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me!” The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one He was speaking about. One of His disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus. Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was He was talking about. So he leaned back against Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.” When He had dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Therefore Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.” None of those reclining at the table knew why He told him this. Since Judas kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give something to the poor. After receiving the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night. ~ John 13:16-30 

I want you to see that even though Satan had entered the heart of Judas, it wasn’t until Jesus told him, “What you are doing, do quickly” that Judas went out and betrayed him to the chief priests.

Jesus had said in John 10, “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, and one shepherd. This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” ~ John 10:14-18

Jesus was fully God, and fully human. Satan had no power to touch his life until he laid it down. Though Jesus had all spiritual authority, he experienced human pain and suffering. He experienced rejection, hate, and betrayal. He entered the dark experience of human suffering when he laid down his life.

When Judas led a mob to arrest Jesus, Jesus said the following to them.

Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal? Every day while I was with you in the temple complex, you never laid a hand on Me. But this is your hour—and the dominion of darkness.” ~ Luke 22: 52-53

The KJV says the power of darkness. We know this is a reference to Satan’s Kingdom because it was Satan who entered Judas’s heart to betray Jesus. The four gospels give us the vivid details of the dark powers working through the people as Jesus was betrayed, condemned by the Jewish leaders, falsely accused, placed on trial, rejected by the people, beaten, publicly humiliated, and crucified.

The writer of Hebrews describes the sufferings of Christ as testing by which he was perfected through suffering.

For in bringing many sons to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—all things exist for Him and through Him—should make the source of their salvation perfect through sufferings. ~ Hebrews 2:10

For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested. ~ Hebrews 2:18

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. ~ Hebrews 4:15

During His earthly life, He offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Though He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. After He was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him… ~ Hebrews 5;7-9

What God accomplished in Christ as our intercessor and High Priest, and through Christ as our sacrifice and offering, is referred to by Paul as a mystery which was hidden and kept secret from previous generations. Paul says, None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:8

Paul’s words are consistent with the narrative we see in the gospels and Jesus’s declaration to those who arrested him,  “this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

It wasn’t God who betrayed Jesus by turning his back on him and condemning him. It was Judas, and those who were under the influence of the power of darkness who did that. This is why the apostles spoke so strongly in the book of Acts showing how even though the people had unjustly condemned the Just one, and murdered him, the grave could not hold him because God raised him from the dead!

God did not send Jesus to the cross because he was angry with sinners. God sent Jesus to the cross because God loved sinners, and to perfect Jesus for us as a High Priest who knows the real pain of human suffering, and able intercede as one who is compassionate and merciful, and touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

It is not God who betrays, hates, and kills. It is the power of darkness, and in his death, Jesus overcame the power of darkness when he by the grace of God tasted death for every man. Now we are overcomers through him who loved us and gave himself for us. God was not substitutionally punishing his dying son, God was in him reconciling the world and perfecting his Son as our great High Priest, through whom God’s everlasting love, compassion, mercy, and grace could give us hope, strength, eternal life!

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! ~ Romans 8:31-39

JESUS, OUR MERCIFUL AND FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him… Hebrews 5:8-9

Jesus was perfect and without sin. The apostle Peter tells us that we were redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus as of a lamb without spot or blemish ~  1 Peter 1: 18-19. 

Jesus was made perfect by the things he suffered, not as our sacrifice for he had no sin, but as our High Priest.

For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him… ~ Hebrews 5:1-9

Notice that Jesus being made perfect is said within the context of his being called as our High Priest. Again, he was not made perfect as our sacrifice because he was already perfect, holy, and unblemished. He had no sin. He was made perfect as our High Priest, and his perfecting as High Priest came through the things he suffered.

Now, before we move forward it is important to point out that Jesus was fully God, and full man. He is as much God as the Father is God, and as much human as you and I are human. In theological terms this is referred to as the hypostatic union. That Jesus was fully God and fully man, is one of the most important (if not the most important) tenants of our faith.

The hypostatic union of Jesus Christ as God and man did not end when Jesus died and rose again. He did not cease to be a man after his death on the cross. Since his birth, Jesus will forever be fully God and fully man. He did not cease to be a man when he returned to the Father, just as he never ceased to be God when he came into the world.

After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples numerous times showing them that he was alive in his human body. Consider the following from Luke 24.

And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. ~ Luke 24:36-43

Jesus told his disciples to handle him, handle his hands, and his feet and he ate in front of them. Jesus wanted them to know that they were not seeing a ghost, but that it was he himself, and he had risen from the dead. The things Jesus had suffered was fresh in their memory and now he was alive and they were beholding him. What a powerful, life changing moment that must have been.

Now, have you ever given thought to the fact that Jesus can remember the pain, the sorrow, and the depths of despair that he experienced at the cross. He also remembers the hate he felt from his enemies, the hurt from being betrayed, and the injustice of being lied about. Yet in all he endured, his prayer was, Father forgive them for they know not what they do ~ Luke 23:34.

Just as Jesus died for our sins, he also endured the things he suffered so that he could be the perfect High Priest we needed. There is absolutely nothing we could experience that is beyond the scope of his understanding , compassion, and mercy. He knows the pain, the grief, and the sorrow we feel at times in this life, and he’s able to keep us and bring us through it all.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. ~ Hebrews 4:15-16

When we go through suffering, Jesus knows what it feels like, and as our perfected High Priest, he set an example for us to follow:

For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 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. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously… ~ 1 Peter 2:19-23

So often, what is thought to be an act of God substitutionally punishing Jesus when he went to the cross was actually God perfecting Jesus to be for us a merciful and faithful High Priest. Jesus drank from the cup of human suffering when he was betrayed, forsaken, unjustly condemned, mocked, beaten, and put to death.

In Philippians 3, Paul speaks of his deep desire to know Jesus and the fellowship of his sufferings. How can any truly enter the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings? It is by knowing that his sufferings was the crucible whereby he was perfected for us. Jesus endured sever testing, and triumphed over it. The writer of Hebrews tells us that were are to run our (spiritual) race, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ~ Hebrews 12:2-3

When we suffer grief and we suffer wrongfully as Peter mentions, we can endure it patiently because we have a High Priest who had been perfected for us. Thus we follow the example that Jesus set for us. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.

As our High Priest, Jesus is there to comfort, and minister to us and draw us close to the Father. Jesus is still in the healing the brokenhearted business. He ministers to us by his Holy Spirit, and often it is in those difficult times that we grow much in his grace. Consider Paul’s words from 2 Corinthians.

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Before we move forward, I want to point out a side note. There are some people who claim that God only speaks to us through the Bible, and while it is true that God absolutely does speak to us through the Bible, I want you to notice that Paul says, For this thing I besought the Lord thrice (3 times), that it might depart from me. And he said unto me…

God did not speak to Paul about this because Paul was an apostle. This was something that Paul was praying about that was hindering him personally, and God answered him by speaking to him. So don’t let anyone ever tell you that God doesn’t speak to us today, he does but we must draw close to him to hear his voice. 

Now consider the following from the book of Hebrews.

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; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. ~ Hebrews 2:14-18

Take notice that Jesus was made like us in every respect for this purpose, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God. And because his meditation never stops he is able to save us to the uttermost because he ever lives to make intercession for us ~ Hebrews 7:25.

Jesus’s intercession doesn’t mean he’s down on his knees praying to God for us. It means that He ever lives as our perfected High Priest!

THE REAL HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF JESUS

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. ~ 1 Timothy 3:16

The gospel is unique in that it is not based on mythology. One concern that I personally have is the mythological ideologies that many Christians have surrounding their understanding of the gospel, especially the cross of Christ.

For example, when Jesus cried out “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?”, he did so in the most vulnerable time. Rather than understanding these words from the real human experience of Christ, we often come up with all sorts of mystical ideas as to what God was doing to punish him behind the scenes.

Jesus truly felt abandoned in that hour. He felt the weight of what was happening. He was dying, and the hand of God was not going to save him from this hour. He must go through it. He was sent into the world for this purpose, and he was now in the painful throes of it.

The fact that Jesus felt abandoned in that hour, in no way indicates that God was unfaithful to him or had turned on him. Suffering is part of the human experience, and tragedy often leads most of us to question God’s concern for us. Jesus experienced the full weight of human suffering coupled with the feeling of “where is God?”

When Christ suffered for us, not only was he making atonement for our sins, but he was also being perfected to be our High Priest forever. Consider the words of the writer of Hebrews.

The desperate cry of Jesus, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” came at the most intense hour of Jesus’s human experience, in which he was being perfected as our High Priest. Jesus had known this hour was coming and literally dreaded it.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. ~ John 12:24-27

And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand. ~ Mark 14:32-42 

Consider the weight of this moment for Jesus. His friends (the disciples) had failed him, unable to pray with him. Judas had betrayed him to the Jewish authorities who despised him and were plotting to kill him. He was about to be beaten, publicly humiliated, sentenced to death, and nailed to a cross. He willingly did this for us, knowing that God had withdrawn his protective hand because this was the only way to save humanity. He also had to be made perfect through suffering to be our great High Priest who is merciful and compassionate and touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

Do not fail to grasp the human experience of what Jesus must have felt as he was experiencing all of this. Yet, he never stopped trusting God. He never sinned. He endured it all for us.

Do not fail to grasp the human experience of what Jesus must have felt as he was experiencing all of this. Yet, he never stopped trusting God. He never sinned. He endured it all for us.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. ~ Hebrews 12:2-4

Notice that the writer of Hebrews tells us to consider what Jesus endured so that we will not be weary and faint in our minds. Christ did not feel abandoned because of God turning his back on him. He felt abandoned because of the things he suffered like we all could feel if we are in the throes of death or tragedy.

In the book of Acts, the real human experience of Jesus was preached by the apostles and the Holy Spirit confirmed that testimony with power. Do not allow mysticism to creep into your beliefs about the sufferings of Christ. Allow the testimony of scripture about the real human experience of Jesus to fill your heart. The mystery of godliness is based on the truth that God was manifested in the flesh. Jesus redeemed us not by some mystical “behind the scenes” event. He redeemed us by suffering in his flesh and enduring the pain of human agony, and his human body and blood were sacrificed for us. He did this for two reasons: He loved God and he loved us!

THE GREATEST WORK OF GOD IN CHRIST

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. ~ John 14:6-11

Jesus makes it a point of emphasis that he is in the Father and the Father is in him. Did this cease to be true while Jesus was on the cross? If God turned his back on Jesus, and Jesus became separated from the Father as some teach, we would have no other conclusion. However, Jesus never taught such things. If we consider the words of Jesus, there was never a moment of separation from the Father. In John 13, Jesus refers to his death and resurrection as the Father glorifying him and he being glorified in the Father.

Therefore, when he (Judas) was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. ~ John 13:31-32

Now consider these words in view of what Jesus said in John 12. Speaking of his death and resurrection, Jesus says, Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Jesus’s prayer regarding the hour in which he would be betrayed, condemned, and crucified was that the Father glorify his name, to which the Father replied,  I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. ~ See John 12:27-28

In John 8 Jesus said to the Jews, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. ~ v. 28

In John 10 Jesus says again to the Jews, Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. ~ v.17-18

The cross was not the separation of Christ from God, but the greatest work of Christ expressing his oneness and union with the Father. Jesus repeatedly said, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. Did this change when Jesus gave his life for us? No! There was no pause of the truth of Jesus’s oneness with the Father when he died on the cross. Jesus’s death (his laying down his life for us) was the greatest revelation of God’s love, mercy, and grace that humanity has ever seen.

One cannot declare that Jesus was separated from God in his death without also saying that Jesus (at that moment) was no longer in the Father, and the Father in him. In John’s gospel the hypostatic union of God and Christ is a point of emphasis from the beginning to the end. John begins his gospel by telling us

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. ~ John 1:1-2; 14-18

This theme of the oneness of the Father and the Son is repeated over and over again in John’s gospel and never is there a break in this union. When Jesus was crucified, he was temporarily forsaken by his disciples who feared for their lives, but never was he forsaken by his Father. Shortly before Jesus was arrested, he said the following to his disciples:

Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. ~ John 16:32

At no point did Jesus ever teach his disciples that he would be left alone and abandoned by God. As mentioned above, Jesus said to the Jews, when ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

Our Lord followed that statement by saying, And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

When our understanding of the cross is formed by the whole counsel of scripture rather than random proof -texts, the volume of what Jesus was teaching and doing comes into focus. Things such as his washing his disciples feet suddenly make more sense. He did this just hours before he was to stand trial, and he tells his disciples the following:

Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. John 13:13-20 

When these words are considered in view of the moment in which they were spoken, we cannot but understand that Jesus was teaching this disciples what the cross was about. He was their Lord and Master, but he would lay down his life for them. The Master was the greatest servant of all! The love that Jesus would demonstrate in laying down his life would not only underscore who he was, but would be the lead example of how we, his followers, are to serve in his Kingdom.

ISAIAH 53 ~ THE AGONY OF THE CROSS

The Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament was written somewhere between 175 -180 years before the time of Christ. The Septuagint is believed to have been the translation that the New Testament writers often cite when quoting from the Old Testament. We also have evidence that the early church fathers cited the Septuagint.

Consider for example Isaiah 53: 6-11. Here is how it is translated in the KJV (King James Version) of the Bible:

(6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (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. (10) Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. ~ Isaiah 53:6-11 KJV

Now, here is Isaiah 53: 6-11 from the Septuagint:

(6) All we as sheep have gone astray; every one has gone astray in his way; and the Lord gave him up for our sins. (7) And he, because of his affliction, opens not his mouth: he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. (8) In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth: because of the iniquities of my people he was led to death. (9) And I will give the wicked for his burial, and the rich for his death; for he practised no iniquity, nor craft with his mouth. (10) The Lord also is pleased to purge him from his stroke. If ye can give an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed: (11) the Lord also is pleased to take away from the travail of his soul, to shew him light, and to form him with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins. ~ Isaiah 53:6-11 the Septuagint

In contrast to the KJV, the Septuagint translation appears to speak of the resurrection of Jesus and not only his sufferings. Now, consider the following statements from Clement of Rome, and Justin Martyr, both who are considered church fathers.

Clement of Rome who lived during the first century (35 – 99 AD). He lived during the time of the apostles and the first century church.

And the Lord is pleased to purify him by stripes. If ye make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed. And the Lord is pleased to relieve Him of the affliction of His soul, to show Him light, and to form Him with understanding – Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the  Corinthians, Chapter XVI.—Christ as an Example of Humility.

As you can see, Clement of Rome is citing Isaiah 53:10-11 very closely to how it is  written in the Septuagint. Justin Martyr, another church father, who lived from 100 -166 AD said the following:

And I will give the wicked for His burial, and the rich for His death; because He did no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. And the Lord is pleased to cleanse Him from the stripe. – Justin Martyr, First Apology, Chapter LI — The Majesty of Christ.

And the Lord wills to purify Him from affliction. – Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter XIII

Justin Martyr also cites from Isaiah 53 very closely to how it is recorded in the Septuagint.

Consider the following again:

the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all…~ KJV
the Lord gave him up for our sins… ~ Septuagint

it pleased the Lord to bruise him… he hath put him to grief. ~KJV
The Lord also is pleased to purge him from his stroke. ~ Septuagint

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. ~ KJV
the Lord also is pleased to take away from the travail of his soul, to shew him light, and to form him with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins. ~ Septuagint

If you think the KJV has it properly translated, you may view God punishing Jesus at the cross. If you accept the Septuagint (the Bible during Jesus’s time on earth and which the New Testament writers cite from) you won’t see God punishing Jesus. Instead, you will see God healing the wounds that were inflicted on him by sinful men. You will therefore see more of the resurrection in Isaiah 53 than you have ever seen.

Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures, and those scriptures were fulfilled as recorded in the gospels.

JESUS BORE OUR SINS (Part One)

It is commonly assumed that Jesus bearing our sins means that the cross was the place of exchange: that God treated his holy Son as a sinner by imputing our sins and guilt to him when Jesus sacrificed his life at the cross.

This view of the cross is commonly referred to as the doctrine of imputation, and those who hold to this view generally believe that Christ suffered to satisfy the wrath of God.

Does the Bible actually teach this?

Let me begin by first pointing out that no where in the New Testament do the scriptures teach that our sinfulness and guilt were imputed to Christ.  In every place where the word impute is used in the New Testament it refers to what is, or hasn’t been imputed to us.

Either righteousness is imputed through faith (Romans 4:6,11,22,23,24; James 2:2) or sin isn’t imputed because of grace (Romans 4:8, 5:13; 2 Corinthians 5:19).

To impute is to accredit or attribute to one’s account. By not imputing our sins God is showing forgiveness and not holding our sins against us. By imputing righteousness God is attributing righteousness to us and accrediting it to our account.

According to the scriptures, God was in Christ reconciling the world. 

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliati. on. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18

Notice that the text says that God was “not imputing” our  trespasses against us. The ESV translation of the Bible says, “not counting their trespasses against them.”

The cross was not about the imputation of our sins. It was about the remission of our sins through the precious blood of Jesus, and reconciliation to God through his grace and mercy.

The persuasion that Christ was condemned by God and suffered God’s wrath is commonly aided by a misunderstanding of the meaning of the scriptures which tell us that Christ bore our sins.

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 Peter 2:24

The New Testament Greek word for bare is “anaphero” and it means to take up, bear, bring, (carry, lead) up, offer (up). It is used a total of 9 times in the New Testament in 9 different verses.

In Matthew 17:1 it is used to describe Jesus leading three of his disciples as they ascended up the Mount of transfiguration: And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart. Mark 9:2 also referencing the ascent up the Mount of Transfiguration says, “leadeth them up.”

In Luke 24:51 it is used to describe Jesus’s ascension after his resurrection: And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and was carried up into heaven.

Now stop and think about it for a moment. The same Greek word used in 1 Peter 2:24 which says, Jesus bare our sins, is the same Greek word used to describe his ascension into Heaven.

This is interesting in view of the burnt offerings which were offered on the altar of sacrifice in the Old Testament. The words “burnt offering” come from the Hebrew word “o law” meaning “ascending.” The burnt offerings were to be wholly offered to the Lord as a sweet fragrance ascending to God. 

After Jesus had offered himself as a sweet savor offering for our sins, he ascended to the Father and was given the highest place of honor, at the right hand of God. The death, resurrection, ascension, and enthronement of Jesus were all foreshadowed by the offerings which were offered as sweet savors ascending to God.

In Hebrews 7:27 and 9:28 the Greek “anaphero” translated bare, is used to describe Jesus giving his life as the offering for our sins.

Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. ~ Hebrews 7:27

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. ~ Hebrews 9:28

In Hebrews 13:15 it is used as a reference to the sacrifices of praise which we offer to God: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

In James 2:21 it is used as a reference to Abraham offering up Isaac as a burnt offering on the altar of sacrifice: Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Finally, in 1 Peter 2:5 it is a reference to the spiritual sacrifices which we offer to God: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

As we can see, the word bare has to with lifting up, offering up, and ascending. In 1 Peter 2:5 (previously mentined) it is used in conjunction with the spiritual sacrifices which God accepts from believers through Jesus Christ.

While the theology is pervasive that God accepts us because he rejected Jesus, the teachings of scripture is that God accepted Christ, and in Christ he has accepted us.

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace… ~ Ephesians 1:5-7

JESUS BORE OUR SINS (Part Two)

Isaiah the prophet foretold of Jesus bearing our sins in Isaiah 53.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. ~ Isaiah 53:4

He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. ~ Isaiah 53:12

The word, borne, in verse 4, and the word, bare, in verse 12, come from same Hebrew word “naw-saw,” which is translated as forgiveness in its various forms on multiple occasions in the Old Testament.

And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. ~ Exodus 34:6-7

Naw-saw is translated as forgive, forgiven, and forgavest in Psalm 25:16-18 and Psalm 32:1 & 5. In Romans 4 Paul quotes from Psalm 32.

Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. ~ Romans 4:6-8

The Hebrew word, naw-saw, appears in 610 passages of scripture in the Old Testament and is referenced a total of 653 times. Besides forgiveness, it is used to convey the thought of lifting, carrying, removing, etc.

In Genesis 7:17 it is used to describe the lifting of Noah’s Ark by the flood waters: And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

In Exodus 10:19 it refers to the forceful wind the Lord sent to remove the Locus out of Egypt: And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. ~ Exodus 10:19

In Exodus 19:4 it is used to describe God’s power by which he delivered the Israelites out of Egypt: Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. ~ Exodus 19:4

In Exodus 25:14, it used to describe how the Ark of the covenant was to be lifted and carried: And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. ~ Exodus 25:14

Also, consider the following from Isaiah 63:

I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Savior. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. ~ Isaiah 63:7-9

In the New Testament, Matthew interprets the words of Isaiah 53:4 – Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows – in view of healing and deliverance.

When the evening was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. ~ Matthew 8:16-17

According to Matthew’s interpretation of Isaiah 53:4, Jesus took the people’s infirmities and bare their sicknesses, not by becoming afflicted and sick, but by delivering those who were possessed with demons and healing those who were sick.

From Matthew’s interpretation, we can see that Matthew understood the words of Isaiah 53:4 in view the antidote which was healing and deliverance. In Matthew’s interpretation, we have a Biblical precedence for the correct interpretation of Isaiah’s use of the word “naw-saw,” translated as “bare.”

Jesus bore our sins by offering himself as an unblemished and holy sacrificial offering to God, so that we could be cleansed from our sins by his precious blood.

THE BODY OF JESUS: THE OFFERING FOR OUR SINS

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 Peter 2:24

The lacerations which came from the beating Jesus endured, the nails that pierced his hands and feet, the crown of thrones placed on his head, and the spear driven into his side, was the punishment he endured for our sins. This punishment was inflicted on Jesus by the hands of sinful men, and this is the revelation that comes forth in the New Testament.

Peter does not say, “Jesus bore our sins in his spirit or soul,” but rather, “in his body.” Within the context of Peter’s description of Jesus bearing our sins on the cross, he tells us that Jesus suffered wrongfully while entrusting himself to God who judges righteously.

Someone once said me, “It was not merely the stripes of men that Jesus endured.” This same person also told me, “we should not hone it down to only the human aspects of the events.” These statements were made contending that there was an unseen exchange between God and Jesus, whereby Jesus was being punished by God in a way that was not visible by the things he was outwardly suffering at the cross.

Yet, according to the apostle Peter, the “bearing of our sins” happened at the cross when Jesus suffered at the hands of sinful men, and by those stripes which Jesus bore in his body, while on the cross, we are healed.

According to Jesus, the apostles, the angel at the empty tomb, and the whole of the New Testament, the things which the prophets foretold about the crucifixion of Jesus are those things which actually played out, on the ground, in the flesh, at the cross.

The Bible does not teach that there was a behind the scene exchange which happened in the spirit realm, wherein God was personally afflicting the soul of Christ apart from those thing he was visibly suffering in his flesh at the cross.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit…~ 1 Peter 3:18

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 Pete 4:1

The idea that God, behind the scene, or in the spirit realm, condemned Jesus because something more than the physical sufferings of Christ was needed, is a very pervasive but unscriptural view. Those who hold to such views often appeal to verses such as Galatians 3:13 to support their theology.

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…~ Galatians 3:13

Notice that Paul qualifies his declaration that Christ was made a curse for us by saying, “for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”  

According to Paul, Christ was made a curse for us in the manner in which he was executed, which was crucifixion. Paul tells the Galatians, Christ was made a curse by hanging on a tree, and not by a behind the scenes exchange between God and Christ.

Under the Law, it was the corpses of those who had already been executed, then hanged on a tree, which were cursed. In Galatians 3:1, the apostle Paul says, “Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross.”

Notice that Paul appeals to the Galatians according to that which actually happened, out in the open, at the cross, and not by a behind the scenes exchange.

The crucified body of Jesus Christ is the emblem of our redemption, and through his slain body, which was hanged on a tree, he absorbed the curse of the Law so that we might be redeemed by his blood. The writer of Hebrews tells us we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. ~ see Hebrews 10:5-10

When the idea is advocated that something more than the physical sufferings of Christ was needed for our redemption, it only leaves endless trail of theories which cannot be plainly seen within the scriptures. Some of those theroies are as follows:

• Jesus suffered under the wrath of God.
• Jesus was treated as a sinner by God.
• Jesus died spiritually.
• Jesus suffered in Hell to pay the penalty for our sins.

The Bible teaches none of these. Our salvation was accomplished by the physical death and bodily resurrection of the Son of God, and by his own blood, Jesus secured our redemption.

When Jesus died on the cross, he took the punishment, in His flesh, which the Law demanded by hanging on a tree. He did this to bring an end to the Law, and to redeem those under the Law, so that the blessing of Abraham could come on the Gentiles, through faith. Jesus is the Savior of the whole world and not of the Jews only!

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: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. ~ Galatians 3:13-14

May we learn what it truly means to glory in the cross.

CHRIST OUR SIN OFFERING

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Some have come to the conclusion that Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness, based on the text above, yet Paul’s reference to Christ being made sin for us is derived from the Old Testament sin offerings.

The sin offerings were holy sacrifices and were offered to make atonement for sin.

Throughout the Old Testament the word atonement was used to convey the idea of reconciliation, sanctification, consecration, and forgiveness. This is the context which surrounds Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Literally, Paul is telling us that Christ was made to be the offering for our sins, and that is how we are reconciled to God. Christ was made to be our sin offering not our literal sin or sinfulness.

Throughout the Old Testament the words sin, and sin offering are translated from the same Hebrew word chattath, which is translated as sin offering 118 times, and as sin 168 times.

In Hebrews 10:6, the writer of Hebrews speaks of sacrifices for sin. The words “sacrifices for” were added by the translators of the King James Version for clarity. Literally, Hebrews 10:6 says: In burnt offerings and sin thou hast had no pleasure.

However, we know that the author of Hebrews is not referring to sin but to the sin offerings instead. We know this because of the context and we know this because Hebrews 10:6 is a quote from Psalm 40:6 which says the following:

Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

The same Greek word “hamartia” used throughout the New Testament for sin is used in Hebrews 10:6 to reference the sin offerings, and this is exactly how Paul employs the same word in 2 Corinthians 5:21.

It should also be of importance to us that the apostle Paul was a Jew who had come to know Christ. The things which Paul taught about Jesus were rooted in his scholarly understanding of scripture. Paul most assuredly would have thought through the scriptures as a Jewish scholar and would have understood Christ’s death and resurrection in view of the scriptures. Consider Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 15:

I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scripture…~ 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Paul certainly understood Christ’s death in view of the Old Testament scriptures and did not teach contrary to the Old Testament’s motif when he speaks of Christ dying for our sins. Paul spoke of Christ’s death in view of the precedent set forth within the sacrificial system because those sacrifices foreshadowed Christ. Jesus is our Redeemer, and he died for our sins as one who was pure and holy.

The belief that Christ was made sin with our sinfulness is common within the teachings that Christ was rejected and condemned by God as a sinner, dying under the wrath of God. If Christ had been made sin with our sinfulness, if he became the object of God’s wrath, and was rejected by God in our place as some teach, how then was he a holy offering? How was he accepted as a sweet savor well pleasing to God? How was God in Christ reconciling the world (2 Corinthians 5:19), if God indeed separated himself from Christ because he was made sin with our sinfulness?

JESUS WAS HOLY WHEN HE DIED

There is no precedent in Old Testament with regards to the sin offerings, which supports the theology that Jesus became sinful when he died on the cross.

The offerings for sin, which foreshadowed Jesus’ death, were not made sinful with the sins of the people, and consequently rejected by God. Instead they were to be offered as unblemished sacrifices which were holy gifts to the Lord and they were accepted by God as a sweet fragrance.

Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, this is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord: it is Most Holy. ~ Leviticus 6:25

The sin offering was to be killed as a Most Holy offering.

This was a foreshadowing of Jesus, who died, not as one who had been made sin with our sinfulness, but made a sin offering instead: a Most Holy offering to the Lord.

When Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “Christ was made to be sin for us,” he is not teaching that Christ metamorphosed into something unholy. Rather, he is echoing the truth of scripture: Christ was made a sin offering for us. The teaching of the Bible is that we were redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus as of a lamb without spot or blemish. ~ 1 Peter 1:18-19

Jesus is, was, and always will be holy, pure, and just. The apostle Peter declared that he is the holy and Just One which the people rejected (Acts 3:14). Peter also declared that he is the Prince of Life and that the grave could not hold him because God would not allow His Holy One to see corruption. ~ Acts 2:24, 27; 3:15

Jesus redeemed us to God by his own blood when he gave himself (his holy life) as a gift to God to make atonement or reconciliation for our sins.

JESUS IS THE GIFT OF GOD

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. ~ John 4:10

Jesus is the gift of God to us for salvation. In a beautiful and glorious way, he is also a gift from us to God when we believe and trust in him. Jesus gave himself for us to God as a holy sacrifice when he offered his holy life on the altar of the cross as the offering for our sins. Under the Old Testament, the sacrifices which were offered on the sacrificial altar as types and shadows of Christ were described as offerings and oblations, and they are so called some 40 times in the book of Leviticus alone.

These two words – offerings and oblations – both come from the Hebrew word kor-bawn, meaning a sacrificial present brought near to the altar. The sacrifices which were brought to the altar, were to be presented to God as sacrificial presents or gifts. In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews uses the word, gift on multiple occasions to refer to these.

For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins… ~ Hebrews 5:1

For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. ~ Hebrews 8:3

In Hebrews 11:4, the author of Hebrews refers to the more excellent sacrifice offered by Abel as a gift.

After God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, he commanded Moses to build a tabernacle so that he could live among his people (Exodus 25:8). Upon the completion of the building of the tabernacle, both the priests and the tabernacle were consecrated to the Lord for service.

At the inauguration of the service of the tabernacle, God demonstrated his acceptance of the offerings (the gifts) which foreshadowed Christ by consuming the sacrifices by fire from his holy presence.

And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. and there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. ~ Leviticus 9:22-24

This fire which consumed the sacrifices came from the presence of God from within the innermost section of the tabernacle, the holiest of all, or the Most Holy Place. This demonstration of God’s glory was repeated at the dedication of the Temple which Solomon built, except this time the fire came down from Heaven.

Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from Heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. ~ 2 Chronicles 7:1-3

In both cases, in the Tabernacle of Moses and in the Temple of Solomon, God’s glory was manifested as he accepted as gifts, the sacrifices he ordained to foreshadowed the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus.

REJECTED SACRIFICES DID NOT MAKE ATONEMENT

Had God rejected Jesus on the cross, we would still be in our sins!

Throughout the Old Testament the offerings which foreshadowed Jesus were accepted to make atonement. Those offerings which were rejected did not make atonement.

And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. ~ Leviticus 1:4

Notice the language in the text above: “it shall be accepted for him…” In like manner, Christ was accepted for us. Now consider Leviticus 7:18:

And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.  ~ Leviticus 7:18 

Rejected sacrifices and offerings did not make atonement.  Only those which were accepted as a sweet savor did.

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. ~ Ephesians 5:2

A SWEET FRAGRANCE

Throughout the Old Testament the sacrifices which were types of Christ, and were offered as gifts to God, were offered as a sweet fragrance accepted by God. They were never rejected by God.

These sacrifices were holy and they were accepted on the behalf of the people (Leviticus 22:20, 21, 25, 27). By virtue of these offerings, the people were sanctified and made holy in the sight of the Lord.

In Philippians 4,  Paul draws on the language of the sweet savor offerings when he speaks of the gift of support which the Philippians sent to his aid.

But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.~ Philippians 4:18

In 2 Corinthians, Paul again draws on the language of the sweet savor offerings when he says the following: Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish… ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

In both cases (Philippians 4 and 2 Corinthians 2) Paul appeals to the language found in the Old Testament which described the atonement sacrifices foreshadowing the death of Christ.

No one reading Paul’s words in Philippians 4 and 2 Corinthians 2 would think the expression “sweet savor” had any other meaning than that which is pleasing to God. In fact, Paul uses the words “well pleasing” in his Philippians 4 description.

When Christ died on the cross, he paid the ransom for us with his holy life which he offered to God as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus gave himself as a sweet savor offering, well pleasing to God!

This is why holy communion is so important and powerful. It is a memorial of the death of our Lord, for through Jesus’s sacrifice we are consecrated to God and made holy.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet – smelling savor. ~ Ephesians 4:32- 5-2

God accepts us because he accepted, not rejected, Jesus, when he died on the cross for our sins.

FOR CHRIST’S SAKE

I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. ~ 1 John 2:12

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. ~ Ephesians 4:32

If you will let these verses sink down into your heart you will find the true beauty in the cross of Christ. Christ died for us, because he loved us. He died as a spotless lamb and it is for his sake (the sake of the innocent lamb of God) that God has forgiven our sins.

In Revelation 1:5, John tells us that Jesus loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. It was love that freed us from sin. It was the perfect, sinless, holy Christ that sanctified us and made us accepted in the eyes of God.

Peter tells us that we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ~ 1 Peter 1:18

In the Old Testament when the sacrifices which foreshadowed Jesus were offered, they had to be offered as holy and unblemished sacrifices.

Consider for a moment what the ideology that claims that God poured out his wrath on Jesus, really teaches. It states that before God could save us, forgive us, redeem us, God had to exhaust all his wrath on a holy, pure, sinless, and spotless victim. It states that God had to get retribution on the innocent to save the guilty.

This concept is taught nowhere in scripture. It literally has to be built into texts and is of pagan origins. It is not the revelation of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Proverbs 17:15 tells us, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. God does not justify the guilty by condemning the innocent. This would make God an unjust Judge, but this is exactly what many teach. Instead, God justifies the guilty because the innocent lays down his life for the guilty, and this is what Jesus did when he gave his life for us.

God forgives us not because he condemned the Just One, but because the Just one gave his life for us. Oh, if we could just see the marvelous truth of the saving Christ, how it would change our affection for Jesus. Peter preaching in Acts 3 says the following:

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. ~ Acts 3:13-15

It wasn’t God who denied the Holy and Just One, it was the people! We are not forgiven because God punished Christ out of his anger/wrath. We are forgiven because Christ loved us even as the Father loves us, and gave his life to save us. Jesus willingly took the penalty of death when there was no sin in him and by his blood, he redeemed us.

This disposition in Jesus,  was to God a sweet fragrance (Ephesians 5:1-2). And for his sake, God has made us accepted in him, and forgiven us ! Think about this today and let the reality of this beautiful, lovely truth take root into your heart. For Christ’s sake, you belong to God and your sins are forgiven! 

For Christ’s sake your sins are forgiven. For his name’s sake your sins are forgiven.