Table of Contents
The Death of Isa (Jesus)
God offered Isa (Jesus) to die and atone for the penalty of man’s deadly sin for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The Bible teaches that God created man perfect. But Adam and Eve chose to disobey and rebel against God (Genesis 3). So, the deadly sickness of sin infected them and their descendants (Romans 3:23).
God could not simply forgive Adam and Eve’s sin nor ask them to do some good works to atone for their sin. He had to make them pay the price of their penalty. Good works could not atone for man’s sins for “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6b) in the eyes of our holy God. Forgiving the sins of the offenders can’t stand at all in the judicial courts. And good works can’t release the criminal from the punishment of his crime. Justice has to be administered to the offender and he has to pay the price of his wrong doing.
God is a God of mercy and justice. He is gracious to repentant sinners (Exodus 34: 6,7), but He cannot afford to weaken His government by failing to uphold its righteousness and justice (Psalms 85:10; 89:14). Without justice God could not be God. For a God all mercy is a God unjust. Without justice there could be no mercy.
The Redemption of Man
When Adam and Eve sinned, God planned that He would send His Son as the Savior that will die for mankind and atone for their sin (Genesis 3:15). This Savior must be divine for one human can only atone for another by death (Exodus 21:23) but the life of the divine can atone for all men (Colossians 1:15; 2:9; Revelation 19:16).
So, God sent His Son to pay the penalty for man’s sin. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). There is no greater love than this (John 15:13).
In the Old Testament, the Lord instructed that people should sacrifice animals to atone for their sins as a reminder of the One who will come to redeem them. The prophet Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah’s death:
“He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows…
He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent…
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken…
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:4-11).
Jesus – The Savior of Mankind
In the New Testament, Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy and over 125 other Messianic prophecies and became the Redeemer of mankind. To help people believe in Jesus, God gave Him the power to perform great miracles and mighty deeds. For He healed all sickness (Luke 5:15-26), fed thousands of people (Luke 9:12-17), had authority over nature (Luke 8:22-25), cast out demons (Luke 4:33-37), raised the dead (Luke 7:11-16), lived a sinless life (1 Peter 2:22), sacrificed His life for humanity (1 John 3:16), and then was resurrected from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). No other man on earth ever did such mighty works.
On the Cross, the mercy of God and His justice were fully satisfied. The Love of God prepared a way of redemption to man, and the justice of God placed the guilt of man on Jesus. This is the greatest love story ever told. Then, God the Father resurrected Jesus from death and took Him to heaven. Jesus will come again to judge the world and then take all those that believed in Him, as their personal Savior, to live with Him forever.
Anyone that accepts God’s gift of atonement will be saved from eternal death (John 1:12). He will become the Son of God and will inherit eternal life. But those who reject it, will have to die for their own sins. There is nothing more God can do to save sinners. Each person must decide his own destiny.
Will You Accept Jesus’ Sacrifice for You Today?
If so, you may pray this prayer: Heavenly Father, I am very grateful for your great sacrifice to atone for my sin. I accept the blood of Jesus on my behalf. Come into my heart and help me to follow you in the path of righteousness. Cleanse me from my sins and create in me a new pure heart. In Jesus’ Name, I ask. Amen.
After this prayer, confess your sins and forsake them by His enabling power. And connect yourself daily to the Lord through studying the Scriptures and prayer. The Lord will guide you step by step towards a righteous holy living and will enable you by His grace to do His good will.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
