SCRIPTURE: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, (1Peter 3:18 ESV)
QUOTE: “When Jesus cried, ‘It is finished!’ He was not speaking of the plan of redemption. There were still three days and nights to go through before He went to the throne…Jesus’ death on the cross was only the beginning of the complete work of redemption.” – BILLY GRAHAM
NOTE:
The death of Christ did not merely precede His resurrection–it was the price that obtained it. The Bible says He was raised not just after the blood-shedding, but by it. The wrath of God was satisfied with the suffering and death of Jesus. The holy curse against sin was fully absorbed. The price of forgiveness was totally paid. The righteousness of God was completely vindicated. All that was left to accomplish was the public declaration of God’s endorsement. This He gave by raising Jesus from the dead. When the Bible says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17 ESV), the point is not that the resurrection is the price paid for our sins. The point is that the resurrection proves that the death of Jesus is an all-sufficient price. How vital it is that we grasp–and share–the sovereignly designed purposes behind the Passion of Jesus Christ.
ILLUSTRATION:
God’s purposes for the world in the death of Jesus Christ are unfathomable, writes John Piper in his book, “The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty Reasons Why He Came to Die.” He adds, “Infinitely more important than who killed Jesus is the question: What did God achieve for sinners like us in sending His Son to die?”
REFLECTION:
- Why do you celebrate Easter?
- Should this season be for celebration or reflection?
TWO YEAR BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 1, Psalm 98