In our self-centered culture, we have made the Gospel self-centered. Somehow we believe that the reason God loves us is because we are lovable. God is not glorified when I think He loves me because I’m lovable. Rather, what makes the gospel beautiful is that because I am so unlovable, God still chooses to love me. In that God is glorified! “But God shows his love for us in that while were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.
Martin Luther once referred to the Gospel as a treasure chest. Like opening a treasure chest and admiring its rubies, pearls and sapphires, handle carefully these Scriptures of great value. Feel the worth of Christ’s sacrifice today that will cause us to worship deeply. Treasure these ten Biblical reasons why Jesus came to die on the cross:
1. He came to seek and to save sinners.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
I’m so glad God did not come for the elite or the popular or the wealthy.
2. He came to glorify His father.
“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.’” John 17:1-5
Jesus models to us how we should glorify God in our lives. First, He teaches us to glorify God before we face difficulties. Are you and I looking to glorify God, even while going through hard and difficult seasons? Second, He glorified the Father with the time He had on the earth. Notice what He says in this prayer, “…having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” Can we say this about our lives?
3. He came to cancel our record of debt.
“By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Colossians 2:14
Do you realize there is a “record of debt” that “stands against” you? Christ took that record of debt and nailed it to the cross! He canceled our debt of sin! Why did Jesus come to die? To not only forgive our sins, but to completely take them away (John 1:29).
4. He came to give power to the Gospel.
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18
Is it not interesting that God would take the lowliest death of that day to display His power? Does it not echo Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord”? Knowing that God chose the cross, for it was never Plan B…it was plan A from the before the world was created: “…Belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).
5. He came to heal us from disease and sicknesses.
“That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8:16-17
The calamity of sin was so great, that it brought sickness and death upon mankind. They are that closely related. Now does that mean Christians won’t struggle against sickness? No! Even Christians have to fight against sickness. Why? Because we still live in a fallen world, we feel the effects of sin and sickness both. But what it does mean is that because Christ not only died for our sins, but for our sickness, we can pray for one another the Bible says that the prayer of faith can heal the sick (James 5:15).
6. He came to destroy the works of the devil and the power of death.
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” Hebrews 2:14
Now there is no need for me and you to fear death. Isn’t that an audacious statement? In my flesh, I fear death. But in my spirit and through faith, there is no need to fear. Why? Because Satan no longer has the “power of death.”
7. He came to take on our sin and to make us righteous.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
What does it mean to be righteous? It means to be a “right standing” before God. Remember when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and what they did? They hid from God. Sin causes us to hide. Righteousness means we can stand upright before a just and holy God. You and I could have never accomplished this on our own. It is only through the work of Christ on the cross. So why did Jesus come to die? To make us the righteousness of God!
8. He came to bring us peace.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
So many are not at peace with God, as a result they are not at peace with themselves or at peace with others in their lives. One of the results of Christ’s death is that it brought us peace with God.
9. He came to reconcile us to God.
“And might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” Ephesians 2:16
Man still rebels against God. Man still refuses the terms of grace and the mercy God offers. It’s the same pride, same rebellion, same sin that has plagued man for all of our history. Yet Christ came to kill the hostility between God and man and to reconcile us to God.
10. He came to absorb the wrath of God.
“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
The Bible gives us a remarkable word…propitiation. This word has an incredible meaning. It means that Christ became our substitute to absorb the wrath of God. God is angry with sin. It’s against His very nature. John reminds us that if God kicked out 1/3 of the Heavenly angels for sinning, what makes us think He will look over our sin?
Yet Christ became the substitute for God’s wrath. God did not waive His wrath…He did not ignore it or pass over it. Christ took the very wrath of God on the cross and like a sponge, absorbed the wrath meant for me and you. Let the thought that Christ took the anger of God over sin on our behalf wash over your heart.
Conclusion
So for those who fear that God is angry with you…He isn’t! For those who can’t get past your past, dreading the day you will stand before God and worry that one day your past sins will catch up to you…remember, Christ absorbed the wrath of God for you! He became your propitiation…your substitute…bore the cross intended for you: “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 2:14).