Today we want to continue our exploration of the prominent stages in the life and ministry of God’s Spirit-anointed Messiah (see also Med.9 and 10):
d) He is the divine Sacrifice for everyone’s sins:
On the day of his resurrection, Jesus reminded his followers that the prophets of Old Testament times had foreseen his sacrificial death: “Wasn't it clearly predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his time of glory? Then Jesus quoted passages from the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining what all the Scriptures said about himself.” (Luke 24:25-27).
The apostle Paul explains later in his letter to the Christians in Rome why Jesus had to die and rise again: “He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.” (Romans 4:25).
And before, he wrote in the same letter: “... Christ Jesus ... has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.” (Romans 3:24). See also Med. 5.
e) He will be the divine Judge of the living and the dead:
The apostle Peter explained to his listeners in Caesarea, a town in the north of Israel: “God ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is ordained of God to be the Judge of all-- the living and the dead.” (Acts 10:42).
The apostle Paul declared to the people of Athens: “God 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.” (Acts 17:31).
In his letter to the Christians in Rome the apostle Paul wrote: “The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone's secret life. This is my message.” (Romans 2:16).
And in a letter to his co-worker Timothy he stressed the point that “... Christ Jesus ... will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom.” (2 Timothy 4:1).
How comforting is Jesus’ promise that all who trust him for forgiveness will not be condemned.
Even before he would bear the punishment for our sins, he already declared: “I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.” (John 5:24).
Next week we will complete our exploration of Jesus’ messianic mission.
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’.
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