"What did Jesus Accomplish on the Cross" pt 1

preached March 31, 2019

I’d like to begin today with a story. I’m going to tell you the beginning, then I will tell you the end. The reminder of our time together will be about the middle.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

He separated sky from sea, filling them with birds and fish.

He separated land from the water, filling it with all the creatures great and small.

He then did something very special. He took dust from the ground and fashioned a human. He breathed life into this human and called it His image.

From this man, he created a woman, and the couple were given a beautiful Garden with all the things they would need in life to build a beautiful existence. They were given a single law: eat from any tree they wish, but do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was a simple command that was meant to establish a covenant of love. By obeying this one command, God’s love could be reciprocated as true love is. They were forced to do nothing. They only were asked to love their Creator.

For some time, the world was perfectly good as the couple obeyed the command.

But one creature was not satisfied with his place in the world. Satan took the form of a serpent and persuaded the man and woman to eat from the forbidden tree. In their disobedience, they learned what it meant to disobey and introduced evil in the world. The cascading effect is the world and humanity have been corrupted by a spiritual disease we call sin.

That is what happened in the beginning.

The end has not yet come, but we know what will happen. John has told us what God showed him:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:1-4

In the end, God will dwell with His people, and all things will be made new. There will no more death, no more tears, no more mourning, and no more pain. Because the former things, the corrupted things, will pass away.

That is the hope we have as Christians. That no matter what life throws at us, the current trials are nothing compared to the riches and the hope that we have in the next life.

How is this possible? How can we read about and experience the corruption that began so long ago, and then believe in the hope that God will make all things new?

It is because of what happens in the middle of our story.

2000 years ago, the dramatic story of God’s creation corrupted by sin climaxed on a hill called Golgotha. There, Jesus Christ defeated Satan and sin. We call this “the Atonement”.

New Testament presents the Atonement as a multi-faceted diamond. We will discuss the first parts of the diamond this week, and complete the gem next week.

First, Christ’s death was not defeat, it was a victory.

Christ the Victor : Christ's death provided victory over Satan and sin

Satan is the enemy in the story of history, and Christ is the hero. Satan’s work has been defeated by Jesus.

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

1 John 3:8

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.

His victory was achieved through the cross. Let us examine two more passages:

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 2:14-15

Jesus took on flesh so that he would "share in flesh and blood", meaning as a human, Jesus is able to accomplish the righteousness humanity could not. Because humans rebelled, humans must make amends. We could not do that on our own, for we were bound by sin and Satan. Every human born after Adam has been subject to sin's power at birth. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God".

"That through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil."

Christ's death is not defeat; it is victory.

God accomplished as a human what no other human could—salvation.

 He disarmed the rulers and authorities  and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Col. 2:15

"He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."

Paul is drawing from imperial imagery here. In the days of empires, when a kingdom fell, the victors would march the defeated king through the streets as a sign of dominance--sometimes the defeated king might be alive, other times not so much. Satan is called the prince of the air and his demons were known to hold power over regional areas. Daniel alludes to this idea in his visions. Although God is Sovereign over the Earth, His Creation has been invaded and His authority usurped by Satan through introducing sin. When Jesus died on the cross, He achieved victory over Satan and the resurrection and the days following were Jesus demonstrating his triumph and putting Satan to open shame.

Every time someone believes and is saved, it is one more instance of Satan being put to shame for his failed attempt to take over God's Creation.

How does Jesus’ death accomplish this victory? This is where the facets of the diamond come into play. Each side explains the victory, but all sides are needed to fully explain it. We will begin with possibly the most important in our day. Many Christians have a problem with this first facet, because quite frankly it reminds us that our sin is the problem—and it is a giant problem.

Penal Substitutionary View : Propitiation

On the Cross Jesus paid the penalty for our rebellious sin. We tend to think of sins as mistakes or something isn’t that big of a deal in the long run, but God sees it much differently. Sin is an offense to God. Not the ‘I’m-offended-by-everything-snowflake-variety’, but in a deep, hurtful way that we cannot conceive. The closest comparison would be for a loving parent—who gave life to their child, raised their child with all the love and compassion they can muster—for that parent to hear their child curse their parent and deny the parent’s existence and love. For the child to rebel against everything the parent stands for, and then proceed to destroy their own life in this rebellion. That is how God sees our sin. It is an act of rebellion that brings about our own death. Sin is an act that conjures the wrath of God, because it is open rebellion against God. But just as the parent, though angry and right to be angry, does not want to see their child destroyed, neither does God want to see us destroyed, though He is perfectly just to allow it. Let us look at what Scripture teaches us:

“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world”

1 John 2:2

Jesus appeased the wrath of God by dying for our sins.

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Hebrews 10:1-4,11-18

The OT sacrificial system looked forward to Jesus who was the One, Perfect Lamb to end sacrifices. When Jesus came He offered his body as the once for all sacrifice. Before, the Jewish sacrifices were weekly events that culminated in the annual Day of Atonement. The animals sacrificed were means to turn the people’s hearts towards God, but they could not make a full payment for their sin. The sacrifices could only be made in faith for the promise when God’s Messiah would take away our sin fully. Jesus fulfilled that promise. He lived a perfect life, fulfilling the requirements of the law, and he died as the spotless lamb to take the place of humanity. God promised to “remember [our] sins and [our] lawless deeds no more,” and as Hebrews says, “where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.” This is why we do not offer animals to God anymore—Jesus ended the need for sacrifices.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:21-26

Paul explains it this way:

The Law and Prophets witnessed to the time when Jesus would come—the righteousness of God is manifested through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. To be righteous with God is to believe in the Son who died for our sins. And it is for all, because there is no distinction: “for al have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Everyone has sinned. Everyone can have forgiveness.

Why has God done this? Look closely at verse 26: “It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

By paying the penalty for our sin, Jesus demonstrates both God’s justice—the price must be paid—and God’s love—the price has been paid for us.

The idea of penal substitution has been discouraged many times in church history, and recently it has come under attack again. The notion is it is disturbing to think of God as requiring a payment to appease His wrath. How could a perfectly loving God require appeasement? It is because He is also perfectly just—God does not look the other way when we sin. But how much is His perfect love demonstrated on the cross? God sent His own Son to pay the penalty we could not pay! The cross is the summation and epitome of both God’s Divine Justice and Divine Love. To deny this truth denies the very reason Jesus came.

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

“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.”

On the cross, God’s justice and love were satisfied.

Exchange : Christ's death allows His righteousness to be credited to those who believe

The payment made on our behalf does more than just appease God’s wrath. Not only is the penalty removed from us, but Christ’s righteousness is placed on us. It is a Divine exchange that we call the New Covenant. Two verses, both from Paul, explain:

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

For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

We are not left in vacuum to fill with more sin, God transfers the righteousness of Christ to us.

Though Christ never sinned, He took on our sin.

Though we are not righteous, we can have Christ’s righteousness.

Turn to Romans 5:

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:18-19

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

The covenant created in Christ is to turn back the curse from Adam. When Adam sinned, it introduced the corruption of sin into humanity that continues to today. Each person is born with a propensity to sin, because our very souls have been corrupted by sin’s curse. But just as one man brought condemnation to us, one man brings salvation. We are made righteous by placing our faith in Christ’s death on the cross.

Reconciliation : Christ's death turns the enemies of God into friends and children

So, as we’ve seen, Christ’s death on the cross was an act of victory over the curse of sin introduced by Satan. The cross is not a sign of defeat; it is a sign of victory over evil. This victory consists of paying the price for our sin as demanded by God’s justice, but paid by God’s love. This payment transfers our sin to Christ and Christ’s righteousness to us. And now, we can examine the goal of Christ’s work.

Let’s return to 2 Corinthians 5, but back up to verse 17:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 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 5:17-21

When we trust in Christ, and His righteous is transferred to us, we become a new creation. In John 3, Jesus told Nicodemus that we must be born again which happens through the Holy Spirit. This is what Paul means by a ‘new creation’. We are no longer our old sinful, corrupted selves, we are new creations—born again through faith in Christ by the Holy Spirit.

This is done so that we can be reconciled to God. Where our sin separates us from God, Christ brings us back into communion with God. This is why you hear Christians say things like, “It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship”. Christ makes it possible for us to know God and to have a relationship—to be in communion with Him. Where we were once enemies, now He calls us children. Paul urges his readers in verse 20, saying we are ambassadors for Christ, to be reconciled to God. God Himself is making this appeal through Paul—be reconciled through Christ.

The goal of the cross was for man to be reconciled to God.

And that is my declaration to you today. Be reconciled to God through Christ. Don’t expect your good to outweigh your bad—it isn’t about balancing scales, sin’s corruption is too deep in your soul to be good enough. That’s like expecting a dead man to do CPR on himself. It just doesn’t work.

Place your faith in Christ. Ask God to forgive you of your sins, because Jesus has already paid the price. Turn away from your sin by trusting in God’s righteousness that is given to all who believe. Be reconciled.

I close with the beautiful verse from Charles Wesley:

And can it be that I should gain

An interest in the Savior’s blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain?

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be

That Thou, my God, shouldest die for me?

(Charles Wesley, 1738)