Questions to think and talk about.
What does Nicky Gumbel say is the greatest problem that confronts each one of us? Do you agree? Why or why not? See Romans 3: 23.
To what extent have you experienced the effects of sin in your life? What has God done about your sin? Why do you think God did anything about our sin? See John 3: 16.
Read 2 Corinthians 5: 21. What does this verse mean to you personally?
How should you respond to God’s love shown in the cross?
Bible readings for the week (These readings are all about the death of Jesus)
Day 1: Isaiah 53: 3 – 9. Prophecy about the death of Jesus 750 years before it happened.
Day 2: Romans 3: 21 – 31. Sin and forgiveness
Day 3: Psalm 103: 8 – 18. God’s forgiveness is complete
Day 4: 2 Corinthians: 5: 17 – 21. Reconciled to God
Day 5: Romans 5: 1 – 11. The results of being justified.
Day 6: Ephesians 2: 1 – 10. New life
Day 7: 1 John 1: 7 – 2: 2. Jesus is my representative. For Meditation this week
“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103: 10 ‐ 12 If you haven’t yet committed your life to Christ why not do so now by praying the prayer of personal commitment on the previous page?
Why Did Jesus Die?
What did you think of the video? How did it make you feel?
Almost one third of the New Testament is about the death of Jesus. The cross lies at the heart of the Christian faith “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2: 2
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Our real problem is our sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3: 23. Compared to many other people we may seem OK, but when we compare ourselves to God’s standards we all come up short. We are all sinners by nature and by action.
1. The results of sin.
The Bible says that sin affects every single person (no exceptions) in four ways.
• Sin pollutes us ‐ see Mark 7: 20 ‐ 23. • Sin has power over us “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” John 8: 34. The things we do wrong have an addictive power. It is well known that drugs have addictive power, but we can be addicted to anger, pride, lust, arrogance, selfishness and slander. • Sin demands a penalty from us ‐ “the wages of sin is death” Romans 6: 23.
• Sin results in a partition (separation) between ourselves and God.
“your iniquities have separated you from your God;” Isaiah 59: 2 2. God’s solution to our sin problem.
Jesus substituted Himself for us, He died in our place, he paid the penalty for sin. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2: 24. 3. The Result of the death of Jesus. The suffering of Jesus on the Cross shows us that God is not aloof from suffering. Like a beautiful diamond the cross has many facets. • Through the cross God reveals his self‐sacrificial love for us.
• He reveals the way of salvation and forgiveness. • Through the cross death and demonic powers were defeated.
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2: 15.
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2: 14 – 15.
4. The Bible uses four pictures to explain the death of Jesus
1. The Temple
The Old Testament lays down a careful system of sacrifices, showing how to deal with sin. These sacrifices show that God takes sin seriously.
• God sent Jesus as a sacrifice for sin. “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” Romans 3: 25
• Jesus died because the Old Testament animal sacrifices could not cleanse from sin. “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Hebrews 10: 4 “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1: 7
2. The Slave Market.
• Jesus redeems (ransoms) us from the slavery of sin. “ . . . we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3: 24 • Jesus breaks the power of sin. “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8: 36
3. The law courts “we are justified freely by his grace” Romans 3: 24 To be justified is to be acquitted. (freed from the penalty of sin). Jesus Christ paid the penalty of our sin. We can therefore ask Him to forgive us for our sin.
4. The home
• Sin comes between us and God, it separates us from God. Isaiah 59: 1 ‐ 2. The death of Jesus makes it possible for us to be reconciled with God; “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ” 2 Corinthians 5: 19. • The cross destroys the partition between us and God. We become members of His family; his children; brothers and sisters in Christ. We are loved and accepted in to the family of God.
You can respond personally to the death of Jesus in the following ways:
• Thankfully worship Jesus. He sacrificed his life on the cross for me. “The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2: 20. Simply say “Thank you Jesus, for dying on the cross for me.”
• Personally commit your life to Him. Since He loved me so much that died for me, I must respond by turning away from sin and selfishness and receive his love and forgiveness personally. When we commit our lives to Jesus in this way He comes to live in us. Galatians 2: 20 says “Christ lives in me” Because He lives in us, He gives us the strength we need to live for Him.
• Live your life for Jesus. Since he loves me and died for me, I must commit my life to him and live for him by faith. Look again at Galatians 2: 20. “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God.” • We cannot live the Christian life in our own strength. We need the power, love, and grace of Jesus to help us every day. Through His power and love we can live the Christian life anywhere, even in prison. • Jesus promises to be with his children wherever they are; He will give us the strength we need to live for him. Ask him to help you to live for him every day, trust him for the strength to do so.
Start each day by asking Jesus to help you to live for Him.
A prayer of personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. (At this point, take a few moments and silently, ask for His forgiveness for anything particular that is on your conscience) Please forgive me. I now turn away from everything that I know is wrong. Thank you; that You died on the cross for me, so that I could be forgiven my sins and be set free.
Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of Your Holy Spirit. I now receive You into my life.
Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit and be with me forever. Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.