The Death of Christ

The Lord's Supper is a time of remembrance, a time to reflect upon the death of Christ. The Lord has led me to focus on one verse for this memorial meal, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God, having been put to death in the body, but made alive in the spirit" (1 Peter 3:18). Three things we need to remember about the death of Christ from this verse.

Christ's death was in accordance with the will of God. God the Father planned before the foundation of the world to send his Son to die on Calvary. This truth is revealed in the life of Jesus recorded in the gospels. Jesus said, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). When Jesus prayed in the Garden, he said, "Father, not my will, but your will be done" (Mark 14:36). It was God's will that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, die on the cross.

Christ's death was in accordance with the way of God. Jesus died on the cross "for sins." Christ died, not for his sins, but the sins of humanity. Peter says, "the just for the unjust." You can also translate it "the righteous for the unrighteous." The word "just" is singular, and the world "unjust" is plural. One just man died for many unjust people. Why? God is a holy God and must punish sin. Tragically, all humanity has sinned and fallen short of the perfection that God demands. Therefore, humanity is an object of God's punishment and wrath on account of our sins. Nevertheless, God is a loving God. Consequently, he sent his perfect Son, to live a perfect life, so that he could die for our sins on the cross of Calvary. Humanity could not provide the perfect sacrifice that God desired, so God provided it in his Son, Jesus Christ. And it was the blood of the perfect Son of God shed on Calvary that made payment for our sins. His blood provided redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Christ's death was in accordance with the work of God. The purpose for Christ's dying on the cross of Calvary was "so that he might bring us to God." Christ died for our sins so that we could be reconciled to God. We are enemies of God, separated from him because of our sins. When we trust in Christ, no longer are we God's enemy, but his friend. We have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

Have you recognized your sinfulness? Have you recognized your need for a savior? You can be saved from your sins and be reconciled to God if you will call upon the name of the Lord. What do you need to do to be saved? "Believe in the Lord Jesus Chris and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).