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The Atonement. The Atonement. Atonement is the work Christ did in His life and death to earn our salvation. Jesus came to the earth and died for our sins for two reasons: The love of God
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The Atonement • Atonement is the work Christ did in His life and death to earn our salvation. • Jesus came to the earth and died for our sins for two reasons: • The love of God • John 3:16- For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. • God loved us so much he desired to restore our relationship with Him.
The Atonement • The justice of God or God must be just. • Sin had to be paid for. • It could not be merely ignored simply because He loved us. • Happens all the time when our mistakes must have consequences. This even when those giving out the punishment love us. (parents, church leaders, family members) • If God had instead just forgiven sins without a penalty, this would be unjust. • This is why Jesus had to come to pay for our sins on the cross.
The Atonement • Thus God’s love and justice were the ultimate cause for the atonement. • Remember that atonement is the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation. • It is also not helpful to ask which is greater. • Without love God would have not atoned for our sins. • Without justice God would have not atoned for our sins. • Both are equally important.
The Atonement- The Necessity of the Atonement • Was there any other way for God to save human beings from our sins? • We must first take a step back and realize that God did not have to save us at all. • To know that God did not spare the angels who rebelled tells us that we are not only special but should be highly thankful. • 2 Peter 2:4- God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until the judgment. • Thus because of this the atonement was not necessary. • However God in his great love and wisdom decided to save us. • And the only way this could be accomplished is through the atonement.
The Atonement- The Necessity of the Atonement • Evidence for the certain need of the atonement. • Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prays, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt. 26:39) • It was not possible for Jesus to do something else for human beings to be saved. • Jesus talks to two disciples traveling to Emmaus after his resurrection and says, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26)
The Atonement- The Necessity of the Atonement • Evidence from Scripture • Romans 3:26- It was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus. • Hebrews 2:17- He had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation (propitiation) for the sins of the people. • Propitiation- appeasing the wrath of God. • Evidence in Scripture • Also in Hebrews we read, “it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4) • Thus a better sacrifice is required. (Hebrews 9:23) • The blood of Jesus was the only way for sins to be forgiven, thus he must die. (Hebrews 9:25-26)
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement • Christ’s obedience for us (“active obedience”) • If Jesus would have just died for our sins we would have just been forgiven. • We would not have had a right into heaven for eternity. • Thus Jesus had to also stay forever in perfect obedience to God(active obedience). • This is seen in the life He lived throughout the Gospels.
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • Christ’s Suffering for us. (passive obedience) • Jesus, in a broad sense, suffered his entire life while on earth. • Matthew 4:1-11- Jesus endured tremendous suffering during the temptation in the wilderness. • Hebrews 5:8- Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. • Suffered grief at the death of Lazarus. (John 11:35) • Isaiah 53:3- a man (Messiah) of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • Christ’s Suffering for us. • The pain of the Cross • Before the Cross Jesus says, “My soul is sorrowful, even to death.” (Matt. 26:38) • Physical pain and death on the Cross • We do not need to think that Jesus suffered more than any other human being would have being crucified. • However the crucifixion is one of the most painful ways to be put to death.
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • Physical Pain and Death on the Cross • Jesus was beaten before he was crucified. • Whips with bone, rocks and glass. • Jesus had to carry the cross beam to Golgotha. • Probably anywhere from 75- 125 lbs. • Jesus would have nails put into his hands and into his feet. • Nailed through the skin and bone to hang him on the cross.
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • Physical Pain and Death on the Cross • They would pick up the cross dropping it into a hole in the ground. • All Jesus’ weight would come down upon his hands and feet where he was nailed. • He was probably naked. • Done to humiliate. • Given sour wine or vinegar to drink. • Imagine being desperately thirsty and you are given something sour.
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • Physical Pain and Death on the Cross • The weight of his body would make it very difficult to breathe. • Forcing suffocation, your lungs essentially collapse. • Would have to lift his own body in order to breathe.
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • The Pain of bearing sin • We know the feeling of anguish when we have sinned. • The feeling of wrong and disgust with ourselves. • How much more did Jesus feel this when he took on the sin of all on the cross? • Increased exponentially.
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • The pain of bearing sin-Scripture Evidence • Isaiah 53:6- The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. • Isaiah 53:12- He bore the sin of many • John 1:29- John the Baptist speaking about Jesus, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” • 2 Corinthians 5:21- Paul declares that God made Christ, “to be sin.” • Galatians 3:13- Christ became “a curse for us” • Hebrews 9:28- Christ was “offered once to bear the sin of many. • 1 Peter 2:24- He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree.
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • Abandonment-Jesus faced all this pain alone. • Mark 14:34- Jesus says, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch.” • Something you would ask of your closest friends. • However as soon as Jesus is captured we read, “all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Mark 26:56)
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • Even greater abandonment is seen from his Father (God). • Matthew 27:26- My God, My God why have you forsaken me? • This was because God can not look upon sin, especially not the sins of the whole world.
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • Bearing the Wrath of God • The most painful of all that happened on the cross. • God poured his wrath out onto Jesus. • “Jesus became the object of the intense hatred of sin and vengeance against sin which God had patiently stored up since the beginning of the world.” (Grudem, 575) • What we deserved was placed upon Christ. • Without this, the wrath of God would not be satisfied and our sins would not be forgiven.
The Atonement- The Nature of the Atonement (The Pain of the Cross) • Bearing the Wrath of God • Jesus became our propitiation- A sacrifice that bears God’s wrath to the end and in so doing changes God’s wrath toward us into favor. • For a Holy and Just God, sin had to be paid for. • Jesus voluntarily chose to pay for sin on the cross for you and I.
The Atonement • Penal Substitution • Penal- means it bore a penalty when he died. • Substitution- means that he was a substitute for us when he died. • Christ paid the penalty of our sins on the cross (death) • Christ also substituted himself on the cross for us.
Different Aspects of the Atonement • Sacrifice- to pay the penalty of death that we deserved because of our sins, Christ died as a sacrifice for us. • Hebrews 9:26- He has appeared one for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. • Propitiation- To remove from us the wrath of God we deserved. • 1 John 4:10- In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Different Aspects of the Atonement • Reconciliation- To overcome our separation from God, to brings us back to fellowship with God. • 2 Corinthians 5:18-18- through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. • Redemption- Because we as sinners are in bondage to sin and to Satan, we need someone to provide redemption and thereby “redeem” us out of that bondage. • We have been redeemed from our bondage from Satan.
Other Views on the Atonement • The Ransom to Satan Theory • The ransom Christ paid to redeem us was paid to Satan, in whose kingdom all people were by virtue of sin. • Has no confirmation found in Scripture. • This places far too much power in the hands of Satan. • Giving him the power to demand whatever he wants. • Thus Jesus basically had to buy us back from Satan.
Other Views on the Atonement • The Moral Influence Theory (Jehovah Witness) • God did not require a penalty for sin to be paid. • However Jesus died on the cross to show only the great love God had for us. • It is merely an example of God’s love. • We thus must give praise and thanks in our response. • Problem with this is how do we deal with all the scripture about Christ dying for our sins and bearing our guilt.
Other Views on the Atonement • The Example Theory • Very similar to Moral Influence Theory. • Jesus was merely an example for us to follow, in how to fully trust and obey God perfectly. • Sin does not need to be paid for. • Problem with this is like the MIT. • How do you reconcile this with all the Scripture saying that Jesus died for our sins. • Also it does not answer the question of who is paying the guilt of mankind.
Did Christ Descend into Hell? • Some believe that when Jesus died he descend into hell. • Comes from the Apostles Creed. • “was crucified, dead, and buried, he descended into hell.” • This phrase does not arise in the Apostles Creed until 650 AD.
Did Christ Descend into Hell? • Scripture arguments against this: • Luke 23:43- Jesus says to the criminal next to him on the cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise. • Understanding that Jesus’ spirit went straight to the presence of the Father. • John 19:30- Jesus says on the cross, “It is finished.” • Implies Jesus did not need to do anything else to offer salvation. • Luke 23:46- Jesus says on the cross, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
Did Christ Descend into Hell? • Thus Jesus died, his soul goes straight into the presence of God. • Then on the third day his soul is reunited with his body, that was on earth and buried, and is resurrected. • This leaving out the opportunity for Jesus to descend into hell.
Summary • Christ died for our sins. • He bore the physical pain of crucifixion. • He bore the sin of man and the wrath of God. • Christ substituted himself for us. • Christ paid our penalty of Sin. • Thus we now have the chance to renew our fellowship and relationship with God… Which Is The Atonement !
Resurrection • An understanding of the resurrection is crucial as a believer. • The resurrection of Jesus comes into question everyday. • TV shows and books dedicated to trying to argue against the truth of the resurrection. • If the resurrection of Jesus did not happen, then everything in the Bible is useless. • The great thing is Jesus did rise from the dead.
Resurrection- New testament Evidence • Matthew 28:1-20 • Mark 16:1-8 • Luke 24:1-53 • John 20:1- 21:25 • Book of Acts is about the apostles telling of the resurrected Jesus around their world. • The Epistles operate under the assumption that Jesus is risen. • Thus Jesus must be head of the church, who is to be trusted, worshipped, and adored. • Revelation refers to the risen King Jesus several times throughout the book. • Predicts His return to conquer His enemies and reign in glory. • “The entire NT bears witness to the resurrection of Christ.”
Resurrection- The Nature of the Resurrection • Jesus’ resurrection was different from those who had been raised from the dead before. (i.e., Lazarus) • If Jesus had been raised from the dead that same way he would still suffer from the weaknesses of the human body. • Thus Jesus would die again one day. As Lazarus did. • When Jesus was raised from the dead He was the “first fruits” • 1 Corinthians 15:20- But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. • Jesus body was a new kind of human life. • His human body was made perfect. He was no longer subjected to the pains of reality (death, pain, aging)
Resurrection- The Nature of the Resurrection • This new body was still recognizable. • The disciples did pause shortly in amazement at Jesus. • Luke 24:3- They were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. • Jesus was not totally different in appearance. • They would come to realize who Jesus was. • Matthew 28:9- And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshipped Him. • John 20:19-20, 26-28; 21:7, 12
Resurrection- Jesus had a physical body • Proof that Jesus had a physical body from the New Testament. • Matthew 28:9- Disciples take hold of his feet. • Luke 24:30- He took bread and broke it. • John 20:20- Jesus eats a piece of broiled fish. • John 20:27- Jesus invites Thomas to touch his hands and his side. • Luke 24:39- Jesus is speaking, “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
Resurrection- Importance of the Resurrected Body • Since Jesus came back into a material body it shows the goodness of the material creation. Greek philosopher Plato argued that matter was essentially evil. • Thus the body was merely evil just because it was made of matter. • However Jesus coming back in a new body that was a real body proves that the material is good when renewed by God.
Resurrection- Importance of the Resurrected Body • This goes back to Genesis 1:31, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” • Also the earth will be renewed once Jesus comes back to usher in the events in Revelation. • We will not live as spiritual beings but always have a body. • God made us originally this way and it was good. • Nonmaterial existence is not better.
Resurrection- Importance of the Resurrection • Christ’s Resurrection ensures our Regeneration • 1 Peter 1:3- We have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. • When Jesus was resurrected He was raised from the dead He had a perfect body and spirit to have perfect fellowship and obedience to God. • We have a new life now, but also will have a resurrected body that will live perfect before the Lord.
Resurrection- Importance of the Resurrection • We do not fully experience this new resurrected life now. • This is something that will come after Jesus returns for us. • However we do experience some of the power of a new Christian life now. • We have died to sin and raised to new life. • We put away sin and seek to glorify God.
Resurrection- Importance of the Resurrection • However we do experience some of the power of a new Christian life now. (cont.) • Also we have power to conquer the remaining sin in our lives. • Through Jesus we are able to overcome sin and its strangle hold on our lives. • Romans 6:14- Sin will have no dominion over you. • Also we have the power to minister in the work of his kingdom. • Acts 1:8- You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.
Resurrection- Importance of the Resurrection • Christ’s resurrection ensures our justification. • Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which He (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and (2) declares us to be righteous in His sight. • Romans 4:25- (Jesus) was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification. • “By raising Christ from the dead, God the Father was in effect saying that he approved of Christ’s work of suffering and dying for our sins, that his work was completed, and that Christ no longer had any need to remain dead.”(615)
Resurrection- Importance of the Resurrection • So if God approves of the resurrection of Jesus and we have been raised to new life through Jesus than God approves of us. • Ephesians 2:6- and raised us up with Him. • Colossians 2:12- having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God.
Resurrection- Importance of the Resurrection • Christ’s resurrection ensures us that we will have new perfect resurrected bodies. • 1 Corinthians 6:14- God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. • 2 Corinthians 4:14- He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. • Also in 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 Jesus is called the first fruits of those who are asleep. • Why is this metaphor important? • Signifies something is new “first” • Signifies there will be more fruit coming. “first” • The idea here is that we will be “fruits” like Jesus, but he is the “first fruit”
Resurrection • Will we have our scars from earth like Jesus had nail prints in his hands and feet? • We probably will not have any scars. • We will be fully healed. • The scars of Jesus were left as an eternal reminder of his suffering. • In fact the severe beating He took before being crucified were probably all healed. • This due to the lack of any mention of it in detail like Jesus’ hand and feet.
Resurrection • Because we are now resurrected because Christ was resurrected, we must then continue steadfastly in the Lord’s work! • 1 Corinthians 15:58- Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. • Also we need to see our future heavenly reward as our goal. • Heaven will be our reward for all our painful suffering while living on earth. • Finally the resurrection should obligate us to stop yielding to sin in our lives. • Romans 6:11-13- Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Ascension • After Jesus was resurrected He stayed on earth for forty more days. • Then he led his followers to Bethany outside of Jerusalem. • Luke 24:50-51- Lifting up His hands, he blessed them. While he blessed them, He parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. • This is important because Jesus did not just disappear never to be seen from again. • Jesus ascended into heaven slowly, signifying He went to a place. An actual place, where that is we are not sure.
Ascension • Jesus ascends to heaven with His Father. • There He received glory, honor, and authority that He did not previously have while a God-man. • Acts 2:33- Jesus was “exalted at the right hand of God.” • Philippians 2:9- God has highly exalted Him. • Jesus was seated at God’s right hand • Hebrews 1:3- When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. • This is significant because it shows Jesus Christ as completing his task of redemption.
Ascension • Jesus was seated at God’s right hand • Also this shows Jesus being given authority. • Ephesians 1:20-21- raised him from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named. • Jesus is both sitting on the throne and sitting at the right hand of God the Father. • 1 Peter 3:22- who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. • Authority to pour out the Holy Spirit. • Acts 2:33- Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
Ascension • What does the ascension mean for us? • First- Since we are now united with Christ, this foreshadows our future ascension into heaven with him. • 1 Thessalonians 4:17- We who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with the Lord. • Second- Jesus ascension gives us assurance that Heaven will be our final home. • John 14:2-3- In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
