• Home
  • About Me
  • Videos and Teachings
  • My Loves
  • Blog
Steve Squires
Follow and Reach Me

Ash Wednesday 2019

3/6/2019

0 Comments

 
​Ash Wednesday – “Cross as Atonement
March 6, 2019
 
            We start with a fundamental question: Why did Jesus have to die?  The simple Biblical answer to this: He died for us.  John 1:29 communicates this, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world!” Jesus has only one purpose, that is to die in our place so that we will be justified in front of God.  
 
            When we talk about Jesus’ death and eventual resurrection we cannot avoid talking about the law.  For it is in the transgression of the law that we are condemned and where Christ becomes of utmost important.  The law originally was set up so that the Israelite people would be able to have a right relationship with a holy God.  God provided the law as good news, not as bad news.  The problem is that the law became bad news as it was impossible to follow and fulfill for the everyday first century Jewish person. When the law was transgressed there needed to be an atonement for the sin.  This is where the priesthood entered.  The priesthood offered sacrifice to God for the transgression of the law (this is seen clearly in Leviticus 4:27-31).  As a result of this, people were forgiven. We, like the Israelites, have broken the law. We owe a debt to God; we need forgiveness. 
 
            What we need to comprehend is that we are unable to pay this debt.  Psalm 49:7-9 lays this out for us: “No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them - the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough – so that they should live on forever and not see decay.”  We need a priest, like the Israelites to bring atonement for our sins.  The good news is that Jesus pays our debt and our righteousness come only from Christ. This is spelled out in Romans 3:18-24. Jesus operates as a priest as well as a sacrifice for us.  As He died on the cross He was sacrificed for us.  Jesus pays the debt.  And this payment is once and for all as articulated in Hebrews 9:11-28.
 
            The summary of the situation is this: We are the reason for Christ’s death.  Isaiah 53:4-5 makes this clear: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering . . . “ As we work our way through this Lenten season let us reflect on this truth.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Father, Pastor, Writer

    Archives

    January 2023
    October 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    March 2017
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All
    Barth
    Bible
    Bi-polar
    Books
    Church
    Discipleship
    God
    Leadership
    Missions
    Music
    Outreach
    Prayer
    Running
    Scripture
    Sermon
    Sermons
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Spotify
    Technology
    Theology
    Triathlon
    Worship

    RSS Feed