So……What does it mean that “Christ died for our sins?” What did Jesus do at the cross?
WHAT is the ATONEMENT?
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
What does Paul mean by, “Christ died for our sins?” Each word is important in that sentence. What did Jesus do at the cross? What was accomplished? Did Jesus make salvation possible? Or did he make it actual? For who? What is “atonement”? Were our sins “atoned” for at the cross? Or when we believed? Is God still angry? What is propitiation? How is propitiation different from expiation?
To answer those questions, in Study–>See–>Savor! Session #10, we looked at how the Bible talks about these words, like atonement, propitiation, expiation–what does this language mean? We must let not our preconceived ideas about the atonement influence the way in which we interpret the Biblical texts speaking on the atonement. We must let the Bible define our belief. We looked at six (or more) words used to describe the atonement and how they show what the nature of the atonement is.
I. Jesus is our Sacrifice
- In the Old Testament, the people offered sacrifices for their sin. What is a sacrifice and how does that help us understand the death of Christ?
- Sacrifice: (def) 1: an act of offering to a deity something precious; especially : the killing of a victim on an altar 2: something offered in sacrifice 3 a: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b: something given up or lost
Leviticus 16:15-16 Why did Aaron slaughter (sacrifice) the goat? (See also all of Leviticus 16-17).
The nature of these sacrifices = propitiation and expiation
What?? It means that the sacrifice was the way sin was covered and the anger of God was satisfied.
B. Hebrews 9:26; 9:11-15. 1 John 1:7 sin makes us dirty, Jesus died to cleanse us (expiate)
How is Jesus’s death like the sacrifices in the Old Testament? Goat of propitiation was killed and the blood covered over; Goat of expiation (“scapegoat”) was driven out of town, taking the guilt and shame with it. People would cheer as the goat ran away, taking away their defilement. (Example: rape victims usually take a shower as an attempt to cleanse not only the body but the soul) Image is also seen in baptism. In Revelation, the bride wears WHITE, symbolic of our expiation. In Christ, we are cleansed! Bible says we are white as snow.
C. Like the Old Testament sacrifice, Jesus propiatiated the wrath and anger of God and expiated our guilt and he also washed away our sin. The OT sacrifices were a foreshadow of Christ. Jesus’ death was a sacrifice in a way the OT offerings could never have been for they were temporary, provisional, preparatory, and partial, but Christ’s was eternal, permanently real, the final, and the complete (Hebrews 9:14).
II. “FOR” US: Penal Substitutionary Atonement
Penal-penalty for sin. Genesis- if you sin, you will die. Rom 6:23- Wages of sin is death.
Substitutionary-Jesus went in our place and suffered what I should suffer. He is my substitute. He took my place.
Atonement- early in OT. Yom Kippur= Day of Atonement. Sin separates us from God, sin needs to be taken away so we can be forgiven and reconciled to God. God’s people would come together and confess their sins, deal with them with sacrifices and was a shadow of what was to come in Jesus.
AT-ONE-MENT…Jesus takes away our sin and we can be ONE with God again. Jesus gives us the gift we don’t deserve and can never earn.
A. The Old Testament sacrifices were also substitutionary in nature (see Leviticus 16:8-9). The animal was killed in their place. Our sin deserves the death penalty. (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23). But God atoned for our sin through the death of the animal offered. The sacrificer’s sin was imputed to the sacrifice and it bore the death penalty FOR the sacrificer.
B. Christ’s death was also substitutionary. Is 53 , Rom 4:25 (1 Corinthians 15:3; Romans 5:8). 1 Pet 3:18, 1 John 2:2, Gal 3:13
C. If Christ died as our substitution for our sins, should we still have to die for them?
Jesus is our Justification: Because God is just, and we are guilty, He can’t justify us. If there is a judge and an evil murderer comes before him and pleads guilty (which he IS) if the judge lets him go, that is terrible and we would object loudly!
Works of the law: are about us trying to make ourself good enough. Religious form- we try to be devout and good so that God will love us. We try to earn justification by doing what we should and not doing what we shouldn’t. More vague spiritual form is just to assume that what we are now doing will be good enough. ”I’m a good person, or at least better than most.” (arrogance!) (But God says, “Be perfect as I am perfect!”) Religion leads to pride (“I did enough”) or despair (“I can never do enough!”)
Bible says (Is 64:6)- our righteousness is as filthy menstrual rags…bloody tampons. Gross. Coming before God with our good works is like bringing a box of those to God as a birthday gift. Another biblical word: dung. Big, steaming pile. We will not please God with that and we will NOT be justified. It is disgusting to assume that we can be good enough! Alternative is Jesus. Righteousness comes through faith.(Romans 1-3) Luther- the great exchange. Jesus takes our sin and He gives us His righteousness! This is an act of grace, a gift that we do NOT deserve. It doesn’t lead to pride or despair. It leads to joy! This is justification.
III. Jesus is our Propitiation…what???
A. Romans 3:25-26; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 4:10.
God is love and He loved us first (we don’t seek him!)
What is propitiation? ESV- Ps 51:4 our sin is against God. How does God respond? He is angry, He hates sin, and hates those that are sinners. God’s WRATH burns against sin.
There are more verses about God’s wrath in the Bible than God’s love! We are far worse than we think, and God is far greater! IF we don’t repent of our sin, we are storing up wrath (God adds a rock to the pile)
How is this idea conveyed in the OT (Leviticus 4:35)? Passover lamb was slaughtered, the blood was painted over the door and God passed-over. His wrath was averted. We need Jesus’ blood over us (He is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world…John 1)
When was the priest forgiven?
What does it mean for Christ to be our propitiation? He died in our place, He shed His blood FOR me. God’s wrath is poured out on Jesus, instead of on us.
What does this reveal about what Christ did at the cross? He took God’s wrath on HIM! He died for our sins so we are forgiven, and not punished for our sin. We don’t need to make it up to Him.
IV. Jesus is Our Reconciliation
A. Romans 5:8-11
Why did we need to be reconciled?
How were we reconciled?
When were we reconciled?
Is reconciliation simply the change of our attitude toward God? Notice the parallel between verse 10 (“reconciled to God through the death of His Son”) and verse 9 (“having now been justified by His blood”). The latter is not a subjective change in our attitude toward God, so is the former?
B. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Who does the reconciling, us or God?
V. Jesus is Our Redemption
A. Galatians 3:10-14
What have we been redeemed from?
Why do we need to be redeemed?
What is the benefit of redemption?
B. Galatians 4:4-5
Why did God send Christ?
What is God’s intent for our redemption?
VI. Jesus is Our Ransom
A. Mark 10:45
Why did Christ come?
What was the ransom price?
VII. SO….what does this all mean?
A. Is the atonement completed?
Hebrews 1:3
When did Christ sit down at the right hand of God?
Hebrews 9:12, 25-26.
What kind of redemption is it?
What did Christ put away on the cross?
B. What does all of this mean?
C. Was the cross sufficient for our atonement? Or does it also need our faith?
D. Did Christ not also secure our faith at the cross (Romans 8:32)?
E. If Christ was our substitutionary sacrifice who propitiated for our sins, redeemed us, reconciled us to God, and paid our ransom, would it not be unjust for God to still send us to Hell?
F. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
So……What does Paul mean by, “Christ died for our sins?” What did Jesus do at the cross?
Check the next post for more discussion of the atonement!
Filed under: Sunday Study, Theology | Tagged: atonement, Bible, expiation, foreshadow, forgiveness, justification, Mark Driscoll, Old Testament, propitiation, ranson, reconciliation, redemption, righteousness, sacrifice, satisfaction
