Jesus Paid The Price - Eternal Life

Jesus Paid the Price for our Sins

March 21, 2021

Have you ever needed a pick me up? What do you do when you’re having a bad day? Do you go to the store and buy that super rich and creamy ice cream? Maybe it’s a cake or donut? Maybe a good Chicago pizza? You can see where I find comfort!

Or maybe you go to the store and buy some electronics or books or clothes and jewelry? There’s lots of options about what we can do when we’re having those not so good, very bad days.

Well, for the past two weeks, we’ve been looking at some not so very good things about our lives. Two weeks ago, we talked about our sin, remember, that little deposit in your refreshing glass of water? Then last week, we talked about the fact that you can’t do enough good deeds to redeem yourself.

Well . . . today and for the next two weeks - - - we’re looking at good news. So, who’s ready for some good news?!

Have you ever won something? You entered a raffle and when they pulled out the winning ticket, it had your name on it. That’s a great feeling, isn’t it? I’m not sure I’ve ever won anything like that.

When something great happens like that, or a job promotion or a new job, or an exciting life change - - - we want to share that with others. We want to shout from the rooftops about our good fortune. That should be what we’re feeling and thinking and experiencing for the next 3 weeks as we lead up to Easter and we recognize, believe and trust that what Jesus did for us was real and life altering.

After learning that God, the Creator and Architect of the universe, also created us for a personal relationship with Him - - that’s great news! We’re created in God’s image. How great is that?

Then we learned that because of our sins, we’re separated from our Creator, God – this led to spiritual and physical death - - and ultimately eternal separation from God.

The bad news continued as we realize we cannot do enough good to wash away our sins. We don’t how much good is enough or how much bad takes away the good in order to purge our sin. That’s where we’ve been, now comes the good news. Now, we’ve ended the past 2 weeks on a good note, but most of the message wasn’t necessarily uplifting.

The great news is the fact that - - Jesus paid the price for our sins.

Our sin separated us and continues to separate us every time we sin. But God made a way for us to connect and reconnect with Him! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news. In fact, it’s great news!!

The book of Isaiah has been referred to as the 5th gospel, as Isaiah paints a very vivid picture of Jesus in many different ways. One of them was to help us to see way back around 700 BC that Jesus was going to endure terrible, excruciating pain in order to die in our place.

This latter part of Isaiah is often called the Suffering Servant. That’s what Jesus became for us. As I was writing this message, I honestly really struggled at this point and came to the conclusion to make this message longer than shorter!

The reason is that I’m going to read the entire chapter of Isaiah 53. Now, it’s only 12 verses, but it is so rich with imagery about Jesus, our Suffering Servant, who died on our behalf.

As I read the passage, I want you to listen for the many times Isaiah tells us that Jesus was our substitute. He took the sins of a sinful people upon Himself, suffering and dying in our place. Isaiah proclaimed -

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

4 Surely HE HAS BORNE OUR GRIEFS and CARRIED OUR SORROWS; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But HE WAS PIERCED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS; HE WAS CRUSHED FOR OUR INIQUITEIES; upon Him was the CHASTISEMENT that brought us peace, and with HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned — every one — to his own way; and the LORD has LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.