WHY DID JESUS DIE?
II CORINTHIANS 5: 14-18
Introduction: Recently in speaking with a young man, I asked, "Why did Jesus die?" He replied that Jesus was crucified because he had angered the Jewish religious leaders. He knew the historical facts surrounding the death of Christ but had no concept of why Jesus died on the cross. This young man is not alone. Thousands upon thousands have no concept of the reason Christ went to the cross. Even many Christians have only a superficial or an elementary understanding of the crucifixion of the Son of God. The death of Christ was no accident. The Bible tells us that Christ is the Sacrificial Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. Why did Jesus die?
I. Christ died for all of mankind.
A. II Corinthians 5:14 "For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:"
B. Romans 5:6 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
C. "On this planet called earth there are many kinds of people. But not in God’s sight. In God’s sight, there are only two kinds. Not rich or poor, old or young, tall or short, fat or thin, black or white, Anglo or Hispanic- only saved or lost. Without Jesus Christ, all are lost. Christ died with the intent that all might have the opportunity to be saved.
D. Hebrews 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
II. Christ died to cover the cost associated with sin
A. I John 2:2 "And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
B. Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
C. The story is told of a man who was brought into court for trial and found guilty. The judge happened to be a close boyhood friend of the accused, although they had not seen each other for many years. Remaining impartial, the judge sentenced the man and levied a penalty appropriate to his case. It was a fine so large that the accused could not pay it. A jail sentence, therefore, seemed to be the only alternative. The judge then did a very unusual thing. Leaving the bench he approached the convicted man, shook his hand, and announced, "I’m paying the fine for you."
D. I Peter 1:18-19 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"
E. As far as we know it cost God nothing to create the universe; but paying the price for our sin cost Him the blood of His Son on the cross.
III. Christ died to condemn the originator of sin
A. When God wanted to defeat sin, his ultimate weapon was the sacrifice of his own Son.
B. I John 3:8 "He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."
C. Hebrews 2:14 "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;"
D. Lyle Arakaki of Honolulu, Hawaii tells the following story about himself. "In Hawaii, because of the time difference with the continental U.S., the National Football League Monday night football game is played in mid-afternoon; so the local TV station delays its telecast till 6:30 in the evening. When my favorite team plays, I’m too excited to wait for television, so I’ll listen to the game on the radio, which broadcasts it live. Then, because they are my favorite team, I’ll watch the game on television too. If I know my team has won the game, it influences how I watch it on television. If my team fumbles the ball or throws an interception, it’s not a problem. I just think, {That’s bad, but it’s okay. In the end, we’ll win."}
E. There’s a line that’s been drawn through the ages. On that line stands old rugged cross. On that cross a battle is raging, for the gain of man’s soul or His loss. On one side march the forces of evil, all the demons and devils of hell. On the other the angels of glory, and they meet on Golgotha’s hill. The earth shakes with the force of the conflict, and the sun refuses to shine; for there hangs God’s Son in the balance, and then through the darkness He cries; "It is finished!" The battle is over. It is finished! There’ll be no more war. It is finished the end of the conflict. It is finished! And Jesus is Lord! (© 1976 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management) CCLI License No. 754427
IV. Christ died that all Believers might no longer live for themselves
A. II Corinthians 5:15 "And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."
B. One time at the City Temple in London, there was in the congregation a restaurateur named Emil Mettler, who was a close friend of Albert Schweitzer and a kind of agent for Schweitzer in Britain. Mettler would never allow a Christian worker to pay for a meal in his restaurant, but once he did happen to open his cash register in the presence of a secretary of the London Missionary Society. The secretary was astonished to see among the bills and coins a six-inch nail. What was it doing there? Mettler explained, "I keep this nail with my money to remind me of the price that Christ paid for my salvation and of what I owe Him in return."
C. Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
D. Jonathan Edwards said, "Resolved: that all men should live for the glory of God. Resolved second: That whether others do or not, I will."
E. Galatians 5:24 "And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."
F. Hebrews 9:14 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
G. J.B. Phillips "Christianity is an invitation to true living, and its truth is only endorsed by actual experience. When a man becomes a committed Christian, he sooner or later sees the falsity, the illusions, and the limitations of the humanist geocentric way of thinking. He becomes (sometimes suddenly, but more often gradually) aware of a greatly enhanced meaning in life and of a greatly heightened personal responsibility."
V. Christ died that all Believers might live a new level of excellence.
A. II Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
B. Jerry Vines - "Our churches are in serious trouble today. There is virtually no difference between the average church member and the person who is not a Christian. God meant for the Christian to be different, to live a different kind of life, and to be on a different moral level from those who are not Christians. And yet, there is practically no difference in lifestyle."
C. A Christian father was one day explaining to his little boy what a Christian is. When he had finished, the little boy asked, "Daddy, have I ever seen a Christian?"
D. Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
E. John 10:10 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
F. There is an old legend of a swan and a crane. A beautiful swan alighted by the banks of the water in which a crane was wading about seeking snails. For a few moments the crane viewed the swan in stupid wonder and then inquired: "Where do you come from?" "I come from heaven!" replied the swan. "And where is heaven?" asked the crane. "Heaven!" said the swan, "Heaven! Have you never heard of heaven?" And the beautiful bird went on to describe the grandeur of the Eternal City. She told of streets of gold, and the gates and walls made of precious stones; of the river of life, pure as crystal, upon whose banks is the tree whose leaves shall be for the healing of the nations. In eloquent terms, the swan sought to describe the hosts who live in the other world, but without arousing the slightest interest on the part of the crane. Finally, the crane asked: "Are there any snails there?" "Snails!" repeated the swan; "No! Of course there are not". "Then," said the crane, as it continued its search along the slimy banks of the pool, "you can have your heaven. I want snails!" This fable has a deep truth underlying it. How many a young person, to whom God has granted the advantages of a Christian home, has turned his back upon it and searched for snails! How many a man will sacrifice his wife, his family, his all, for the snails of sin! How many a girl has deliberately turned from the love of parents and home to learn too late that heaven has been forfeited for snails! (Moody’s Anecdotes, Page 125-126)
G. The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become if we would only practice the faith we profess. - Unknown
H. Christianity is neither a creed nor a ceremonial, but life vitally connected with a loving Christ. It isn’t only going to church on Sunday. It is living twenty-four hours of every day with Jesus Christ.
