Understanding The Death And Triumph Of Christ Series

Understanding the Death and Triumph of Christ

1 Peter 3:18-22

Introduction

In Mel Gibson’s Movie, “The Passion of Christ” there is an obscure detail in the crucifixion scene that probably goes unnoticed by most people, but it is a detail that says so much.

When Jesus is being placed on the cross, the camera comes close to watch as a large spike is positioned in the middle of Jesus’ hand. Then, a mallet comes into focus, and a rugged hand swings it to drive the spike. Those are all things you expect to see.

But there is something you don’t see. You never see the face of the one who drives that nail. You never get a glimpse into the eyes, or heart of the one who so assuredly pounds away until the spike has passed through Jesus’ flesh and comes to rest in the wood of the cross.

You might be interested to know that the person who plays that role in the movie is the director himself, Mel Gibson. But why does he never show the face of the one who put Jesus on the cross? Why does he not give us the identity of the one who had the gall to put the Son of God to death?

He didn’t show us that face because that face was his. It was ours. We are the ones who put Jesus to death. It wasn’t the Romans. It wasn’t the Jews. It was our sin that nailed Jesus to the cross.

Colossians 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. “

This is a great passage on the salvation brought about by the death of Jesus Christ. It is also an interesting passage in that it gives us some glimpse into what Jesus Christ was doing while he was dead, that is, between His crucifixion and resurrection. Today the apostle Peter is going to teach us several things about the death of Christ and the triumph or victory of Christ.

Read Scriptures: 1 Peter 3:18-22

I. We must understand the Death of Christ

Vs. 18 “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit”

This is a verse that explains exactly what Jesus did when He died. In the clearest of terms it tells us why Jesus died and what the death of Jesus does for us. In fact, this verse explains the death of Jesus so clearly that it leaves everyone who hears this verse without an excuse if we fail to understand why Jesus died.

A. Jesus died once for sins. It was for the sins every human being that He died. We are sinful; we are guilty before God—we are guilty of disbelieving God. Just think how often we don’t believe God, how often we don’t take God and His Word seriously. When we are under the control of the sinful nature we continue disobeying God, cursing God, blaspheming God and act in rebellion toward God.

This is sin—all of this and so much more. We have transgressed the law of God, and when the law has been broken, the penalty has to be paid. We must be judged. What is the judgment and punishment? Death. Sin must be punished, and when we die in our sins, we have to be separated from God forever.

Why? Because God is perfect and only perfect beings can live in God’s presence. This is the reason our sin dooms us to death and eternal separation from God in hell.

However, this is the glorious gospel; this is the declaration of this great verse: Jesus Christ died for our sins. He took the sin and guilt of imperfect man upon Himself and bore the judgment and punishment for man.

The point is clear: Jesus Christ offered Himself for sin; He was the fulfillment of the sin-offering in the Old Testament itself. This is mind blowing: we can now become acceptable to God. We no longer have to stand before God guilty of sin, because Jesus Christ has died for our sin. If we trust His death to cover us, then sin and its guilt have been removed from us. In Christ we stand acceptable to God.

Before we move on from here we need to understand that what the verse clearly states, Jesus died once for our sins. His death never has to be repeated; His death upon the cross satisfies God completely and covers the sins and death of men forever.