Christ’s Necessary Death
23 October 2022 PM – Acts 17:1-4 – Lord’s Supper – Scott Childs
Introduction: In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were beaten and locked in painful stocks in the inner prison. After God sent a great earthquake, the jailer was saved, and they were released.
From there, the missionaries travelled west to Thessalonica. In the Thessalonian synagogue, Paul reasoned with the attendees out of the scriptures. He opened the scriptures (i.e., opened their minds to the scriptures) and alleged (i.e., placed food on the table) the gospel. He alleged that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again. He was saying that Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection were necessary.
Transition: This evening, I want to use scripture to answer the question, “Why was it necessary for Christ to suffer and rise again?”
1. It was necessary to fulfil God’s plan
a. In eternity past, God’s love motivated His plan
1) He planned eternal life for His creation before He created the world. (Titus 1:2) “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;“
2) (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“
3) (Romans 5:8) “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.“
b. God’s plan is to save the ungodly
1) It was necessary for Christ to come to earth that He might save sinners. (John 3:17) “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.“
2) (Romans 5:6) “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.“
3) (Matthew 20:28) “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.“
4) (2 Corinthians 5:21) “For he (God) hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.“
2. It was necessary because of our great sin.
a. Likely, Paul used Isaiah 53 to prove this.
The entire chapter detailed Christ’s Passion, some 700 years before it took place. (Isaiah 53:5) “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.“
1) Our transgressions (rebellion) required it. After David confessed his sin of adultery and murder, he prayed, (Psalms 51:1) “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” (Psalms 32:1) “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” (Psalms 103:12) “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.“
2) Our iniquities (perversions) required it. We needed His propitiation to pay the debt of our perversions. (Isaiah 64:6) “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Psalms 130:3) “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?“
3) Our separation from God (left us with no hope of peace) required it. We needed reconciliation with God. (Romans 5:10) “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.“
4) Our spiritual healing (malignant hearts) required it. (Jeremiah 17:9) “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” We need redemption, justification, regeneration, sanctification.
b. Our sinfulness demands a Passover Lamb
1) The Passover lamb in Exodus 12 gave its blood to save the life of others. The firstborn in every house that had no lamb’s blood on the sides and top of the door was killed.
2) Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, gave His blood to save our sinful souls. (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?” Of John the Baptist it is written, (John 1:29) “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.“
3. It was necessary because no less payment is sufficient.
a. Look again at Isaiah 53:5.
1) He was wounded (pierced).
2) He was bruised (crushed).
3) He was chastised (chastened to produce change, enabling our reconciliation to God).
4) He endured stripes (wounds from a whip or rod). (1 Peter 3:18) “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:“
b. The Christ must die and rise again (Ac 17:3)
1) He died (to endure separation from God and eternal death for us) (Hebrews 2:14-15) “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; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.“
2) He raised again (to conquer eternal death for us). (Romans 4:25) “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.“
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Christ needed to suffer and rise again from the dead (1) to fulfil God’s eternal plan for mankind, (2) because of our great sin that separates us from God, and (3) because no less payment is sufficient to atone for our eternal judgment in hell.
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Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Elvina M. Hall, GH 125