Jesus Died the Accursed Death
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 3/5/2017 AM |
Text: | Galatians 3; Lord's Day 16 |
Psalters: | 276, 328, 272, 311 |
- The necessity.
- Why was it necessary that the Son of God humble Himself even unto death?
- His death was required by the justice and truth of God.
- God’s Word teaches that death is NOT a normal process, but a violent intervention of God as punishment.
- God’s attributes require that every sin against God be punished.
- Man cannot bear and satisfy God’s wrath; only God can bear His own wrath.
- What was the nature of Jesus’ death?
- First, His death was a crucifixion, i.e., He was cursed of God.
- Two things made Jesus’ crucifixion unique. He laid down His life (John 10:18), dismissing His spirit like a king (John 19:30),
- The fact that He is the eternal Son of God, Who is eternal life, made the death unparalleled.
- And His death was voluntary.
- Jesus’ death provides much comfort for us.
- His sacrifice of Himself completely satisfied God’s justice with respect to the guilt of all of our sins.
- And we are cleansed from the power of our sins (sanctification), so sin no longer has the right to reign over us (Rom. 6).
- If Jesus’ death was perfectly sufficient, why must believers still die?
- First, our deaths are not necessary as payment for sin, as is evidenced in the departures of Enoch and Elijah.
- Second, though death was conquered by Christ, the entire victory is not yet realized.
- Third, faith must be exercised so we see death as a blessing, an abolishing of sin’s presence in us and a passage to glory.
- As a result, Jesus’ death changes the nature of our death.