First Proposition: The death of Jesus Christ is mentioned directly more than 175 in the New Testament.
Moreover, there are many prophetic and typical references to the death of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Heb_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."
Second Proposition: Jesus Christ became a partaker of flesh and blood in order that He might die.
The incarnation was for the purpose of His death. Jesus Christ's death was not a mere incident of His human life, it was the supreme purpose of it. He became man in order that He might die as man and for man. Mat_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."
Third Proposition: Jesus Christ came into the world that He might die as a ransom. Luk_9:30-31 — "And behold there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem."
Fourth Proposition: The death of Jesus Christ was the subject that Moses and Elias talked with Him about when they appeared in glory. 1Pe_1:11 — "Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."
Fifth Proposition: The prophesied death of Christ was a subject of deep interest and earnest inquiry to the Old Testament prophets. 1Pe_1:12 — "Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."
Sixth Proposition: The death of Jesus Christ was a subject of deep interest and earnest inquiry to the angels. Rev_5:8-12 — "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
Seventh Proposition: The death of Jesus Christ is the central theme of heaven's song. 1Co_15:1; 1Co_15:3-4 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day. according to the Scriptures."
Eighth Proposition: The death of Jesus Christ is one of the two fundamental truths of the Gospel.
Compare to 1Co_11:26 ("For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come") and to Corinthians 2:2 ("For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified").
The importance of Jesus Christ's death will become more clear when we consider the purpose and result of His death. The modern preaching that lays principal emphasis upon the life and example of Jesus Christ is thoroughly unscriptural.
II. THE PURPOSE OF HIS DEATH. Isa_53:5 — "But he was wounded [Hebrew "pierced"; same Hebrew word is so translated in RV of Isa_51:9] for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isa_53:8; Isa_53:11-12 — "He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." 1Pe_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." Rom_4:25 — "Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification." 1Co_15:3 — "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." 1Pe_2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye are healed."
First Proposition: Jesus Christ died because of the sins of others.
It was sin that made His death necessary. It was not His own sin, but that of others that He bore in His death. His death was vicarious (i.e., a just one who deserved to live, dying in the place of the unjust men who deserved to die). Mat_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."
Second Proposition: Jesus Christ gave His life as a ransom.
His death was the price paid to redeem others from death. Isa_53:10, RV — "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin (Hebrews 'a guilt-offering'), he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."
Third Proposition: Jesus Christ's soul was made a guilt-offering for sin.
It was on the ground of His death that pardon is granted to sinners. See Lev_6:6-7, RV. See also Heb_9:22 ("And almost all things are by the law purged with blood: and without shedding of blood is no remission") and Heb_9:28 ("So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation''). Compare to Isa_53:12. 1Jn_4:10 — "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (The definition in Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament of the word translated "propitiation" is a "means of appeasing.") Rom_3:25 — "Whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, by his blood, to show his righteousness, because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God." (The word here translated "propitiation" means practically the same thing as the word used above — "an expiatory sacrifice.") Fourth Proposition: Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins.
God set Him forth to be a propitiation by His blood. Through the shedding of Christ's blood, or death, the wrath of God against us as sinners is appeased.
God is holy and must hate sin and His holiness and hatred of sin must manifest itself. His wrath at sin must strike somewhere, on the sinner himself or upon a lawful substitute. Isa_53:6 says, "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." (See RV Margin. The literally translated Hebrew is, "made to strike upon.") And Isa_53:8, RV Am. App. — "By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due." "The stroke due" to others fell upon Him and He was consequently "cut off out of the land of the living." The death of Christ has its first cause in the demands of God's holiness. Gal_3:10; Gal_3:13 — "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."
Fifth Proposition: Jesus Christ died to redeem us from the curse of the law by bearing that curse Himself. 1Co_5:7 — "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." (Compare to Exo_12:13; Exo_12:23 — "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.") Sixth Proposition: Jesus Christ died as our passover sacrifice, that His shed blood might serve as a ground upon which God would pass over and spare us. Gal_4:4-5 — "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."
Seventh Proposition: Jesus Christ died to redeem those under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons, that the death of Christ might serve as a ground upon which men might be delivered from the claims of the law and be made sons. Gal_1:4 "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father."
Eighth Proposition: Jesus Christ died to deliver us from this present evil age.
We were in bondage to this age by sin and law. By the death of Jesus Christ we were delivered from this age to become citizens of heaven and sons of God ( Php_3:20). (Compare Gal_4:3-5; Gal_4:7-9; Gal_5:1.) 1Pe_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."
Ninth Proposition: Jesus Christ died to bring us to God.
His death puts out of the way the impassable gulf that yawns between a holy God and sinful man. Joh_12:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
Tenth Proposition: Jesus Christ died that He might bring forth much fruit. From His death sprang up the new race of Sons of God. Rom_14:9, RV — "For to this end Christ died, and lived again, that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living."
Eleventh Proposition: Jesus Christ died and lived again that He might be the Lord of both the dead and living.
III. WHO DID CHRIST DIE FOR? Rom_8:32 — "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Eph_5:2 — "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." Tit_2:14 "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." 1Co_5:7 — "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." 2Co_5:21 — "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
First Proposition: Jesus Christ died "for us," for believers in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ died for all men, but His death was especially for those who by faith take the blessings His death purchased. ( 1Ti_4:10 — -"For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe." This is the truth contained in the old doctrine of a limited atonement.) Eph_5:25-27 — "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Second Proposition: Jesus Christ gave himself for His Church.
While Christ died for all, He had His bride, whom He would redeem for Himself, especially in view, and His death avails especially for Her. Gal_2:20 — "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth 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."
Third Proposition: Jesus Christ gave Himself for individual believers; not merely for the church as a body, but for each individual in the body, so that each believer can say, "He loved me and gave himself for me." Rom_14:15 — "But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died." 1Co_8:11 — "And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?"
Fourth Proposition: Jesus Christ died for the weak brother.
He died not only for the strong, enlightened, mature Christian, but for the weakest member of the household of faith as well. If we would bear this in mind, we would be more patient considerate toward the weak Christian who does not progress as rapidly as we wish. He is a weak brother, it is true, but he is "the weak brother for whom Christ died." Mat_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."
Fifth Proposition: Jesus Christ died for many. It was no small company for whom Christ died. Rev_5:9, RV — "Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation."
Sixth Proposition: Jesus Christ died for men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.
Here is the foundation warrant for worldwide missions, and here is the urgent call to press the work: "Let me go and find in the heart of Africa the men of that tribe for whom Christ died." Joh_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!"
Seventh Proposition: Jesus Christ died for the whole world.
On the grounds of Christ's death, God can deal with the whole world in mercy. The death of Christ is sufficient for the whole world, but it is fully efficient for believers only. We shall see that it is in part efficient for all humankind ( 1Jn_2:2; 1Co_15:22).Jesus Christ is the head of the church ( Eph_1:22) and died for it as its head. But He is also in another sense the head of the race — the second Adam — and died for all men as the head of the race ( 1Co_15:22; 1Co_15:45). 1Ti_2:6 — "Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."