Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Why is Jesus Qualified to be the Savior?

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,
"Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" (Revelation 5:6-12 ESV)

Good works cannot cancel out sin. But can one be punished on another's behalf?

Suppose a man killed another and he has to pay for the sin by his life. Can he get someone to die on his behalf? No. The person who sins is the one who will die (Ezekiel 18:20).

Suppose a man committed an offence and was fined a huge sum of money. He was unable to pay. Can someone pay the fine on his behalf? Yes. Since only money is required so justice is satisfied.

Money is a creation of men. When money is needed, who can come up with the money? The creator of money, man.

Life is a creation of God. When life is needed, who can come up with life? The creator of life, God.

So what qualifies Jesus to die for the sins of the world?
  1. Jesus is God and the creator of the world. Through Him all things were made (John 1:3).
  2. Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3), thus fully human, to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17) and was sinless (Hebrews 4:15).
  3. The wages of life is death (Romans 6:23) but because Jesus is sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21), He paid for our sins once by His death (Romans 6:10) and was able to be resurrected because He was sinless and death cannot hold Him (Acts 2:24).
For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4 ESV)

For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17 NIV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15 CSB)

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