“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV Bible).
Sin
There is something in our lives that separates us from a holy God. It is sin. Sin present in us is what makes us do wrong. In God’s eyes sin has to be punished because He is a holy God. His justice demands that sinners be punished.
The Son
But that is just one side of the story. If God punished us for our sins, then no one would remain on earth, because every person on earth has sinned; one time or the other. Therefore, God in His eternal love for us provided a way. He sent His one and only Son Jesus to this earth as a human being. He was born of a virgin, being conceived in her womb through the Holy Spirit. He lived a sinless life on earth. He healed the sick, cast out demons, miraculously fed the hungry, calmed the winds and the waves, and even raised the dead!
His Sufferings
Finally, the time came for Jesus to fulfill the purpose for which He came to the earth¾to die! He was betrayed by one of His disciples and another one denied knowing Him. He was left alone; was mocked, beaten, flogged, spat upon, and a crown of thorns was also put on His head. They finally led Him away to be crucified and He carried the cross.
Some 700 years before the birth of Christ, Prophet Isaiah had foretold about His suffering:
“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:2b-6 NIV Bible).
The Substitute
Jesus died as our substitute. It was for this that Jesus came to this earth. He took upon Himself the punishment due to us for our sin that we might receive the forgiveness of sins. For God’s Word says that without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness! And the blood which He poured out for us on the cross was accepted as a pleasing sacrifice by God. And thus God’s justice which demands that sin be punished was satisfied by Jesus’ death on the Cross.
All this happened because of God’s love for you and me. God is such a holy God that He cannot look upon evil. He is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. And God had to punish sin in you and me. But in His great love for us, God sent His Son to die in our place.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV Bible).
Forgiveness
Therefore, now there is open to you the possibility of receiving forgiveness of sins. For the blood of Jesus has the power to wash away our sins and purify us from all sin.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins ….” (Ephesians 1:7 NIV Bible).
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV Bible).
Eternal Life
To those who believe in Him, God has granted the gift of eternal life. We can be sure of eternal life when we believe in Him because God raised Jesus from the dead. He had laid down His life willingly and in obedience to His Father’s command. But death could have no hold on Him because in Him was eternal life.
God through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus destroyed the power of sin and death. He tasted death for us, that we may live for Him.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NIV Bible).
The Love Story
God has thus demonstrated His love for you. Think of the Lamb of God who was slain for you on the Cross. Think of His love for you and you shall have peace with God!
God bless you!