Through His death, Jesus accomplished three essential purposes. First, He fulfilled the Old Covenant by perfectly keeping the law and meeting its requirements on our behalf. Second, His death established the New Covenant, offering believers complete forgiveness of sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Finally, the New Covenant grants direct access to God, allowing us to approach Him freely through Christ. These three truths reveal how Jesus’ sacrifice transforms our relationship with God.
Christ Died: For Everyone - Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:13)
Jesus’ death on the cross opened salvation to everyone, uniting Jews and Gentiles into one family of God. While the Jews were God’s chosen people in the Old Testament, tasked with carrying His promises and the Law, Christ’s sacrifice fulfilled God’s plan to extend grace to all, as promised through Abraham’s seed (Acts 3:25). Now, all who believe—regardless of background—are part of God’s family, heirs of His promises, and one in Christ, with no distinction between Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female (Galatians 3:28).
Christ Died: To Take Away Our Condemnation (Romans 8:1)
Romans 8 reveals three transformative truths about Christ’s sacrifice. First, there is no condemnation for those in Christ; He has freed believers from the penalty of sin—spiritual death and separation from God (Romans 8:1). Second, earthly accusations and hardships, even Satan’s attacks, cannot separate us from Christ’s love; through Him, we are victorious (Romans 8:37). Finally, with God on our side, we have an unshakable assurance that nothing can stand against us (Romans 8:31, Psalm 27:1). In Christ, we find freedom, victory, and eternal hope.
Christ Died to Complete the Obedience that becomes Our Righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21)
At the heart of the gospel lies an astonishing truth: Christ's death not only paid the price for our sins but also provided the perfect obedience we could never achieve. Through Jesus’ life of obedience and sacrificial death, He fulfilled God’s requirement for righteousness on our behalf. This lesson explores the depths of 2 Corinthians 5:21, showing how Jesus’ obedience “to the point of death” became our righteousness. His righteousness is imputed to believers, allowing us to stand wholly justified in God’s sight—not by our works, but by Christ's perfect obedience and grace.
Christ Died: to Justify Sinners Before God (Romans 3:24-25)
Christ died to provide a way for believers to be declared righteous and freed from guilt before God. All people are guilty of sin and deserve God’s punishment, yet God offers forgiveness as a gracious gift, not something that can be earned through good deeds. Justification—being cleared of blame—comes solely through faith in Jesus Christ, who took the punishment for sin upon Himself. Through faith in Christ, believers are released from condemnation and welcomed into a restored relationship with God.
Jesus Died: For the Forgiveness of Sins (Matthew 26:28)
In this lesson, we explored three main ideas from Matthew 26:28, where Jesus speaks of His blood being poured out for the forgiveness of sins. First, “My blood... which is poured out” refers to Jesus’ death. He knew He would die and explained to His disciples that His blood represented His sacrifice. Second, “the covenant” refers to the New Covenant promised by God in the Old Testament, a new relationship with His people made possible through Jesus’ death. Third, the outcome is the “forgiveness of sins,” meaning that through His sacrifice, Jesus paid the debt of our sins.
Only through Jesus' blood can we be released from the guilt of our sins, as He alone provides the ultimate path to forgiveness and redemption.
Christ Died: To Become a Ransom for Many (Mark 10:45)
Jesus' death was the ultimate ransom, freeing us from the captivity of sin. We learned 2 truths in this lesson: First, we need freedom—freedom from sin’s power, guilt, and the emptiness of life without God. Second, Jesus paid this ransom with His own life: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45). Just as Jesus served us, we are called to serve others, following His example of sacrificial love.
Christ Died: To Pay Our Spiritual Debt (Colossians 2:14)
Our spiritual debt was nailed to the cross, as stated in Colossians 2:14. Sin makes us indebted to God, creating a burden we cannot repay on our own. The wages of sin is death, as Romans 6:23 teaches, meaning the consequence of sin is separation from God and eternal death. But Christ died to pay down this debt for all who trust and follow Him, offering us complete forgiveness through His sacrifice. Having been forgiven much, let us respond by loving Christ much.
Christ Died: To Show His Own Love (Ephesians 5:25)
Christ died to show His own love for His people, the church. This lesson highlights three important truths: 1) Christ loved a definite group—His church—praying specifically for His disciples and all future believers; 2) Christ willingly gave up His life, laying it down of His own accord; and 3) Christ’s love is ongoing, as He continues to care for, nourish, and pray for His people.