The Death Of Christ

THE DEATH OF CHRIST

The sacrifice of Christ consummated the great redemptive plan and purpose of God in the earth. Our redemption in Christ is not by example, moral influence, or ethical living, but by our Redeemer's blood and death. The death of Christ was necessary to satisfy divine justice. In Athanasius' book, On the Incarnation, his views are in harmony with Scripture, that it was essential for Christ to die a public death, in order that one might believe and be redeemed.

On page 51 of his book, Athanasius states the reason Christ had to die a public death. He says, "If He had died quietly in His bed like other men it would have looked as if He did so in accordance with His nature, and as though He was indeed no more than other men." Christ's death had to be public for this reason. If He was to die just like any other man, of a disease or something natural, one would not believe in His sovereignty as God. In Romans 5:10, Paul says "we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son." God was angry at His people because of their sins, but the Mediator removed God's wrath by suffering unto death. Being that the penalty of sin is death, no degree of suffering would have been sufficient as atonement for the sins of His people without the actual death of the sacrifice. Our Lord came to be "Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death."

By His death on the cross Jesus destroyed the prince of darkness and death, the devil. Hebrews 2:14-15, says "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Christ had to die on the cross to remove Satan of his power. Athanasius states that "He assumed a body capable of death, in order that it, through belonging to the Word Who is above all, might become in dying a sufficient exchange for all." Christ had to take true human nature to suffer and die as man in order to render the devil powerless with regards to the children of God. The devil goes about today seeking to spiritually devour the children of God, but because of the blood of our Redeemer he cannot prevail. John Calvin stated, "Though the devil still lives and constantly attempts our ruin, yet all his power to hurt us is destroyed or restrained." The death of Christ has shackled the beast and now the gospel can and will triumph in all of the nations.

By enduring God's judgment on the cross, publicly, Christ has liberated His people from the fear of death and its bondage, so "that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people." It is true that His people must experience the death of their bodies, but do so with assurance that they will be standing face to face with Christ. Therefore, like Paul one can say, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Because of Christ's death one can approach the death of fleshly bodies with a completely different attitude. His people will not be forsaken or suffer, as Christ did. He went before His people and conquered death and paid the price that they