His Death

“Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.” Matthew 27:50

Intro Story:

In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor explained that she had the same disease the boy had recovered from two years earlier. Her only chance for recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor. "Would you give your blood to Mary?" the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said, "Sure, for my sister." Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room--Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny's smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube. With the ordeal almost over, his voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence. "Doctor, when do I die?' Only then did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he'd agreed to donate his blood. He's thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. In that brief moment, he'd made his great decision. Johnny, fortunately, didn't have to die to save his sister. Each of us, however, has a condition more serious than Mary's, and it required Jesus to give not just His blood but His life.

What that means for you and me-- is that you do not have to suffer the punishment for your sin. Our Friend, our Saviour, our Lord’s blood has been shed for us.— He has conquered the disease that we all suffer from. His Death is the antidote for the disease of our sinful nature.

I want to set up a contrast for us this morning.

Let’s look at Genesis 3:9-10

Genesis 3:9–10 NIV

9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

This is a very accurate description of the state of man.

I was afraid… (Fear)

I was naked… (Shame)

So I hid… (Falsehood)

Sin carrieth two rods about it: shame and fear.

Edward Marbury

Our sin manifests itself in these three ways. Jesus’ death conquered sin— and it conquers these three aspects of our struggle today.

I believe the power of the death of Jesus breaks the fear shame and falsehood in our lives— as well as the lives of all who believe in Him.

Last week we place and the pain of Jesus’ crucifixion— this week we will learn of the power in Jesus’ sacrifice—

I. The power of Jesus’ death overcomes fear, shame, and falsehood. V. 50-54

A. The power of redemption overcomes our fear. -V. 50

When the Saviour breathed His last on the cross, redemption had been secured for all those who will place their faith in Him! No greater words have ever been spoken that when Jesus, just before He died said, "It is finished!".

John 19:30 NIV

30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John was one who was present at that powerful moment. What is “it” that was finished? What exactly is Jesus referring to?

His purpose, yes.

His mission, sure.

It— what is it?

I believe “IT” is the redemption of the world.

To “Redeem” something:

Redeemed: “to gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment”

Through His death, He satisfied God's just demands for sin, He took the place of the guilty before the judgment bar of God and secured redemption through His blood for all who will trust Him as their Savior.

Mark 10:45 NIV

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Hebrews 9:15 NIV

15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

His death on the cross forever satisfied God, 1 John 2:2

His death on the cross liberates those trapped and victimized by sin! He sets us free when we receive Him by faith.

1 John 2:2 NIV

2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

“There is nothing in heaven, nothing on earth, nothing in hell, that need make you fear who trust in Jesus. The past you need not fear, for it is forgiven you. The present you need not fear; it is provided for. The future you need not fear; it is secured by the living power of Jesus.”

Charles Spurgeon

What are you afraid of?

Jesus’ death releases you from all fear, will you accept it?

B. The power of restoration eliminates our shame.

“Guilt tells me I have done something wrong, shame tells me I am something wrong.”

Sheila Walsh

Through the death of Jesus on the cross, the believer finds himself restored to a right relationship with God.

Restoration is the result of justification.

Through His death, all those who receive Him by faith, are justified.

Acts 13:38–39 (NIV)

38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

Justified: "to be declared righteous; to render one righteous, or to make one as he ought to be."

The blood of Jesus does for me what I could never do for myself! It washes my sins away and renders me righteous in the sight of the Lord. It is the blood of Jesus that makes men worthy to go to Heaven. Rom. 8:1

Romans 8:1–2 NIV

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

What are you ashamed of?

Jesus’ death releases you from all shame, will you accept it?

C. The power of reconciliation breaks the lie of Satan.

Lets return to that first garden scene—

It was the devil who approached Eve, and told her a boldface lie:

Genesis 3:4–5 NIV

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 2:16–17 NIV

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

So we know that they were duped by the enemy, and ate from that tree. Then they were afraid, and ashamed, and they HID from God.

Where are you going to go? It was all precipitated by a lie. And by hiding, Adam and Eve lived into that lie.

They tried to live in such a way as to make the lie true. They somehow gained the knowledge of Good and Evil, and they now knew they did something evil— they had no alternative than to hide.

And up until this point in history— The Temple was situated to highlight that separation. GOD IS HERE— and YOU ARE NOT. GOD IS HOLY— and YOU ARE NOT.

The veil stood as a barrier between the holy place and the holy of holies in the Temple.

Behind this veil was the mercy-seat. The High Priest would enter behind that veil once each year on the Day of Atonement and place the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy-seat to atone for the sins of the people.

But at that precious, time altering, world changing moment—

Matthew 27:51 NIV

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split

We read that the veil of the Temple was torn in half, from the top to the bottom.

That veil had stood as a reminder that man was separated from God by his sins and was unworthy to approach God, Isa. 59:2.

Reconciled: “to restore friendly relations between”.

Ephesians 2:13 (NIV)

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

However, when Jesus died on the cross, that veil was torn in two, signifying that the way to God had been opened.

Man no longer need ever be separated from God by his sins any longer. He can be brought into the presence of God by the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross. The blood brings sinful man and holy God together.

We don’t need to hide from God. We don’t believe the lie of Satan— he’s called the “Accuser of the brethren”— he accuses us— and we look direct back into his lie— and we simply state:

that “the man on the middle cross says I’m redeemed.

My Friend on that middle cross says I’m restored.

My savior on that middle cross says I’m reconciled back to God. That we too are His children. Our enemy the devil knows that God is holy— he knows that we deserved punishment— but Jesus, that man on the middle cross, says, on our behalf:— “it is finished”.

What are you hiding from?

Jesus’ death has released you from the lies of the devil, will you believe it?

Thomas Morris wrote a wonderful book in 1992 called “Making Sense of it all”. It explores and introduces readers to the work of Blaise Pascal, a Christian philosopher and mathematician from the 1600’s.

He paraphrases Pascal with this explanation of the human condition:

“As beings created in the image of God, we are capable of knowing God. As fallen and sinful, we are not worthy of knowing God. But we are capable of being made worthy. In the death and resurrection of Jesus, we see the greatness of God’s love, the greatness of our worth, the wretchedness of our state, and prospect of our transformation.”— Thomas Morris, “Making Sense of it All”