Can God Die?

But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

A spear was thrust into His side - water and blood ran out - pierced the lungs and heart

Romans were expert on death and killing - their very lives depended on it

If a prisoner they were told to put to death wasn’t - they would pay with their lives

One thing you can be sure of

Jesus was graveyard dead - totally wrapped - placed in a tomb - sealed with a massive rock

Was Jesus Human?

He undoubtedly was

Was Jesus God?

The truth that Jesus is God, is a major Stumbling Block for true faith in Jesus

Let’s look as some things the Bible makes clear

Jesus was born of a virgin

Isaiah 7:14 NKJV

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23 NKJV

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Jesus accepted worship

There are many examples of when Jesus accepted worship without correcting those doing so by stopping them and reminding them that God alone is to be worshipped

Let’s look at just one

John 20:28 NKJV

And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

After Jesus resurrection, when Thomas is fully convince that Jesus really is risen from the dead, He worships Jesus: “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus does not correct him, because Thomas is indeed correct - Jesus is his Lord, and his God

Jesus claimed to be God

There are several times and many ways that Jesus made it clear that He was the Son of God, and thus God Himself, since there is, and always only will be One True God

John 10:30 NKJV

I and My Father are one.”

John 10:31–32 NKJV

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

John 10:33 NKJV

The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

The Jews knew exactly what Jesus was saying

He was claiming to be God

Either He was:

Deluded - a crazy man who thought He was God

A Liar - Trying to fool people into following and worshipping Him - He was not a righteous person

He really was God

We have only those three choices

Please choose wisely which one you believe

Jesus was killed because He claimed to be God

The statement in John 10:30 among others is why the Jews put Jesus to death

They either had to believe Him and worship Him as their God and Messiah

They had to declare Him a blasphemer and put Him to death

They chose door number two

They chose many to come in and testify against him

They could not agree on their false testimony

Mark 14:61 NKJV

But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

Mark 14:62 NKJV

Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Mark 14:63–64 NKJV

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

It was clearly understood by the Jews that Jesus was claiming equality with God and thus claiming to be God

They chose door number 2 declaring Him to be a blasphemer and worthy of death

They would not believe Him and worship Him

in spite of the miraculous signs that He did including raising the dead

in spite of all the prophecies that were fulfilled before their eyes, and could be fulfilled by no one but Him

Was Jesus God?

The Bible says that He was

When Did God Die?

Revelation 1:10–11 NKJV

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

Again, we are not going to be able to look in depth at the rich context of this verse

John the Apostle, as an elderly man, has been banished to the Island of Patmos

John hears a voice proclaiming the He is the Alpha and the Omega, which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, The First and the Last”

He is the one the One Being that encompasses all things

He was in the beginning

He would be in the end - if there were an end

John turns and sees the risen, glorified Jesus - shining in His glory

Then we see this:

Revelation 1:17 NKJV

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

John fell as dead before the glory of God

Do not be afraid - it seems that Jesus never ceases to tell us this, and how we need to continually hear it

I am the First and the Last

There is only one First and one Last

There can be - only one First and one Last

Consider this:

Isaiah 44:6 NKJV

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.

Thus says the LORD - LORD is all capital letters, meaning this word is Yahweh, or Jehovah, God’s personal covenant Name as the God of Israel

He has chosen Israel to reveal and remind the world that there is only One God, He is a personal God, and Yahweh is His Name

** Second Slide **

Jesus claim that He is “the First and the Last” is not a claim to be another God

There is only one true God

Revelation 1:17 NKJV

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

Jesus is the very same God who was revealed in the Old Testament

After establishing that Jesus is God

Let’s look at the next verse

Revelation 1:18 NKJV

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Here is God, the First and the Last

He lives

that makes sense - He is the living God

and was dead

When was God dead?

He was dead when Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried

But the third day He rose from the dead!

and behold

Don’t let this pass you by - get hold of this truth

I am alive forevermore

Jesus has eternal life

Jesus need never die to pay for sin again

It is Finished! is one of the last things He proclaimed from the cross - the full ransom price has been paid

I have redeemed those sold under sin

Now He lives forevermore, to always make intercession for those who are coming to God through Him

Amen!

That’s a fact, Jack

When God says Amen - That’s the way it is, and forever shall be

And I have the keys of Hades and of Death

You want a get out of death free card?

Jesus is the only place to get it

You can’t pay $200

You can’t pay any amount of time or money

Either Jesus lets you out of death, or you don’t get out

How do you get this get out of death free card?

By believing in Jesus

It is that easy

And it is that hard, for those who would cling to their own righteous, instead of recognizing the perfect righteousness that God requires

Can God Die?

God did die - so yes, by the Word of God, where correct faith comes from - He died - in Jesus

A couple of things:

1. Not all of God died, because the universe didn’t cease to exist

2. Death is not the end of existence

Jesus died physically, but He didn’t cease to exist

Generally, all men die physically

Enoch didn’t die - “he was taken away so that he did not see death” Heb 11:5

Elijah didn’t die - he went up by a whirlwind into heaven 2 Kings 2:11

A generation of believers will not die, but will be changed when Jesus descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God 1 Thes 4:16

But generally, all men die physically - but they don’t cease to exist

Everyone will exist forever in one of two places

1. In God’s glorious presence, enjoying His wonders, into the ages of the ages

2. Banished from God’s presence, into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth

The Glory Easter

The Glory of Easter is the glory of the resurrection

Yes, God can, and did die for us, for our sin

But

He rose from the grave

The debt has been paid

Death has been conquered

Jesus lives forevermore

If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection Rom 6:5

The stone is rolled away!

The tomb is empty!

The graveclothes shall forever be unfilled!

Can God Die?

To many, even today, that is blasphemy

But the Word of God says that God did die

He died to pay the penalty for OUR sins

The Good News, Jesus, the God-Man, also rose from the dead, never to die again

He is alive forevermore!

He Is Risen!

Thanks to wife for painting this beautiful reminder that:

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Related Media

Related Sermons