Who is Jesus, What Did He Do, and Why?
Today is what some call Easter and others call Resurrection Sunday, when across the globe, Christians celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Every year, we as Christians remember Jesus being the perfect sacrifice for our sins and giving His life as a ransom for many, so that we could be saved.
But people who are not Christians might be unsure about Who we're celebrating, what we're celebrating, why we're celebrating, or what being saved means. So this Easter/Resurrection Sunday, I'm going to bring it back to the basics: who Jesus is, what He did, and why He did what He did. If you're reading this and you're not a Christian, this post is for you! :) If you are a Christian, well hey, it can't hurt to review! Let's begin:
Who is Jesus?
1. The Messiah - "Then he asked them, 'Who do you say I am?' Peter replied, 'You are the Messiah sent from God!'" (Luke 9:20, NLT)
2. The Son of God - "Then a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.' When the voice died away, Jesus was there alone." (Luke 9: 35-36, NLT)
3. The Christ - "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11, ESV)
In the world, there are conflicting views of who Jesus is. How does one know who's right and who's wrong? The Bible tells us clearly, in 1 John 2:22, "Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son."
What did Jesus do?
1. Took the punishment for our sin - "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:5-6, NIV)
2. Gave His life for us - "He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:9-12, NIV)
3. Resurrected from the dead - "The angel spoke to the women. 'You must not be afraid,' he said. 'I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has been raised, just as he said. Come here and see the place where he was lying.'" (Matthew 28:5-6, GNB)
Why did Jesus do it?
1. To save us ("Why do we need to be saved?") - "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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17, NIV)
2. So that we could have abundant life - "I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." (John 10: 9-11, BSB)
Why did Jesus have to die for us to be saved?
1. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. - In the Old Testament Law, God commanded the Israelites to make sacrifices to atone for their sins; this was the only way to atone for sins. "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Hebrews 9:22, ESV) The Passover lamb (a yearly sacrifice) was required to be a one year old male lamb without blemish.
2. Jesus is the Lamb of God. (John 1:29) - On Passover weekend, Jesus died, was buried, and resurrected. Unlike the animals sacrificed to atone for the Israelites' sins, Jesus is the perfect and eternal sacrifice for sins. "For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:13-14, BSB)
So what's the takeaway?
1. We need Jesus. - I summarize this well (at least, I think so!) in my blog post entitled, "How do I get to Heaven?". Quote: "People sin and fail. But God made a perfect way for us to no longer be slave to sin, to dwell with Him in Heaven, and for Him to dwell in us. God sent His Son Jesus to the Earth to walk as a man, take on the burden of sin without sinning, be crucified, die, and rise again for our sake. He shed His blood as a perfect and eternal sacrifice; without His blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. In Him, and in no one else, is where we find salvation."
2. We are saved by faith. - How do we find salvation in Jesus? "If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved." (Romans 10:9-10, GNB)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, GNT)
"Do you believe this?"
...is the big question. Through belief, we are saved; that is what we celebrate on Easter/Resurrection Sunday. Today, on this Easter/Resurrection Sunday, I invite you to answer Jesus' question yourself.
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