Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church, Grenada, MS, USA

Holding to the truths embraced by Baptist for centuries.

CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS WERE REQUIRED

In a recent article I discussed the reality of the sufferings of Christ. Christ’s sufferings were seen as physical, mental, and spiritual sufferings. Even though His physical and mental sufferings were great, we can understand something of these sufferings. However, we can understand little of the depth and intensity of His spiritual sufferings. We hear His anguished cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” as He was bearing our guilt and punishment. Again, we hear Him cry “I thirst” while His sufferings were at their greatest point. He was voluntarily doing this for us. Isaiah proclaims “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities…” (Isa. 53:5a). Again, Isaiah declares, “But it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou shall make his soul an offering for sin… He shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied” (Isa. 53:10-11). Christ’s sufferings were real!

Not only were His sufferings real, but they were required. Those around the cross mockingly said while He was on the cross, “He saved others, himself he could not save” (Matt. 27:42). How true that statement was. No one else could pay the price for our redemption. No one else could stand in our place and take the penalty for our sin and guilt.

First, Christ’s sufferings were required because of the holiness of God. Being absolutely holy, God could not at all acquit the guilty (Nahum 1:5). He must punish sin or cease to be God.

Second, Christ’s sufferings were required because of the sinfulness of man. The Scripture declares, “For all have sinned, and have come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Again, the Scripture declares, “There is none that doeth good, no not one” (Rom. 3:12). In God’s sight every single one of us has sinned and failed to measure up to what God demands of us. Job, in the earliest of the Old Testament books, saw the problem and asked “How should man be just before God?” (Job 9:2). The writer of Proverbs asked, “Who can say I have made my heart pure from my sin?” (Prov. 20:9). The obvious answer is that no one can make his or her heart pure from the guilt and penalty of sin. Man cannot save himself. Someone else must save him. It was for this purpose that Jesus Christ came into the world. Paul declared, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Tim. 1:15). He alone was qualified, willing, and able to be our redeemer.

First, our Lord was qualified to be our redeemer because of His incarnation. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He was born of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin, born without that sin nature which Adam passed on to all his descendants. The first Adam sinned and brought condemnation upon all of us (Rom. 5:12). Christ as the second Adam went about doing good. He always did the right thing, spoke the right words, had the right attitude, and yielded Himself obediently to the will of His Father. He was holy, harmless, and undefiled. He knew no sin; He did no sin; He had no sin. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). Satan could find nothing to ensnare Him. Men could find nothing with which to entrap Him. He only could say that He always did the will of His Father in heaven. Therefore, as one of us through His incarnation, as one of us who was without sin, as one of us who was designated by the Father to be our representative, (Rom. 5:12-21); He only was qualified to be our redeemer.

Second, He was willing to be our redeemer. He was the Son who was obedient unto death (Phil. 2:7-8). He was the good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11). He said “I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15b) and again “I lay down my life of myself” (18). Therefore, the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to keep “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Father” (Heb.12:2). What marvelous grace that He who created the universe would be willing to be our redeemer! What a privilege to call Him Lord!

Finally, Jesus was able to our redeemer. Being man, He was qualified and willing to be our redeemer. Paul proclaims in 1 Timothy 2:5 “There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” God was in Christ reconciling us to Himself (II Corinthians 5:18). The Father planned and purposed our salvation. The Son purchased our salvation. As God, Jesus was able to bear the guilt and penalty for our sins. The Scriptures ask, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:14). Our sins were laid on one who was mighty; one who was able to save. He drank the punishment that should have been ours to the last drop, that we might drink of the living waters of the wells of salvation forever.

Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin once and for all. There will never need to be another offering for sin made. Moreover, the Old Testament sacrifices are no longer necessary in this Age of Grace. The Apostle Paul declared, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-39). An old hymn states what should be the feelings of many believers:

CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS WERE REQUIRED

Larry Windham