The Good News

Dedicated to the good news of Jesus Christ

Vol. 1 Issue 43

United!

Jerusalem – For the last several weeks we have been exploring the question of who is responsible for the death of Jesus. Peter, speaking to a crowd gathered in the temple, laid the blame for Jesus’ death on all who were in Jerusalem. He said to them, "You handed him over to be killed (Acts 3:13)." Peter and all the disciples were guilty too. They deserted and denied Jesus. Of course it was the Romans who nailed him to the cross. And then last week we discovered that even God Himself planned and then oversaw the sacrifice of Jesus.

John, one of the Apostles, was with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry. John is writing a book on things Jesus said and did. In this book he reports that Jesus once said, "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-- only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father (John 10:17-18). Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)." And the Apostle Paul has written, "The death he died, he died to sin once for all (Romans 6:10)."

So the core belief of this sect called The Way takes shape. The sins of all caused Jesus to be crucified. God’s righteousness demanded that the price of sin be death, and not willing that all of mankind should die, He sent His son to pay the price. And Jesus, being both God and man, was tempted but never sinned. He laid his own life down because of his love for those who have sinned. This is the good news that is being told about Jesus. God and man are once again united, because God Himself paid the price for sin with His own blood, the blood of Jesus who was both God and man.

Page Two

Christ and the Cross from Look at the Man by Tim Woodroof and Glen Gray

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