STAND FIRM: The Promised One's Death Was Necessary, But Wasn't Permanent

      In this attempt to tell the running narrative of Scripture to help us see the big picture as well as see how often fringe topics such as God’s continued plan for Israel or the end of the age fit in with the rest of the Bible, we looked in the last article at how the Promised King or Messiah came but was soon crucified. This would make it seem that the narrative was over and the promises would never come to pass, but the same prophets that foretold of this Messiah and His kingdom also told of a sacrificial death the Messiah would face. This reality was there on the pages of Scripture long before Jesus came to His creation and His people.

      The hints begin in Gen. 3:15, which says Satan would “strike the heel” of this Promised One. In the Old Testament laws and feasts, sacrifice was paramount, especially the Passover Lamb. Right before the people, there was always this imagery of a sacrificial lamb and a scapegoat. Daniel recorded in chapter 9 of his book that the Messiah would be cut off. Then Isaiah spoke at length about how there would be a suffering servant who would come. One of those such places is in Isaiah 53: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 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” (Isa. 53:4-6 NIV).

      Not only was this foretold in Scripture, the apostles also understood that Jesus’ death was sacrificial and the fulfillment of passages like this in Isaiah. “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood — to be received by faith…” (Rom. 3:21-25).

         “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Rom. 5:6-11).

      The death of the Messiah was part of the plan. It also means that the flow of this world has moved past half of the plan. Not only does the accuracy of the prediction of the death of Jesus show that He must be who He said He was, but His death wasn’t permanent.

      After being falsely accused, imprisoned, beaten, flogged and then crucified, Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb of a believer. The tomb was sealed and guarded because He had said He would rise again. Yet, on the third day, Jesus rose from that tomb. He was alive. He would go on to be seen by 500 people. Then He ascended to Heaven after 40 days. His death, though necessary, wasn’t permanent.

      The necessity of His death should make us pause, though. Why did He have to die? Isaiah said He would suffer because of our iniquities — our wrongs. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans that Jesus’ death was necessary for the forgiveness of sins and being made right with God. In Romans 3, Paul wrote that everyone has sinned — those in the past, present and future. Everyone then brings us into this story through the death and resurrection of the Messiah, which happened nearly 2,000 years ago. Would this mean He died for us?

      Dive into the Epic Story yourself by reading Isaiah 53, Romans 3, Romans 5, Romans 10, Mark 16 and Acts 1.

         — Jake is a state missionary and would love to share about the work in Northwest Arkansas and encourage your church to stand firm. (standfirmministries.com)