Sin separates humanity from God.
For God to be able to have fellowship with those He created He needed to
deal with the problem of sin.
God needed a perfect sacrifice.
God needed a perfect person to be a living sacrifice for the sins of the
whole world.
Enter Jesus.
Jesus bore the sins of the world in His body on the cross.
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He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to
sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
(1 Pet 2:24 NIV)
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if
anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the
Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for
ours but also for the sins of the whole world. – (1 John 2:1-2 NIV)
Jesus atoned for the sins of the world.
This means that Jesus made right that which was wrong between people
and God.
His shed blood is what cleanses us from sin. At one time God used to
allow animal blood to be used as a sacrifice for sin.
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to
make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes
atonement for one’s life. (Lev 17:11 NIV)
But God needed a better sacrifice than animals. Animal sacrifice was
temporary.
But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.
4 It is impossible for
the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Heb 10:3-4 NIV)
The sacrifice of Jesus would be for all time.
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Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the
first (animal sacrifice) to establish the second (Jesus’ sacrifice).
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of
Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:9-10 NIV)
Which is absolutely great news for people. Because . . .
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we
be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Rom 5:9 NIV)
A person who has put their faith in what Jesus has done for them at the
cross, no longer has to face the wrath of God for their sin. Jesus has paid
the price for them.
At the same time Jesus also removed the enmity between God and Man (
For if, when 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! (Rom. 5:10 NIV)
All in all it means that Jesus paid the price for our sin so that we do not
have to pay it. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour all that
Christ accomplished at the cross is ours.