The Awesome Truth About the Cross - Christ Died as My Substitute
Sermon Notes
Today’s Truth: Christ bore my sins/our sins in His own body; He died as my/substitute; He died in my/or place.
“our griefs He Himself bore” (Isaiah 53.4)
“our sorrows He carried” (v.4)
“He was pierced through for our transgressions” (v.5)
“He was crushed for our iniquities” (v.5)
“chastening for our well-being fell upon Him” (v.5)
“by His scourging we are healed” (v.5)
“the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (v.6)
“He will bear their iniquities” (v.11)
“He bore the sin of many” (v.12)
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5.21).
and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed (1 Peter 2.23-24).
7 Applicational Truths:
• Christ’s death shows me/us the Father’s love and compassion for me/us in our sin
• Christ’s death shows me/us His own love and compassion for me/us in our sin
• Christ’s death shows me/us that He embraces and yields to His Father’s standard of justice
• Christ’s death for me/us grants me/us intimacy with the Father Himself
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit (1 Peter 3.18).
• Christ’s death in my/our place transforms me/us and gives me/us a new way to live
• Christ’s death compels me/us to persuade others to hear and respond
• Christ’s death gives me/us a new humility with which to live with each other and the world
Consider and reflect on the words to the great hymn, “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed,” written in 1707 by Isaac Watts:
1. Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
and did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
for sinners such as I?
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross,
where I first saw the light,
and the burden of my heart rolled away;
it was there by faith I received my sight,
and now I am happy all the day.
2. Thy body slain, sweet Jesus – Thine
And bathed in its own blood -
While the firm mark of divine wrath,
His soul in anguish stood.
3. Was it for crimes that I have done,
he groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
4. Well might the sun in darkness hide,
and shut its glories in,
when God, the mighty maker, died
for his own creature's sin.
5. Thus might I hide my blushing face
while his dear cross appears;
dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
and melt mine eyes to tears.
6. But drops of tears can ne'er repay
the debt of love I owe.
Here, Lord, I give myself away;
'tis all that I can do.
A story that communicates this truth as well as any is the story of Genesis 22, when God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Isaac asked his father; “where is the lamb for the burnt offering” (v.7)? Abraham responded; “God will provide for Himself a lamb for the burnt offering” (v.8).
And He did – and He did it for us, too. That’s why God gave His Son. The angel said to Joseph, “and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1.21). And when He came to begin His earthly ministry, it was John the Baptist who said; “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1.29).
And all God’s people said. “Amen” and “Amen.”