Why Did “the Christ” Die?

Transcript

GRM 897
Why Did “the Christ” Die?
Titus 2:11-14
04-11-04


There is no more exciting message than the message of the resurrection of Christ. Even as we meet together and celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that this is the focal point of all history, that everything that has happened in all the world’s history is put in perspective by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Past, present and future is controlled by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The eternal destiny of every person ever born into the human race is determined by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So nothing more important than that we come to grips with the reason that Jesus Christ died. What is the significance of His resurrection?

For the rest of our time this morning I want to direct your attention to the book of Titus and the 2nd chapter. If you have your Bibles you can turn there, to Titus chapter 2. Little book toward the back of the New Testament in our Bibles. If we’re really to understand what God’s purposes and plans are in the world, what God’s purposes and plans were with the coming to earth of His Son, His suffering and dying on the cross, His being raised from the dead, we have to turn to what God has to say about the matter. I continue to be surprised, and I must say somewhat amused, to see all the confusion there is as you turn on the television and on news programs and other programs they’re talking about Jesus Christ—who He was, why He died, was He resurrected. Articles are written in news magazines, why did Christ die. But it’s not a complicated issue, it’s not difficult to understand if you turn to the Word of God to see what God has said on the subject.

The book of Titus is a little book written to the man whose name is given to the book, Titus. It was written by the Apostle Paul. It was written to give instructions regarding the conduct and behavior of God’s people. It was written to explain why those who have a relationship with the living God live lives differently than those who do not have a relationship with the living God. And in Titus chapter 2 verses 11-14 you have one long sentence, which gives clearly the focus of why Christ died, what is the purpose of His death for us who are alive today, and what is the focus of our lives for the future in light of the fact He is a resurrected Savior and He is coming again. In these verses I want you to note two words before we walk through some of the major points. In verse 11 you have the subject of this long sentence, the grace of God. That’s what we’re talking about, the grace of God. Before we say something about that note the next verb—has appeared. That’s something that took place in the past and really it’s going to be talking about the coming of Jesus Christ to earth, His death and resurrection. That is the manifestation of the grace of God. You develop that even more fully in verse 14 when he talks about why Christ gave Himself for us.

That word has appeared, the verb there, appears again, is used again in verse 13, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing. There you’ll note it anticipates something in the future. In verse 11 it talked about that grace has appeared. Now in verse 13 our attention is focused on looking for something that will appear. And those two uses of the word to appear bracket the time in which we live. Christ appeared 2000 years ago as He came to this earth and did His work of redemption by dying on the cross, culminating with His resurrection from the dead. And now our focus is on an event just as real and just as sure, but yet future, when Jesus Christ will again appear in earth’s history to bring to climax the purposes and plans of God in bringing His Son to this earth. Sometimes people think well we talk about an event that happened 2000 years ago in history, or the church is always talking about something that is going to happen in the future. What I need is something for my life today, here and now. And that’s the very thing God is addressing in this section of the Word of God—how we are to live here and now in light of the fact Jesus Christ has come to suffer and die and He is coming again in power and great glory.

Look at verse 11 of Titus chapter 2, for the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men. He’s been giving instructions up to this point in this letter on how God’s people are to live their lives. Now he’s giving an explanation for that conduct. Why is the conduct of a true child of God different than the conduct of someone else? It’s because the grace of God has appeared. What is grace? By definition grace is something you do not deserve, you do not earn, you do not work for. It’s not something you merit. Grace by definition is something bestowed on you as a gift. God’s grace has appeared. What has he talking about? It will be further elaborated in verse 14, referring to the coming of Christ. God’s grace appeared. We are sinners. That is an established fact in the Word of God. Some people struggle with that, but you don’t have to watch much television, read much news to have to face reality. People are sinful. People are murdering people, killing people, stealing from people, raping, and on it goes in our world. There is sin all around us. People don’t like to call it sin, but the reality of it presses in on us and cannot be denied. God’s statement on the fact is all of us are sinners. He puts it very clearly. There is not one righteous person on the face of the earth, not even one. That’s from His perspective as He does the evaluating. And let’s be honest, it’s only His opinion that counts. I can puff myself up and say I’m a pastor, I’m a preacher, in some places I might be called a priest. I can tell you whether you are a sinner or whether you are forgiven. The problem is I’m just a sinner like you. Now you might fall for my game, but the reality of it is I’m just a human being like you. I can have my opinions and you can have yours, but the only opinion that really matters is the one who created everything and who will ultimately bring everything into judgment is God and He says there is not one righteous person on the face of the earth. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. You see that’s the standard--God’s holiness, God’s perfection, God’s righteousness. He says everyone falls short. The penalty for sin is death.

Why do people die physically? We keep thinking we’re going to find the medical answer why these bodies wind down, ultimately quit, and we experience what is called physical death. We don’t have any 200-year-old people walking the earth. We may have a few 100-year-old people, but they are rare. Why? Death is a reality. The wages of sin is death, physical death is an evidence of that. Death in the Bible is separation. Physical death is not the ending of existence. Physical death occurs, the Bible says, when the Spirit leaves the body. The issue is where does it go when it leaves the body. I can summarize it briefly, it’s to heaven or hell. The Bible also says there is another kind of death called spiritual death. Spiritual death is separation of a person from God. Because of sin we are separated from God. The Bible says your sins have separated between your God and you. Because we are sinners and He is holy we are separated from God. The Bible says we are spiritually dead, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. We are literally the walking dead. And then the Bible speaks about eternal death through the second death. That’s separation from God for eternity in hell. So the wages of sin is death. We are at a terrible situation, a terrible predicament. Some people are trying to do their best, live as good a life as they can. Many even go to church and get baptized and do all kind of philanthropic works and they fail to realize the penalty is not works, the penalty is death.

God’s grace comes in. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He had His Son step from the throne of glory and be born into the human race. When He was introduced to the nation Israel by John the Baptist, what did John say? Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Here is the sacrifice God has prepared to deal with our sin. So we talk about the grace of God has appeared, that’s what we’re talking about--God’s provision for us as sinful human beings, something we did not deserve. We’re sinners, we deserve judgment, but He has acted in mercy and love and grace. And this grace has brought salvation to or for all men. Wonderful thing we celebrate at Easter is God’s provision of salvation. That presupposes a sinful, lost condition. God in grace has brought salvation, and that salvation is for everyone. It’s not for a certain race, it’s not for a certain class. It’s for everyone. Now there is something here that you ought to recognize, you must know. Jesus made it clear when He was on this earth 2000 years ago, He said I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me. Jesus Christ is the provision for all men, but He is the only provision made for sinful human beings. Put this way in the book of Acts, there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. So Jesus Christ is God’s provision for everyone. That is as broad as it could get, but you understand it’s as narrow as it can get. There is only one provision. But that’s all we need. I don’t need 4 saviors, I just need one. That’s all there is.

Well what about the people who don’t want that one? Jesus put it very distinct and clear, if you do not believe that I am He you will die in your sins. Amazing how many people will gather together today, supposedly in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ who would be tremendously offended if they heard what Jesus said. If you don’t believe that I am He you will die in your sins. He that has the Son of God has life, he that does not have the Son of God shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him.

So the message of Easter is a beautiful message, but you understand it is a very serious message. It is not a message of good feeling, it is a message of God doing the most serious thing that has ever been done, having His Son die on a cross because that’s the penalty for our sin. And then to declare anyone who does not believe in Him will spend all eternity in hell. But everyone who does believe in Him will experience forgiveness, cleansing, and will spend eternity in the glories of my presence. So we talk about the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation, it’s a marvelous message. That goes to the past, what Christ has done.

You know what that grace teaches us today? Look at verse 12. This grace is instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, literally in the now age. You talk about the grace of God, it is an ongoing teacher. Oh yes I trust in Christ, now that’s good, I’ve got that all taken care of. That’s my fire escape from hell. Now I just live however I please. Some people think you can do that and then run to confession periodically and that wipes the slate clean, and now we’re starting fresh and as long as you get back to confession you can clean the slate. Some people think they’ll come to church on Sunday morning and get that cleaned up. You understand we’re talking about a life. The Bible says if any man be in Christ He is a new creature, a new creation. The old things pass away, the new things come. That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3, you must be born again. And if you’re not born again you will never see the kingdom of God. Alternative to that is an eternal hell. So the grace of God brings us salvation, that salvation now transforms us and teaches us we don’t live the way we used to. Now note, you don’t get saved by changing your life, cleaning up your life. We’ll get to that in a moment.

Now we’re talking about those who have experienced the grace of God in salvation are to live. They are to deny ungodliness and worldly desires. That’s not another way of saying you give up everything that’s fun and take on a monastic life of gloom. No, but there are sinful things that no longer are to be part of the lives of the children of God. There are things that the world puts its stamp of approval on—premarital sex, indiscriminate sex, sex outside of marriage, whether heterosexual or homosexual. God says it’s sin. Remember Hebrews chapter 13, in marriage the bed is honorable, but adulterers and fornicators God will judge. We think if we take an opinion poll and 51% have decided it’s all right, it’s all right. But you understand, God is not taking votes, He has just established by His authority what is right, what is wrong, what is true, what is false. So we are to be denying ungodliness and worldly desires, living sensibly. We are to be self-controlled. This is the fifth time this particular Greek word translated sensibly has been used in this little letter. We are to live sensible, controlled lives. I couldn’t help myself, I was overcome with passion. It’s not the way the child of God lives their life. Righteously and godly in the present age. Now you see we look back to see how God’s grace brought us salvation through the work of Christ, now that shapes how we live in this present age, in the now age, literally.

Back up just before Titus, II Timothy chapter 4 verse 10. Paul talks about a man named Demas who loved this present world. That’s the same expression in Greek. This present world is literally this now age. Having loved the now age he abandoned me and went elsewhere. At the end of his first letter to Timothy in I Timothy chapter 6 verse 17, instruct those who are rich in the now age, in this present world not to be conceited or fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches. This present time is passing. We are to live in the present time as those who have been redeemed by the grace of God and are anticipating His future appearing.
So come back to Titus chapter 2. The grace of God has appeared bringing salvation and teaching us how to live now, looking for the blessed hope. The blessed hope is the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The conjunction translated and can also be translated even. Looking for the blessed hope, even the appearing of the glory. What is the blessed hope? It’s the hope that brings blessing. It’s when Jesus Christ will appear again, this time in glory. It’s the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. You understand Jesus Christ was not just a man. He did not have His beginning in His birth at Bethlehem. John’s gospel chapter 1 tells us He was already in the beginning, He was God and all things were created by Him and without Him there was nothing created that was created. He is our great God and Savior. That’s why Jesus Christ could suffer, hanging on the cross, and even if He were a perfect human being but only a human being, He could have only paid the penalty, you understand, for one sinful human being. Because He was not only man but was God, He by His death on the cross could pay the penalty for all of our sins. He is our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

What did He do? Now we go back to the appearing, the grace that has appeared. He gave Himself for us. That’s why we have a blessed hope, that’s why we have something that we are anticipating yet future. He gave Himself for us. Why did Christ die? I’m amazed. Time magazine’s cover story has multiple-page interviews with supposed great minds and theologians on why Christ died, and such confusion. I’d say turn to Titus chapter 2 verse 14. He gave Himself for us. Well what do you mean He gave Himself for us? To redeem us. What do you mean redeem us? We’re sinners. To redeem us from every lawless deed. You see people have a hard time grasping why Christ died because they are just unwilling to admit that what God says about them is true, that I am a sinner, that I am guilty before a holy God and there is nothing I can do in and of myself to help myself. You know we could pack this church out 10 times on Sundays if I could say if you come to this church, get baptized here, listen to my sermons every week and give your money you’ll go to heaven. Well that’s pretty tough, particularly listen to your sermons every week and give my money. But if it’ll get me to heaven I’ll do it. You know there are a lot of people doing that. The problem is the Bible says it’s not by works of righteousness which we have done. By the works of the law no flesh will be justified, declared righteous, in His sight. That’s what matters.

You know I commit a crime and my wife says that’s all right, it’s not so bad, you’re okay. But now I have to go appear before the judge in the courtroom. He evaluates the evidence and says you’re guilty. I say you don’t understand, my wife says I’m okay. What does he say? You don’t understand. You’re wife is not the judge in this courtroom, I am. But it’s so difficult for people to appreciate. Their friends say they’re okay, people they associate with say they’re okay, so they assume I’m okay. God has already said you’re not okay. Isn’t it amazing? Here He’s already told us when we appear before His judgment throne where Jesus Christ Himself will do the judging, here is the way it’s going to go. He’s going to open up our lives, the books that contain everything we’ve ever thought and ever done and it will demonstrate we are sinners. And He will declare the wages of sin is death. You must be sentenced to an eternity in hell. We say oh I don’t know that I like that, I don’t know that I agree with that. You understand, there’ll be no votes taken in that courtroom. We begin to understand why it was so necessary that the Son of God would step from the throne of glory, be born into the human race and suffer and die. We are in a terrible predicament.

But there is a beautiful solution. He gave Himself for us to redeem us. Greek word, lutro? means to set free by paying the price. You see I was enslaved to my sin and under the penalty of my sin. It’s like someone appears in the courtroom and says I paid the penalty for him, it’s done, he’s free, I took his place, I paid it in full. Then the judge can declare me absolved, because the penalty has been paid. I am set free. Now you’ll note here involved in this is freedom from the power and authority and domination of sin in my life. Set us free from every lawless deed and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession. You’ll note if God hadn’t said this it would sound awfully arrogant. That I would declare that I am God’s special treasure, that you as a believer in Jesus Christ are God’s special treasure. That’s what this means. For His own possession, as His own treasure. People like to think well you know we all belong to God. That’s not what He says here. Those who are His special possession are those who have been redeemed by the death of His Son. They’ve been set free from the control of sin in their lives to be zealous for good deeds, zealous for those things that are pleasing to God. That’s the tragedy of trying to begin at the end of verse 14. Person goes to church and says oh I’m really going to do better. I’m going to try harder to be a good husband, a good wife, a good neighbor. I’m going to try harder to do good to other people. I’m going to do the best I can. You understand you don’t get saved by being zealous for good deeds. If that were possible, the death of Christ was a wasted event. I mean that is an affront to a holy God.

I’ve shared with you before, in Hebrews chapter 10, people who tell God they can be saved apart from His Son, He said He views it as through they just trampled on His Son in His death with their shoes. And treated it as an unholy thing that He would have His Son die because I don’t need it. I’m okay the way I am. I can’t tell you the number of people that have been offended when I’ve shared with them that they are not okay the way they are. They are lost and on their way to hell, but they’ll go to church next Sunday. For what? Well I want to honor God. Jesus said you cannot honor my Father if you don’t honor Me. If you have the Son you have the Father, if you don’t have the Son you don’t have the Father. We’ve made false dichotomies here that bring confusion to people’s lives on the most important of all issues. How can I be forgiven my sins and spend eternity with Him?

So you see God’s work of redemption. Christ came to redeem us, to pay the price necessary to set us free. Now you see that. To redeem us, to pay the price to set us free. What God’s righteousness as the judge of all men demanded. The penalty for sin is death. He paid the price to set us free. Anyone who says there is any other alternative is saying what? They can do what God says His Son alone could do, they are worthy. The book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible—you know what it says about those who are going to come under the judgment of God and spend eternity in hell? You know what the angels in heaven declare? They are worthy, they deserve hell. Revelation chapter 14 says the smoke of their torment will rise to heaven into the ages of the ages.
You say, well that’s a gloomy Easter message. I came to get lifted up and now I go home thinking about hell, destruction. But what is Easter about? If there is no hell, if there is no judgment, what is God’s Son doing hanging on a cross? What is so wonderful about the resurrection of the dead? The Son of God rose from the dead. Wonderful, so what, I’m going to heaven because I was baptized and go to church. I’m going to heaven because I’m a good person. And so those who write say that’s just some fairy tale that people like to believe. Someone wrote a letter to the editor the last week or two and that’s what they said. You know, these things about Jesus Christ, they’re just myths that people have made up and if you want to believe those myths and stories that’s your business, but don’t impose them on me. You’re free to believe that, but the terrible things is if that’s the truth then you’re believing a myth. You have rejected your only hope for salvation.

I find that the message is tremendously encouraging. I don’t find this message discouraging. There is an eternal hell, there is judgment on sin. But you know what? There is a Savior. How do you know? He’s alive, He was raised from the dead. The Bible says that Christ’s resurrection was God’s demonstration that salvation had been provided. How do you know Jesus is the Savior? He’s alive, He was raised from the dead. That’s God’s declaration and testimony that He is the Savior.

So as we conclude this, how can you be saved? Everyone who comes to this church is saved, of course. No, it isn’t so. A person can come to this church every day it’s open all of their life and die and go to hell, because the penalty for sin is not going to church. Be a Sunday school teacher, be a board member, get baptized. The penalty for sin is death. You must recognize you are a sinner. Shouldn’t be so hard, ask your wife, ask your husband, do you think I’m perfect? I don’t even ask my wife anymore, I’m not a glutton for punishment. I’m a sinner, God, I realize it. I realize that what you say about sin is true, you are the judge, you are the evaluator. It is only your opinion, it is only your ruling that matters. The penalty for my sin. You see people will admit they are sinners, but they don’t think that’s so bad, we’re all sinners. We are all sinners, but it is so bad. The penalty for sin is death, which includes eternal hell. God, I don’t understand at all but I know that what you said about me as a sinner is true. I believe what you said about my guilt and condemnation is true. I don’t understand everything involved in how Your Son could leave glory and be born into the human race, not ceasing to be deity but become a man as well as God. And then suffer and die on a cross to pay the penalty for my sin. I don’t understand everything involved in that, but God I believe it’s true. I believe you loved me enough that You had Your Son die for me. God, I want to let go of everything else I’m trusting in and I want to take hold of Jesus Christ. I believe that He died for me. I’m not going to trust my church, I’m not going to trust my baptism, I’m placing my full confidence in Him and Him alone. When that occurs God says you will be born again into His family. You will receive the free gift. The book of Romans in the Bible, God calls it the free gift of eternal life. It’s a redundancy, isn’t it? If something is free it’s a gift. If it’s a gift it’s free. If it has strings attached it’s no gift. Here is a free gift.

How do you receive it? Belief. Then what? When you believe the power of God will cleanse you from all sin, will make you a new creature in Christ with new desires, a new will, to now live for Him. You will have a blessed hope, a hope that will bring blessing that some day Jesus Christ is coming again and that promise if I go I will go and prepare a place for you in my Father’s house. Then I’ll come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also. The message of Easter is the message of God’s salvation. It’s the message of hope. Have you received the gift of life in Christ? Have you truly believed in Him alone as the one who loved you and died for you. If not, what better day to do it than Easter Sunday morning.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, that we have a Savior that is alive. He has been raised from the dead and in that resurrection you have declared to all humanity that the work of salvation is done. And now you offer as a free gift to men, women and young people everywhere life, forgiveness, the honor of becoming your own special possession, a child of the living God through faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you for such a wonderful Savior, thank you for infinite, overwhelming love. Lord, may this truth grip each of our hearts and minds. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.