- You know, I've
been asked more than once,
00:00:01.16\00:00:02.36
what actually
happened at the cross?
00:00:02.36\00:00:04.73
It's a pretty big question.
00:00:04.73\00:00:06.27
So today, we'll start digging
into some of the confusion
00:00:06.27\00:00:08.37
that modern Christianity
00:00:08.37\00:00:10.07
just might have
brought to that subject.
00:00:10.07\00:00:12.14
[light blues-rock music]
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Once upon a time, on a show
in the not-too-distant past,
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we took a look at
the inadvertent damage
00:00:36.53\00:00:38.43
caused by the
Christian theologians
00:00:38.43\00:00:40.70
who left us under the impression
00:00:40.70\00:00:42.44
that we can
arrive at ultimate truth,
00:00:42.44\00:00:45.01
we can trace a path
to the throne of God
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just by using
unaided human reason.
00:00:47.31\00:00:49.94
And, of course,
what that did very slowly
00:00:49.94\00:00:53.11
was lead to a system
of philosophy in the West
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that tragically brought us
to some intellectual dead ends
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during the 19th
and 20th centuries.
00:00:59.22\00:01:01.72
Then we looked at what happens
when we use unaided reason
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to build Christian theology
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without
comparing what we believe
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against the
thoughts actually presented
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in the pages of the Bible.
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The specific example
we looked at last time
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was this idea that
God will torture sinners
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throughout the
ceaseless ages of eternity,
00:01:17.84\00:01:20.08
an idea that seems
to hold a lot of weight
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if you just
cherry-pick the Bible.
00:01:22.24\00:01:24.58
Now, just in case anybody thinks
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that I'm preaching
some kind of universalism
00:01:26.28\00:01:28.72
where everybody can
do whatever they want
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and still be saved,
00:01:30.25\00:01:31.92
well, that's not at all what
the Scriptures teach either.
00:01:31.92\00:01:34.36
There will be lost people.
00:01:34.36\00:01:36.66
It's tragic, but it's true.
00:01:36.66\00:01:38.63
In fact, I don't know how
you can read the entire Bible
00:01:38.63\00:01:41.96
and avoid coming
to that conclusion.
00:01:41.96\00:01:44.37
Many years ago, I happened
to be sitting in a meeting
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where the subject of
preaching the gospel came up.
00:01:46.43\00:01:49.20
And I reminded
people that sinners
00:01:49.20\00:01:50.74
are described in
the Bible as lost,
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and if they ultimately
reject the gift of the cross,
00:01:53.74\00:01:56.51
they stay lost.
00:01:56.51\00:01:58.48
These people are
not just misinformed,
00:01:58.48\00:02:00.22
according to the Bible,
00:02:00.22\00:02:01.48
and they're not just
a little bit misguided.
00:02:01.48\00:02:03.12
The Bible says they're lost.
00:02:03.12\00:02:06.05
Now, bear in mind that
this was a group of Christians.
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When I tell you
that I heard that gasp
00:02:08.86\00:02:10.93
down at one end of the table
and somebody suddenly said,
00:02:10.93\00:02:13.33
"Well, that's an
extreme position,"
00:02:13.33\00:02:15.76
which took me by surprise
00:02:15.76\00:02:17.20
because it's clearly the
historical biblical position.
00:02:17.20\00:02:20.90
And when I probed
this person a little more
00:02:20.90\00:02:22.60
to see why they
thought it was extreme,
00:02:22.60\00:02:25.07
she told me that God
just loves people too much
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to reject anybody.
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And I guess that's kind of true.
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The Bible does
reveal a God of love,
00:02:32.01\00:02:33.92
and it shows us the
incredible lengths He went to
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in order to save you because
He can't bear the thought
00:02:37.09\00:02:39.39
of living forever without you.
00:02:39.39\00:02:42.09
The very existence
of the cross of Christ
00:02:42.09\00:02:44.43
should prove beyond
any shadow of a doubt
00:02:44.43\00:02:46.59
that God really is love.
00:02:46.59\00:02:49.43
But we do have to ask ourselves:
00:02:49.43\00:02:50.87
would God actually force
somebody into the kingdom of God
00:02:50.87\00:02:54.90
to live there forever
00:02:54.90\00:02:56.34
if he or she didn't
actually want to be there?
00:02:56.34\00:02:58.74
What kind of heaven would it be
00:02:58.74\00:02:59.94
if unrepentant
sinners were there,
00:02:59.94\00:03:01.41
people who want to
live the same way they lived
00:03:01.41\00:03:04.31
in this life,
00:03:04.31\00:03:05.78
the lifestyle that
caused all that pain and misery?
00:03:05.78\00:03:09.25
What sense would it make
00:03:09.25\00:03:10.55
to push them into
that foreign environment
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that they don't want?
00:03:12.62\00:03:14.32
If they don't
like God in this life,
00:03:14.32\00:03:16.02
what makes us think they're
gonna want God in the next one?
00:03:16.02\00:03:18.86
Why would God force
anybody to be there?
00:03:18.86\00:03:21.86
It doesn't make
sense, and it's not biblical.
00:03:21.86\00:03:26.10
It's another
example of how human logic
00:03:26.10\00:03:28.30
can really mess things up
00:03:28.30\00:03:30.37
if it's not informed by
the totality of Scripture,
00:03:30.37\00:03:33.41
all the
information in the Bible.
00:03:33.41\00:03:36.08
Sometimes, to
our way of thinking,
00:03:36.08\00:03:37.45
love should
always be soft and fuzzy,
00:03:37.45\00:03:39.38
and it never
does the hard thing.
00:03:39.38\00:03:41.55
Some of us think that
love just shrugs its shoulders
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and looks the
other way all the time,
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because, I mean,
who wants to be mean?
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But parents
know, that's not love.
00:03:48.22\00:03:50.03
That's not true.
00:03:50.03\00:03:51.53
The easy thing is to
never discipline your child,
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but then most of us
have seen what happens
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just a few years down the
line when you ignore those kids.
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You end up with an entitled brat
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who's gonna have
a really hard time
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getting along with other people.
00:04:04.44\00:04:06.51
Ignoring early bad
behavior might be easy,
00:04:06.51\00:04:10.35
but it's certainly not loving.
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You know, I've often wondered
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if the real reason people
don't want God to deal with sin
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is because they just don't
want Him to deal with their sin.
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It's what I was talking
about the last time we met.
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Sometimes, we look
at the cross of Christ,
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and we don't want to
think that somehow Jesus
00:04:25.96\00:04:27.96
had to die in our place, that
He had to take our punishment,
00:04:27.96\00:04:31.73
because that
would say an awful lot
00:04:31.73\00:04:33.80
about just how
wicked I really am.
00:04:33.80\00:04:37.57
And if we read the Bible
00:04:37.57\00:04:39.11
and see that God's going to
deal with sin once and for all,
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and if we see that some people
really deserve what's coming,
00:04:42.28\00:04:45.98
well, that would mean
that we deserve it too.
00:04:45.98\00:04:48.02
So we'd like to think
that God is just too nice
00:04:48.02\00:04:50.52
to make us
answer for our crimes,
00:04:50.52\00:04:52.42
that He's some kind of
this absent-minded grandpa
00:04:52.42\00:04:55.62
who loves to pat us on
the head and slip us a candy,
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but He never
actually deals with us.
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Which brings me back to
the subject of the cross,
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because, in recent
years, I've met a lot of people
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who refuse to
believe that Christ
00:05:06.27\00:05:07.80
actually died in their place.
00:05:07.80\00:05:10.91
They're kind of echoing
the teaching of Peter Abelard,
00:05:10.91\00:05:14.28
a clergyman who
lived about 1,00 years ago
00:05:14.28\00:05:16.71
and really emphasized the idea
00:05:16.71\00:05:19.18
that the primary
reason for the cross
00:05:19.18\00:05:21.95
was to show us just
how much God loves us.
00:05:21.95\00:05:25.52
And, of course, I agree
with that, at least in part.
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I agree that the cross is a
lavish display of God's love.
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It shows us that God is
willing to sacrifice Himself
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to save us.
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I mean, that's
what Paul actually says
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over in the book of
Romans, where he says,
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"But God shows His love for us
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in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us."
00:05:45.11\00:05:50.18
So, yeah, the cross did
demonstrate the size of God's
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love. But that's
not the whole equation,
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because that's not all
that the cross accomplished.
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So let's read that
verse one more time,
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but this time I'm gonna
add a little more context.
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Again, starting in
verse eight, it says:
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"But God shows His love for us
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in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
00:06:08.33\00:06:11.90
Since, therefore, we have
now been justified by His blood,
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much more shall we be saved
by Him from the wrath of God.
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For if, while we were enemies,
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we were reconciled to
God by the death of His Son,
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much more, now
that we are reconciled,
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shall we be saved by His life."
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Now, notice that you
and I are supposed to suffer
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the wrath of God.
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That's not an easy thought,
but it's a true thought.
00:06:35.99\00:06:38.39
And honestly,
it's a divine miracle
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that God hasn't
already wiped us out,
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because the way we live
is this horrible contrast
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to the actual character of God.
00:06:46.90\00:06:48.67
Our existence has become a
lie about the One who made us.
00:06:48.67\00:06:52.87
And if I was in charge, and
you can be glad that I'm not,
00:06:52.87\00:06:55.71
but if I was in
charge, I would've been tempted
00:06:55.71\00:06:58.11
to wipe out the whole
human race and just start over.
00:06:58.11\00:07:01.68
That's the way it plays out
in a lot of pagan mythology.
00:07:01.68\00:07:05.32
But fortunately,
God's love for you
00:07:05.32\00:07:07.46
kept Him from doing that.
00:07:07.46\00:07:09.42
The Bible clearly teaches
that you and I are, quote,
00:07:09.42\00:07:11.99
"justified by His
blood," which means that somehow
00:07:11.99\00:07:16.16
the death of Christ
liberates us from the penalty
00:07:16.16\00:07:19.47
that we actually deserve.
00:07:19.47\00:07:21.27
Paul reminds us that
we are God's enemies,
00:07:22.44\00:07:24.61
but then the death of
Christ somehow reconciles us.
00:07:24.61\00:07:28.48
Now, that doesn't mean that you
00:07:28.48\00:07:29.71
and I are suddenly
innocent of all charges,
00:07:29.71\00:07:32.08
but we are justified
by the blood of Christ.
00:07:32.08\00:07:34.32
We are declared
innocent, considered innocent,
00:07:34.32\00:07:37.39
because the Son of God took
our punishment as one of us,
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a human being.
00:07:41.09\00:07:42.46
He took our punishment
as an actual representative
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of the entire human race.
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You might remember what
Paul told the church in Corinth
00:07:47.56\00:07:50.27
when he said, "For
as in Adam all die,
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so also in Christ
shall all be made alive."
00:07:53.74\00:07:57.21
What Paul's telling us
00:07:57.21\00:07:58.51
is that the first head
of the human race, Adam,
00:07:58.51\00:08:00.71
well, he threw all
of us under the bus.
00:08:00.71\00:08:02.81
Because when he
sinned, he passed on a sinful,
00:08:02.81\00:08:06.15
rebellious nature to all of us.
00:08:06.15\00:08:08.35
It's why we're born corrupted.
00:08:08.35\00:08:10.39
So what God did was
become the second Adam,
00:08:10.39\00:08:13.42
and He took the just penalty
for our rebellion on Himself,
00:08:13.42\00:08:17.53
so now we can be adopted
into His line of the human race
00:08:17.53\00:08:20.83
instead of Adam's.
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I'll be right back after this.
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[light blues-rock music]
00:08:24.23\00:08:27.77
- [Narrator] Here at
the Voice of Prophecy,
00:08:27.77\00:08:29.17
we're committed to
creating top-quality programming
00:08:29.17\00:08:31.74
for the whole family,
00:08:31.74\00:08:33.17
like our audio adventure
series, "Discovery Mountain."
00:08:33.17\00:08:36.28
"Discovery Mountain"
is a Bible-based program
00:08:36.28\00:08:38.88
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:08:38.88\00:08:41.18
Your family will enjoy
the faith-building stories
00:08:41.18\00:08:43.99
from this small
mountain summer camp and town.
00:08:43.99\00:08:46.79
With 24 seasonal
episodes every year
00:08:46.79\00:08:49.32
and fresh content every week,
00:08:49.32\00:08:51.46
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:08:51.46\00:08:54.66
- I should
probably point out something
00:08:57.40\00:08:59.07
that's kind of popular
in some Christian circles
00:08:59.07\00:09:01.57
and let you know I
don't think it's biblical.
00:09:01.57\00:09:04.07
Sometimes you'll
hear people saying
00:09:04.07\00:09:05.47
that you and I
actually inherited Adam's guilt,
00:09:05.47\00:09:08.51
as if God is going to punish
me for something that Adam did.
00:09:08.51\00:09:11.91
But that is not
what the Bible teaches,
00:09:11.91\00:09:14.05
and I can prove it from the
Old Testament book of Ezekiel.
00:09:14.05\00:09:17.55
This comes from Ezekiel
18, where the Bible says,
00:09:17.55\00:09:21.49
"The soul who sins shall die."
00:09:21.49\00:09:24.53
So there you have it.
00:09:24.53\00:09:25.63
The just penalty
for sin is death.
00:09:25.63\00:09:27.93
"The son," it continues,
00:09:27.93\00:09:29.83
"shall not suffer for
the iniquity of the father,
00:09:29.83\00:09:32.37
nor the father suffer
for the iniquity of the son.
00:09:32.37\00:09:35.30
The righteousness of the
righteous shall be upon himself,
00:09:35.30\00:09:38.31
and the wickedness of the
wicked shall be upon himself."
00:09:38.31\00:09:42.04
So does God hold me accountable
for something Adam did?
00:09:42.04\00:09:46.51
No.
00:09:46.51\00:09:47.68
What I'm
responsible for is my sin.
00:09:47.68\00:09:50.22
And I did
inherit a sinful tendency
00:09:50.22\00:09:52.72
from the sinners
who came before me,
00:09:52.72\00:09:54.46
I got their sinful nature,
but I didn't get their guilt.
00:09:54.46\00:09:58.09
And I wanted to make that clear
00:09:58.09\00:09:59.33
because when the Bible indicates
00:09:59.33\00:10:00.70
that Adam passed
death on to all of us,
00:10:00.70\00:10:03.00
that doesn't mean
that you and I will die
00:10:03.00\00:10:04.83
because of something he did.
00:10:04.83\00:10:06.80
I'm gonna die
because of something I did.
00:10:06.80\00:10:09.64
But then you kind
of get the opposite
00:10:09.64\00:10:11.61
when you get the
gift of eternal life.
00:10:11.61\00:10:13.07
If you think about it,
you're not gonna go to heaven
00:10:13.07\00:10:15.18
because of something you did,
00:10:15.18\00:10:17.08
but because of
something Jesus did.
00:10:17.08\00:10:19.31
Now, let's dig a
little deeper into this idea
00:10:19.31\00:10:21.82
that Jesus
actually died in our place,
00:10:21.82\00:10:24.02
something theologians call
the substitutionary atonement,
00:10:24.02\00:10:28.02
because I'm
hearing more and more
00:10:28.02\00:10:30.19
well-meaning Christians
saying, "Oh, that can't be true.
00:10:30.19\00:10:32.83
He didn't die in my
place or take my punishment."
00:10:32.83\00:10:35.96
Instead, they say that all
God really did at the cross
00:10:35.96\00:10:38.70
was show us how
much He loves us.
00:10:38.70\00:10:41.37
Now, that's
something that some people call
00:10:41.37\00:10:42.97
moral influence theory.
00:10:42.97\00:10:44.94
And I think the reason that
some people want that to be true
00:10:44.94\00:10:47.91
is because, again, we
don't really want to believe
00:10:47.91\00:10:51.25
that our sins are serious enough
00:10:51.25\00:10:53.28
to cause what
happened at the cross.
00:10:53.28\00:10:55.32
It would mean that sin
is far more consequential
00:10:55.32\00:10:58.39
than you and I can
even begin to understand.
00:10:58.39\00:11:01.42
So human logic, when it's
not informed by the Scriptures,
00:11:02.86\00:11:05.63
tries to come to a
different conclusion.
00:11:05.63\00:11:08.30
Yet the
Scriptures are crystal clear
00:11:08.30\00:11:10.20
that Jesus took your place.
00:11:10.20\00:11:11.90
And I'll show you
00:11:11.90\00:11:13.30
from one of the clearest
chapters found in the Bible,
00:11:13.30\00:11:15.50
and that would be Isaiah 53.
00:11:15.50\00:11:18.74
This is a very
well-known prediction of Jesus.
00:11:18.74\00:11:21.31
It's the prophecy of
the suffering servant.
00:11:21.31\00:11:24.38
This is a prediction
about a servant of God
00:11:24.38\00:11:27.52
who would suffer in ways
that are hard to comprehend.
00:11:27.52\00:11:30.92
So let's take a
really quick look at this
00:11:30.92\00:11:32.92
because it's very hard to
read this chapter from Isaiah
00:11:32.92\00:11:36.73
and still come to the
conclusion that somehow
00:11:36.73\00:11:38.76
Jesus didn't absorb
my punishment for my sin.
00:11:38.76\00:11:42.63
And I'm really
gonna start in Isaiah 52,
00:11:42.63\00:11:45.83
because, well, remember:
00:11:45.83\00:11:47.30
chapters and verses
were only put into the Bible
00:11:47.30\00:11:49.44
about 1,000 years after
Christ, a little bit more.
00:11:49.44\00:11:52.57
And I'm thankful for them
00:11:52.57\00:11:53.98
because it makes the
Bible easier to navigate,
00:11:53.98\00:11:56.51
but sometimes the
start of a new chapter
00:11:56.51\00:11:58.81
can give you
the false impression
00:11:58.81\00:12:00.25
that you're
starting a brand-new thought.
00:12:00.25\00:12:02.48
In this case, the
thought actually begins
00:12:02.48\00:12:04.35
back in chapter 52,
and here's what it says:
00:12:04.35\00:12:07.52
"His appearance was so
marred, beyond human semblance,
00:12:07.52\00:12:11.36
and His form beyond that
of the children of mankind."
00:12:11.36\00:12:15.23
So here we have a prediction
00:12:15.23\00:12:16.83
of the way that
Jesus would be treated.
00:12:16.83\00:12:18.83
Even though the
people doing this to Him
00:12:18.83\00:12:20.80
were mostly aware
that He was innocent,
00:12:20.80\00:12:23.07
they brutalized Him in a way
00:12:23.07\00:12:24.71
that completely
disfigured His appearance.
00:12:24.71\00:12:27.58
Traditionally, we know
that victims of crucifixion
00:12:27.58\00:12:30.51
even had their
beards ripped out,
00:12:30.51\00:12:32.48
something you find
predicted back in Isaiah 50.
00:12:32.48\00:12:35.98
Now, this
continues in Isaiah 52:15.
00:12:35.98\00:12:38.62
It says: "So shall He
sprinkle many nations."
00:12:38.62\00:12:43.43
Now, the sprinkling
of blood is a concept
00:12:43.43\00:12:45.79
taken straight out of
the Old Testament sanctuary,
00:12:45.79\00:12:48.46
where the blood of
an innocent victim,
00:12:48.46\00:12:50.03
an animal offered for sin,
was taken into the holy place
00:12:50.03\00:12:53.34
and sprinkled against the veil.
00:12:53.34\00:12:55.20
And then on the Day of
Atonement, once a year,
00:12:55.20\00:12:57.91
that blood was sprinkled
00:12:57.91\00:12:59.24
on the lid of the
Ark of the Covenant.
00:12:59.24\00:13:01.28
This is a very clear
reference to the sanctuary
00:13:02.51\00:13:04.75
and its sacrificial services,
00:13:04.75\00:13:06.25
and the prophet is
telling the audience,
00:13:06.25\00:13:08.25
"Look, when Messiah comes,
00:13:08.25\00:13:10.22
He's going to be the
ultimate sin offering.
00:13:10.22\00:13:13.49
And then he tells us that Jesus
00:13:13.49\00:13:14.92
isn't just for
the nation of Israel,
00:13:14.92\00:13:16.66
but also for the
nations of the world,
00:13:16.66\00:13:18.36
something you find all the way
00:13:18.36\00:13:20.33
through the rest
of Isaiah's book.
00:13:20.33\00:13:22.90
Now, some people,
00:13:22.90\00:13:24.17
some have suggested
that this word "sprinkle"
00:13:24.17\00:13:27.14
should actually be
translated "startle"
00:13:27.14\00:13:29.57
because they say the cross
should be an astonishing display
00:13:29.57\00:13:33.44
of God's love.
00:13:33.44\00:13:34.71
It should be startling,
which, of course, it is.
00:13:34.71\00:13:38.21
But that's not all it is.
00:13:38.21\00:13:39.18
It's not just a big surprise.
00:13:39.18\00:13:41.12
Now, they get that
variant, that translation,
00:13:41.12\00:13:43.85
from the Septuagint,
00:13:43.85\00:13:45.15
or the Greek translation
of the Old Testament.
00:13:45.15\00:13:47.39
But honestly, they're
getting it wrong, in my opinion,
00:13:47.39\00:13:49.72
because the Hebrew word
for "sprinkle" is "nazah,"
00:13:49.72\00:13:52.33
which means "spatter,"
00:13:52.33\00:13:54.40
as in the spattering
of blood in the sanctuary.
00:13:54.40\00:13:58.27
It's not
"startle," it is "spatter."
00:13:58.27\00:14:01.57
Now, for the sake of time,
00:14:01.57\00:14:02.84
let's just jump
down now to Isaiah 53:4,
00:14:02.84\00:14:06.81
where we have the next
clear reference to Jesus
00:14:06.81\00:14:09.34
as a sacrificial lamb, a
victim who takes our punishment.
00:14:09.34\00:14:13.55
It says, "Surely He
has borne our griefs
00:14:13.55\00:14:17.02
and carried our sorrows,
yet we esteemed Him stricken,
00:14:17.02\00:14:20.59
smitten by God, and afflicted.
00:14:20.59\00:14:23.43
But He was pierced
for our transgressions.
00:14:23.43\00:14:26.23
He was crushed
for our iniquities.
00:14:26.23\00:14:28.93
Upon Him was the chastisement
that brought us peace,
00:14:28.93\00:14:31.60
and with His
wounds, we are healed."
00:14:31.60\00:14:35.00
The book of Isaiah
was written to a people
00:14:35.00\00:14:37.77
who had been
suffering incredibly.
00:14:37.77\00:14:40.41
After all, they were
being attacked by the Assyrians,
00:14:40.41\00:14:42.98
who were incredibly brutal.
00:14:42.98\00:14:45.55
And in the near future,
00:14:45.55\00:14:47.12
those people's
grief would be multiplied
00:14:47.12\00:14:49.38
when the
Babylonians destroyed the temple
00:14:49.38\00:14:51.49
and took a lot of God's people
back to Babylon as captives.
00:14:51.49\00:14:55.49
So this prediction is
really pretty mind-blowing.
00:14:55.49\00:14:58.69
Messiah would come
and take their griefs
00:14:58.69\00:15:00.93
and sorrows on Himself.
00:15:00.93\00:15:03.26
What griefs and sorrows?
00:15:03.26\00:15:05.20
The ones they were
suffering as the just penalty
00:15:05.20\00:15:08.47
for their sin.
00:15:08.47\00:15:09.44
But what some
people do with this
00:15:10.47\00:15:11.97
is build a case on the
next phrase, where it says,
00:15:11.97\00:15:14.18
"We esteemed Him stricken,"
00:15:14.18\00:15:16.21
and they say, "Jesus
wasn't really smitten
00:15:16.21\00:15:18.51
by God the Father,
it just looked that way.
00:15:18.51\00:15:21.58
We esteemed it to be that way."
00:15:21.58\00:15:24.35
You see, that way,
with that understanding,
00:15:24.35\00:15:26.69
the suffering of Christ would
be the result of human beings
00:15:26.69\00:15:29.42
attacking Him that day,
00:15:29.42\00:15:30.93
and it wouldn't really be
God's judgment against sin.
00:15:30.93\00:15:34.46
Then they move on
to the fifth verse,
00:15:34.46\00:15:35.96
where it says
that Jesus would be
00:15:35.96\00:15:37.70
"pierced for
our transgressions,"
00:15:37.70\00:15:39.97
and they change the obvious
meaning, the plain reading,
00:15:39.97\00:15:42.80
to make it seem a
little less harsh.
00:15:42.80\00:15:45.11
"Nah," they say, "He was pierced
00:15:45.11\00:15:47.18
because of our transgressions,
00:15:47.18\00:15:48.81
the ones we committed that day.
00:15:48.81\00:15:50.75
He just suffered because of
the way we nailed Him to a cross
00:15:50.75\00:15:53.62
and mocked Him that day,
and really only on that day.
00:15:53.62\00:15:57.49
It's just those sins."
00:15:57.49\00:15:59.59
But even some
of the most liberal
00:15:59.59\00:16:00.96
Bible translations in the world,
00:16:00.96\00:16:02.56
the ones you would
think would wanna take away
00:16:02.56\00:16:04.43
the brutal impact of the
substitutionary atonement,
00:16:04.43\00:16:07.50
even those translations
continue to render this
00:16:07.50\00:16:11.00
as "for our transgressions,"
not "because of."
00:16:11.00\00:16:14.27
Why?
00:16:14.27\00:16:15.57
Well, that's what
the text actually says,
00:16:15.57\00:16:17.47
and the context
doesn't really let you read it
00:16:17.47\00:16:19.41
any other way.
00:16:19.41\00:16:20.81
I mean, sure, if you
only had that one statement
00:16:20.81\00:16:22.44
without the rest of the chapter,
maybe you could read it as
00:16:22.44\00:16:26.18
"He was pierced as a result
of our transgressions that day."
00:16:26.18\00:16:30.12
But given the sheer
scope of the prophecy,
00:16:30.12\00:16:31.82
that is not what it says.
00:16:31.82\00:16:33.69
I mean, if you have to nitpick
00:16:33.69\00:16:34.82
over the meaning
of one single word
00:16:34.82\00:16:36.62
in isolation from
the rest of the context,
00:16:36.62\00:16:39.43
that's not a very strong case.
00:16:39.43\00:16:43.37
And then they do the same thing
00:16:43.37\00:16:44.70
with the next important
clause in this prophecy,
00:16:44.70\00:16:47.14
where the Bible says
that Jesus "was crushed
00:16:47.14\00:16:49.74
for our iniquities."
00:16:49.74\00:16:51.74
And what they want you to think
is that we did the crushing,
00:16:51.74\00:16:54.44
and only on that
day, 2,000 years ago,
00:16:54.44\00:16:57.51
as if it's only talking about
the single sin of the people
00:16:57.51\00:17:00.75
who nailed Jesus to that cross.
00:17:00.75\00:17:03.39
But again, you have to
ignore the rest of the chapter
00:17:03.39\00:17:05.62
to make it read that way,
00:17:05.62\00:17:06.92
because down in verse
10, we find out, quote,
00:17:06.92\00:17:08.99
"It was the will of
the Lord to crush Him."
00:17:08.99\00:17:13.09
You know, as a really good
friend of mine used to say,
00:17:13.09\00:17:15.13
"If the plain sense makes
good sense, seek no other sense,
00:17:15.13\00:17:18.27
or you'll get nonsense."
00:17:18.27\00:17:20.04
I'll be right back after this.
00:17:20.04\00:17:22.27
- [Narrator] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:17:25.74\00:17:28.18
Sometimes, we don't
have all the answers.
00:17:28.18\00:17:31.55
But that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:17:31.55\00:17:33.98
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:17:33.98\00:17:37.09
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:17:37.09\00:17:38.62
we've created the
"Discover Bible Guides"
00:17:38.62\00:17:40.79
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:17:40.79\00:17:42.39
They're designed to
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00:17:42.39\00:17:44.93
and provide answers to many
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00:17:44.93\00:17:47.86
And they're absolutely free.
00:17:47.86\00:17:49.90
So jump online
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00:17:49.90\00:17:52.20
and start your
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00:17:52.20\00:17:55.10
- All right, we're back.
00:17:55.10\00:17:56.60
And now we're gonna look
at verse seven of Isaiah 53,
00:17:56.60\00:17:59.84
where the Bible says this:
00:17:59.84\00:18:01.54
"He was oppressed,
and He was afflicted,
00:18:01.54\00:18:04.08
yet He opened not His mouth;
00:18:04.08\00:18:05.75
like a Lamb that is
led to the slaughter,
00:18:05.75\00:18:07.92
and like a sheep that
before its shearers is silent,
00:18:07.92\00:18:11.52
so He opened not His mouth."
00:18:11.52\00:18:13.72
It's at this point that
we really have no choice
00:18:13.72\00:18:16.89
but to see Jesus
00:18:16.89\00:18:18.26
through the lens of the
Old Testament sacrifices.
00:18:18.26\00:18:21.20
Some people, who
don't like the idea
00:18:21.20\00:18:23.20
of a substitutionary atonement,
00:18:23.20\00:18:24.70
this idea that
Jesus died in my place,
00:18:24.70\00:18:28.10
they want you to think
that Isaiah is just describing
00:18:28.10\00:18:30.47
some mob injustice that day,
that the audience on that day
00:18:30.47\00:18:34.88
figured Jesus
deserved what He was getting.
00:18:34.88\00:18:37.71
But look at it very carefully.
00:18:37.71\00:18:39.38
It's a reference to the
hundreds of thousands of lambs
00:18:39.38\00:18:42.22
that had been sacrificed for sin
00:18:42.22\00:18:43.99
in the centuries leading
up to the death of Christ.
00:18:43.99\00:18:46.99
Historically
speaking, not one Israelite
00:18:46.99\00:18:49.86
looked at that lamb
he was about to slaughter
00:18:49.86\00:18:52.06
and said, "You know,
this innocent little lamb
00:18:52.06\00:18:55.03
really deserves this."
00:18:55.03\00:18:56.97
I mean, the whole
point of the sacrifice
00:18:56.97\00:18:59.83
was an innocent victim
that didn't deserve it.
00:18:59.83\00:19:03.10
You confessed your
sin over that lamb,
00:19:03.10\00:19:05.51
and then you had to take
the life of that lamb yourself,
00:19:05.51\00:19:08.74
which symbolized the
idea that someone else
00:19:08.74\00:19:10.95
had to die because of you.
00:19:10.95\00:19:13.52
Your guilt was symbolically
transferred to the animal,
00:19:13.52\00:19:16.38
and then the blood was
carried inside the sanctuary
00:19:16.38\00:19:19.29
and presented in
front of the throne of God.
00:19:19.29\00:19:22.76
The entire system
was built on the idea
00:19:22.76\00:19:25.33
that someone else was
going to die in your place.
00:19:25.33\00:19:29.16
And as we see in Isaiah
53:8, Jesus would be, quote,
00:19:29.16\00:19:32.57
"stricken for the
transgression of My people."
00:19:32.57\00:19:36.60
I mean, just sit down and
read the whole chapter out loud
00:19:36.60\00:19:40.44
and ask yourself: Does
this really sound like the cross
00:19:40.44\00:19:43.48
is nothing more
than a good example?
00:19:43.48\00:19:45.75
Let's just read the rest of it.
00:19:45.75\00:19:47.55
It says, "Yet it was the
will of the Lord to crush Him."
00:19:47.55\00:19:50.69
In other words,
it was God the Father
00:19:50.69\00:19:52.62
who took the
initiative at the cross, not us.
00:19:52.62\00:19:55.59
That doesn't mean we're
innocent of Jesus' death,
00:19:55.59\00:19:57.99
because clearly we're not.
00:19:57.99\00:19:59.63
But notice that the idea of
the sacrifice began not with us,
00:19:59.63\00:20:03.20
but in heaven.
00:20:03.20\00:20:04.77
"He has put Him to
grief," it continues,
00:20:04.77\00:20:07.17
"when His soul makes
an offering for guilt."
00:20:07.17\00:20:10.11
Whose guilt?
00:20:10.11\00:20:11.31
Not His guilt, our guilt.
00:20:11.31\00:20:13.17
"He shall see His
offspring," it says.
00:20:13.17\00:20:15.28
"He shall prolong His days.
00:20:15.28\00:20:16.75
The will of the Lord
shall prosper in His hand.
00:20:16.75\00:20:19.31
Out of the anguish of His soul
00:20:19.31\00:20:20.92
He shall see and be satisfied.
00:20:20.92\00:20:23.15
By His shall the
righteous one, my servant,
00:20:23.15\00:20:25.89
make many to be
accounted righteous,"
00:20:25.89\00:20:29.22
not literally
righteous, of course,
00:20:29.22\00:20:30.76
but accounted righteous,
00:20:30.76\00:20:32.79
"and He shall
bear their iniquities."
00:20:32.79\00:20:36.13
Now, I don't know how
much plainer it can be
00:20:36.13\00:20:37.93
than that statement.
00:20:37.93\00:20:39.03
It continues again:
00:20:39.03\00:20:40.47
"Therefore will I divide
Him a portion with the many,
00:20:40.47\00:20:43.30
and He shall divide
the spoil with the strong,
00:20:43.30\00:20:45.27
because He poured
out His soul to death
00:20:45.27\00:20:47.21
and was numbered
with the transgressors.
00:20:47.21\00:20:50.28
Yet He bore the sin of many
00:20:50.28\00:20:52.25
and makes intercession
for the transgressors."
00:20:52.25\00:20:56.02
Look, there's just no
way to read this passage
00:20:56.02\00:20:58.09
and honestly suggest
00:20:58.09\00:20:59.92
that Jesus didn't take my
guilt on Himself at the cross.
00:20:59.92\00:21:03.96
It's just not possible.
00:21:03.96\00:21:06.26
It says He bore the sin of many,
00:21:06.26\00:21:08.30
which again is a clear allusion
to the work of the priest
00:21:08.30\00:21:10.93
in the Old Testament sanctuary.
00:21:10.93\00:21:12.70
And in this case,
Jesus is both high priest
00:21:12.70\00:21:15.57
and sacrificial lamb,
because He offers Himself.
00:21:15.57\00:21:19.11
Remember, Jesus said in John 10,
00:21:19.11\00:21:21.91
"For this reason,
the Father loves Me,
00:21:21.91\00:21:24.35
because I lay down My life
that I may take it up again.
00:21:24.35\00:21:27.78
No one takes it from Me, but
I lay it down of My own accord.
00:21:27.78\00:21:32.52
I have authority to lay it down,
00:21:32.52\00:21:34.12
and I have
authority to take it up again.
00:21:34.12\00:21:36.49
This charge I have
received from My Father."
00:21:36.49\00:21:39.49
I mean, look, I get it.
00:21:39.49\00:21:41.00
The cross doesn't seem fair.
00:21:41.00\00:21:43.37
That's because it isn't.
00:21:43.37\00:21:45.03
Even a lot of the
harshest critics out there
00:21:45.03\00:21:47.20
still like the person of Jesus.
00:21:47.20\00:21:49.37
And I think we
all pretty much agree,
00:21:49.37\00:21:51.31
He did not deserve crucifixion.
00:21:51.31\00:21:53.74
We instinctively
know that what happened
00:21:53.74\00:21:55.71
was a gross
miscarriage of justice.
00:21:55.71\00:21:58.11
And so when we see
it, we don't want to think
00:21:58.11\00:22:00.52
that somehow we had
a role to play in that.
00:22:00.52\00:22:02.92
We don't wanna think that
our sins are actually that bad.
00:22:02.92\00:22:07.72
And I know that some
of you grew up in homes
00:22:07.72\00:22:09.46
where somebody constantly
told you, "You are bad.
00:22:09.46\00:22:12.29
God's gonna get you."
00:22:12.29\00:22:13.93
And so when you hear that
your sins cost Jesus that much,
00:22:13.93\00:22:18.13
there's a part of
you that pushes back
00:22:18.13\00:22:19.70
because you think it confirms
what you were told as a kid.
00:22:19.70\00:22:23.64
But just forget
that for a moment.
00:22:24.61\00:22:26.11
Because it's not just your
sins that did this to Jesus,
00:22:26.11\00:22:29.71
mine did it too.
00:22:29.71\00:22:31.28
And so did the sins of your
parents, and your neighbors,
00:22:31.28\00:22:33.65
and your fellow
churchgoers, and your friends,
00:22:33.65\00:22:35.88
and every person
who's ever lived.
00:22:35.88\00:22:38.49
Sin really is that bad.
00:22:38.49\00:22:42.92
But the cross
isn't a rejection of you.
00:22:42.92\00:22:45.39
It's God saying, "I love
you far too much to lose you,
00:22:45.39\00:22:48.13
and I'm willing
to take your place
00:22:48.13\00:22:49.53
to make sure I don't lose you."
00:22:49.53\00:22:52.10
The cross of Christ is a
confirmation that God wants you,
00:22:52.10\00:22:55.54
and He wants you pretty badly.
00:22:55.54\00:22:57.54
And I get it.
00:22:57.54\00:22:58.87
Our pride wants to
tell us that can't be true.
00:22:58.87\00:23:01.81
But it is.
00:23:01.81\00:23:02.91
And what I recommend
00:23:02.91\00:23:04.18
is that you just
stand there for a while,
00:23:04.18\00:23:06.78
stand at the foot of the cross,
00:23:06.78\00:23:08.45
and recognize that it's my pride
00:23:08.45\00:23:11.05
that pushed the crown
of thorns into His head.
00:23:11.05\00:23:13.52
It's my unbelief that becomes
a spear between His ribs.
00:23:13.52\00:23:17.16
It's my sin that drives
those nails through His hands
00:23:17.16\00:23:19.89
and feet.
00:23:19.89\00:23:21.26
And when He suddenly
cries out, "My God, My God,
00:23:21.26\00:23:23.93
why have You forsaken Me?"
00:23:23.93\00:23:25.60
well, at that moment,
He just took my place,
00:23:26.80\00:23:29.40
separated from a holy Father.
00:23:29.40\00:23:32.01
And then you've
got to ask yourself
00:23:32.01\00:23:33.34
why in the world
He'd wanna do that.
00:23:33.34\00:23:35.61
I'll be right back after this.
00:23:35.61\00:23:37.68
[light blues-rock music]
00:23:37.68\00:23:41.62
- [Narrator] Dragons.
00:23:41.62\00:23:42.42
Beasts.
00:23:42.42\00:23:43.75
Cryptic statues.
00:23:43.75\00:23:45.85
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:23:45.85\00:23:50.46
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:23:50.46\00:23:52.66
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:23:52.66\00:23:55.76
Our free "Focus
on Prophecy" guides
00:23:55.76\00:23:58.17
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:23:58.17\00:24:00.84
and deepen your understanding
of God's plan for you
00:24:00.84\00:24:03.81
and our world.
00:24:03.81\00:24:04.94
Study online or
request them by mail
00:24:04.94\00:24:07.38
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:24:07.38\00:24:10.55
- You know, human
pride is really good
00:24:10.55\00:24:13.11
at finding 1,000 reasons
that something isn't our fault.
00:24:13.11\00:24:17.09
And it's on that front that
human reason begins to fail,
00:24:17.09\00:24:20.26
because, well, it paints a
pretty warped picture of self.
00:24:20.26\00:24:24.23
We've become
experts at pushing the blame
00:24:24.23\00:24:26.56
in another direction.
00:24:26.56\00:24:28.06
And to be sure, not everything
that's wrong in our lives
00:24:28.06\00:24:30.93
really is our fault.
00:24:30.93\00:24:33.23
But there's
enough of your own guilt
00:24:33.23\00:24:35.00
that not one of us is
able to claim innocence.
00:24:35.00\00:24:38.77
And I think that, at
some level, we all know that.
00:24:38.77\00:24:41.88
If you and I had to stand in
the presence of God right now
00:24:41.88\00:24:44.61
without the gift of the cross,
00:24:44.61\00:24:47.12
how do you think
that meeting would go?
00:24:47.12\00:24:49.58
Even those little things,
00:24:49.58\00:24:50.92
the tiny misdeeds
that we tell ourselves
00:24:50.92\00:24:52.79
aren't all that bad,
00:24:52.79\00:24:54.49
well, I can promise
you they're gonna seem
00:24:54.49\00:24:55.86
a whole lot bigger
when it's just you and God,
00:24:55.86\00:24:58.76
and He begins to
ask some questions.
00:24:58.76\00:25:01.33
And it's scary to admit that,
00:25:01.33\00:25:03.06
because, well, we
fear what might happen.
00:25:03.06\00:25:06.67
But here's the thing: the
worst has already happened,
00:25:06.67\00:25:10.94
and it happened to Jesus.
00:25:10.94\00:25:13.01
Remember what Paul
said in 1 Corinthians 5:21.
00:25:13.01\00:25:16.41
He wrote, "For our
sake He made Him to be sin
00:25:16.41\00:25:19.75
who knew no sin, so that in Him
00:25:19.75\00:25:22.65
we might become the
righteousness of God."
00:25:22.65\00:25:26.29
Now, notice again,
00:25:26.29\00:25:27.52
all the initiative
comes from God, not us.
00:25:27.52\00:25:29.99
The cross wasn't just a
matter of mob injustice.
00:25:29.99\00:25:33.03
It was actually
God's solution for you.
00:25:33.03\00:25:36.13
"For our sake He made Him
to be sin who knew no sin,
00:25:36.13\00:25:40.50
so that in Him we might become
the righteousness of God."
00:25:40.50\00:25:45.51
Now, that can
only mean one thing.
00:25:45.51\00:25:48.01
I mean, the Bible is crystal
clear that Jesus was innocent.
00:25:48.01\00:25:51.28
Peter says He was a
"lamb without blemish or spot."
00:25:51.28\00:25:55.25
You'll find
that in 1 Peter 1:19.
00:25:55.25\00:25:58.12
So how does Jesus become sin?
00:25:58.12\00:26:01.26
It's because your sin,
your guilt, was placed on Him.
00:26:01.26\00:26:04.49
He became a human being
so that He could represent us
00:26:04.49\00:26:08.00
and take the penalty
for our sin in our place.
00:26:08.00\00:26:13.00
You know, I really like the way
00:26:13.00\00:26:14.60
that a very godly
lady from the 19th century
00:26:14.60\00:26:17.04
put this whole thing, and
this is a quote I've shared
00:26:17.04\00:26:19.77
more than once on this
program because I love it.
00:26:19.77\00:26:22.11
It's just that good.
00:26:22.11\00:26:23.95
Here's the way she
phrased the whole thing:
00:26:23.95\00:26:26.58
"Christ was
treated as we deserve,
00:26:26.58\00:26:29.38
that we might be
treated as He deserves.
00:26:29.38\00:26:32.39
He was condemned for our
sins, in which He had no share,
00:26:32.39\00:26:36.09
that we might be
justified by His righteousness,
00:26:36.09\00:26:38.99
in which we had no share.
00:26:38.99\00:26:40.83
He suffered the
death which was ours,
00:26:40.83\00:26:42.80
that we might receive
the life which was His.
00:26:42.80\00:26:46.30
With His
stripes, we are healed."
00:26:46.30\00:26:49.54
You know, sometimes I
think the cross really scares us
00:26:49.54\00:26:52.41
because we know what
it means if it's true.
00:26:52.41\00:26:55.84
We really are that lost.
00:26:55.84\00:26:58.48
But let me ask you
this: how in the world
00:26:58.48\00:27:00.25
could you
possibly be scared of a God
00:27:00.25\00:27:02.32
who would go to
that length to save you?
00:27:02.32\00:27:05.62
Yeah, your sin
really is that bad.
00:27:05.62\00:27:07.92
So maybe just admit it,
00:27:07.92\00:27:09.99
because it's pretty
freeing to confess your sin.
00:27:09.99\00:27:13.26
You're lost.
00:27:13.26\00:27:14.36
You need Him.
00:27:14.36\00:27:15.50
And you're going to discover
00:27:15.50\00:27:16.97
that He's been waiting
all your life to forgive you,
00:27:16.97\00:27:20.90
and tell the whole universe
that you now belong to Him.
00:27:20.90\00:27:25.11
Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:25.11\00:27:26.64
I'm Shawn Boonstra,
00:27:26.64\00:27:28.01
and this has been
another episode of "Authentic."
00:27:28.01\00:27:31.01
[light blues-rock music]
00:27:31.01\00:27:34.52