GOOD FRIDAY: THE DEATH OF CHRIST.

1. His death Predicted.

It was a wonderful thing that He should die, for death is the penalty for sin. He was sinless. Death can only take effect on humanity, whereas He was Divine. Death for us extends to Adam’s entire race and death is not an option. Death for Jesus was His choice. He chose it to save us from sin’s eternal consequences and to restore us to a right relationship to God.

2. His death described -- crucifixion. Isa. 52:13-53:12

Surely His death should be natural and peaceful, or if not, glorious, heroic, and with the blessings of His race. In truth, Jesus dies as a criminal. His death was,

(1) profoundly humiliating;

(2) excruciatingly painful.

3. As the nature of His death unfolded the manner of His death indicated its nature.

(1) It was penal. He suffered under Roman and Divine law.

(2) It was vicarious. It was for others. It was for you and me because He was innocent. He was innocent of any crime under Roman law and He was innocent of any crime under God’s law. He died for our sins, the righteous for the guilty.

(3) It was expiatory (Isa 53:5,6).

    Through the "propitiatory" sacrifice of Christ, he who believes upon Him is by God's own act delivered from justly deserved wrath, and comes under the covenant of grace. God is never said to be reconciled, which indicates that the enmity exists on man's part alone. It  is man who needs to be reconciled to God, and not God to man. God is always the same but His attitude changes towards those who change. He acts differently towards those who come to Him by faith, and solely on the ground of the "propitiatory" sacrifice of Christ alone, not because He has changed, but because He ever acts according to His unchanging righteousness. The expiatory work of the Cross is the means by which the barrier which sin interposes between God and man is broken down. By the giving up of His sinless life sacrificially, Christ annuls the power of sin to separate between God and the believer.

II. THE RESULTS of the DEATH of CHRIST.

1. The judgment of the world.

(1) What this means.

In the Scriptures to judge means to govern for example, the OT "Judges." As King and Ruler the Messiah is frequently described as Judge. The Son of Man is glorified by being made King of the world; how, therefore, is the world to be judged by being ruled by Him? A new order of Divine administration has been commenced, having for its object the subjection of the world to God.

(2) How is this judgment the result of Christ's death?

(a) It was the promised and richly deserved reward of His death (Isa 53:10-12;

Phil 2:5-11).

(b) It is the necessary means by which He accomplishes the great design of His death, the salvation of His chosen people (John 17:2).

2. The defeat of the prince of this world (John 14:30 ; 16:8-11; Eph 2:2).

(1) Who is the prince of this world?

(a) A real personal existence.

(b) A powerful ruler.

  (c) Exercising dominion over this world.

(d) But not independently and uncontrolled, but largely as the executioner of Divine justice, and limited in power by the duration of "this world."

(2) What is his expulsion? From where is he being cast out,

(a) From the human heart.

(b) From the religious and civil institutions he had controlled.

  (3) How is he cast out?

(a) Christ bore the penalty of that for which he held men in bondage. We have paid our debt and suffered our punishment in Christ our substitute.

(b) By the power of the Spirit, by which men can resist the devil and make him flee.

3. The drawing of all men to Christ.

(1) What this drawing is.

(a) All men, without exception, will become the subjects of His government.

(b) All men, without distinction, become the objects of the invitations of His gospel.

(c) All whom the Father has given Him, an innumerable company out of every kindred, etc., will enjoy the blessings of His salvation.

(2) How it is connected with His lifting up.

If He had not atoned for our sins there would have been no salvation to offer, or give or receive. Christ's death removed all obstacles to this, and secured the effectual agency of the Holy Spirit to make it real in our lives.

Some associated Scriptures

John 10:11

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

 John 12:30-33

Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.  31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.     

John 12:23-25

But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.      

Rom 5:6-10

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 1

1 Cor 15:3-5

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5    

2 Cor 5:14 -15

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.