The Only Possible Solution For the Sins of the World
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
On our trip to the Holy Land, one of the special moments was the celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the Garden Tomb. As much as I can remember, this is my meditation at that service.
If you were to ask, “Which is most important – the crucifixion of Jesus or his resurrection,” which would you say? It is hard to choose, and theologically, we cannot say that one is more important. Without the crucifixion, we would not have an avenue of forgiveness and salvation. Without the resurrection, we would not be certain that Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient to pay for our sins. For that reason, both are necessary, and the plan of God includes them both.
How many sins did Jesus atone for on the cross? He atoned for mine and yours. Those, in themselves, are a great many. But God wanted to do more. He wanted to atone for the sins of everyone in the world: past, present, and future. But how could he do that? What sacrifice might be of sufficient value and holiness to atone for a weight of sins so immense?
There was only one possible solution. It was for the only begotten Son of God to be that sacrifice. His life was of immense value to the Father. He was the only one who could make atonement for the world. To do so, of course, he would have to be sinless. He could not commit a single sin; otherwise, he would be required to atone for his own sins and could not atone for others. But the Gospels make the point repeatedly that Jesus was this perfect sacrifice. He lived in perfect communion with God and thus was able to go sinlessly to the cross.
That is what Jesus did. He went to the cross to bear the sins of the world. This was the great plan of God for the salvation of the world, and his sacrifice was sufficient. It was of such value and worth that it was accepted by the Father as a sufficient payment for all human sin: yours, mine, and everyone else’s. All God asks of people is to accept his offer of forgiveness, believe in the atoning work of his beloved Son, and place their faith, hope, and trust in him.
To place faith in Jesus requires humility, however. We must let go of our own agendas and presuppositions. We must come to God in the way he has required, rather than desiring another way. But to all who place their trust in Jesus, God the Father grants forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life in the family of God.
The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is the reminder of the death of Jesus Christ for our sakes. As we receive the elements today, let us place our faith and hope in what God has done for us. I would invite you to pray two prayers as you receive the elements. When you partake of the bread, would you do so with faith and say, “Lord, I believe.” When you partake of the cup, would you commit to serve God and say, “Lord, I will be your disciple.