Christian Living

The (Real) Reason for Jesus' Death

by Thom Mollohan
10/02/13
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I am grieved always when I hear or read of some new way that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been man-handled (pun intended) in order to advance some self-serving person or institution. How revolting it must be to the Lord when His Son’s death is used to promote a person’s selfish political or material cause or any other personally ambitious type of power grab.

And let us be careful to not turn the Gospel of Jesus into something He never intended it to be. The Gospel of Christ is first and foremost the means by which God administers grace in a sinful world doomed to damnation (yes, I said it). It is the pronouncement of God’s judgment on sin while simultaneously it is also the announcement of mercy afforded us through the offering of His own Son, Jesus.

The Gospel is this: through faith alone in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and we are made the children of God. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, what whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16-18 ESV).

The solving of social ills such as war, racism, poverty, sex trafficking, drugs, crime and political corruption are not the point of Gospel, but are instead addressed as the Gospel is worked out in the lives of those it has thoroughly transformed. And to those who have recently claimed that Jesus’ ministry was to overturn an unfair tax system (and that His opposition to unfair taxation was what got Him nailed to the cross)… oh, please! Don’t insult God with such short-sighted, material-minded garbage! Such a claim is simply an ad hoc attempt to commandeer the life, death, and life of Jesus. It is an effort to confuse those who aren’t rooted deeply in the truth of God, bully opponents of one’s political persuasion, and displace one’s culpability for his own sins and impending condemnation. Don’t be deceived by anyone who denies the reason for Jesus’ coming to earth. We call Him Savior because He died for our sins. We call Him Lord because He rose from the dead, is glorified, and is King forever.

“(John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!’… (Thousands and thousands said) with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’ … ‘To Him Who sits on the throne (of God) and to the Lamb (Jesus) be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (John 1:29, Revelation 5:12,13b ESV). As th

I am grieved always when I hear or read of some new way that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been man-handled (pun intended) in order to advance some self-serving person or institution.  How revolting it must be to the Lord when His Son’s death is used to promote a person’s selfish political or material cause or any other personally ambitious type of power grab. 

And let us be careful to not turn the Gospel of Jesus into something He never intended it to be.  The Gospel of Christ is first and foremost the means by which God administers grace in a sinful world doomed to damnation (yes, I said it).  It is the pronouncement of God’s judgment on sin while simultaneously it is also the announcement of mercy afforded us through the offering of His own Son, Jesus.  The Gospel is this:  through faith alone in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and we are made the children of God. 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, what whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16-18 ESV). 

The solving of social ills such as war, racism, poverty, sex trafficking, drugs, crime and political corruption are not the point of Gospel, but are instead addressed as the Gospel is worked out in the lives of those it has thoroughly transformed.   

And to those who have recently claimed that Jesus’ ministry was to overturn an unfair tax system (and that His opposition to unfair taxation was what got Him nailed to the cross)… oh, please!  Don’t insult God with such short-sighted, material-minded garbage!  Such a claim is simply an ad hoc attempt to commandeer the life, death, and life of Jesus. 

It is an effort to confuse those who aren’t rooted deeply in the truth of God, bully opponents of one’s political persuasion, and displace one’s culpability for his on sins and impending condemnation. 

Don’t be deceived by anyone who denies the reason for Jesus’ coming to earth.  We call Him Savior because He died for our sins.  We call Him Lord because He rose from the dead, is glorified, and is King forever. 

“(John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!’… (Thousands and thousands said) with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’ … ‘To Him Who sits on the throne (of God) and to the Lamb (Jesus) be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (John 1:29, Revelation 5:12,13b ESV). 

As the Lamb of God, His purpose was to be a sacrifice Whose blood would atone for the unimaginable weight of my sin and yours.  As a matter of historical fact, His coming, dying, and rising from the dead is either true as the Bible records it, or it didn’t happen at all and has no lasting meaning for any of us today.  But it just so happens that it is true, a matter reliably documented by hundreds of eye witnesses in that first century.  To deny it as the Bible records it is a slap in the face of those who faithfully reported it to us.  More tragic (and terrifying) than that is that it is also a slap in the face of God Almighty Himself Who sent Jesus to us. 

The truth of the matter was summed up well in words penned by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend in the song, "In Christ Alone". 

Copyright © Thom Mollohan