Romans 5:8 “Christ Died For Us.”

There was a shipwright named Jonathon Walker who went to Florida from Massachusetts in 1844 to salvage a ship wreck. He became friends with several slaves and left the port of Pensacola and headed towards the Bahamas. Their ship was overtaken by another and the slaves were returned to their owners. Walker was arrested and taken to Pensacola in chains. He was pelted with rotten eggs and put on trial. He was fined and then branded on his right hand with the letters S S for “Slave Stealer.”

His abolitionist friends paid his fines and he returned to New England where he attracted large crowds on the anti-slavery circuit as the “man with the branded hands.”

And I declare to you today that there is One who has been on the antislavery circuit for nearly 2000 years. Someone who sees slavery in the very ones that He created to be free. He sees how sin has ravaged the bodies and the minds and the souls of so many. Jesus Christ died so that we would no longer be slaves of sin. He died so that we would no longer be enslaved with the yoke of bondage.

Jesus Christ is the man with the nail-scarred hands.

And on this Labor Day weekend Jesus is wanting all of those who are sick and tired of working and sick and tired of stretching and sick and tired of trying to simply be sick and tired of being sick and tired. He wants men and women, teenagers and children to throw down their plowshares and take up the sword of the Spirit. He wants us to realize that we don’t get to heaven by our works, we don’t get to heaven by our brownie points that we earn, and we certainly don’t get to heaven by going to church. In fact if we are waiting to be in eternity with the Lord then we need to understand that heaven has already begun because my Bible tells me that when I come to Christ I have become a new creation, old things have passed away and all things have become new. My life as a born again believer in Jesus Christ brings heaven on earth and into my life.

Where God is is where I want to be. Where God wants me to be that’s where I must go. And wherever I go, God is there. And He is not silent.

This passage of scripture gives us a great opportunity to see just exactly what Christ did for us and why.

“Christ died for us.”

Using those four words I propose to you a three point outline for this morning’s message. Before you begin to think of me as really clever or such a great scholar I borrowed the idea from the great evangelist Joshua Stauffer. So here goes.

Number 1- Christ

Who is Christ? What can we learn this morning that will enlighten our journey and perhaps give us some insights? I want us to first of all consider His Diety. There seems to be so much confusion brought in by other sects or religions that deny that Jesus was God.

Read my lips: Jesus was God.

Turn to Philippians 2:5-7: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness.

The very nature of Christ is God. Who was Jesus Christ? He was God on earth. God in human likeness. God who lived like we live, felt like we feel, hurt like we hurt. God was born a baby through the miracle of the virgin. Jesus was not simply born like any of us but Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the sin nature is passed through the father.

My wife believes that our two children act like their father. Your children acted like their father.

And so did Jesus.

Jesus did not expect us to fully understand this great mystery but there are enough clues for the diligent Bible scholar to find more than sufficient evidence of His being as part of the Trinity. When Jesus said that when you have seen me you have seen the Father Jewish leaders took up stones to kill him because he had equaled himself with God.

Not only was His very nature that of God but he also took on the nature of a servant- willingly. I wonder how many of us would give up the position that we now have in life for one of inferior position. I wonder how many of us would even want to hearken back to the earlier days of our own lives.

Jesus chose to come to earth. God not only loved us before the creation of the world, and not only did He promised us eternal life but He provided a way- He would take on the nature of a servant. Willingly, Jesus took upon Himself the awesome task of becoming a human being. It was the only way that we could be reached.

Many primal religions in what we would consider third world countries recognize that a God does exist. But they are so concerned with the spirit world around them that they believe that God is out of reach and out of touch.

Genesis 1:26 tells that God said “Let us make man in our image and after our likeness.” Paul writes here that He was made in human likeness.

Let’s consider His humanity for a moment:

Philippians 2:8 “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!”

Three notes about Jesus humanity:

First- He was born as a helpless baby. He needed mothering, fed, changed, and protected just like any of us when we were born.

Second- He lived a humble life. He put others before himself, had compassion on those who were sheep without a shepherd, he touched and loved and healed. His humble beginnings and life were one of great admiration even to the skeptics who discount his deity and divine attributes.

Third- He died a humiliating death. The cross was not a death of honor. The firing squad might be death with honor, or hanging, or some other mode of execution but cricifixion was not a pretty death. It not only abused and punished the person it degraded the individual. Jesus went through a very painful and agonizing death.

Which brings us to our second point

II. Christ Died

Two words describe Jesus death: voluntarily and vicariously.

Jesus death was voluntary. The mission of his life was to love people- be a servant. The vision for his life was to die- be the Savior. Death was His choice to carry through because this was the cup that was handed to Him. Remember the garden seen when the disciples were sleeping on their watch? And Jesus prays “Not my will but thine.”

Jesus death was vicariously. He was the substitute for us. Jesus was kind of like our designated hitter. Except He did what no one else could do: only He could die for our sins.

The burnt offering that the Jews performed was a very serious offering. This was done on behalf of the individual who was consecrating themselves or their family. The bull had to be perfect- no blemishes. In fact, the problem Jesus had with the money changers in the temple was not the principle of providing a service but they were desecrating the temple by robbing people of their money and with inferior animals. During the sacrifice the bull had to be inspected. And then the priest would put both hands on the animal just prior to it being burned.

Jesus was the perfect sacrifice that took the place of all sacrifices that humanity thinks they need to make to have a relationship with God. Jesus was the perfect voluntary substitute for us when He died on the cross.

Jesus died In Our Behalf

In other words, Jesus reaped what we sowed. Because of our sin Jesus chose to pay the ultimate penalty of death. I wonder if we truly do comprehend what great gift that God offers. “For the wages of sin is death.” Do I, your pastor, really understand the real meaning? I’m not so sure. I realize and believe that without Christ I am doomed to an eternity without God. Without Christ I could never have real joy or peace in my life.

Not only did Jesus die in our behalf but he died in our place. We were guilty but Jesus took the rap.

I think the words of this song sums up this point the best.

I should have been crucified

I should have suffered and died

I should have hung on the cross in disgrace

But Jesus God’s Son took my place.

Why did Christ die?

III. Christ Died for Us.

There are those who have died a martyrs death. They died for a cause. There are those who have died a hero’s death. They died for a person or group of people. Jesus died a Savior’s death; he died to save the world. You. Me. Them.

Jesus death brought to me new life. Without Christ I was dead in my sin. I was guilty, judged guilty, and sentenced to separation from God. But just as through one man- Adam- that sin entered into the world, through one man- Jesus Christ- can we be saved from sin and the penalty of sin. Jesus set me free. He who the Son has freed is free indeed.

Jesus brought new life to you. Remember that moment when you came to Christ and trusted in Him as your personal Savior? Was it here at this altar? Was it at a restaurant? Was it in the living room? Or were you like CS Lewis who got on the train in London as an atheist and arrived in Liverpool a Christian? He couldn’t place the moment but he knew at some point he had accepted Christ in his life.

Jesus wants to bring new life to them. Those who are on the outside. and even those who may be here on the inside. Those who we pass on the sidewalk downtown or those who we see at the barber shop. Jesus died for them. He died for your neighbor. He died for your sons and daughters and your grandchildren.

Jesus died to bring salvation to a world that God was dying to have a relationship with. God was literally dying to get to know who you are.

And maybe right now God wants to get to know you in a real way.

Who can be a Christian?

Ted Bundy accepted Christ prior to his execution for murdering college co-eds.

Manuel Noriega, the communist dictator in Panama, accepted Christ in a prison cell.

Chuck Colson, who was one of President Nixon’s lead men, accepted Christ and is now leading a prison ministry that has reached the incarcerated.

And the list can go on.

How is it that Jesus can reach and save the life of one who has even killed Christians? but he did with the life of Paul.

How is it that He can reach into the life of someone who is absolutely undeserving of His death?

Then we all need to look in the mirror.

This church is full of misfits and rejects. Without Christ we would all striving to be what the world wants us to be. For some of you the world would want you for you abilities. Not because you are you but because you can benefit them. For some of you the world would want you to continue to fail in life, continue in your life of addictions.

But Jesus has set you free.

And I wonder this morning: do you need to accept Jesus Christ and His death for you? Do you want to commit your life to Him today?

Have you longed for peace in your life?

Have you longed for joy?

On this Labor Day Weekend God wants you to lay aside all of your hard work to please Him, and all of your efforts to cover your sin and turn to Jesus Christ.

Jesus said: “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.”

There’s the story of a young boy who came home from school on his birthday. He went upstairs not realizing that his mother had prepared a surprise birthday party for him. Friends from school including his teacher quietly came into the house. When things were ready his mother called for him to come down but he did not come. She called repeatedly but he did not answer. Finally, she went upstairs and he was gone from his bedroom. Thinking that he would return they went about eating the birthday party without the birthday boy. When suppertime arrived so did the young kid. His mother questioned where he had been. He confessed that when she had called his name he thought that she had a chore for him to do so he snuck out the window and shimmied down a tree and went to town.

Don’t make the same mistake this boy made. God doesn’t want you so that he can work you he wants you so that he can love you like you’ve never been loved before.

He’s dying to get to know you.