WHY DID JESUS DIE?JOHN 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever

believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”INTRODUCTION:The cross lies at the heart of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 2:2 - I determined not to know anything... except Jesus Christ & Him crucified)

I. THE PROBLEM‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Rom 3:23) Results of sin

1) Pollution of sin (Mark 7: 20-23)(Sin in the heart makes man

unclean)2) Power of sin (John 8: 34) (Anyone who sins is a slave of sin)3) Penalty for sin (Romans 6: 23)

(Wages of sin is death - spiritual death)4) Partition of sin (Isaiah 59:2)

(Our iniquities separate us from God)

II. THE SOLUTION1) 1 Peter 2:24 (Jesus bore our sins on

the cross)“The self substitution of God’ – John Stott

2) Agony of the cross (Isaiah 53: 6)(God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all... my sin ...your sins)

III. THE RESULT(ROMANS 3:21-26)Four images:

1. The Temple‘God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood’ (Romans 3:25 ...remission of sins)(Hebrews 10:4 ...it is not possible that blood of bulls and goats should take away sins) 1 John 3:5 - “He was manifested to take away our sins...”(Hebrews 10: 14)

(1 John 1:7 ...blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins)Pollution of sin removed

2. The Market Place‘The redemption that came by Jesus Christ’ (Romans 3:24) All debts are paid(John 8:36 - If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed)Power of sin....freed

3. The Law Court‘Justified freely by His grace’(Rom 3:24)Penalty of sin completely paid

4. The Home Reconciliation(Broken relationship between God and us was restored by the cross)

‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world...’ (2 Corinthians 5:19) Partition of sin destroyed

IV.CONCLUSION:

......believes in Him.....

‘Righteousness from God’(Rom 3:22; Isaiah 53:6)

He died for you and me(Galatians 2:20)

V.PRAYER