For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son...

„Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand, and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying:

"Hail, King of the Jews!"

And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, him they compelled to bear his cross.

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall, and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots".

And sitting down they watched him there, and set up over his head his accusation written:"THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS".

Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying:

"Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross".

Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said:

"He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him, for he said:"I am the Son of God".

The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying:

"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?", that is to say: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?".

Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said:

"This man calleth for Elias".

And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

The rest said:

"Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him".

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost." Matthew 27:27-50

Why did all this have to happen?

Why did the sinless Son of God have to endure insults, mockery, rejection by people, abandonment by God the Father, the greatest torment in his soul and body, and the most cruel and painful death - crucifixion?

We find the answers in the Bible - the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

The Creation of Man in Holiness and Righteousness

The holy and righteous God created people in His image and likeness, that is, in true holiness and righteousness, so that they could truly know God, their creator, love Him with all their hearts, live with God in eternal happiness, and praise and glorify Him.

And God said:

"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him – male and female created he them.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them:

"Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 1:26-28

"... God hath made man upright.. " Ecclesiastes 7:29

God's commandment

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying:

"Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

Genesis 2:15-17

The temptation

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman:

"Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"

And the woman said unto the serpent:

"We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."

And the serpent said unto the woman:

"Ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

Genesis 3:1-5

The Tempter

"... The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty... "

2 Corinthians 11:3

"... That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world... "

Revelation 12:9

„...He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it."

John 8:44

The Fall of Man

Our first parents, who were given the freedom to exercise their own will, through the temptation of the devil, transgressed God's command by eating of the forbidden fruit, and thus changed the state of innocence in which they were created.

"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Genesis 3:6

The Consequences of Sin

The Fall led the human race to lose fellowship with God, it brought about God's disapproval and curse.

"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him: "Where art thou?".

And he said:

"I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself".

And he said:

"Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?". And the man said:

"The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat".

And the LORD God said unto the woman:

"What is this that thou hast done?".

And the woman said:

"The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat".

And the LORD God said unto the serpent:

"Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel".

Unto the woman he said:

"I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee".

And unto Adam he said:

"Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return".

Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Genesis 3:7-19,23-24

Because of disobedience to God's command, Adam and Eve lost the holiness and righteousness in which they were created. They hid from the presence of the Holy and Righteous God, because they were no longer holy and righteous like Him. They were corrupted by sin. They became slaves to sin, because "whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." (John 8:34)

By sinning, people fell into"the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him". (2 Timothy 2:26)

Sin separated them from God and they became spiritually dead - "dead in their sins..." (Colossians 2:13).

Years later, physical death came.

Since the covenant made with the first man as the representative of the human race does not apply to him alone, but to his posterity, all men descended from him by natural birth sinned in him, and fell with him into that first transgression. Thus all men are conceived and born in sin, dead in sin, and with a corrupt nature.

"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalms 51:5

„... by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Romans 5:12

"... dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Ephesians 2:1-3

Thus, all people are by nature children of wrath, slaves of the devil, and are justly subject to every punishment in this world and in the world to come.

The Punishments of Sin

Every sin, both original and actual, because it transgresses and opposes the just Law of God, by its very nature already produces guilt in the sinner. In this way the wrath of God and the curse of the Law fall upon the sinner, and he becomes subject to death, as well as to all misfortunes - spiritual, temporal and eternal.

"God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." Psalms 7:11

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Romans1:18

"Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Galatians 3:10

As a just judge, God punishes sins in this world and in eternity.

The punishments for sins in this world are either internal – a darkened mind, a depraved mind, strong delusion, hardening of the heart, remorse of conscience, shameful passions, or external – God’s curse on creation for our sake, as well as all other evils that befall our body, name, property, relationships, and profession, along with death itself.

"Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." Ephesians 4:18

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves, Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections, for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature, and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient, Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperer, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:21-32

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

„... The wages of sin is deat..." Romans 6:23

The punishments for sin in the world to come are eternal separation from the comforting presence of God and the most excruciating tortures of soul and body in the fires of hell, continuing without interruption, forever.

"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power."

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

"... into the fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:43-44

"... into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" Mattew 25:41

The love, mercy, and grace of God

„But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved)... For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.“

Ephesians 2:4-5,8-9

God does not leave the whole human race to perish in the state of sin and misery into which they fell by breaking the first Covenant, generally called the Covenant of Works. Guided by His love and mercy, God delivers His chosen ones from this state and brings them to salvation through the second Covenant, generally called the Covenant of Grace.

The Covenant of Grace

In the second Covenant, God’s grace is expressed in the fact that God freely provides and offers sinners a Mediator, as well as life and salvation through Him.

„God, Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.“

2 Timothy 1:9

„Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."

Ephesians 1:3-7

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." 1 Peter 1:2

„For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

God „that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all". Romans 8:32

„All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Isaiah 53:6

„But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only mediator of the Covenant of Grace

„He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."

Hebrews 9:15

The Lord Jesus Christ was sinless and bore the punishment for our sins

„... He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.... He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."

Isaiah 53:5, 7

" Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree..." 1 Peter 2:24а

The Lord Jesus Christ gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins

„Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

Hebrews 9:26

"Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father."

Galatians 1:4

The Lord Jesus Christ bore the curse that weighed upon us sinners, since death on a cross is cursed by God.

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written:"Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."

Galatians 3:13

The Lord Jesus Christ died as a substitute for us sinners who deserve the death penalty for our sins.

„For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us..."

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10а

Through His substitutionary death on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ defeated sin and the devil.

Jesus Christ is the descendant of the woman, whom God said in the Garden of Eden would bruise the head of the serpent.

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Hebrews 2:14-17

The Lord Jesus Christ freed us from the slavery of sin and the devil.

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

John 8:36

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

Luke 4:18-19

Through His mediation, the Lord Jesus Christ obtained for us redemption, as well as all the other gifts of the Covenant of Grace.

"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

Titus 2:14

Redemption and the Price of Redemption

„Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

1 Peter 1:18-19

"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

Hebrews 9:11-12

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins... For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell, and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight."

Colossians 1:14, 19-22

„What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The justification of sinners

"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

Romans 5:18-19

By His obedience and death Christ paid the debt of all the justified, and so satisfied the justice of His Father in their behalf, fully, truly, and completely. He was betrayed by His Father for their sake, and His obedience and propitiation were accepted in their stead — both of which were done gratuitously, without any due to the justified themselves, but solely by the free grace of God. The just judgment of God and His abundant grace are glorified in the justification of sinners.

„For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.“

2 Corinthians 5:21

"The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

Romans 3:22-26

„But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Titus 3:4-7

The Lamb and the redeemed and justified by the Lord

"Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head, they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away."

Isaiah 51:11

The Apostle John describes His vision in the book of Revelation:

„And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice:

Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

And one of the elders saith unto me:

"Weep not, behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof".

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

And they sung a new song, saying:

"Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth".

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing".

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying:

"Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever".

And the four beasts said:

"Amen".

And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever."

Revelation 5

The publication uses texts from:

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/John-Chapter-8/#44

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