Lesson 7 - What Christ Has Done

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We established in Lesson #1 and #2 the reliability of the Bible and the understanding that God will one day judge us according to the truth that is found in the Bible.

In Lesson #3 and #4, we saw that man was originally created to fellowship with God. However, man fell in sin and has been alienated from God ever since because of his sin.

Then in Lesson #5 and #6, we saw that no matter what man does to take away the guilt of that sin he can do NOTHING to remove it. In fact, God established the sacrificial system to show the severity of sin, the seriousness of sin, and the great cost of paying for it.

Now we enter into the most wonderful story ever told!! God pays for man's sin!!! This is the story of Jesus Christ and his payment for your sin.

Do you remember what John the Baptist called Jesus as he introduced Him?

John 1:29
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

This introduction draws on the Old Testament sacrifices. Jesus was being announced as the sacrificial lamb for your sins and mine. In the Old Testament, there were special requirements for this lamb to meet.

A.The sacrificial lamb must be without blemish or spot.

Jesus was without blemish.

1 Peter 1:18-19
"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 and without :"

1 Peter 2:22
"Who did sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:"

1 Peter 3:18
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"

B. The sacrificial lamb had to meet the approval of God.

Jesus certainly met the approval of God the Father. Consider the following prophecies that had to be met by this One who would be the sacrifice for the sins of the world. Notice the Old Testament prediction and the fulfillment in the life of Jesus Christ.

Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament

Prophecies Fulfilled by Our Lord During His Earthly Ministry: In the Old Testament there are some 37 basic prophecies concerning the earthly ministry of the anticipated Saviour. While upon this earth, Jesus Christ fulfilled literally every single prediction! Consider some of these fulfillments in the following texts:

1. He would be born of a virgin - Compare Isaiah 7:14 with Matthew 1:22, 23.
Isaiah 7:14
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Matthew 1:22-23
"Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

2. He would be given the Throne of David - Compare II Samuel 7:12-13 with Luke 1:31.

II Samuel 7:12-13
"And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever."

Luke 1:31
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS."

3. He would be called Emmanuel - Compare Isaiah 7:14 with Matthew 1:23.
Isaiah 7:14
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Matthew 1:23
"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

4. He would be rejected by His own - Compare Isaiah 53: 3 with John 1:11; 7:5.
Isaiah 53:3
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

John 1:11
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
John 7:5
"For neither did his brethren believe in him."

5. He would be born in Bethlehem - Compare Micah 5:2-3 with Matthew 2:5-6.
Micah 5:2-3
"But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel."

Matthew 2:5-6
And they said unto him, In Beth-lehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Beth-lehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel."

6. He would be visited by the Magi and presented with gifts - Compare Isaiah 60:3, 6, 9 with Matthew 2:11.

Isaiah 60:3
"And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

Isaiah 60:6
The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.

Isaiah 60:9
"Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee."

Matthew 2:11
"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

7. He would be in Egypt for a season - Compare Hosea 11:1 with Matthew 2:15.

Hosea 11:1
"When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt."

Matthew 2:15
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son."

8. His birthplace would suffer a massacre of infants - Compare Jeremiah 31:15 with Matthew 2:17-18.

Jeremiah 31:15
"Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not."

Matthew 2:17-18
"Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."

9. He would heal many - Compare Isaiah 53:4 with Matthew 8:16-17.

Isaiah 53:4
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

Matthew 8:16-17
"When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

10. He would deal gently with the Gentiles - Compare Isaiah 9:1-2; 42:1-3 with Matthew 12:17-21.

Isaiah 9:1-2
"Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

Isaiah 42:1-3
"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth."

Matthew 12:17-21
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust."

11. He would speak in parables - Compare Isaiah 6:9-10 with Matthew 13:10-15.

Isaiah 6:9-10
"And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."

Matthew 13:10-15
"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."

12. He would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem - Compare Zechariah 9:9 with Matthew 21:4-5.

Zechariah 9:9
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."

Matthew 21:4-5
"All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."

13. He would be praised by little children - Compare Psalm 8:2 with Matthew 21:16.

Psalms 8:2
"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger."

Matthew 21:16
"And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"

14. He would be the rejected cornerstone - Compare Psalm 118:22, 23 with Matthew 21:42.

Psalms 118:22-23
"The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes."

Matthew 21:42
"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?"

15. His miracles would not be believed - Compare Isaiah 53:1 with John 12:37-38.

Isaiah 53:1
"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?"

John 12:37-38
"But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

16. His friend would betray Him for 30 pieces of silver - Compare Psalm 41:9; 55:12-14; Zechariah 11:12-13 with Matthew 26:14-16, 21-25.

Psalms 41:9
"Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."

Psalms 55:12-14
"For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company."

Zechariah 11:12-13
"And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD."

Matthew 26:14-16
"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him."

Matthew 26:21-25
"And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said."

17. His bones would not be broken - Compare Psalm 34: 20; Exodus 12:46; and Numbers 9:12 with John 19:33-36.

Psalms 34:20
"He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

Exodus 12:46
"In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof."

Numbers 9:12
"They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it."

John 19:33-36
"But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken."

18. He would be stared at in death - Compare Zechariah 12:10 with John 19:37 and Matthew 27:36.

Zechariah 12:10
"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."

John 19:37
"And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced."

Matthew 27:36
"And sitting down they watched him there;"

19. He would be buried with the rich - Compare Isaiah 53:9 with Matthew 27:57-60.

Isaiah 53:9
"And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth."

Matthew 27:57-60
"When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed."

20. He would be raised from the dead - Compare Psalm 16:10 with Matthew 28:2-7.

Psalms 16:10
"For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."

Matthew 28:2-7
"And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead me . And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you."

C. The sacrifice had to be presented by a priest.

The sacrifice had to be taken to the priest who was appointed by God. The priest would then offer it up to God. The interesting truth of scripture is that Jesus Christ was not only the Priest, but HE BECAME OUR SACRIFICE ALSO! Jesus became the priest that offered HIMSELF for our sins.

We have seen in previous studies that we can never do enough good to pay for our own sins. But that is why Jesus Christ came into the world: for the purpose of paying for your sins. He NEVER sinned and therefore is the only one qualified to pay for another's sins. Consider the following:

1. Hebrews 2:17

"Wherefore in all things it behooved 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 of the people."

According to this verse, what did you do that made it necessary for Jesus to come to earth?

2. Hebrews 9:11-14

"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; by the blood of goats and calves, but by blood he entered in into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for . For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without to God, purge your conscience from dead to serve the living God?"

According to these verses, did Christ offer sacrifices of animals or Himself?
According to these verses, who did Christ offer Himself for?

3. Romans 4:25

"Who was delivered for offences, and was raised again for justification."

According to this verse, for whose benefit did Jesus come?

4. 1 John 2:2

"And he is the propitiation for : and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole ."

According to this verse, how many are included in the payment made by Christ for sin?
Does that include you?
  Yes  No

5. Hebrews 5:1

"For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and for sins:"

According to these verses, what is the purpose of a priest?

6. Hebrews 7:26-27

"For such an high priest became us, who is , harmless, undefiled, separate sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his sins, and then for the people's: for this he did , when he offered up himself."

According to these verses, did Jesus have any personal sins?
According to these verses, how many times did Jesus need to die to pay for the sins of men?

7. Hebrews 10:12-14

"But this man, after he had offered sacrifice for sins , sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

According to these verses, how many times did Christ need to die?
According to these verses, Christ's payment for sin is good for how long?

8. Hebrews 10:19-22

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

According to these verses, what is the means by which we have the privilege to enter into God's presence?
According to these verses, how sure can we be that God will accept us into His presence if we come according to His way?

That a man would even consider trying to offer to God his good works and ignore what Christ did for him is the greatest of insults. It would be similar to someone buying you a ranch home worth 1 million dollars and giving you the home free and clear as a gift. However, because you do not want to be indebted to them, you try to pay them for the house with a bag of dirt collected from your sweeper. What Christ did for you can never be repaid!

What Christ has done for you was absolutely necessary.

If He had to die, then is it possible that you could have gotten to heaven any other way?
  Yes  No

Even though Christ died for all the world, His death will not do you any good unless you apply that payment to your account. This is the subject of our next study!

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Here are the past lessons for your review:
Lesson 1 - Where Do We Find Truth?
Lesson 2 - Is The Bible the Word of God?
Lesson 3 - Creation and Fall of Man
Lesson 4 - Man's Problems
Lesson 5 - Man's Way
Lesson 6 - God's Way

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