was so embarrassed! I had my action figure in the bag, went to pay for it, and didn’t have any money. I was eight, and was so excited to have the money to buy my exclusive G.I. Joe action figure!
To say that I was disappointed was the understatement of the year. The cashier was so sweet and kindly squeezed my hand, waiting patiently as I just stood there sputtering like an old muffler. The people in line behind me weren’t so kind. As I began to cry softly and turned around, I ran squarely into my father. He picked me up, placed me on the counter, pulled out his wallet and paid for the action figure.
I couldn’t believe that he paid for the entire thing! On the way home my dad noticed that I was so upset and told me that I didn’t need to pay him back—as I didn’t have any of my money. Confused, I turned my pants pockets inside out and realized that, to my horror, I had a hole in my pocket! There were other people in line with me, but no one else offered to pay. My father made the only payment that could have been made. He made the full payment that I had tried to do, but was unable to.
In Christ’s life of perfect obedience to God’s will—His suffering, death, and resurrection—God provided the only means of atonement for human sin, so that those who by faith accept this atonement may have eternal life, and the whole creation may better understand the infinite and holy love of the Creator. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17, NLT).
This perfect atonement defends the righteousness of God’s law and the graciousness of His character; it both condemns our sin and provides for our forgiveness.
- “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” (Romans 3:25-26, NLT).
Jesus took our place and paid the full and complete cost for our sin. The bodily resurrection of Christ proclaims God’s triumph over the forces of evil, and for those who accept the atonement, assures their final victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
“He [Jesus] was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God” (Romans 4:25, NLT). It declares the Lordship of Jesus Christ, before whom every knee in heaven and on earth will bow (Philippians 2:6-11).
If you want to learn more about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, check out this link: https://www.adventist.org/life-death-and-resurrection-of-christ/
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.