THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Jesus CHRIST

Presented by

Justin Schumacher

Have you ever heard of Thomas Edison? Does the name Alexander Graham Bell “ring a bell”? How about Marie Curie? Or what about Jonas Salk? Thomas Edison harnessed electricity, which made our lives nicer. Alexander Graham Bell gave us the telephone, which allowed us to talk to people all over the world. Marie Curie discovered radioactivity, which made possible X-rays that help doctors diagnose diseases. Jonas Salk invented a vaccine to prevent polio, which saved millions of lives. While they were alive, each of these men and women did something that was very important for mankind. However, I know someone who helped mankind even more. But He did not provide this help while He was alive. Rather, He helped millions of people when He died!

I suspect you know who I’m talking about. His name was Jesus Christ. And yes, it is true that His life had a great impact on planet Earth. Why? Because He is the only person who ever lived without sinning! The Bible speaks of Him as “Christ, who left us an example, and who committed no sin” (2 Peter 2:21-22). When we sin, we disobey God. Jesus lived His entire life without sinning so that He could leave us an example of how we, too, should live our lives without sinning. But as hard as we try, sometimes we still sin. The apostle Paul wrote: “All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 6:23). Three chapters later, Paul went on to say: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). If we continue to sin, that means we cannot go to heaven to be with God.

Jesus, however, died to give us a way to get rid of our sins. In the Old Testament, people offered to God the blood from animal sacrifices in an attempt to get rid of their sins. But the writer of the book of Hebrews tells us, “It is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). That’s where Jesus comes to our rescue. When Jesus died on the cross, His blood was offered to God as a perfect sacrifice that could take away our sins. God allowed Jesus to give His life so that we would not have to die in sin and be lost forever. Peter said that Christ “bore our sins so that we might live” (1 Peter 2:24). On one occasion when the apostle John saw Jesus coming, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

While Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Marie Curie, and Jonas Salk did some good things for mankind, not one of them could save humans from sin. But Jesus can! And He is the only one who can! But how do we come into contact with the blood of Christ so that it can wash away our sins? The apostle Paul answered that question when he said, “As many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. We were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just like Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we, too, should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4). Before Paul became a Christian, a prophet of God asked him, “Why are you delaying? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16). When we are baptized, God washes away our sins with the blood of Jesus. We then are Christians. We are saved, and can go to heaven.

While we need electricity, telephones, X-rays, and polio vaccines, there is one thing that we need even more. We need to be saved from our sins. And only the blood Christ can do that. There have been many famous people who, during their lifetimes, have helped mankind. But only one has helped people through His death—Jesus Christ. He died for you. A good question is: Are you living for Him?