A Bible lesson by Ivor Jefferies
By the full gospel I do not mean the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or speaking in tongues. Rather, we find the full gospel summarized in 1 Cor. 15:3-4, “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures”. Anyone who embraces the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved, whether he has the ability to speak in tongues or not.
1. Could God save us in any other way than through the death of his only-begotten Son? Why or why not?
Read Matt. 26:39, Luke 24:26, Rom. 3:26, Heb. 2:17, 9:22, 10:4.
2. As with Adam God could have created a mature human body for his Son. In this way Christ could have taken on flesh and die for our sins on the same day. Why didn’t He?
Read Isa. 59:15-16, Gal. 4:4, Matt. 3:15, 4:1-11, Phil. 2:8, 3:9, Rom. 5:19.
Jesus did not only die for our sins (commonly called his passive obedience), but He lived a perfect life on our behalf (active obedience). If He had merely died for our sins we would be forgiven, but lack the spotless righteousness we need in order to stand in God’s holy presence. It would be like paying off a poor man’s debt without depositing one cent into his account: the man may be debt-free, but he remains a poor man. Jesus did not merely pay off our debt, but He gave us his perfect righteousness, thereby making us rich (Col. 2:14, 1 Cor. 1:30, 8:9).
3. In what ways did Jesus suffer on earth, and specifically on the cross?
Read Isa. 53:3, 50:6, Luke 22:44, John 4:6, 7:5, 8:48, 11:35, Heb. 2:18, Ps. 22:14-15, Mark 14:45, 56, 65, 66-71, 15:15, 17-19, 24, 27-32, 37.
The ancient Roman philosopher, Seneca, describes the victim of crucifixion as one who felt sick, and had ugly tumors on his chest and shoulders.1 It would be agonizing to breathe as water and blood filled up the lungs, causing the victim to suffocate. The pain of nails driven through the median nerve of the wrists, and between the tarsal bones of the feet would be almost unbearable. This suffering would only increase as the victim pushed and pulled himself up for a breath of fresh air.2
4. What was the worst suffering of all at the cross of Jesus, and what are the implications for us who believe?
Read Isa. 53:10, Matt. 27:45-46, 2 Cor. 5:21, Gal. 3:13, Heb. 10:31, and Isa 53:4-6, Matt. 25:34, John 6:37, Rom. 3:25, 8:1, Heb. 13:5b.
5. Jesus saves us by his blood. What do and don’t we mean by this?
Read Lev. 17:11, Exo. 12:22-23, 1 Pet. 1:19, Luke 22:20, 2:21, Prov. 18:21.
1 Seneca (4 v.C. - 65 n.C.), Letters to Lucilius, 101.14 (https://topostext.org/work/736).
2 Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1998), 262-6; Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, 2007), 572-3 n.8; https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24725-asphyxiation