THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST BEFORE THE GLORY OF CHRIST

“How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  ²⁶ Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”  ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (^NIV Luke 24:25-27)

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care,  ¹¹ trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow… ¹³ Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. (^NIV 1 Peter 1:10-13)

THE SUFFERING OF THE CHRIST FOR ATONEMENT

A.    The Depravity of Man and the Holiness of God

What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.  ¹⁰ As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;  ¹¹ there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  ¹² All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one….” (^NIV Romans 3:9-12)

Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.  ²² But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (^NIV Galatians 3:21-22)

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,  ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air… ³ Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.  ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (^NIV Ephesians 2:1-5)

B.    Reconciliation by the Cross

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… ¹⁰ For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  ¹¹ Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (^NIV Romans 5:8-11)

God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,  ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  ²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  ²² But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. (^NIV Colossians 1:19-22)

THE SUFFERING OF THE CHRIST AS SACRIFICE

A.    The Forgiveness of Sins

I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.  ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God… ¹⁸ I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes… ²⁰ This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you [“for the forgiveness of sins”, Mt. 26:28 ]. (^NIV Luke 22:15-20)

Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.  ³⁹ Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. (^NIV Acts 13:38-39)

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins… ²⁶ But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.  ²⁷ And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,  ²⁸ so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (^ESV Hebrews 9:22-28)

B.    The Righteousness of God

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;  ³¹ but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.  ³² Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.” … ^10:1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.  ² For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.  ³ Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  ⁴ Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. (^NIV Romans 9:30-10:4)

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  ¹⁷ For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (^NIV Romans 1:16-17)

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died… ¹⁹ that God was reconci