Also, we read in I Peter 3:18, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." Yes, Christ is the just, who had to die for us the unjust, so that it would be possible for us to be brought back to God. If man had not been guilty of sin, there would have been no need for Christ to have died on the cross.  All accountable people are guilty of sin.  But with Christ dieing on the cross, God found a way to forgive man and still preserve His own justice and righteousness.  Because of the death and suffering of Christ for us, God can now be just in saving us.  If our goodness could save us then it would not have been necessary for Christ to come into this world and die for our sins.

The only way that man can be saved is through Christ. There is no other way. John 14:6 says, "Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man comes to the Father except through Me." The only way we can get to God is through Christ. We also read in Acts 4:12, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." We cannot be saved by relying on Mohammed, Buddha, Judaism, Hindu gods or any other religion. Neither can we devise our own system of "Christianity" as is being done today and expect it to save us.  Only Jesus Christ can specify the conditions for our salvation, because He paid our price and is our only saviour.      

Christ went through much suffering for our sins. It is beyond our imagination what He endured. Christ came to this earth for the purpose of dying for our sins. There are many Old Testament prophesies that foretell the inevitable death of Christ. For example 700 years before it happened we read in Isaiah 53:5-6, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."  Christ�s death was no accident, because this was in God�s eternal plan to redeem man.

Christ in his omniscience, fully knew what was soon going to happen. In Matthew 20:17-19 we read, "Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again". Christ went there willingly to die for us.

Christ was both divine and human. The human part of Christ dreaded his death on the cross as much as we would if we were on death row. He fully knew what was going to happen. When Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane with His apostles the night before His crucifixion, we read in Luke 22:41-44, "And He was withdrawn from them about a stone�s throw, and knelt down, and prayed, saying, Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground". Yes, Christ was dreading the horrible death that He was about to endure for you and for me.

Also, we read in I Peter 2:24, "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed." Jesus has personally paid the price for our sins, so that we can be made righteous before God. When a person is made righteous, by obeying God�s plan to save man, God will then save him.

The human side of Christ knows how we feel. He had the same feelings, the same sorrows, the same fears, and He experienced pain just like we do. He fully knows what it is to live a human life. On the Day of Judgment, no one will be able to point a finger at Christ and say, "You just don't know what it is to live as a human." Yes He does. The dread, the fear, the sorrow, the mocking, the humiliation, the spitting, the pain of scourging, and the crucifixion were all dreaded by our Lord. It hurt Him as much as it would us. Jesus did not deserve such treatment, but He endured it for our sakes, taking our punishment, in order that God could be just in saving us.  He was the innocent dying for us, the guilty.

Crucifixion on a cross is the most cruel form of torture that has ever been devised by man. There is nothing worse. Our Lord hung there in pain and agony for six long hours in a slow death, enduring punishment, so that God could be just in saving us. What wonderful love beyond description that God and Christ have for us.

       Our own goodness.

       Our church.

       The blood of Christ.

2) Christ died for sinners like you and me.

3)  (1 Peter 3:18) Christ suffered once for our sins, He is the just,

       We are the unjust.

       We are also the just.

       But we did not need Him to suffer for us.

4) Christ's death was to bring us back to God.

5)  (John 14:6) How many ways are there to come to God?

       We can come to God our own way.

       Christ is the only way.

       Many ways such as Mohammed, Buddha, Hindu, etc.

6) We can serve God by our own way and still go to Heaven.

7)  (Isaiah 53:5-6) Isaiah prophesied 700 years before it happened that Christ

       Would not die.

       Would come to this earth and rule in Jerusalem as king.

       Would be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.

8)  Christ's death was in God's eternal plan to redeem man.

9)  (Matthew 20:17-19) The death of Christ was

       An accident.

       A surprise to Christ.

       Known to Christ before He came to this earth to die for all mankind.

10) Christ went to Jerusalem knowing He was going to be crucified.

       Was dreaded by Christ.

       Was not dreaded by Christ.

       Was punishment Christ deserved.

12) Christ prayed to God for another way so he would not have to die.

13)  (1 Peter 2:24) Whose sins did Christ bare when he died?

       His own sins.

       Our sins.

       Only the sins of criminals.

14) Since Christ paid the price for everyone's sins then all people will be saved.