How does Jesus’ death and resurrection pay for our sins?
Making sense of the gospel
When I was a kid I was briefly on a youth soccer team (that’s football for all you non-Americans). I wasn’t very good; in fact I only remember playing a little amount of time and I don’t believe that I ever scored.
Fortunately, there was a kid on our team, also named Michael, who was very good. Consequently, we won several games because he scored all the goals. We got credit for his achievements because we were on his team.
The gospel works like that. When Adam sinned, we were all considered sinners because we were all on his team. In fact, biblically, we were all inside his body, so we were all sinning together with him. This is what Paul means in Romans 5:12.
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned — ” (Romans 5:12, ESV)
In Adam we were all on the losing team, but Jesus came to start a new team. Jesus is the star player. Through his death and resurrection, he conquered Satan, sin, and death.
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57, ESV)
So what do I have to do to get credit for his victory? Join his team! Of course, joining Jesus’ team means that you no longer play for your own team. When I follow Jesus, I start living for Him and stop living for myself. He’s in charge now, but the victory has already been won, He offers it to you freely.
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3-4, ESV)
The good news is the team can always use more players, so while we have the opportunity let’s invite as many people as we can!
Live for Jesus.
