Death Penalty

If I stood accused of a crime – a very serious crime – would you help me out? How would you help? Perhaps you’d refer me to a good lawyer, maybe you’d find some good experts to help me fight my case or you might even give me money to help to pay for the lawyer. Maybe you’d come to the punishment phase of my trial and say great things about me to ensure that I wasn’t punished too harshly.

What if I was rightly accused? What if I was guilty of exactly what I was charged with? What if the punishment for my wrong was death? Would you still try to get me out of trouble? Would you still try to make sure the punishment wasn’t too severe?

I am guilty. I am guilty of something for which the punishment is death. Will you go beyond advice, testimony, or defense costs and take the punishment for me? Will you bear the penalty for my wrong?

Thankfully you don’t have to answer that question.

Someone else already has.

Someone answered that question in the affirmative about 2000 years ago.

Romans 2:23- All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23- The wages of sin is death.

Romans 6:23 continues- The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God didn’t say abracadabra to suddenly transfer me from a path that led to death to one of life, He sent His son – His perfect Son – so that I could go from one path to the other.

Jesus did not have to die. Unlike the rest of us, Jesus was sinless. Though sin results in death, Jesus was without sin and did not have to die at all. Jesus didn’t have to bear the punishment because He didn’t commit the offense which justifies the punishment. He bore the punishment in my place. He gave Himself willingly to rescue me from the death sentence brought about by my own sin.

John 3:16-17- For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

(New Revised Standard – not what I usually use but it was available.)