Is Jesus’ Death Just?
Jesus is condemned to death. Jesus is condemned to death! Is this just?
Surely on a human level, this is a travesty of justice. Jesus’ trial is a sham, violating virtually every rule regarding fair trials under both Jewish and Roman law. There was no due process exercised in this trial; Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing.
But consider Jesus’ condemnation from God’s point of view. Was Jesus’ death justified?
Listen to these words of Scripture:
· The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
· He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree. (1 Peter 2:24)
· He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people. (Hebrews 9: 26-28)
These Scriptures tell us that from God’s point of view, Jesus’ death was justified. Indeed, Jesus’ death was necessary if anyone is to be saved – for without His death, God would have to punish you and me for our sins. (more…)