Yesterday God have me the oppurtunity to preach in the Saturday morning service. This being Easter weekend, we have services Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Our Sunday service is always focused on the resurrection of Christ so on Saturday I preached a message answering the question why? Why did Jesus have to die? The purpose of the sermon was to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises and pictures God gave us in the Old Testament. That Jesus is the promied man that would give redemption to mankind. The blessing came when after the service two people asked Jesus to be their savior. Praise God! In case you’re intrested I have given my sermon below:

Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

As long as I can remember my family and I use to get up early on Easter Sunday, put on our new clothes bought just for that day, and go to church. Now this may be normal for many families but for my family, church wasn?t a regular thing. We weren?t what most people would call a Christian family but at least once a year, on Easter morning, we would go to church. I ask myself now why we went. Why did we go on this day out of all other days? I wish I could say we went because we knew the importance of the Easter but to be honest I don?t think we did. I think my family, like so many others, celebrated Easter because it was a part of our culture. I fear that most Christians today miss out on much of the meaning of Easter. They may know the story of Jesus? death and resurrection but there is so much more to the story. This morning I want to go back to the beginning and look at the whole story. I want to answer the question Why? Why did Jesus have to come down from heaven, die for the sins of man, and be resurrected from the dead? What makes Jesus? death and resurrection so important?

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I.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? All People Have a Great Problem: Sin

A.? ? ? The Story of Adam and Eve

1.? ? ? ? ? God gave Adam and Eve just one rule: Genesis 2:15-17

2.? ? ? ? ? Adam and Eve disobeyed God: Genesis 3:1-6

3.? ? ? ? ? The result of there disobedience was separation from God and death: Genesis 3:23-24

B.? ? ? ? Adam and Eve?s sin not only affected them it affected all of mankind: Romans 5:12

?? ? ? ? ? ? ? All men are born with the curse of sin. We all sin and the result of all sin is eternal death.

II.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? God Gave a Temporary Solution to the Problem: a Blood Sacrifice.

?? ? ? ? ? ? ? As we have learned the punishment of our sin is death. The Bible says that there can be no forgiveness of sin without a blood sacrifice.

Leviticus 17:11

Hebrews 9:22

?? ? ? ? ? ? ? For this reason, God set up a temporary sacrificial system in the Old Testament.

A.? ? ? The Old Testament sacrificial system. An animal would killed and that death would act as a substitute for the one who offered it.

1.? ? ? ? ? Abraham?s sacrifice: Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13

2.? ? ? ? ? Passover in Egypt: Exodus 12:21-23

III.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? God gave a Permanent Solution to the Problem: A Substitute Sacrifice.

A.? ? ? A blood sacrifice was required to save man from the punishment of death but the blood of animals was not what God required.

Hebrews 10:1-4

B.? ? ? ? ? The OT sacrificial system was simply a picture of a more perfect sacrifice God promised his people.

C.? ? ? ? Look back to Abraham. God provided a substitute sacrifice for his son Isaac. God then remind Abraham of the Promise He made to him earlier. A promise to provide a sacrifice that would pay for the sins of man. Genesis 22:15-18 (described in Galatians 3:8)

D.? ? ? God continued to remind his people of the promise he made to Abraham. Isaiah 53:5-6

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From that day when Adam first sinned, mankind has been waiting for God?s promise to arrive; for a man to come and give his life as a substitute all men. That promise was fulfilled in the person of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:11-14

Our good works could not take away our sin. The blood of animals could not take way our sin. Only Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, could bring atonement to all who believe in Him.

By His single sacrificial death He paid for our sins and by his resurrection from the dead he overcame the power or death and gave use eternal life.

Simply put:

?? ? ? ? ? ? ? His death paid the price for our sins.

?? ? ? ? ? ? ? His resurrection gives us eternal life.

This Easter as we celebrate the risen Lord let us not forget the sacrifice He made to bring us eternal life.