FoF Lesson 5

The Work of Christ

Audio message for Lesson 5: The Suffering Jesus: Our Substitute and Shepherd
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[Lesson 5: Sessions 9, 10] [Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Notes on Session 9, Sunday, November 15th:

  1. First Session on Lesson 5
  2. Welcome to new members of the class
  3. Personal highlights from MacArthur’s message?
  4. Challenges in filling in Answers in Lesson 5?
  5. Questions to be addressed?
  6. Objectives for Lesson 5:
    1. To explain man’s need for a Savior
    2. To show the cost of Christ’s work
    3. To show the provision of Christ’s work
    4. To present the resurrected Christ
    5. To offer a call to repentance
  7. References:
    1. Slides in Resurrected.ppt /pdf
    2.  “Short Answers to Big Questions” from RZIM in Canada.

Common Questions for Lesson 5:

  • Why did Christ have to die? Couldn’t He save the world without dying?
  • How do I know that all of my sins were paid for on the cross?
  • If God is sovereign, why doesn’t He keep people from going to hell?
  • What evidence do we have that Christ rose from the grave?

Class Plan for Lesson 5:

  1. Introduction to Christ’s Work
  2. Sin and the Reality of Man’s Depravity
  3. The need and predetermined plan of Christ’s substitutionary death
  4. The crucifixion and the judgment of God at the cross
  5. The resurrection and the provision of Christ’s work on the cross
  6. Application of What We Have Learned
  7. Modern Challenges to The Truth of Scripture.

Introduction to Christ’s Work

  • The cost that Christ paid on the cross for our sins
  • Phil. 2:8, And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
  • Christ’s death on the cross:
    • Act of love of His earthly ministry
    • Focal point of all of Scripture
    • God forsook His own Son for our sin
    • Shows His humility on the cross
    • Shows His victory over death.
  • Sinful and hopeless condition of all mankind.

Sin and The Reality of Man’s Depravity

  • Man is depraved – hopelessly lost and enslaved to sin
  • Man is in need of salvation – Christ’s work
The Condition of Man – Totally Depraved
  • Man is guilty of these, Rom. 3:10-12, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
    • None righteous
      • God’s standard is perfection, Matt. 5:48, You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
      • Man’s deeds are as filthy rags to God, Is. 64:6, We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
    • None who understands
      • Men are darkened in their understanding, Eph. 4:17-18, Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
    • None who seeks for God
      • Men only seek God in response to God seeking them, John 6:44, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
    • All have turned aside
      • Who have men turned aside from? ____.
      • Is. 53:6, All we like sheep have gone astray;
        we have turned—every one—to his own way;
        and the LORD has laid on him
        the iniquity of us all.
    • They have become useless
      • What does it mean to be useless? Spiritually _____ , Eph. 2:1, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins.
    • No one does good
      • Worthless for any good deed, Tit. 1:16, They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
  • We are all guilty, Rom. 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
  • We are all a slave to ____, John 8:34, Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”
  • The result of sin is ______, James 1:15, Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
  • We were dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. 2:1-3, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
  • We will experience God’s ______ as sons of disobedience, Eph. 5:6, Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
  • God is holy and does not tolerate sin, Gal. 3:10, For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
  • God asserts His holiness and demands conformity to that holiness.
The Consequence of Man’s Condition
  • Sin is anything contrary to God in:
    • Thought, Matt. 5:28, But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
    • Word/speech, Col. 3:8, But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
    • Deeds of commission, breaking God’s law, 1 John 3:4, Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
    • Deeds of omission, not doing what you know is right, James 4:17, So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
  • The cost of Christ’s work:
    • What Christ did when He came to earth, Phil. 2:7-8, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
    • What happened to Jesus on earth, Is. 53:3, He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
    • Forgiveness requires shedding of blood, Heb. 9:22, Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
    •  Christ paid the price to redeem us, 1 Pet. 1:18-19, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
    • Jesus cried out on the cross, Matt. 27:46, And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Questions:

  • What does it mean to be enslaved to sin?
  • Would there be the need for the cross if there were no sin?

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The Need and Predetermined Plan of Christ’s Substitutionary Death

The need for a blood sacrifice:
  • Death is required to appease sin
  • In sacrificial system God required the killing of Passover lambs as a sin offering
  • The wages of sin is death, Rom. 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
  • Christ’s death on the cross takes the place of our spiritual death
  • His death atones for our sin
  • Forgiveness requires the shedding of blood
  • Heb. 9:22, Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
  • Lev. 17:11, For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
Christ’s humiliation:
  • Perfect sacrifice for sin and mediator between God and man is required
  • Jesus had to be both God and sinless man
  • Jesus had to set aside His glory and independent authority
  • Jesus had to take on the form of a bond-servant, Phil. 2:8, And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
  • Jesus on earth was despised and forsaken, Is. 53:3, He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Short Video Clip:

[Lesson 5: Sessions 9, 10] [Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Notes on Session 10, Sunday, November 22nd:

  1. Second Session on Lesson 5
  2. Welcome to new members of the class
  3. Personal highlights from MacArthur’s message?
  4. Challenges in filling in Answers in Lesson 5?
  5. Questions to be addressed?
  6. Objectives for Lesson 5:
    1. To explain man’s need for a Savior
    2. To show the cost of Christ’s work
    3. To show the provision of Christ’s work
    4. To present the resurrected Christ
    5. To offer a call to repentance
  7. References:
    1. Slides in Resurrected.ppt /pdf
    2. “Short Answers to Big Questions” from RZIM in Canada.

Common Questions for Lesson 5:

  • Why did Christ have to die? Couldn’t He save the world without dying?
  • How do I know that all of my sins were paid for on the cross?
  • If God is sovereign, why doesn’t He keep people from going to hell?
  • What evidence do we have that Christ rose from the grave?

Class Plan for Lesson 5:

  1. Introduction to Christ’s Work
  2. Sin and the Reality of Man’s Depravity
  3. The need and predetermined plan of Christ’s substitutionary death
  4. The crucifixion and the judgment of God
  5. The resurrection and the provision of Christ’s work on the cross
  6. Application of What We Have Learned
  7. Modern Challenges to The Truth of Scripture.

Interesting Reads This Week:

  • Review of the book, Gifted Mind, by Dr. John Hartnett. The book is about the life and work of Dr Raymond Damadian, who invented the Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) scanning of human/living tissue for medical diagnostics.

The Crucifixion and the Judgment of God

 The Crucifixion:
  • The agony before the crucifixion, Luke 22:41-44, And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” …
  • His arrest, Matt. 26:50-58, Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. …
  • His trial, Matt. 26:59-27:8, Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward …
  • Before Pilate, Matt. 27:11-26, Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. …
  • His scourging, Matt. 27:27-31, Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, …
  • His crucifixion, Matt. 27:32-37, As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), …
  • His last words, John 19:26-30, When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. …
The Events Around the Crucifixion:
  • Supernatural darkness, earthquakes, resurrections, and tearing of the veil in the temple isolating the Holy of Holies,  demonstrating that access to God was now open to all men.
  • Matt. 27:45-54, Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” …  When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
The Judgment of God at the Cross – See Sections II,E and II,F of Lesson 5
  • God’s justice required that the full punishment for all the sins committed be cast upon Christ
  • Christ became sin as He bore the sins of man
  • The Father executed His judgment on Christ rather than on each sinner individually
  • God abandoned the Son during Christ’s sin-bearing
  • Christ bore our sin, became sin on our behalf, 2 Cor. 5:21, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
  • Our iniquities fell upon Christ, Is. 53:6, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
  • God was pleased to crush the Son as a guilt offering, Is. 53:10, Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
  • Christ was forsaken by the Father, Matt. 27:46, And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
  • God’s judgment upon Christ at the cross demonstrates God’s great love for His children, 1 John 4:10, In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Question:

  • Why did God the Father abandon the Son? Christ had become ____.

The Resurrection and the Provision of Christ’s Work on the Cross

The Provisions of Christ’s Work – See Section III of Lesson 5
  • Christ came to earth to pay the price for sin, Heb. 9:12, he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
    • Section III, A – F summarize what Jesus’ death accomplished for believers
  • Reconciled to God
    • Believers have been reconciled to God, Rom. 5:10, For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
    • We now have peace with God
  • Jesus Christ is the answer to all man’s problems concerning salvation
    • See Chart at end of Section III of Lesson 5
    • Summarizes the solution in Christ for each of man’s problems, each with a Scripture reference:
      • Guilt before God (not righteous), Rom. 5:19, For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
      • Slavery to sin, Rom. 8:2, For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
      • Facing death, John 5:24, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
      • Facing the wrath of God, Rom. 5:9, Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
    • Christ’s work on the cross and His resurrection are the only solution to man’s problems, Acts 4:12, And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Question:

  • What 3 to 4 words summarize the solution in Christ for each of man’s problems in the chart at the end of Section III?

The Motive for Christ’s Work – See Section IV of Lesson 5

  • Christ’s giving of Himself to the point of death to save men demonstrates God’ great love and mercy.
  • 1 Pet. 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
  • Rom. 5:6,8, For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. … but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Question:

  • Why does the author call God’s mercy great?

The Resolution and Continuation of Christ’s Work – See Section V of Lesson 5

  • Process did not end with death of Jesus on the cross
  • Christ’s resurrection is crucial – without it Christ’s life, sinlessness, and sacrifice would be meaningless:
    • The power of resurrection over death, Rom. 1:4, and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
    • The necessity of the resurrection, 1 Cor. 15:12-14, Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
    • Christ’s resurrection holds the promise of resurrection for others, 1 Cor. 15:20-22; 1 Pet 1:3.
    • For evidence of the Resurrection, see slides in  Resurrected.ppt /pdf.
  • Christ is our Intercessor and Mediator, Heb. 7:25, 1 Tim. 2:5.
  • Christ is our Great High Priest, Heb. 4:14, Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Questions:

  • What are the “firstfruits” referred to in Section V,C of this Lesson?
  • How is Christ the Intercessor and Mediator in Section V, (D, E) in Section V?

Application of What We have Learned:

  • Know It! Live It! Share It!
  • What was the response of those who heard Peter’s sermon in Jerusalem? Acts 2:37-38, Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. … “
  • Have we repented and called on the name of the Lord, believing in Him as Lord and Savior?
  • What does true repentance look like?
  • What does it mean to believe in Him as Lord?
  • Fear God, desire to know God, and proclaim God!

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Short Video Clip:

Modern Challenges to the Truth of Scripture

  1. The Jesus Seminar by Robert Funk, et. al. in 1970’s.
  2. The Da Vinci Code novel by Dan Brown in 2003.
  3. Zeitgeist Movie by Peter Joseph in 2007.
Short Video Clips:

[Lesson 5: Sessions 9, 10] [Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

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