We have been talking about Christ’s death for our sins quite freely in the first four sections of this book, but have left the word ‘our’ assumed. In this section we will look at the ‘our’ in more detail, and as we do so we will seek to answer four key questions, all of which lead up to the crucial question of whether Christ died for you personally for the forgiveness of your sins.

• “For whom did Christ die?” reviews key passages from the Old and New Testaments to come to an understanding of who Christ died ‘for’
• “How did these people earn Christ’s death for them?” asks the way in which those for whom Christ died earned this great kindness of God
• “How can I benefit from blood of Christ for the forgiveness of my sins?” turns the question around and looks not at how one earns or deserves Christ’s death but at the instrument by which Christ’s death is applied
• “Did Christ die for me?” poses the crucial question of how one might personally know if Christ died for him
• Finally, “How can I be sure Christ died for me?” looks at some of the ways we might be assured

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The last three predictions that Christ gives of his own death (we’ve seen these in What did Christ say about his death?) all add to the prediction of death a promise that the Christ would rise again. For example, Mark 8:31 contains the promise “and after three days [Christ must] rise again”.

Understanding the way in which the death of Christ is linked to his resurrection adds a very important dimension to our understanding of his death, and how it relates to the Gospel. The fact that Christ’s death on the cross does not mean the end of his work for us is important for a number of reasons, amongst which two stand out:

First, had he not died, he would not have risen. We read in the letter to the Romans concerning the personal importance of this resurrection as follows:

⁴ 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. ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Romans 6:4-5

Paul explains then that all who are in Christ receive the assurance of life because just as Christ died so too did he rise again from the dead. To say that Christ died and rose again is not just to speak of his saving work on the cross, but also to declare our own hope for life in him who says “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

Secondly, it is because the death of Christ was followed by the resurrection of Christ that we know for certain that the work which he undertook in his death is finished. The definitive evidence that he has died for our sins, the certain sign that his suffering is complete, is the fact that he then rose again from the dead.

We see the same idea in Isaiah’s prophecy regarding the promised suffering servant, which concludes:

¹² Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:12

So, although we have seen Christ who “poured out his soul to death”, it is because we see Christ now glorified in his resurrection and ascension, that we can be confident that he indeed “bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors”.

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’died’ is the only verb in our Gospel statement, that Christ died for our sins. This then is the focal point of the action by which all was achieved – the actual dying of Christ on the cross.

Today, the cross is recognised as a Christian symbol in many countries of the world – even amongst those who know nothing more about Christ.

Indeed, it is interesting to observe how central this cross, the symbol of Christ’s death, has been throughout the history of Christianity. Although Christ performed many miracles, cast out demons, brought the dead to life and healed all manners of disease – the event for which he is most commemorated, and has come to symbolise Christianity as a whole, is his death.

In this section we are going to take a closer look at the death of Christ, and in so doing try to answer a few common questions.

• “How did Christ die?” gives a brief overview of the events of the death of Christ, setting out the who, the what and the when. This is a short overview of the crucifixion.
• “How do we know that Christ died?” takes a more detailed look at how the texts reassure us that Christ really did die on the cross. It’s a strange thing for a hero to die, and stranger still for God to die – so this bears careful reflection!
• “What did Christ say about his death?” focuses on the way Christ foretells his own death as he prepares those around him.
• “How does the Old Testament describe his death?” takes a step backwards to look at the statements from the Old Testament which prophesy and describe the death of Christ. Here we’ll see a little more about the way in which Christ fulfils the promises made by God.
• Finally, “Did his role end when he died?” steps forwards to look Christ’s death from our own time

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When a soldier dies, his commander no longer counts him as part of the fighting force. When a leader dies, nobody dreams of expecting him to lead, let alone trusting in his ongoing leadership. So, why does Christ still matter, bearing in mind that he died?

Well, quite simply, not only did he die – but he also rose again from the dead. It’s no great feat to die, but it’s quite something to rise from the dead – and it’s something which should tell us two really central things about Christ himself:

• First; that because he rose again we can be certain of the claims he made about himself – he really is the Son of God
• Second; that he is not now dead, but lives – he lives as Lord now, and we can have confidence in his future return because the greatest possible obstacle is already defeated

It is with this first in mind that Paul declares in the passage we looked at earlier in this chapter that Christ “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). In raising him from the dead, God adds divine testimony to the word of Jesus and his claim to be the Christ, the Son of God. We should not ignore this most powerful and physical reason to receive the word and promise of Christ!

As Paul gives thanks to God, he recounts this great work in resurrection, declaring of it:

…²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Ephesians 1:20-21

As to the second point, it is because Christ lives and reigns as Lord, and because he has promised salvation to all those who believe, it is the risen Lord for whom we wait and whom we trust to deliver us from God’s wrath against sinners. We go on to read in I Thessalonians, we “wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (I Thessalonians 1:9-10). Indeed, the very hope of a Christian depends on the resurrection, for as Paul explains, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

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