This universe was full of life when it was created, as were its inhabitants. Although God did not create death, He did foretell it to Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:17 that death would ensue from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Death entered Adam and Eve’s world precisely because they chose to disobey God. It not only reached their world, but it also had an impact on all of humanity (Romans 5:12). All people are sinners at birth and are destined for death. Sin results in death: “For eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord is the free gift of God, but the wage of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Consequence of sin
The result of disobedience to God, the source of our life, is death. It is impossible to atone for sin with good works since [sin has a fatal consequence]. Death is something that humans cannot defeat on their own.
God is just
Because God is just in all that he does, sinners will receive just punishment (Deuteronomy 32:4). However, God is also kind and ready to pardon sin (Psalm 103:3,8). When humans sinned in the Old Testament, they were allowed to bring in an animal that had been killed in place of themselves (Leviticus 4:22-31). It was God’s way of providing for those unable to live faultless lives. However, these animal offerings served as a symbol of the ultimate, perfect sacrifice made by Jesus Christ.
The perfect lamb
These sacrifices would have been ineffective had Jesus not arrived. It only made sense because the Messiah had been prophesied (Hebrews 10:4). [No animal can wipe away human guilt]. According to Hebrews 10:10–12, the Messiah would be the ideal Lamb who would go through suffering and die in order to rescue humanity from their sins. Jesus was able to take on the sin of the world because he was sinless.
Jesus paid with His life
According to 1 John 2:1–2, God sent his Son into the world so that Jesus could take on and pay for all of humanity’s sins. Jesus had to give his life as a ransom for sin, since death is the price for sin. Jesus was aware in advance that he needed to take this action (see Matthew 16:21). He pleaded to God to take away his suffering and death because he was so afraid of what lied ahead for him. Nevertheless, [He yielded to his Father’s will], which stipulated that Jesus would bear the penalty for global crimes (Matthew 26:39). There’s no other way for God and humanity to be made right! Romans 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Colossians, and 1 Timothy 2:5–6
