Soteriology The Work of Christ - His Death - Its True Meaning.

Some say that His death on the Cross was a result of His loyalty to what he believed; others that it was the expression of the Love of God; while others that it removed the stain of shame from God’s honour. These are only partial explanations and secondary.

1. The true meaning of Christ’s Death.

Isaiah says in Is 53:10 that God shall make His Soul an OFFERING for SIN.. This is the reason for the Atonement.

A. His Death was Vicarious.

“Vicarious suffering is suffering endured by one person in the stead of another, i.e. in his place.” Hodge II p.475

We note that Christ did not die for His own sin.

Joh 8:46  Can any of you convict me of committing a sin? If I'm telling the truth, why don't you believe me?

1Pe 2:22  Christ never committed any sin. He never spoke deceitfully.

Heb 4:15  We have a chief priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he didn't sin.

He died for our sins.

Isa 53:5  But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed.

Isa 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, each one to his own way; and Jehovah has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. C.P. 1 Cor 15:3

2Co 5:21  God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God's approval through him.

Rom 5:8  But God gives proof of His love to us in Christ's dying for us while we were still sinners. Also see: 1 Peter 2:24 and 3:18; Mark 10;45

The Offerings of the Old testament were mere types of Christ’s Offering

The Passover Lamb Ex 12; 1 Cor 5:7

The Sin Offering Is 53 :10

Leviticus 6:24-30

Lev 6:24  And Jehovah spoke unto Moses, saying,

Lev 6:25  Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin-offering: in the place where the burnt-offering is killed shall the sin-offering be killed before Jehovah: it is most holy.

Lev 6:26  The priest that offers it for sin shall eat it: in a holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting.

Lev 6:27  Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy; and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, you shall wash that whereon it was sprinkled in a holy place.

Lev 6:28  But the earthen vessel wherein it is boiled shall be broken; and if it be boiled in a brazen vessel, it shall be scoured, and rinsed in water.

Lev 6:29  Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy.

Lev 6:30  And no sin-offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt with fire.

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh.

Heb 10:2  Else would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

Heb 10:3  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year.

Heb 10:4  For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

The Greek prepositions “anti”and “huper”.

“anti” usually means “instead of” and “huper” means “in behalf of”.

For the use of “anti’ see the Following Matt 5:38; 20:28;  Mark 10:45

“huper” Luke 22:20 ‘poured out for you.’ John 6:51 for the life of the world.Jn 15:13

Romans 5:6;8 Romans 8:32

What is the significance of ‘huper’.

Shedd says “ The preposition ‘huper’ like the English, “for” has two significations. It may denote advantage or benefit or it may mean substitution. … The sense of ‘FOR’ must be determined by the context and the different circumstances in each instance . Shedd p.379

Rom 5:6  For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, 

Christ died for us.

for G5228 ὑπέρ huper Thayer Definition: 1) in behalf of, for the sake of

2) over, beyond, more than ; 3) more, beyond, over

FOR huper hoop-er' Strong’s G5228

A primary preposition; “over”, that is, (with the genitive case) of place, above, beyond, across, or causal, for the sake of, instead, regarding; with the accusative case superior to, more than. In compounds it retains many of the listed applications: - (+ exceeding abundantly) above, in (on) behalf of, beyond, by, + very chiefest, concerning, exceeding (above, -ly), for, + very highly, more (than), of, over, on the part of, for sake of, in stead, than, to (-ward), very. In compounds it retains many of the above applications.

Christ died for us - In our stead; to save us from death. He took our place; and by dying himself on the cross, saved us from dying eternally in hell