Jesus Died for Who?

(1 John 2:2) And he is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world’s.

So Jesus died for the whole world.

Why? What was the purpose of his death?

(John 1:29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said: “See, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

So he sacrificed himself to take away the sin of the world. (1Co 5:7; 1Jo 3:5)

But why did mankind need its sin removed?

(Romans 5:12) That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because they had all sinned—.

What are the consequences of inheriting sin from Adam?

(Romans 6:23) For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.

So sin requires the payment of death. (Ge 2:17)

What did Jesus' death accomplish?

(Romans 8:2) For the law of the spirit that gives life in union with Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

So Jesus' death set us free, released us from the ransom of death owed to sin. (Eph 1:7)

(Colossians 1:14) by means of whom we have our release by ransom, the forgiveness of our sins.

But even though he died for our sins, and his death set us free from the debt of sin, everyone is still dying since he paid that ransom 2,000 years ago. Why?

Christ tells us:

(Matthew 25:31, 33, 46) When the Son of man comes in his glory,... he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.... These will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.

So when the Son of man comes at Armageddon, he will then separate the sheep and the goats, and that is when the sheep will receive everlasting life.

But that is only talking about those alive at Armageddon, and who are deemed to be sheep and make it through. What about all of those who have died in the past?

(John 5:28, 29) Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out,

(Acts 24:15) And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

So the dead will be resurrected, but does Jesus' sacrificial death remove their debt to sin as well?

(Romans 6:7) For the one who has died has been acquitted from his sin.

So those who died paid the wage of sin with their death. They no longer owe that debt, so they don't need Jesus' death as a payment for them.

As for the resurrected, they do not inherit Adamic sin since they are not born again from imperfect parents who would pass on that sin, but they are re-created as perfect humans without sin. (Mt 19:28; 1Co 15:42) They have no need of the redemption provided by Jesus' death.

(Matthew 26:28) for this means my ‘blood of the covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.

(Mark 14:24) And he said to them: “This means my ‘blood of the covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many.

Perhaps that is why Jesus said "many" and not all of mankind (Mt 20:28) in those scriptures. Although most of mankind have died and paid their own debt, there will still be "many" sheep alive at Armageddon. (Re 7:9)

The whole purpose of Jesus' propitiatory sacrifice, which was equal to Adam's perfect human life, was to pay off that debt put upon mankind by Adam, "so that" those who live through Armageddon can be freed from Adamic sin and "have everlasting life." (Ro 5:12)

Those who have died have already paid their debt to sin, and the resurrected are not born from imperfect parent who pass on Adamic sin, but are re-created as sin-free perfect humans. (Mt 19:28)

So who did Jesus die for? it would seem that Jesus gave up his life only for those of us who will be alive at Armageddon.

That makes that young man's sacrifice a bit more personal doesn't it.

(See my article "Remember Me")

What do you think?

:^)
Dave
da.getmyip@gmail.com            Last edited 09-20-2023 (Date created 02-12-2022)