Purposes of Christ's Death: Summing It All Up

Click on the links to read the commentary on each scripture passage and explanations of the purpose statement(s) found there.

God intended for Christ’s death to

1. conquer death and the fear of death by giving eternal life. 
   John 3:16-17
   1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
   Romans 14:9
   Hebrews 2:14-15
   
   
2. justify people in a righteous way.
   Romans 3:24-25
   2 Corinthians 5:21
   
   
3. take care of the curse of the law by bearing it for us and fulfilling the laws requirements within us.
   Galatians 3:13-14
   Romans 8:3-4
   
   
4. reconcile people to God and to each other.
   1 Peter 3:18
   Ephesians 2:14-16
   
   
5. conquer sin by putting it away and freeing people from bondage to it.
   Hebrews 9:26b
   Galatians 1:3-5
   
   
6. fulfill the promise to Abraham.
   Galatians 3:13-14
   
   
7. prove that God is just.
   Romans 3:24-25
   
   
8. create a new kind of people with a new way of life.
   Galatians 1:3-5
   2 Corinthians 5:14-15
   1 Peter 2:24
   Titus 2:14
   Ephesians 5:25-27
   
   
9. make possible God’s adoption of sons and ensure their inheritance.
   Hebrews 9:15
   Galatians 4:4-5
   
   
10. gather everything together in Christ and place Christ as Lord-of-All.
    Ephesians 1:7-10
    Colossians 1:19-20
    
    

A few concluding thoughts on these posts on the purposes of Christ’s death. 

• I looked at the explicit purpose statements for Christ’s death found in scripture. But every result of Christ’s death is also an intended purpose of for it, because God has the power and wisdom to do things so exactly what He wishes is accomplished. There are no unintended results from anything God does, and that includes the Father sending the Son to die. So, for instance, we know that one of the results of Christ’s death is that we have good news to proclaim to people worldwide. This, then, is also something God purposed to accomplish with Christ’s death, and it isn’t a secondary or less important purpose because it isn’t listed above.


• I call them purposes of Christ’s death, but they aren’t separate or unrelated purposes. They are all part of the one big, multifaceted purpose found at the end of the list. Stating them separately may be the only way we can see the details of the whole, but at the same time, we must remember that they are each a piece of one marvelous many-sided accomplishment showing the manifold wisdom of God to us.


• This list reveals how widespread the results of sin and how much we have lost. It also show us how great God’s wisdom is, that in one perfect act he could make everything absolutely right again.

Theological Term of the Week

Transfiguration
A mysterious transformation in the appearance of Jesus that occured on a mountain in the presence of Peter, James, and John.

• From scripture:

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. (Matthew 17:1-8, ESV)

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts … . (2 Peter 1:16-19, ESV)

• From D. A. Carson, commenting on Matthew 17:1-8 in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary:

The effect of the Transfiguration on the disciples reminds us of Daniel (Dan 10:7-9 … .). The visible glory of the Deity brings terror, but Jesus calms his disciples fears… . Matthew alone tells us that the divine splendor the disciples “fell facedown to the ground” (v.6), a prelude to their seeing no one “except Jesus” (v.8). These words are pregnant with meaning. Compared with God’s revelation through him, all other revelations pale. Supporting, pointing, prophetic roles such revelation may enjoy; but that Jesus is God’s Son is primary. Therefore, all must “listen to him” (v. 7.) 




The Transfiguration was largely for the disciples (Jesus brought the inner three to it; he was transfigured before “them”; the Voice spoke to “them” … . ) This does not mean that they understood it fully; but it was a crucial step in the symbol-charged self-disclosure of Jesus that would be much better understood (2 Peter 1:16-19) following the Resurrection. For the present, it indelibly confirmed the disciples’ conviction that Jesus was the Messiah.

Learn more:

1. The Bible: Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36
2. Holman Bible Dictionary: The Transfiguration
3. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministy: What is the transfiguration?
4. Ligonier Ministries Blog: The Transfiguration
5. Blue Letter Bible: What Was the Significance of Jesus’ Transfiguration?
6. Bob Deffinbaugh: The Transfiguration
7. J. Ligon Duncan: The Glory of Christ: The Transfiguration (audio download)

Related term:

• ascension of Jesus
• triumphal entry
• priest (as an office of Christ)
• resurrecton of Jesus

Filed under Person and Work of Christ

Do you have a term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.

Status Report: April

Sitting…on the couch, enjoying the evening sunshine through my livingroom windows.

Feeling…a little stuffed from the chicken salad stuffed pita I ate for supper.

Also feeling…sorry for my son and his wife. Especially his wife. My oldest granddaughter just came down with a nasty stomach bug, her third illness since her little brother was born mid-February. I think having a 18-month-old and a six-week-old is enough to handle without a series of late-winter illnesses.

Waiting…for a loaf of bread to rise so I can bake it. It’s whole wheat sourdough with sunflower seeds, sweetened with dark molasses. My son says it’s his favorite of the different sourdough bread variations I’m made.

Preparing…for the kitchen project. The plans are drawn; the supplies ordered; the big project starts next week. I think. I’m dreading living without a kitchen during the process, but also looking forward to having a new and better kitchen.

Still deciding…which paint colours to use on the new kitchen cupboards. I want to paint the upper cupboards white and the lower cupboards a neutralish colour of some sort. Like grey, maybe, or a greyed green. 

Thinking…I should take down the white mini-lights I have strung across the fireplace mantle. I left them up after Christmas to curse the winter darkness, but they’ve served their purpose and become a waste of space and electricity.

Enjoying…Easter lilies. It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve not had a cat living with me, so I can have lilies. (Lilies, you know, are quite poisonous for cats, and if you have them, your cat will eat them.)

Getting…my gum boots out. (That’d be rubber boots to most of you.) There are big puddles to cross on my daily dog walks. I love walking through puddles. And gooey mud, too, when the gooey mud comes. I’ve never outgrown my love for mud and puddles.

Reading…Ephesians and an interesting Ephesians commentary. I plan to post a quote from the commentary soon so you can see what I mean by that.

Thanking…God that spring always comes eventually. And for the place where I live.