Born to Die

5 Minute Lessons on the Kingdom of God

Born to Die

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In the Old Testament book of Leviticus we find a very strange passage of Scripture. It states,

"No person devoted to destruction may be ransomed; they are to be put to death." (Leviticus 27:29 NIV)

A footnote in the NIV Bible states, "The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the LORD, often by totally destroying them."

I was thinking, wasn't this God's plan for Jesus, to put Him to death to bring us to God?

"⁷Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ⁹And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. ¹⁰For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. ¹¹So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:7‑11 NLT)

And again the Apostle Peter states,

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18 NIV)

It was not a coincidence that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. And that the Magi's gift was myrrh, a spice used in burial.

We read about the genealogy and ancestors of Jesus in Matthew 1:1‑17 and again in Luke 3:23‑38. King David and Abraham were in this family tree, but isn't it wonderful that through Jesus' death and resurrection believers have been adopted into the family of God? 1 John states,

"He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins.." (1 John 2:2 NLT)

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God..." (1 John 3:1a KJV)

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we will see him as he really is." (1 John 3:2 KJV & NLT)

In conclusion, this is what the death and resurrection provided for you.

"²⁰and through him (Jesus) God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ's blood on the cross.

²¹This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. ²²Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

²³But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don't drift away..." (Colossians 1:20‑23 NLT)

Questions

What part does Jesus' death and resurrection play in your salvation?
Answer

"¹⁷And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
¹⁸Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." (1 Corinthians 15:17‑18 KJV)
As a believer in Christ, what benefits are there from being united to Him?
Answer

"³⁰God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. ³¹Therefore, as the Scriptures say, 'If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.'" (1 Corinthians 1:30‑31 NLT)
The preaching of Jesus and His work on the cross are foolish to whom?
Answer

"The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT)

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We would love to hear your feedback on these lessons and how you use them in your own study or in discipling others. If you have any thoughts, stories, testimonies, comments, or questions we would love to hear them!

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