Friend Day

1 Peter 1:17-21

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. ILL. “Friendship: I Knew you would come.” Jesus came. He said he would. Before time even began, God and Jesus agreed that Jesus would enter our world. The plan was for Jesus to be human and through his life, he would demonstrate the love and justice of God.

The plan was more than Jesus living a good and perfect life

A life without sin. But the plan included Jesus’ death. As God demanded blood for the forgiving of sin, animals had always been used. But because Jesus lived a perfect life, the plan was that his life would substitute for animals forever. His death would be a once for all gift. The perfect life would become the perfect sacrifice. God would place all sin — past, present, and future — on Jesus. His death would be sufficient for all time.

John 10:14-18: I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.

ILL. “Sacrifice: Serving what you love.” Jesus died willingly.

But the question inevitably comes Why?

Why would Jesus give his life? Why was it necessary? My words are inadequate to give you the answer. What kind of God reaches out to those he created who have turned their backs on him? To say it is love, somehow seems too trite. But love it was. ILL. “Love: Sacrifice.” Can we set aside the “why” question? We may not be able to comprehend fully, but love is the answer for why Jesus came and died. You can know by Jesus’ choice to give his life for you that he loves you.

If you accept the answer to the question “why,” the next question is “how.”

How can a man’s death take care of my sin? Good question. Again, I’m not sure I have adequate words to answer the question fully. Paul speaks in Romans 3 that we are all sinner. No one escapes that truth. We then have two options. We can try to demonstrate our goodness by keeping all of God’s commands or we can trust Jesus who did keep all of God’s commands. In other words, the choice is to live perfectly or trust the one who did live perfectly. Paul says that God designated Jesus’ death as the fulfillment of all the requirements.

Romans 3:10-26: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness….no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known…This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

ILL. “Sacrifice.” We understand when one allows his life to be taken for the benefit of others. Jesus allowed his life to be touched by death, so that he could break the chain reaction of sin. He broke the power of sin.

The real question is how he could die for people who did not and do not want to be in relationship with him.

Amazingly, God doesn’t play favorites. The plan was for his son to die for all—those who would chose to be in relationship with him and those who would not otherwise. ILL. Love: Don Mackey

How can I know that God loves me? Romans 5:6-8: You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

ILL. “Friendship.” One man giving his all for a friend. Jesus wants to be friends with you. He truly gave his all for you. It is really your choice. Accept Jesus’ offer of friendship or trust only yourself? 1 Timothy 1:15: Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

Invitation.

Follow Jesus

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