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Welcome to this new lesson! Let us pray together:
Our Lord and our God,
Once again we want to search Your Word, and this is why we humbly ask You to help us during this lesson.
Please send us Your Holy Spirit, so that our hearts may be opened to Your valuable teaching.
We pray in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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1 John 5:19
The whole world lies in wickedness.
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Before going further, we strongly suggest that you review the previous lesson «Why Does Evil Exist?» about the origin of evil, suffering, and death.
We learned, among other things, that by disobeying God’s command, man placed himself under the domination of Satan.
In this way, sin entered into this world, with all its consequences: separation of man from God, suffering, and death.
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Romans 5:12
By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed on all men, for that all have sinned.
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Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death.
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In our previous lesson, we also saw that sin is the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4).
Sin having spread to the whole human race, all men therefore became subject to death.
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Jeremiah 13:23
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard its spots?
Then may you also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
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For centuries, sin has clung to the human heart with such a power that we cannot get rid of it, however hard we might try.
Left to ourselves against sin, we would face a simply hopeless situation...
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Romans 7:18,19,24
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (...)
O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
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When we recognize that we are unable to do what is good, we feel a great weight of misery, a deep feeling of powerlessness.
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Isaiah 63:19; 64:1
You never bore rule over them; they were not called by Your name.
Oh that You would rend the heavens, that You would come down!
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When we become aware of our powerlessness against sin, the problem appears to be insoluble.
We cannot but wait for death, a death with no tomorrow.
The only hope comes from God: but will He accept to leave heaven and come down to save us?
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Ezekiel 33:11
«As I live,» said the Lord God, «I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn you, turn you from your evil ways!»
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2 Peter 3:9
[The Lord] is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
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1 Timothy 2:4
[God] will have all men to be saved.
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Yes, God has set up a precise plan for the salvation of the sinner!
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1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God!
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God loves each one of us and wants to save us: He ardently desires that we become His children, just like before the Fall of man.
However, God’s perfect justice requires the death of the sinner, the transgressor of the divine law. «For the wages of sin is death.» (Romans 6:23).
How will God’s plan satisfy the demands of both divine justice and the outpouring of divine love for each one of us?
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1 John 4:9,10
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
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In order to make possible the pardon of guilty man, it was necessary that one who was sinless take upon himself the condemnation deserved by the sinner, that is, death.
God’s only begotten Son, who had never sinned, offered Himself to be this innocent sacrifice, the One who would die so that we might live.
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John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
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This message is the central point of the Word of God, and the reason for this set of lessons.
By giving His only Son, God has sacrificed Himself, taking the sins of men upon Himself, so that each one of us, who were sinners and condemned to death, might inherit eternal life by accepting this great sacrifice for our own sins.
This is the greatest message of hope ever given to mankind!
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1 Peter 1:10,11
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come to you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
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As we will see during this lesson and the next ones, the whole Bible revolves around this message of salvation by grace, that is, by the gift of God’s only begotten Son.
All the prophets have preached this message!
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Genesis 3:14,15
And the Lord God said to the serpent:
«(...) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.»
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Immediately after the Fall of man, God promised to re-establish the situation.
The seed of the serpent is the followers of Satan, wicked men. The Seed of the woman is Jesus, the only Son of God, the Savior of the world, and those who faithfully follow Him.
Through the intermediary of wicked men, Satan inflicted great sufferings on Jesus, thus bruising His heel. But by His death on the cross, Jesus triumphed over Satan and evil, thus bruising the serpent’s head.
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John 8:56
[Jesus answered,] «Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad.»
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Job 19:25
[Job said,] «For I know that my Redeemer lives.»
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Isaiah 59:20
«The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to them that turn from transgression in Jacob,» said the Lord.
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Abraham, Job, and many others, all placed their hope in God’s salvation.
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Matthew 1:21
And [Mary] shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.
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Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son, who offered Himself to die for each one of us, so that we may be saved from our sins.
Jesus Christ’s life exactly fulfilled the hundreds of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah.
Let’s look at some of these prophecies, and the verses confirming their fulfillment.
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Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall He come forth to Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
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Matthew 2:1
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king.
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The Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem. And Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem.
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Hosea 11:1
And I called My Son out of Egypt.
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Matthew 2:14,15
When [Joseph] arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
«Out of Egypt have I called My Son.»
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The return of the Messiah from Egypt was also prophesied.
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Isaiah 40:3
The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, «Prepare you the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.»
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Matthew 3:1,3
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea. (...)
For this is [John] that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying,
«The voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare you the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.”»
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John the Baptist prepared men for the coming of the Messiah, just as foretold.
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Isaiah 35:4-6
[God] will come and save you.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing.
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Matthew 11:4,5
Jesus answered and said to them,
«Go and show John again those things which you do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up.»
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The Old Testament announced that the Messiah would heal the multitudes.
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Isaiah 53:1
Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
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John 12:37,38
But though [Jesus] had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him: that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke,
«Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?»
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In spite of the prophecies, the Jews did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
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Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
And we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
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Mark 9:12
[Jesus told them:]
«It is written of the Son of man, that He must suffer many things, and be set at nothing.»
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In order to save each one of us, Jesus Christ had to endure men’s contempt, and undergo many sufferings.
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Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opens not His mouth.
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Matthew 27:13,14
Then said Pilate to [Jesus],
«Hear You not how many things they witness against You?»
And He answered him to never a word; so that the governor marveled greatly.
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While false accusations burst out all over, Jesus remained silent.
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Isaiah 53:12
He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
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Luke 23:33,34
When they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Then said Jesus, «Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.»
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Even nailed to the cross, Jesus interceded for His persecutors.
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Isaiah 53:12
Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He has poured out His soul to death.
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John 10:17,18
[Jesus said,] «Therefore does My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.»
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Jesus Christ loves us so much that He accepted to die for us.
No one forced Jesus to lay down His life; He did it, simply because of His love for each one of us.
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Isaiah 53:5,6,11
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 are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (...)
My righteous Servant shall justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.
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This is the Good News of the Gospel: Jesus Christ offered Himself in sacrifice for each one of us, that we might obtain eternal life.
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Psalm 16:10
For You will not leave My soul in hell; neither will You suffer Your Holy One to see corruption.
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Acts 2:31
[David,] seeing this before, spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption.
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Jesus Christ’s victory over death proves that He has the power to give us eternal life, if we truly desire it.
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Luke 24:25-27
Then [Jesus] said to them,
«O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?»
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
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The whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, tells us about the promise of a Savior, and the fulfillment of this promise in the person and the work of Jesus Christ who died and rose again for lost mankind.
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John 20:31
But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through His name.
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God was not forced to come down and save the sinner. He did it because He loves us with an infinite love.
The salvation He offers us, by the gift of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, is the only way to be forgiven for our sins, so that we may have access to eternal life.
God did all that was required for our salvation: why not accept His offer right now, while there is still time to do so?
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Let us ask Jesus Christ to become our personal Savior:
Lord,
We were lost because of our sins, and destined for eternal death.
But You loved us so much that You accepted to come to earth, to die on the cross, so that we should not perish but have everlasting life.
Right here and now we want You to become our personal Savior and immediately begin to transform us into Your image.
In Your Name we pray.
Amen.
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