Hebrews 4:15 – He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 7:26 – He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens.
1 Peter 2:22 – Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth. (Isaiah 53:9)
(John 8:46)
The Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:20). If Jesus had been guilty of sin, He would have been required to die for His own sins. It was essential that He be sinless in order to be the sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 3:5 – He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21 – For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
1 Peter 1:18,19 – We were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
So the sinlessness of Jesus was essential to your salvation and my salvation.
Jesus died as though He were a criminal. The Jewish leaders accused Him of many sins, yet we have seen that He was actually innocent. This truth is especially impressive when we consider the statements of the people who were primarily responsible for Jesus’ death.
Matthew 27:4 – Judas betrayed Jesus, but later he said he had betrayed innocent blood.
John 18:38; 19:4,6 – Pilate was the Roman governor responsible for the trial of Jesus. Three times Pilate said that He found no fault in Jesus.
Matthew 27:19 – Pilate’s wife sent him a message saying Jesus was righteous.
Matthew 27:24 – Pilate washed his hands saying Jesus was innocent.
Luke 23:15 – Pilate sent Jesus to King Herod for a hearing. Later Pilate said Herod found nothing in Jesus worthy of death.
Luke 23:41 – One of the thieves crucified with Jesus acknowledged his own guilt but said Jesus had done nothing wrong.
Luke 23:47 – The centurion in charge of the crucifixion declared that Jesus was a righteous man.
Enemies of the gospel have often accused Jesus of being a criminal or evil. But the people at His trial, who had no reason to be prejudiced one way or the other, repeatedly acknowledged that Jesus was innocent. Without that innocence you and I could not be saved.
In the Lord’s Supper we remember the sacrifice for our sins that was offered by the innocent, sinless Son of God.
(c) Copyright David E. Pratte, 2019; gospelway.com
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Scripture quotations are generally from the New King James Version (NKJV), copyright 1982, 1988 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. used by permission. All rights reserved.