God's Plan of Redemption Part 2

In part one of "God's Plan of Redemption" we covered the Fall of Man which led to the separation of our spirit from God's Spirit because of sin. We are born into spiritual death, and our spirit must be born and made alive in order to enter the kingdom of heaven on the Day of Resurrection. The price of our sins must be paid before we can be born again, and that is where we will continue now.

The Bible teaches that the price of sin is death. It is written: "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Death is referring to both physical death and spiritual death. Under the Old Covenant, God ordained in the Mosaic Law that animals were to be sacrificed to cover our sins. These sacrifices had to be done over and over throughout ones life because they were not perfect. They could only cover our sins, but not take them away from us completely. For it is written: "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins" (Hebrews 10:4, NKJV). The Law taught the sanctity of blood. For it is written: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11). The blood of animals was only temporary and insufficient, but it also foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is also written: "And according to the [Mosaic] law almost all things are purified with blood and without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Hebrews 10:22).

Under the New covenant, animal sacrifices are no longer necessary because Jesus Christ came down from heaven and died on the cross for our sins. How exactly did the incarnation of Jesus Christ take place? First of all, God is spirit. Jesus Himself in John 4:24 said that 'God is spirit.' This means that the Father is a spirit, the Son is a spirit, and the Holy Spirit is a spirit. Before the incarnation, Jesus was only a spirit who was with the Father and the Holy Spirit from all eternity past.

The Holy Spirit came to the Virgin Mary and told her that she would have a child. A physical body began to develop in Mary's womb. Jesus' spirit came down from heaven and entered into that physical body, and thus Jesus Christ was born of the flesh. As science has proved, brains continue to develop and change over time. Jesus in His spirit knows everything, however, it is not our spirit which enables us to walk and talk, but it is our brain which enables us to walk and talk. Jesus had to learn how to walk, to talk, to do simple math, etc. He also had to sleep and eat. Our spirits don't need sleep, but scientists will tell you that our brains and bodies do need sleep. Arguments that Jesus is not God because God doesn't need sleep, food, water, and other material needs, is not a wise argument. Our material bodies have material needs, but our immaterial spirits do not have material needs. Jesus' immaterial spirit entered into a material body, and thus Jesus had material needs. It makes Him no less divine.

Jesus went to the cross to take all our sins upon Himself, and pay the penalty for sin which is spiritual death and physical death. The Qur'an says that nobody can bear the burdens of another, but teaches that we are responsible for our own sins (Sura 35:18, Sura 39:7, Sura 53:38). The Bible agrees with the Qur'an in that no man or woman can bear the burdens of another. However, Jesus is not a mere man, but He is God in the flesh. His divine spirit entered into a physical body. Can't we cast our burdens on the Lord? Jesus took our infirmities upon Himself. For it is written: "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by 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" (Isaiah 53:4-6). 'God' and 'LORD' is referring to the Father.

As Jesus took our sins upon Himself, He suffered spiritual death. His spirit became separated from the Father and the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus cried out on the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me" (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). Jesus was talking to the Father. Shortly later He gave up His spirit and physically died. Remember that spiritual death is the separation of our spirit from God, and physical death is the separation of our spirit from our body. The wages of sin is death, and Jesus paid the price of our sins by living a sinless life, taking all our sins upon Himself, and dying spiritually and physically on the cross.

There are a few views on where Jesus' spirit went after His death, but the Bible does not give clear details. What matters is that He died both spiritually and physically on the cross as the ultimate payment for our sins. Some time between His crucifixion and His resurrection, the Holy Spirit came and made Jesus' spirit alive once again, reconnected to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Back in those days in Israel, a part of a day was considered one day, so Jesus' physical body was in the tomb for part of Friday (day one), all of Saturday (day two), and part of Sunday (day three). Then His spirit returned to His physical body, and He was resurrected. So again, Jesus' spirit was alive, but when He came to earth and entered into a physical body, and took all our sins upon Himself on the cross, His spirit disconnected (i.e. died) from the Father and the Holy Spirit, and shortly later His spirit became reconnected (i.e. made alive) back to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

The price of sin has been paid by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross. In part three we will continue with what that has accomplished for us.