“Nothing held Christ to the Cross but His own desire to save us.” — Alexander MacLaren

We have been learning about God’s love for us…about how God’s “perfect love drives out fear.” After that fear/dread of punishment has been driven out, we can better feel God’s love for us. And, in return, love to Him springs up in our hearts. “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) As we approach Easter this weekend, we can take time to meditate and remember that the reason we do not have to fear punishment for our sins is because Jesus took our punishment for us on the cross. He died in our place. Our sins are forgiven. We are reconciled to God through Christ. What Alexander MacLaren will be emphasizing in his sermon that I’m going to be writing about today called “Christ ‘Must’ Die,” is that God was motivated to provide a Redeemer for us because of His great love for us. As it says in a verse you have probably heard many times, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)

Here is the link to MacLaren’s sermon: Christ ‘Must’ Die by Alexander Maclaren | SermonIndex. It might actually be quotes from MacLaren’s “Expositions of Scripture” on the book of John rather than a sermon.

Necessary

You can see in the title that there are quotation marks around the word “Must.” Throughout these quotes MacLaren emphasizes that Jesus’ death was necessary…that is why it says, “Christ ‘Must’ Die.” The first quote of MacLaren’s explains what this means. He says:

“The work of Jesus Christ could not be done unless He died. He could not be the Savior of the world unless He was the sacrifice for the sins of the world.”

MacLaren is saying that it was necessary for our salvation for Jesus to die in our place as a sacrifice for our sins. He had to die in order to save us from our sins…in order to be the Savior of the world.

In John 12:27 Jesus says, “27‘Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name!’

Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ 29The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.”

The Berean Study Bible’s note on John 12:27 says:

“‘No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.’
This statement affirms Jesus’ understanding of His mission and His acceptance of the path laid before Him. The “hour” refers to the appointed time of His crucifixion, a central theme in the Gospel of John (John 2:4, 7:30, 8:20). It signifies the culmination of His earthly ministry and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah’s suffering and sacrifice (Isaiah 53). Jesus’ resolve here is a testament to His role as the Lamb of God, willingly laying down His life for the salvation of humanity (John 1:29).” John 12 Berean Study Bible

I want to share some quotes from John Gill’s book Doctrinal Divinity with you about how Jesus’ death saved us from our sins. In the section about redemption, Gill explains that the word redeem means “to buy” and that Jesus bought “His people out of the hands of justice, in which they are held for sin.” Gill says:

1. First, I shall settle the meaning of the word (redeem); and show what it supposes, includes, and is designed by it. Our English word Redemption, is from the Latin tongue, and signifies, buying again; and several words in the Greek language, of the New Testament, are used in the affair of our Redemption, which signify the obtaining of something by paying a proper price for it; sometimes the simple verb αγοραζω, to “buy”, is used: so the redeemed are said to be “bought unto God” by the blood of Christ; and to be “bought” from the earth; and to be “bought” from among men; and to be “bought” with a price; that is, with the price of Christ’s blood, (Rev. 5:9; 14:3, 4; 1 Cor. 6:20), hence the church of God is said to be purchased with it, (Acts 20:28). Sometimes the compound word εξαγοραζω, is used; which signifies, to buy again, or out of the hands of another; as the redeemed are bought out of the hands of justice; as in (Gal. 3:13; 4:5). In other places λυτροω, is used, or others derived from it; which signifies, the deliverance of a slave, or captive, from his thraldom, by paying a ransom price for him: so the saints are said to be redeemed, not with silver or gold, the usual price paid for a ransom; but with a far greater one, the blood and life of Christ, which he came into this world to give, as a ransom price for many; and even himself, which is αντιλυτρον, an answerable, adequate, and full price for them (1 Pet. 1:18; Matt. 20:28; 1 Tim. 2:6). There are various typical redemptions, and that are of a civil nature, which may serve to illustrate our spiritual and eternal redemption by Christ. As,

1d. The delivery of a debtor from prison, by paying his debts for him, is an emblem of deliverance and redemption by Christ: a man that is in debt, is liable to be arrested, and cast into prison, as is often the case; where he must lie till the debt is discharged, by himself or another: sins are debts; and a sinner owes more than ten thousand talents, and has nothing to pay; he cannot answer to the justice of God for one debt of a thousand; nor can he, by paying a debt of obedience he owes to God, pay off one debt of sin, or obligation to punishment; and so is liable to a prison, and is in one; is concluded under sin, under the guilt of it, which exposes him to punishment; and he is held with the cords and fetters of it; which he cannot loose himself from; and he is shut up under the law, in which he is held, until delivered and released by Christ; who, as he has engaged to pay the debts of his people, has paid them, cleared the whole score, and blotted out the hand writing that was against them; in consequence of which is proclaimed, in the gospel, liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; and in the effectual calling Christ says “to the prisoners”, “Go forth”, opening the prison doors for them; and to them that sit in darkness, in the gloomy cells of the prison, “show yourselves”; all which is done in virtue of the redemption price paid by Christ for his people.

1e. The ransoming of persons out of slavery, by paying a ransom price for them … their deliverance from present bondage, and future ruin and destruction, is in consequence of a ransom found and given…

1e1. … redemption by Christ is nothing more nor less than buying his people out of the hands of justice, in which they are held for sin; and that is with the price of his blood; which is therefore paid into the hands of justice for them: hence they are said to be redeemed, or bought unto God by his blood (Rev. 5:9). 

1e2. …Redemption is a deliverance from the law, from the bondage of it, and from the curse and condemnation by it; so that there shall be no more curse; and from eternal death and wrath to come: life is forfeited into the hands of justice by sin; which life is redeemed from destruction by Christ, giving his life a ransom for it; he, by redeeming his people, has delivered them from wrath to come; being justified through the redemption that is in Christ, by his blood, they are, and shall be saved, from everlasting wrath, ruin, and destruction.

John Gill: Doctrinal Divinity – Christian Classics Ethereal Library

In the section about satisfaction, Gill explains that our sins are criminal debts that require punishment rather than monetary debts that require a payment of money. Gill says:

“But it should be observed, that sins are not pecuniary debts (monetary debts), and to be remitted as they are: they are not properly debts, only so called allusively: …but they are called debts, because as debts oblige to payment, these oblige to punishment; which debt of punishment must be paid, either by the debtor, the sinner, or by a surety for him; sins are criminal debts, and can be remitted no other way.”

So our sins are not monetary debts that could be paid with money. Rather, our sins are criminal debts that require punishment. And the punishment for breaking God’s laws one time was death. We have broken God’s laws many times. We were born in a sinful condition and then we commit sins throughout our lives. We are unable to save ourselves from the penalty of God’s law. But God sent Jesus to save us. In another section, Gill explains that Jesus is our surety. A surety is defined as a person who takes responsibility for another’s performance of an undertaking, for example their appearing in court or paying a debt. Jesus is our surety. He took the responsibility of our performance of satisfying God’s justice by dying in our place on the cross. As Gill said, “life is forfeited into the hands of justice by sin; which life is redeemed from destruction by Christ, giving his life a ransom for it.” Jesus gave His life in place of ours. He stood in our place as our substitute on the cross and took our punishment for us.

Gill says, “God, therefore, in this affair, is to be considered not merely as a creditor, but as the Judge of all the earth, who will do right; and as the Rector and Governor of the world; that great Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy; who will secure his own authority as such, do justice to himself, and honour to his law, and show a proper concern for the good of the community, or universe, of which he is the moral Governor.” 

John Gill: Doctrinal Divinity – Christian Classics Ethereal Library

These quotes from Gill can help us see what MacLaren was talking about when he said, “The work of Jesus Christ could not be done unless He died. He could not be the Savior of the world unless He was the sacrifice for the sins of the world.” Jesus “must” die in order to pay our debt of punishment for us.

Voluntary

MacLaren’s next quote says: . . . “It was because of the requirements of the divine righteousness, and because of the necessities of sinful men. And so Christ’s was no martyr’s death, who had to die as the penalty of the faithful discharge of His duty. It was not the penalty that He paid for doing His work, but it was the work itself. . . He ‘came to give His life a ransom for many’.”

A martyr is defined as a person who is killed or made to suffer because of their religious or other beliefs. MacLaren is explaining that Jesus was not killed because of the work He did for God during His life on earth. Jesus’ death was His work. Jesus is the Son of God. His death was a substitutionary, atoning death. He came to earth to die for us…to die in our place. In John 10:14-18 (NIV) Jesus says:

14“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.”

So again, the main points are that Jesus’ death was necessary for our salvation and voluntary. He willingly laid down His life for us.

Motivated by Love

Next, MacLaren explains that Jesus’ death was motivated by His love for us. He says:

“. . . [Jesus] must die because He would save, and He would save because He did love. His filial obedience to God coincided with His pity for men. . .”

“Oh, brethren! Nothing held Christ to the Cross but His own desire to save us. Neither priests nor Romans carried Him thither. What fastened Him to it was not the nails driven by rude hands. And the reason why He did not, as the taunters bade Him do, come down from it, was neither a physical nor a moral necessity unwelcome to Himself, but the yielding of His own will to do all which was needed for man’s salvation.”

“This sacrifice was bound to the altar by the cords of love. . . Jesus Christ fastened Himself to the Cross and died because He would. . . . His purpose never faltered, think that each of us may say, ‘He must die because He would save me’.”

And these are the rest of MacLaren’s quotes:

“. . . It is guaranteed by the power of the Cross; it is certain, by the eternal life of the crucified Savior, that He will one day be the King of humanity, and must bring His wandering sheep to couch in peace, one flock round one Shepherd.”

“Glad obedience is true obedience. . . . Obedience is obedience, whether in large things or in small.”

“Joy and liberty and power and peace will fill our hearts when this is the law of our being: ‘All that the Lord has spoken, that must I do’ (Expositions of Holy Scripture, St. John, I-VIII, pp. 174-180).”

“The Philippian jailer cried out, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household’ (Acts 16:30-31).”

These are the Application Points and FAQs on sermonindex.net that go with this sermon that help to summarize the main points:

Application Points

• We must obey all that the Lord has spoken in order to follow Him.
• Our obedience is true obedience when it is done with joy and liberty.
• We can be certain of Christ’s return and the salvation of humanity because of the power of the Cross.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Jesus have to die?

Jesus had to die because it was the only way to fulfill the requirements of divine righteousness and to save sinful men.

Was Jesus’ death a penalty for His work?

No, Jesus’ death was the work itself, not a penalty for doing His work.

What held Jesus to the Cross?

Jesus was held to the Cross by His own desire to save humanity.

What is the law of our being?

The law of our being is to obey all that the Lord has spoken.

I’ll stop here for today. There is another sermon by MacLaren called “The Cross the Proof” where he talks again about how the cross is the proof of God’s love to us. I hope to write about it soon.