1 Peter 3:18

Does it sound unfair for someone to be punished for something they didn't do? Obviously, yes! But that's exactly what happened to Jesus on the cross. He was completely righteous, but he died for the sins of the world. The fair thing would be to make the unrighteous pay for their own sins, but that would be really bad news for you and I, because that would include us! If we got what we deserved, we would each pay the penalty for our own sins. But instead, Jesus willingly paid the price for us. He became the bridge to reconcile the relationship between God and humanity. As God himself, Jesus was perfectly righteous. And as a man, He took on flesh to be a suitable sacrifice on our behalf. It is both His deity and His humanity that allowed him to be the perfect bridge of salvation.

PASSAGE: 1 Peter 3:18 - "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit..."

PAUSE: One of the clearest Gospel passages outside of John is 1 Peter 3:18. Peter understood the consequences of sin; he knew that sin separated us from a holy God. Yet he also knew Jesus was the bridge to bring us to God. 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for Jesus, thank you for the cross. I praise you for sending Jesus to be the bridge to forgiveness and everlasting life in Christ.