p. 4 | DID HE DIE?

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Feb 6, 1907

DID HE DIE?

DID Jesus the son of the living God die? Was it possible for Divinity to die? for the Eternal Word to lay down His life?

There are those who tell us that the body died; the physical man died; but the real Christ did not die, and that it is repulsive so to believe.

Did the Christ die?—At least some have so believed. One hymn, which has been sung by many thousands of Christians for scores of years, reads:

“The Incarnate God hath died for me.”

Another sings:

“When Christ the mighty Maker died For man the creature's sin.”

But hymnology has taught many errors. What does the Bible say?

1. Of the Son of God before He came to this world it was said: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:1-4.

Of this exalted Being the Scriptures further bear witness: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us . . . full of grace and truth.” Verse 14. “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Gal. 4:4.

Yet again, it is written: “Him [the Son] who knew no sin He [the Father] made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor. 5:21. As sinners, we are guilty of death; for “the wages of sin is death.” Rom. 6:23. When He bore our sins, He bore our death, and died in our behalf. “He was wounded for our transgressions; . . . with His stripes we are healed. . . . He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of My people to whom the stroke was due. . . . He poured out His soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.” Isa. 53:5-12, A.R.V.

Therefore, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” a death which, that He might live again, demanded a resurrection; for “if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain. . . . If Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” 1 Cor. 15:1-19.

Christ, the Son of God, died “that thru death He might bring to naught him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Heb. 2:14. On the enemy's own ground, in all the weakness of humanity, the Incarnate Son of God met the enemy, and conquered him. The resurrection of Christ from the dead demonstrated that Jesus, who walked a man upon this earth, was the veritable “Son of God.” “Concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 1:3, 4.

One more testimony from the other side of the grave by the glorified Christ to His servant John: “Fear not; I am the First and the Last, and the Living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” Rev. 1:17, 18.

Praise God for a Saviour who came from the highest heaven, who sounded the lowest depths of sin and wo and death, Conqueror in all; and who lives forevermore, able to save to the uttermost. We may not understand how He did all this; but He has revealed the wondrous fact that for us He died. O, the wonderful love of God! He gave His Son, and gave Him wholly. Christ gave Himself; but in dying, He conquered for us. In Him we are complete.