The Solution

In the Old Testament days, people understood the problems that came about because of sin.  They also understood the punishment for rebellion against God: death.  They were reminded of this every time they sinned because they had to take an animal to the temple to be sacrificed as payment.  The wages of sin is death.

Only the priests could perform the sacrifices.  They took place just outside of the presence of God.  One special priest, the High Priest, was allowed to enter the presence of God one time a year.   The presence of God was in a special room called the Holy of Holies.

When we sin, God gives us a solution that allows us to enter the Holy of Holies as well.  God allows us to come back into the presnce of God.  God allows us back into The Garden.  We are led by Jesus.

That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:14-15 NLT)

Jesus does not deserve to die since Jesus never sinned.  Jesus can enter the Holy of Holies and stay there with God.  Jesus, however, didn’t just choose to enter the presence of God.  Jesus started there and then left God’s side to be with us.  Even though Jesus did not need to die, Jesus took death anyway.  This allowed God to be just (fair) in punishing sin with death, but still allow us to enter the Holy of Holies.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV84)

Jesus took our place.  The blood of bulls and goats was never enough to pay the penalty for our sin (Hebrews 10:4).  The blood of the pure, spotless lamb of God, however, was just what we needed to be forgiven (John 1:29,36).  Jesus takes our place.

Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8 NLT)

Were Jesus only a man, it would be fair for God to “swap out” one sinful person for the perfect person of Jesus.  Jesus’ death could pay the price for me, but the rest of you would be out of luck.  Jesus, however, wasn’t just a man.  Jesus was infinite.  Jesus was God in the flesh.  That is why God is being fair to offer this “swap out” to everyone.

What we do see is Jesus, who "for a little while was made lower than the angels" and now is "crowned with glory and honor" because he suffered death for us. Yes, by God's grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone in all the world. (Hebrews 2:9 NLT)

This is offered to all of us by God.  We don’t deserve it.  We cannot earn it.  It is a totally free gift of God.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NLT)

The Greek word for gift is χάρις (charis).  We get the English word, “charisma” from this Greek word.  That’s because it is a gift to be around or listen to someone with charisma.  In the Bible, though, charis is often translated with a different English word: grace.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV)

How about you?  Do you see God’s solution to our problems?  Did you know about the gift of grace?