Topical Bible: The Death of Christ: Appointed by God

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The death of Jesus Christ stands as a central tenet of Christian theology, understood as a divinely appointed event within the framework of God's redemptive plan for humanity. This entry explores the biblical basis for the belief that Christ's death was foreordained by God, as revealed through Scripture.

Divine Foreordination

The Scriptures affirm that the death of Christ was not a mere historical accident but was foreordained by God. In Acts 2:23, the Apostle Peter, addressing the crowd at Pentecost, declares, "He was handed over to you by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross." This passage underscores the belief that Christ's crucifixion was part of God's predetermined plan, executed through human actions.

Prophetic Fulfillment

The Old Testament contains numerous prophecies that Christians believe point to the suffering and death of the Messiah. Isaiah 53 is particularly significant, depicting the "Suffering Servant" who bears the sins of many. Isaiah 53:10 states, "Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer." This prophetic text is interpreted as a clear indication of God's intention and purpose in the sacrificial death of Christ.

Christ's Own Predictions

Jesus Himself spoke of His impending death as a necessary fulfillment of God's will. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples, "From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" (Matthew 16:21). The use of the word "must" indicates the divine necessity and inevitability of these events.

Theological Implications

The New Testament writers consistently present the death of Christ as a sacrificial act that was divinely appointed to atone for the sins of humanity. In Romans 3:25, Paul writes, "God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand." This passage highlights the theological understanding that Christ's death was a deliberate act of God to reconcile humanity to Himself.

The Role of Human Agents

While the death of Christ was divinely appointed, it was carried out through the actions of human agents. The Gospels recount the roles of Judas Iscariot, the Jewish leaders, and the Roman authorities in the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus. However, these actions are seen as part of the divine plan, as articulated in Acts 4:27-28: "Indeed, Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen."

Conclusion

The death of Christ, as appointed by God, is a profound mystery that lies at the heart of Christian faith. It is seen as the ultimate expression of God's love and justice, providing the means for salvation and the fulfillment of divine prophecy. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, believers find the assurance of forgiveness and the hope of eternal life.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 53:6,10
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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 2:23
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
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Library

"And if Christ be in You, the Body is Dead Because of Sin, but the ...
... quickly out of ourselves to the refuge appointed of God ... are miserable in life, but
infinitely more miserable in death. ... the man who is in Jesus Christ, in whose ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxix and if christ.htm

Moreover, --To Touch Briefly Some of the More Recondite Topics ...
... the Most High divided the nations, He appointed the bounds of ... both by example and
precept, so Christ taught the ... to render even at the cost of death, by Himself ...
/.../15 moreoverto touch briefly some.htm

The Subsequent Influence of Christ's Death in the World Predicted ...
... the prison-house," that is, of death, "those that ... facts shows that they were clearly
predicted of Christ. ... of David." Him, not David, has God appointed for a ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xx name subsequent influence.htm

The Cross the victory and Defeat of Darkness
... this great thought, that the Cross of Jesus Christ is the ... Him by God for the doing
of an appointed work. ... given us the thought of His passion and death as being ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the cross the victory and.htm

"And if Christ be in You, the Body is Dead Because of Sin: but the ...
... 10.""And if Christ be in you, the body is dead ... mortal, and these two are the bitter
ingredients of death. Sin procured it, and the law appointed it, and God ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxviii and if christ.htm

Christ's Message to Herod
... but because I am going to My death; for the ... There was no point in Christ's career,
from the moment ... of the world by other than the God-appointed means, down to ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/christs message to herod.htm

A Babe in Christ.
... But, O Lord, if thou hast appointed me to die, fit me for death, that I ... And, O Lord,
I pray thee to help me to bear up under my afflictions for Christ's sake ...
/.../wesley/stories of boys and girls who loved the saviour/a babe in christ.htm

Proofs from the Apostolic Writings, that Jesus Christ was one and ...
... baptized in Christ Jesus were baptized in His death? ... life." [3608] But again, showing
that Christ did suffer ... with His blood at the time appointed beforehand, he ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xvi proofs from the apostolic.htm

Christ Rightly and Properly Said to have Merited Grace and ...
... shedding of Christ's blood, and his obedience even unto death. ... any obstacle to his
love towards us, appointed the method of reconciliation in Christ. ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 17 christ rightly and.htm

Bread and Wine
... Incarnation does for our bewildering thoughts of God, the absolute ... (2) The death
of Christ ... need not resist the palpable evidence that Christ appointed these to ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 14 22-25 bread and wine.htm