Heidelberg 40-44

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, ²and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

Thoughts: Perhaps it is a bit of an oversimplification to say that Christ had to die because God's justice required it so we could go to heaven.  There are many facets to the purposes of God- God's justice included.  The passage above in Ephesians 5 points out that Christ's love compelled Him to offer Himself up.  We could say the holiness of God required a holy sacrifice to be made.  We could say the grace of God.  But the point here speaks against what many hold today.  Many hold that simply because we are made then we deserve a place in heaven- which they believe is a perfect and freeing place.  But the problem is, we are not perfect.  Going to that perfect place without being changed would make it an imperfect place- for we would have polluted it with our own sin.  God's justice and standards of righteousness require that we cannot pollute His presence or His dwelling or His person.  It is injust of us to simply ask God to look the other way because we want Him to do so.
    It is interesting that the Apostles' Creed (commented on here by Heidelberg) says he was "crucified, dead, buried, descended into hell."  This was to combat the Docetic view that Jesus only seemed to die.  Yet anyone crucified by the Romans really died, and those who are buried and descended into hell also really die.  There are some Muslims who believe Jesus only appeared to die but he did not.  The disciples believed he was dead, and were shocked and did not at first believe he was raised.  We may want to think otherwise, but that goes against the scriptural record (thus some excuse the record as unimportant or invalid).  Christ himself said he would die.  The disappointment of the two on the way to Emmaus and in the women at the tomb also confirmed the finality of his death.  But His death is meaningful in that it not only makes payment for our failures and mistakes- it also frees us from having to choose sin.  The cross is a victory that enables us to have strength to resist the sins of the world.  

Prayer: Lord, let me believe in your sacrifice and in your love.  Help me to trust in who you are and what you have done.  

Q & A 40

Q. Why did Christ have to suffer death?

A. Because God’s justice and truth require it: 1 nothing else could pay for our sins
except the death of the Son of God.2

1 Gen. 2:17
2 Rom. 8:3-4; Phil. 2:8; Heb. 2:9

Q & A 41

Q. Why was he “buried”?

A. His burial testifies that he really died.1

1 Isa. 53:9; John 19:38-42; Acts 13:29; 1 Cor. 15:3-4

Q & A 42

Q. Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die?

A. Our death does not pay the debt of our sins.1 Rather, it puts an end to our sinning
and is our entrance into eternal life.2

1 Ps. 49:7
2 John 5:24; Phil. 1:21-23; 1 Thess. 5:9-10

Q & A 43

Q. What further benefit do we receive from Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross?

A. By Christ’s power our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with him,1
so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer rule us,2 but that instead we may offer ourselves as a sacrifice of gratitude to him.3

1 Rom. 6:5-11; Col. 2:11-12
2 Rom. 6:12-14
3 Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:1-2

Q & A 44

Q. Why does the creed add, “He descended to hell”?

A. To assure me during attacks of deepest dread and temptation that Christ my Lord, by suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul, on the cross but also earlier,

has delivered me from hellish anguish and torment.1

1 Isa. 53; Matt. 26:36-46; 27:45-46; Luke 22:44; Heb. 5:7-10