What Happened When Jesus Died?

When Jesus Died

I felt anticipation as I sat in the pew waiting for my father-in-law to speak. The chatter in the sanctuary was excessive, with the excitement of the conference that was about to begin. The pews began to creek as everyone took their seats. Sitting in my usual spot, I watched as my father-in-law climbed the red-carpeted steps into the pulpit where my husband usually stood.

A team of three had come from The Order of Jacobs Well in Wales to teach on healing. Still somewhat new in my faith, I did not know what to expect. All I could think about was, would God really move in miraculous ways? Would I witness healing? Does God still heal today? As he spoke, he said he was going to share about what happened when Jesus died.

In my mind, I thought Jesus died for salvation. What else could he possibly say? Over the next 45 minutes, it blew my mind at what happened when Jesus died. My heart yearned to learn more as he continued to share. And little did I know how important this sermon, and everything I would learn that weekend, would be to me twenty years later when I would face Lyme Disease.

When we learn about the cross, the central focus is salvation. We always talk about the saving grace of Christ. Jesus did die for our salvation, but also for much more. God reconciled Himself with His creation. So, not only are we saved, but we have all the benefits of reconciliation.

Healing

The one scripture I have clung to for years now has been from Isaiah 53:5, where it says “By his wounds we are healed.” Peter repeats this statement as well in his writings, while also sharing the other events of the cross.

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’”

1 Peter 2:4 NIV

Jesus died for our healing. Some translations say, “by His stripes.” Meaning, every lash He took was for our healing. I can not imagine a love so strong that One could take on so much pain for another. So many days I have laid in bed saying, God, you have already paid the ultimate price for my healing. I receive it. Imagining Jesus having each one of us on His mind while endured gave me more hope than you can believe. I knew He would not have gone through all of that for healing to not happen. Everything we have ever needed healing from, Jesus dealt with on the cross.

Forgiveness

The weight of the crossbeam Jesus carried to Calvary is a small glimpse of the burden of sin He carried for each of us. Jesus died for our sins. He took upon every sin we have ever committed and ever will commit to the cross where He died once for all.

“He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”

Hebrews 7:27b NIV

Under the Old Testament law, people brought lambs, goats, and bulls to sacrifice for their sins. But Jesus became our sacrificial lamb. He came to fulfill the law and, in doing so, became our sacrifice. Many of us dislike thinking about blood, but there is life in the blood. Leviticus teaches us about the law and tells us that in the blood, comes forth life. When they made sacrifices with animals, they had atonement for a time. But with Jesus’ death as our sacrifice, the atonement last forever. Through His death and the shedding of His blood, we have life.

“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”

Leviticus 17:11 NIV

Jesus experienced the ultimate punishment for all of our sin, total separation from God. Because of our sin, God cannot look upon us. He is too holy for our sin. So, Jesus took it on Himself as the sacrifice made once and for all. Before He died, Jesus said, “Father, why have you forsaken me?” This was when He had total separation from God because God could not look at Him because of our sin He bore.

Righteousness

Once Jesus died, our sins were forgiven and now God can look at us through His Son and see us as righteous. You can read more about this here.

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

Romans 4:25 NIV

When Jesus rose from the grave, He justified us. Meaning that when we believe in Him, we are justified, made right before God. We can never achieve this on our own. It is only through faith in what Jesus did for us we can have this.

Eternity

For those that have faith in Jesus and believe in His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we get to experience healing, forgiveness, and righteousness. Then when we die, He promises us eternity with Him. Revelation speaks of a new Heaven and a new Earth where there will be no need for a sun because Jesus will be the light. This is a place where there will be no more tears, no more disease, no more struggles. It will be a place of pure awe.

Want to learn more about the New Heaven and the New Earth?

Join me for a study on Revelation? I’m teaching Revelation both in person and online! Filled with worship, prophecy, and mystery, this fascinating book holds so much that I am excited to share with all of you. Let’s dive deep into its wonders together!

Elevated Faith now has clothes for children and infants.