GUEST: Greg Gilbert, Senior Pastor, Third Avenue Baptist Church
We at The Christian Worldview hope you have a meaningful Easter weekend, remembering this “Good Friday” how Jesus Christ willingly offered His spotless life on the cross to pay God’s just death penalty for our sin, and then on “Resurrection Sunday” how He rose victoriously from the grave, proving God’s wrath and justice over sin was fully satisfied and that those who believe in Him serve a living Savior and Lord!
In short, the events of this weekend 2000 years ago are the bedrock of the Christian’s faith and hope.
To which some critics respond by saying that “Christianity is a bloody religion.” They question why Jesus Christ had to bleed and die on the cross, criticizing it as “cosmic child abuse” by God, Or they cite the animal sacrifice system in the Old Testament where millions of lambs, bulls, rams, and other animals were regularly slaughtered to (temporarily) atone for sin.
The shedding of blood is not peripheral but central to Christianity. Christians sing about the blood of Christ (e.g. “Nothing But The Blood of Jesus”). One of the two elements of communion represents Christ’s blood. In fact, Scripture says plainly, “All things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).
This Easter weekend on The Christian Worldview, pastor Greg Gilbert of Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, KY and author or What is the Gospel? and Who is Jesus?, joins us to discuss why the shedding of blood for sin is required by God and why the blood of Christ cleanses the believer from sin.
