Life, death, and the timing and meaning of the cross of Christ

Life, death, and the timing and meaning of the cross of Christ

QUESTION:

What will happen to the souls of those who died before Jesus Christ? Did they go to the nothingness or hell if they didn’t know Jesus’ name. They died before Him. So where are they now?

If the time of Jesus death have no meaning, then what meaning has it? Why was His death needed? If He did not die, would we go to hell?

I don’t get it. If they will be saved even before Jesus’ death, then His death is pointless. If it has any meaning and value, then why would those who died before Him be damned? Isn’t that proof that we aren’t equal before God at all?

ANSWER:

The doctrine of death and the afterlife is wide and there are many different theories. Some believe in “soul sleep” which means while the body is 6-feet under at death, they are aware of nothing. No consciousness, no thinking or experiences, but just waiting in ‘sleep’ for their resurrection in their order. The Bible has many references that can suggest this.

Others believe in Abraham's bosom. This teaches of two parts of hell. A part where the wicked wait in torment and a part where the righteous wait in paradise. Each will be resurrected in their order at the end to face God’s righteous judgement. The Bible references this version too.

The point is that if they sleep or are conscious and wait for judgement, the Lord is in control and His judgement will account for each one come the appropriate time.

Jesus' death is the center point of all creation. If Jesus never died, we would most certainly ALL perish, being cut off from God’s life and love for eternity. Without the death and resurrection of Christ, we as sinners have NO hope! However, Jesus did choose to pay sins penalty for us, praise the Lord!

All those who have passed away will face judgement based on their faith in Christ. Those who died before the cross had to believe in a coming Redeemer. The entire animal sacrifice system was a foreshadow and reminder of this One coming sacrifice for ALL of humanity. Animal sacrifices not only reminded people in that day of a coming Redeemer to save them but also temporarily ‘covered’ sin. God in His forbearance overlooked the sins of individuals who sacrificed for themselves (in the age of Antiquity), and God in His forbearance overlooked the sins of Israel as a nation whose priests sacrificed for the nation (in the prophetic dispensation of Israel). The animal blood covered their sins if they were sincere and followed God’s instructions and believed in His coming Redeemer/Messiah. Paul writes about this in Romans,

Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

After the cross, we have a WHOLE new relationship with God. Now that the PERFECT sacrifice of Christ was attained, and His blood was made available, God could provide us a grace that still maintained His justice and righteousness. God now had a sacrifice of blood that could wash away the sins of any individual that trusted in His Word, Jesus Christ, and put their faith in his death and resurrection.

Today, AFTER the cross, if we choose to trust in the death of Christ, His blood WASHES away (not covers) our sins, and His resurrection declares us righteous before God. This is God’s GRACE! God chose to set this before us because His will is that ALL men be saved (from His righteous wrath) and come to the knowledge of Him. If we chose to trust in this gospel of grace, we learn from Paul that we are saved and sealed into Christ and are immediately in heaven at death, because of the blood of Christ. Those today who reject Christ will die like those before the cross, and themselves must wait for their resurrection and judgement at the end of times.

Jesus' death is the extreme opposite of ‘pointless’! It is our saving grace today. It is our connection to God and the very glory that gives us right standing with God today. For those before the cross, their faith in that coming redemption, understood and declared through prophecy in their day, will itself determine their fate and eternity. EVERYTHING revolves around your response to the cross and God’s Redeemer, whether you live before or after that center event in creation. The only damned in this world are those of all ages who reject the cross and choose not to place their trust in the Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

God declares that today is the day of salvation. If you die without Christ, all that is left for you is a righteous judgement and an eternity cut off from the very source of life itself. God bless all who sincerely and faithfully turn to Christ and trust in His cross. Amen.