Necessary

“You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.”

(1 John 3:5 ESV)

This one line from 1 John 3 reveals so many different things, and each is just as important as the next. In this age, we hear much of the idea of human sinless perfection, which is a heresy, a belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine. We cannot stop sinning thanks to Eve and Adam, and in our conviction by the Holy Spirit, weep in our failures.

John, in his epistle, reminds us that there is a greater love than our sin. That love manifests itself in Jesus Christ, who appeared to take away our sins. Many things were and are necessary. In the first century, the incarnation was necessary. God chose the perfect time to send Christ into the world on His mission of human redemption.

In sending Christ, it was necessary for Him to appoint His apostles. Who else would continue to spread the gospel knowing that He would sacrifice Himself on the cross? The exact length of Jesus's ministry was necessary. Jesus knew exactly each person He encountered and used them for God’s glory. From the Samaritan women at the well to Zaccheus, Nicodemus, and Lazarus, each was used for God’s glory.

Jesus selected and controlled His encounters and conflicts with the Pharisees and Sadducees, leading them where He wanted to make His points clear. The crowd's turning against Jesus was necessary, as was Pilate's washing his hands as he condemned Christ.

It was necessary that Christ be the propitiation, the payment, the sacrifice for our sins. Propitiation, in this context, means the act of appeasing God's wrath and satisfying His justice. It was necessary because He alone was sinless. Sinless perfection, a heresy for humans, is the personification of Christ. He was and is sinless. This made Jesus the perfect, unblemished Passover sacrificial lamb—the sacrifice that would destroy the sacrificial system of atonement found in Judaism.

The beating and the mocking were not just events but necessary steps in fulfilling messianic prophecies. This emphasis on prophecy fulfillment reinforces the certainty and truth of Christ's mission. The cross was necessary for Christ to die upon. Without the cross, there would be no death; without death, there would be no resurrection; without the resurrection, there would be no salvation. All things were necessary.

The resurrection opened the door to heaven, but what happened after was important as well. Christ appeared in bodily form to the apostles several times. He appeared at His tomb to Mary Magdalene, and it is estimated that as many as 500 hundred people may have seen Christ post-resurrection, confirming the words of His death and resurrection, that He was the Son of God, and that His promise of eternal life was true. If Christ could save Himself, He can save anyone.

One line in 1 John reveals all these things. More importantly, all these things are just as necessary today. The rebellion against Christ today is necessary. The evil in this world is necessary. The straying of churches is necessary, and false teachers are necessary. All evil, all wrong, and all necessary. They are necessary because Christ prophesied these things to his apostles. (Matthew 24:6-13) Christ came as foretold in the Old Testament; He will come again as He foretold in the New Testament. Are you prepared? Are you ready to stand naked, transparent before an all-holy God? Are you?

If you do not know Christ, seek Him now. There is no time to wait. Jesus promised His return would be unexpected and would catch many unprepared. Know where you will spend eternity, tell Christ you want Him as your Savior, repent, turn from your sin, and change your mind about the path you walk upon. Christ offers Salvation; take the offer before it expires.

Grace and peace!