Christ Died for Our Sins

Good Friday Meditation

Of First Importance: Christ Died for Our Sins

1 Corinthians 15:3 – “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.”

What do you say when words fail? When sorrow is too deep, when sin feels too great, when the weight of your own soul presses down—what truth could carry you through? Paul offers one sentence that holds the heart of the Christian faith: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. This is the Gospel in its most distilled form. It is not mere tradition, not religious poetry, not theological jargon. It is history. It is prophecy fulfilled. It is a divine rescue mission executed at the cost of divine blood.

Christ died—not as a political pawn, not as a well-meaning martyr, and not as an unfortunate victim of misunderstanding. He died for our sins.

That tiny word “for” means everything. In the original language, it signals substitution. In other words: in our place. Where we deserved judgment, Christ stood condemned. Where we owed God a debt of death, Christ paid it in full. He became sin, so that we might become righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). And this death was “according to the Scriptures.”

The cross was not plan B. It was the plan. Isaiah had seen it: “He was pierced for our transgressions…” (Isaiah 53:5). The Passover lamb had foreshadowed it. The entire Old Testament had sung its anticipation. Jesus is the true and better priest, the final sacrifice, the perfect atonement.

He is not only the one Scripture speaks about—He is the one Scripture was always pointing to.

But why such a brutal death?

Because sin is not trivial. Scripture says we were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1). We were separated from God (Isaiah 59:2). And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Sin isn’t just a mistake. It’s rebellion against a holy God, and it demands justice. We don’t need moral improvement. We don’t need a motivational speaker. We need a Savior.

Only a sinless man could die in our place—and only God could be that man. So God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. And He died—so that we might live. This is the great exchange: our sin was laid upon Him; His righteousness is given to us. This is justification by grace through faith.

And this truth is not just first in order. It is first in urgency. On this Good Friday, stop and consider: Christ died for you. His blood was poured out—not in general, but for your guilt, your shame, your sin.

So how do you respond?

Confess your sin. He is faithful and just to forgive. Believe on Christ. Trust Him fully. Worship in awe. Stand at the foot of the cross and see the love of God displayed in crimson. Don’t walk away with sentimentality. Walk away with surrender. Because Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures—and that changes everything.