Peter Brandon addresses the profound question of 'Why did Jesus die?' emphasizing that Christ's death was a sacrificial act for our sins, fulfilling the requirements of justice and love. He illustrates this through a poignant story of a chief who bore the punishment for his mother's crime, paralleling it with Jesus taking on the penalty for our sins. Brandon highlights that Jesus' suffering and death were not in vain, as they provide a pathway for redemption and reconciliation with God. He urges listeners to recognize the personal nature of Christ's sacrifice and to respond with gratitude and faith. Ultimately, the message is one of hope, underscoring that through Jesus' death and resurrection, we can find peace and assurance for our future.

Hello listeners, we greet you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is your friend Harry Venton, on behalf of the Voice of Melody team, saying welcome to this half hour of Radio Fellowship. We have prepared for your listening enjoyment another interesting program of times of refreshing, with some fine gospel music and a challenging message, timely for this present day, from our colleague Peter Brandon. Peter has been a guest on our program before, and I'm sure you will enjoy the meditation he will share with you a little later. Now musically, we open our program with soloist Steve Bolt singing, Because He Lives. How sweet to hold a newborn baby And feel the pride and joy he gives But greater still, the calm assurance This child can face on certain days It's because he lives Because he lives I can face tomorrow Because he lives All my fear is gone Because I know he holds the future And my life is worth living Just because he lives And then one day I'll cross that river I'll fight that tide of war with faith And then as death gives way to victory I'll see the light of glory And I'll know he reigns Because he lives I can face tomorrow Because my Jesus lives All my fear is gone Because I know he holds the future And my life is worth living Just because he lives Because I know he holds the future And my life is worth living Just because he lives He lives He lives He lives He lives It is just wonderful to be able to say with all confidence and with complete assurance that because the Saviour lives, I can face tomorrow. Tomorrow is the unknown future to us all and because of its seeming uncertainty many folk today are disturbed through fear. How often we hear the expression, I don't know what the world is coming to. Fear is that which does disturb and gives an unsettled peace. Our Lord Jesus, before he went to the cross, said to his disciples, My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. John 14 and verse 27 He gave them something to claim and to lay hold of for those uncertain days ahead. There is a story told of a seagoing captain in command of a passenger ship that was sailing from Liverpool, England to New York. His family was on board with him. One night when everyone was asleep, a sudden squall unexpectedly swept over the waters and tossed the ship violently, awakening the passengers. They were all terribly afraid because of the storm. The captain's eight-year-old daughter was also awakened. What's the matter? cried the frightened girl. Her mother told her that a sudden storm had struck the ship. Is father on deck? she asked. Yes, father's on deck, came the encouraging answer. Hearing this, the little girl snuggled back into her bed and in a few moments was sound asleep. The wind still blew and the waves still rolled, but her fears were calmed because her father was at the helm. Friends, we are not immune from the storms of life. When by faith we come to Jesus Christ and experience the transforming power of His grace in our lives, we can be assured of His abiding presence and mighty power to calm all our fears and hold us secure in the time of trouble. Someone has said, Whenever I know that Christ is near, all cares and sorrows flee. He is my strength, my hope, my life. He is all in all to me. Oh, we will fight beside Him. Oh, the enemy be praised. Friends, before our colleague Peter Brandon comes to the microphone to share his meditation with you on the topic, Why did Jesus Christ die? Listen while I read a poem to you written by Bob Jones Jr. It is entitled, Scarred. The shame He suffered left its brand, In gaping wound in either hand. Sin's penalty He deigned to meet Has torn and scarred His blessed feet. The condemnation by Him born Marred His brow with print of thorn. Trespass and guilt for which He died Have marked Him with a riven side. Mine was the shame, the penalty, The sin was mine, it was for me He felt the nails, the thorns, the spear. For love of me the scars appear In hands and feet and side and brow. Beholding them, I can but bow Myself a living sacrifice To Him who paid so dear a price. We were having some house meetings in the heart of London and one particular morning one lady who was a Roman Catholic said to me, You know Mr. Brandon, there's one thing I don't understand. I said, What's that my dear? She said, Do you believe Jesus Christ was the most obedient son that ever lived? Yes, I emphatically do. Why did He say on the cross, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Would you forsake your son if he were dying? No. Why did God forsake Him? Now my dear friends, I am sure there are many people who have thought that particular thing that that woman put to me in the heart of London. So my subject just for a few minutes is Why did Jesus Christ die? Now the scripture makes it quite clear that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 3 Many years ago a man by the name of Professor Randall Short who was an outstanding Christian and a very well-known surgeon in Britain was going through the Belgian Congo that's now Zaire. And he met a chief and the chief related a story to him and he related that story to a group of people in London and quite frankly I have never forgotten what he told us and I'm going to relate it to you. This particular prince had all his money in jewels and ivory and gold. They had no currency. On Monday he found one of his best diamonds missing and so he called his old town criers together and they went about the compound telling the people that if caught they would be beaten with 30 rods that was to the point of death. But two or three days later another two of his best diamonds were stolen. And of course he called his town criers and they were breathing out threatenings and judgment against the culprit but still they couldn't catch the thief. And then to crown it all about a week later five of his diamonds were missing and therefore now he was in a state of predicament. One of his detectives was disguised as a servant and hid in the room the throne room and he was there for one or two days and then the door opened and in came the chief's mother. She went to the safe and she took out a diamond, just one and she was apprehended. And unfortunately the news leaked out that it was the chief's mother. The case was presented to the people and thousands of natives came in order to see what would happen and this was the problem. Would he be just and punish his own mother? Or would he be loving and release her? If he's loving and he releases his mother how can he be just? And if he's just and he condemns his mother how can he be loving? And therefore there was this tremendous battle between love and justice. Now my dear friends I want to share something with you. All of us have sinned. The word of God says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We've all broken the commandments of God. Admittedly some people have broken them more than others. And we are all guilty before God. The law was given that every mouth may be stopped and all the world might become guilty before God. That is the teaching of Romans 3. Romans 6 verse 23 says the wages of sin is death. And therefore the whole world irrespective of who the person is is guilty before God. Now this is the problem. God is just, perfectly just in saying that the wages of sin is death. We have sinned, we have broken his law and therefore we are guilty. But where does his love came in? How can we get love and justice together? Well, the case was presented to the people and the court was set and thousands of people were there to witness. And there was the chief in all his regalia, legal regalia and there was the mother standing in the dark. And unfortunately for the son the mother confessed her guilt. And for about three minutes he stood in absolute silence and then he stepped forward and pronounced upon his mother the heaviest penalty of the law. And when she was sent to the post of laceration everybody said just, just but where is his love? Now admittedly when the scripture says the soul that sinneth it shall die it's just, it's right but where is the love of God? And just when the mother was going to be punished suddenly they saw the chief stripping himself of his legal regalia until his own back was bare. And then he went to the post where the punishment was going to be executed and he pushed aside the men that were going to punish the mother and said, tie me. And they wouldn't. And then he said this I gave the law I can bear the punishment of the law. And then they tied his hands. And every rod that should have fallen upon the mother fell upon the son. And she stood by watching her son being beaten. And as every rod fell upon his back she was heard to say for me, for me. And he was wounded for his mother's sin. And when the 28th stroke fell upon the son's back his back was broken and he died. And that mother knew that the son died for her sin. That's what Jesus did. He came down here with a body with the clothing of our flesh went to the cross and there on the cross he bore our sin took our place. And that's why he said my God, my God why hast thou forsaken me? And dear friends I want to say this slowly and I want you to grasp it. Have you ever realized that the scripture says he was wounded for your transgressions and bruised for your iniquities? I shall never forget the moment when that came to me in power as a lad sitting in a large tent with tears rolling down my cheek I was able to say yes, he was wounded for my transgressions he was bruised for my iniquities May God make that a revelation to you even today. T'was Jesus' blood that ransomed me from chains of sin he set me free an angel with a voice from heaven T'was Jesus' blood that ransomed me I never could be at peace with God but for the cleansing crimson flood no one but Christ could win atonement for my sins he signed my pardon with his blood T'was Jesus' blood that ransomed me from chains of sin he set me free an angel with a voice from heaven T'was Jesus' blood that ransomed me ransomed me Isaac Watts, the renowned hymn writer and author of many sacred songs once wrote while meditating on the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ he wrote these beautiful words Alas, and did my Saviour bleed and did my Sovereign die would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? Was it for crimes that I have done he groaned upon the tree amazing pity, grace unknown and love beyond degree Friends, in 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 24 we read these words concerning our Lord Jesus Christ it says that he himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree then in chapter 3 and verse 18 we read for Christ also suffered once for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit and the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 13 brings the cross before us with these words he was made a curse for us in 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21 it says for God hath made him who knew no sin to be sin for us these few verses of scripture I have just quoted are profound statements of truth they remind us that it was on behalf of others that Jesus died on the cross the Saviour took the place of the sinner and bore all that was against him to the full so that the sinner, believing on him is fully absolved from his sin and guilt and becomes the righteousness of God in Christ my listening friends we cannot deny this truth that each of us have sinned against a righteous and holy God and the penalty for our sin is eternal condemnation what is your attitude and response towards the one who so willingly and lovingly died for you does his love, grace and mercy touch your heart moving you to respond by saying to him thank you for taking the punishment for all my sin and for bearing them away so that they be no more remembered against me friends, our loving Saviour paid redemption's price that you and I, the guilty ones, might go free will you receive him as your Saviour today he is waiting for you to acknowledge that you will let him be the one alone to whom your heart's love and affection shall ever be devoted Wounded for me Wounded for me there on the cross he was wounded for me for my transgressions and now I am free all because Jesus was wounded for me dying for me dying for me there on the cross he was dying for me now in this death my redemption I see all because Jesus was dying for me Risen for me Risen for me rose from my grave he was risen for me now evermore from death's cage I am free all because Jesus was risen for me friends, as our time of fellowship draws to a close we remind you of our cassette offer today's program has been recorded on cassette and is available to you free and postpaid to obtain your free copy we invite you to write to this address Times of Refreshing Post Office Box 66 Lilydale 3140 when writing be sure to include in your letter this number 922 program number 922 the mailing address again is Times of Refreshing Post Office Box 66 Lilydale 3140 Times of Refreshing is a radio missionary outreach of the Christian Brethren Assemblies of Victoria and is made possible by God's provision through His people thank you friends for your company today till next we meet this is Harry Benton for Peter Brandon and the voice of Melody Victoria wishing you God's richest blessing goodbye for now and remember keep looking up