"Only God could have died for our sins. No mere man could have possibly paid the price for all of man-kinds sin."
It is taught from the pulpit that only God could die for our sins, and that he chose to do so by manifesting himself as Jesus Christ. Yet when he died, his God nature returned to heaven, while his man nature went into the grave. This negates the very belief that only God can die for our sins because he doesn’t actually die!
1 Timothy 1:17
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 6:16
Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Dictionary.com explains what "immortal" means:
If Yahushua was a divine deity (God), he could not die on the Cross, because God, the only source of everything, cannot die. As God he would not be mortal, nor liable or subject to death. But we read in our Bibles, that Yahushua Christ died on the Cross as it is written:
Matthew 27:26
Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Yahushua, he delivered him to be crucified.
Matthew 27:46-50
And about the ninth hour Yahushua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? ... Yahushua, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Luke 23:33
And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
If Yahushua would be God the Son, he could never fully die on the cross. Let us consider for a moment, what it would mean to our faith if Yahushua Christ did not fully die.
1. We would have no mediator:
Romans 5:10
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Hebrews 9:15
And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
2. We would have no Lord:
Philippians 2:8-11
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
3. Our Hope for eternal life would be rendered futile:
Acts 2:23-24
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Acts 2:26-27
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
4. We would have no salvation:
Hebrews 5:7-9
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
You may say that we are going too far. That dying in any part would have fulfilled the requirements for salvation and a Savior because God is God, and He can do things however He wants. Well, true as that may be, God says in His Word what must be necessary for Christ to fulfill his role as our Savior.
Hebrews 9:16-17
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
For a testament is of force after men are dead (Nekros): otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
These verses mean exactly what they say. In order for a will to be carried out there must be undisputable evidence that the one who died is in fact dead. I would say that if half of Christ was alive in heaven, in the form of God, and half was dead, than there would be enough evidence that he was not in fact dead and therefore all of the above promises would not be fulfilled.
The Greek word for "Death" or "Died" in this verse:
Nekros {nek-ros’}
Meaning:
1) properly 1a) one that has breathed his last, lifeless 1b) deceased, departed, one whose soul is in Hades 1c) destitute of life, without life, inanimate
2) metaph. 2a) spiritually dead 2a1) destitute of a life that recognizes and is devoted to God, because given up to trespasses and sins 2a2) inactive as respects doing right 2b)destitute of power or force, inactive, inoperative.
That is exactly what happened to Yahushua, he died (Nekros). God cannot die (1 Tim. 1:17).
Hebrews 13:20-21
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead (Nekros) our Lord Yahushua, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Yahushua Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Conclusion: Consider for a moment what it really means to serve Yahushua who did not fully die, and who therefore could not have fulfilled all of the wonderful promises that the Bible speaks of. Be thankful that we truly do serve a risen Lord who was willing to face death upon a cross for our sake, so that we could have eternal life!
Yahushua was not a divine deity as God, who cannot fully die.