Paul writes that Christ died at the right time. But what can it possibly mean that Christ died at the right time? As it says in Galatians 4:4, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son...” God is not slow in His dealings as some count slowness. In his Pentecost sermon, Peter preached that Jesus “...was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge.”

The birth of Christ in Bethlehem was not a simple twist of fate or chance occurrence. It was not accidental how Jesus died on Calvary’s Cross that Passover weekend. That first Lord’s day when Jesus rose from the dead was not some quirk of history which caught our almighty and gracious God by surprise. No, Christ died at the right time.

In the Old Testament we can see how the history of salvation led up to a climax. It was at the right moment in this history that Jesus Christ went about Galilee and Judea proclaiming the gospel. His entry into Jerusalem on that Sunday morning, when they hailed him as King, the Son of David, was fore-ordained by God.

And it was necessary that He should die less than a week later. He died then, for this was the time appointed by God. His Father was in control of things.

But there is something else about the timeliness of Christ’s death. He died while we were still powerless. We are powerless – so powerless that we cannot lift ourselves up to attain the glory of which we fall short. Our relationship with God was broken because of sin. We had separated ourselves from Him. Because of our sin we were unable to please Him. Because of our sin we were unable to reconcile ourselves to Him.

We had trapped ourselves in our ungodliness. Paul says, however, that Christ died for the ungodly. In this way God shows His love for us.

There is something very striking in verse 8. Note how it does not say “God has demonstrated His own love for us.” This is not simply something of the past. He demonstrates His own love – now! In the present! Today!

In this we have hope. In this we have confidence. We know our hope will not disappoint us. Our heavenly Father will never have to say to us, “I’m sorry my children, but things did not quite work out like I had planned.” No, we have a sure knowledge and a firm confidence that we will share the glory of God. For even now He shows His love to us. For Christ has died for sinners. Sinners like you and me. Jesus Christ’s death for us, while we were powerless and ungodly, confirms that God loves us. He seals His love – seals it with the blood of His Son.

A Unique Death⤒🔗

The death of Christ was one of a kind. Verse 7 reads: Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

What is Paul saying? Who is this righteous man? Who is the good man? What do they have to do with our hope? Here Paul is showing us the unique character of Christ’s death.

For you see, there are few people who will stand in the breach for others. Paul is proposing, for the sake of discussion, that there is a righteous man. Paul refers here not to someone who is righteous before God. He means, instead, a person righteous in the eyes of man and of the law. He uses the word righteous in its ordinary sense. He speaks of a righteous man as a citizen of the community. This is a man who obeys the laws of the land. He does what is right and goes about his business with integrity and honour. He does what society asks from him and offends no one. For such a person, even though he is honourable and commendable, few men will offer to die.

Paul suggests, however, that for a good man perhaps someone even dares to die. The good man is different from a righteous man. In the eyes of men there are many righteous people. You meet these people in all walks of life. They need not be believers. This type of man does what he ought and gives to everyone his due. The good man is more, however, because he does more than society requires of him. This good man is one who does not just give everyone his due. Rather he actively promotes the wellbeing of his neighbours.

A righteous man is innocent of wrongdoing, but the good man is worthy of praise for his piety. The good man – his actions are excellent, honourable, even praiseworthy. For such a man someone might even be willing to die. Such a person could become the object of a love so strong that a friend might even lay down his own life to save him.

However, we were none of these things. We were not good. We alienated ourselves from God. We were strangers to doing good. We could not keep the law. We fell short of the glory of God. We, by nature, hate God and our neighbour. We have plunged ourselves into the deepest misery of sin and we are incapable of doing any good. We are not the good man Paul speaks of. We are not even remotely righteous. Yet, while we were powerless, while we were ungodly, Christ died for us. In this we see the amazing grace of God. Christ’s death is for you as a sinner. God did not come seeking a righteous person. He did not come seeking the good person. He came seeking the lost.

An Atoning Death←⤒🔗

The foundation of our hope is in God’s own love, for God shows His own love for us in Christ’s atoning death. Our hope will not disappoint us for Christ died in our place.

We have not founded our hope in our own goodness. We have not founded it on our ability to be righteous in ourselves. Nor have we founded it on our ability to choose for God. Our hope is not based on our love for God. We base our hope on God’s own love for us. Jesus Christ died in our place because God demands that His justice be satisfied. And in His death full payment was made. We are unable to make full payment for we daily increase our debt. Further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God’s wrath against sin. Jesus Christ’s death is the atonement for our sins. He came to pay a ransom for many. He came to lay His life down for His friends. He died for those who were alienated from the Father. In Him we will once again have a share of the glory of God. This is our hope which will not disappoint.

Our hope is sure. It cannot fail. It will not bring shame. Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice which restores us to the Father. No one can take that from us for none can snatch us out of His hand. Christ ransomed us from the bondage of sin and set us free in the newness of life.

We rejoice in our hope. We can even rejoice in the sufferings of the present age, for we know that suffering produces endurance. Endurance produces character. And character produces hope. This hope does not disappoint. We must base our hope on God’s own love for us.

Paul writes to Timothy and also to us, “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”  This is the Gospel message! He came to save sinners. And save us He did – by His timely, His unique, and His atoning death.