Sunday: Jesus Our Sacrifice
An overarching theme of the Bible, maybe even the overarching theme, is that of God’s work in saving fallen humanity. From the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis to the fall of Babylon in Revelation, Scripture in one way or another reveals the work of God in seeking to save “that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). And this theme is revealed in Peter’s letters, as well.
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Read 1 Peter 1:18-19 and Colossians 1:13-14. What does it mean to be redeemed, and what does blood have to do with redemption?
First Peter 1:18-19 describes the significance of the death of Jesus this way: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” There are two key images in these words: redemption and animal sacrifice.
Redemption is used in the Bible in several ways. For example, the firstborn donkey (which could not be sacrificed) and the firstborn son (Exod. 34:19-20) were redeemed by the sacrifice of a substitute lamb. Money could be used to buy back (redeem) items that had been sold because of poverty (Lev. 25:25-26). Most important, a slave could be redeemed (Lev. 25:47-49). First Peter informs readers that the cost of buying them back (redeeming) from their “futile ways inherited from your fathers” (1 Pet. 1:18, RSV) was nothing less than the “precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish” (1 Pet. 1:19). The lamb image, of course, evokes the concept of animal sacrifice.
Peter thus likens Christ’s death to that of a sacrificial animal in the Hebrew Bible. A sinner brought a sheep without blemish to the sanctuary. The sinner then laid his hands on the animal (Lev. 4:32-33). The animal was slaughtered, and some of its blood was smeared on the altar; the rest was poured at the base (Lev. 4:34). The death of the sacrificial animal provided “atonement” for the one who offered the sacrifice (Lev. 4:35). Peter is saying that Jesus died in our place and that His death redeemed us from our former lives and the doom that would otherwise be ours.
| What does the fact that our hope of salvation exists only in a substitute punished in our place teach us about our utter dependence upon God? |
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Redemption of Ruth
Closest of kin to redeem Ruth did not find any personal gain. By refusing to redeem Ruth, he remained nameless in history but Boaz by showing kindness to Ruth was added into the genealogy of Jesus Christ which Boaz was unaware of at the redemption.
People are willing to die for something of value but Jesus died for us while we were rebellious. Romans 5:8
What is holding us back from our Lord?
What are we called to sacrifice? Psalms 51:17
Only the precious spilled blood of God's dear son Jesus at Calvary's cross can redeem us from the condemnation of our sinful natures. There is nothing else that can do that and give us eternal life. Praise GOD for HIS son JESUS' spilled blood at Calvary 2,0000 plus or minus years ago and what JESUS is doing with that VERY FACT for us in HEAVEN NOW.
Our good works cannot save us - there is nothing we can do to earn entrance into heaven. Jesus is the only righteous one, the Son of God and a lamb without blemish. He took the punishment for our sins on the cross and freely gives access to heaven to all those who believe in Him and repent of their sins. In response to His great sacrifice and love we serve Him wholeheartedly.
Without Jesus Christ dying on the cross human beings are left without hope. Christ's death reveals that human beings cannot redeem themselves.
To redeem means to buy back that which no longer belongs to you. It may previously belonged to you but you are no longer the owner. In the context of our study lesson it refers to our Heavenly Father rescuing mankind from incarceration in the prison house of Satan by paying the ultimate price of His Son Jesus Christ dying for our pardon and the right to bring us to God's kingdom of grace, freedom, joy, light, peace and grace. Our Lord Jesus' blood was spilt in sacrificing Himself for all humanity. The devil had chained us to sin for eternity and we were powerless to save ourselves. We cannot make claim to anything we did/do of our own to save ourselves but must remain eternally indebted to God Almighty.
Also, we must remember that Christ's redemption (His redeeming blood) allows us to overcome our sins here in the present. One of the definition of redeem is "to change for the better". Through Jesus' redemption, He gives us the power to overcome our sins now. All we have to do is to lay our sins (no matter what they are) at the feet of Jesus, and he will give us the power to overcome those sins. Just as Jacob said when he was wrestling with the angel of the Lord (Jesus) all night, that he would not let go until He blessed him, Genesis 32:25-30. Jacob needed to face his brother, Esau, without the shame and guilt of his transgressions in his heart, so that the process of reconciliation could begin between the two brothers. This same process happens to every sinner that confess their sins to Jesus and ask Him for forgiveness; Jesus forgive us our sins (remove the shame and guilt of our sins), and cleanse us from our unrighteousness (reconciles us back to His Father), 1 John 1:9. May our Heavenly Father bless all of us today!
Overcoming our sins means more than just "Laying our sins at the feet of Jesus." Overcoming our sins is the same as becoming sanctified by and through Jesus. And this work is the work of a lifetime----moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day----learning to live for him and by him and through him via the help of his Holy Spirit, prayer, and reading and studying God's word the bible and appropriating God's promises there to our every day lives----2 peter 1:4 and 2 cor. 7:1.
He did it all for us, He free us from sin.
Jesus truly saved from permanent death and so we should serve him tireless.