It was only a week from that triumphant entry back into Jerusalem and now Jesus had been subjected to a mock trial, scourging, death on the cross, and burial in a borrowed tomb. It seemed as though Satan had won, and then there was that third day. Christ had victory over death and because of that we can have victory too. The ultimate sacrifice was paid. It was paid for in blood.
Not long after the world began, Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, and from that point on God required blood for the absolving of sins. It was not just any blood, it had to be the blood of an innocent, spotless lamb. That was what God required – innocent blood to cover the stain of sin.
The first recorded account of the human free will took place when Adam and Eve ate that fruit. The second was when Cain decided to do his own thing and instead of a blood sacrifice he gave vegetables from his garden. They might have been good vegetables, but vegetables had nothing to do with God’s instructions. The third account of free will was when Cain got so jealous of his brother Abel’s sacrifice that had been well-pleasing to God, that he murdered his brother because of it.
The world is the same way with Christian people. They do not understand the need for a blood sacrifice, and when they see that the way we live is well-pleasing to God, they would get rid of all of us if they could. We somehow are holding them back from ruling the world.
You might ask this question: I haven’t seen you sacrifice any lambs lately, where is your sacrifice? Go back to the beginning of this narrative – a sacrifice was made that was so well-pleasing to God that it only had to be made once, and that one time was enough to cover the sins of the entire population of the world (all 7.9 billion). The only requirement is that faith in that blood, belief in that blood – and the one that shed the blood. The dispensation of grace was established in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission. I was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” – Hebrews 9:22-28
During this Easter week, people make such a big deal about spring, about baby ducks, baby chicks because these represent new life; signifying your new life in Christ. Like anything else that people do though, those baby chicks, ducks, and of course, rabbits have taken over the most significant Christian reason for celebrating of the year – it has become a holiday instead of a Holy Day.
AE
Voice of the Introverts 