"And when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the multitude, saying, 'I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves.' And all the people answered and said, 'His blood be on us and our children!'" Matthew 27:24-25
"His blood be on us and our children!" They proudly condemned Him to death, embracing responsibility for His crucifixion. They wanted His blood on their hands.
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
It was not their work to claim. Their proclamations of "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" did not pound those nails through His flesh. It was Christ's own doing, His act of obedience which brought Him to that dreadful, blessed tree.
Because of His sacrifice, today I may proclaim, "His blood be on us and our children." His precious, perfect, priceless, saving blood be lavished upon us, covering every part of who we are, that when the Father God looks upon us, He sees not our sin, but Jesus' blood. His own blood, without fault or blemish, poured over us saving us to the uttermost, rendering us complete in Thee. His blood freely given, that we may freely receive, granting us complete victory in this life and a full eternity in His presence. By His blood we are purchased. Some 2,000 years ago the crowd sought His blood, shouting "His blood be on us and our children!", condemning Him although He was perfect. Today I may make the same proclamation, "His blood be on us and our children!", only mine is not a scorn, but a plead. I rejoice in the blood poured out to cover a multitude of sins, covering us and setting us free.
"This is the blood of my covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:28
"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Revelation 1:5
Friday, April 6, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
"Where are you?"
"Then He said, 'Behold, I have come to do Thy will...By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:9-10
God's will is that we would be sanctified. Was this His will initially? Why would it need to be? Why would we need by sanctified, or "set apart" if mankind was originally in perfect relationship with God? What would we need to be set apart from? What would we need to be set apart to, if in the beginning God's creation, mankind, was in perfect stride with God's purposes? There was no need to be set apart. Mankind was with God and for God.
The first recorded question in mankind's existence was, "Where are you?". God was walking through the Garden of Eden in search of Adam and Eve. God is all-knowing. He knew exactly where they were. His question, "Where are you?" could be understood also as the statement, "You are no longer near Me".
God's will for humankind, as He created our race, was that we would be near to Him, in His presence. His will remains the same today.
"Where are you?"
"Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." Ephesians 2:12
"Where are you?" connotes a separation. Sin was introduced into the world. It became imbedded into our makeup, spreading a vicious, inescapable death sentence throughout our entire race for all time.
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned." Romans 5:12
God is life. Apart from Him there is only death. "Where are you?" Separation. Death.
However, we must remember that God's will is that we would be near to Him, in His presence. He would make an escape from this damnation. He would cure our infectious disease of sin.
He would give us a gift. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not die but have eternal life." John 3:16
"But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one (Adam) the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many." Romans 5:15
God freely gave us a gift--eternal life with Him, through His Son Jesus Christ! Jesus' hands were pierced through with nails as He was hung upon a cross. He was crucified, although He was blameless. He took our blame--every person for all time. All of our sins were cast upon Him, as He was punished in our place, that we may be spared. He experienced physical death, and even a brief separation from God, so that we would never have to experience eternal death and eternal separation from God.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
We need not strive to earn this salvation. All attempts to earn it would be futile, for it is a gift. All that needs to take place is a reception.
"For if by the transgression of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17
We are delivered out of our death sentence into full, complete, abundant life in Christ! If only we will receive the free gift He has given--Himself.
Jesus promised: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes in Him Who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life." John 5:24
"But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13
God's will is that we would be sanctified. Was this His will initially? Why would it need to be? Why would we need by sanctified, or "set apart" if mankind was originally in perfect relationship with God? What would we need to be set apart from? What would we need to be set apart to, if in the beginning God's creation, mankind, was in perfect stride with God's purposes? There was no need to be set apart. Mankind was with God and for God.
The first recorded question in mankind's existence was, "Where are you?". God was walking through the Garden of Eden in search of Adam and Eve. God is all-knowing. He knew exactly where they were. His question, "Where are you?" could be understood also as the statement, "You are no longer near Me".
God's will for humankind, as He created our race, was that we would be near to Him, in His presence. His will remains the same today.
"Where are you?"
"Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." Ephesians 2:12
"Where are you?" connotes a separation. Sin was introduced into the world. It became imbedded into our makeup, spreading a vicious, inescapable death sentence throughout our entire race for all time.
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned." Romans 5:12
God is life. Apart from Him there is only death. "Where are you?" Separation. Death.However, we must remember that God's will is that we would be near to Him, in His presence. He would make an escape from this damnation. He would cure our infectious disease of sin.
He would give us a gift. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not die but have eternal life." John 3:16
"But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one (Adam) the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many." Romans 5:15
God freely gave us a gift--eternal life with Him, through His Son Jesus Christ! Jesus' hands were pierced through with nails as He was hung upon a cross. He was crucified, although He was blameless. He took our blame--every person for all time. All of our sins were cast upon Him, as He was punished in our place, that we may be spared. He experienced physical death, and even a brief separation from God, so that we would never have to experience eternal death and eternal separation from God.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
We need not strive to earn this salvation. All attempts to earn it would be futile, for it is a gift. All that needs to take place is a reception.
"For if by the transgression of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17
We are delivered out of our death sentence into full, complete, abundant life in Christ! If only we will receive the free gift He has given--Himself.
Jesus promised: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes in Him Who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life." John 5:24
"But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13
"Where are you?"
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