The moment Adam and Eve fell from grace their descendants became affected. David confirmed in Psalm 51: 5, surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. God punished all the descendants of Adam and Eve as God said in Exodus 20: 5 says, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me.
As descendants of Adam and Eve, we acquired their rebellious nature. Genesis 6: 5 says, the Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
Pacifying our sins and iniquities
To pacify sin, Hebrews 9: 13 says, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. After generations, this was still not good enough to cleanse the inner being. Hebrews 10: 4 confirms, it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. It could not always be repeated by successive High priests at the altar so the law required that everything be made anew. Hebrews 9: 22 says, in fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Pacification required an unblemished blood which only Jesus qualified. 1Peter 1: 19 says, the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. Concurring, Revelation 7: 17 says, for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away their tears from their eyes.’” The new order also required a permanent High priest as a mediator for a lasting covenant. Again, Jesus alone qualified out of love. Hebrews 12: 24 says Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Officiating the new covenant
A new covenant needed an eternal High priest to officiate. Hebrews 6: 20 says, he has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Though he was divine, Hebrews 2: 17 says, for this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Attesting to his perfection, Hebrews 4: 15 says, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Thus, Jesus described his core mission in Luke 19: 10, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. He did this by showing us the way back to God. He said in John 14: 6, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. He likened himself to the good shepherd in John 10: 11, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He came to die for his people as he said in John 10: 14, I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. Except we know him, we cannot be his sheep; we cannot know him; and he does not know us. He is the only way!
How did Jesus seek and save us?
He did so in several ways. Romans 5: 8 says, God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He died once for all on the cross for all generations before and after him. 2Corinthians 5: 14 says, for Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. Jesus died to replace our eternal death with eternal life. Collaborating, 1Thessalonians 5: 10 says, he died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. He taught the way of the cross which we are enjoined to keep. He said in Matthew 16: 24; Mark 8: 34, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up the cross and follow me.
He taught self-denial or sacrifice as the basis of love just as he did for us. 1John 3: 16 says, this is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. He did not desire to die but for our sake. Pilate said of him in Luke 23: 22, I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. He symbolized faithfulness just as Hebrews 3: 2 says, he was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. We are equally to be faithful for Revelation 2: 10 says, be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. He demands confession when we sin. 1John 1: 9 says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Prizing the cross of Christ Jesus
All descendants from Adam and Eve are sinners at birth. Jesus died to lift us up from the curse of sin. He said in John 12: 32, I, when I am lifted from the earth will draw all people to myself. He opened the gates of life to us when he was lifted up first, on the cross; and second into heaven. Confirming, 1Peter 2: 24 says, he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For our eternal life, 1Corinthians 5: 7 says, Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed.
Jesus was prophesied as our redeemer generations before his birth in Isaiah 53: 6, we all like sheep have gone astray, each of us have turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. The summary of what Jesus sacrificed for us is captured in Isaiah 53: 7: he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth, he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Our sin on him separated him from the Father, making him cry in Matthew 27: 46, “Eli, Eli, lamasabachtani? (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?). Yet, he endured it.
Remembrance on Good Friday
Jesus endured atrocities to the end as a victor. He said in the end in John 19: 30, “It is finished.” He’s availed his blood as ransom for us. He’s given us a hope to live, a future to enjoy, a way of escape from eternal death. His suffering and love must not be in vain. May we cherish his memory as the good shepherd and the humble king of glory who served us and made us citizens of heaven.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, may your sacrifice, love and death by which your grace abounds to us continue to be our source of eternal blessing. Help us to prayerfully reflect on your goodness and faithfulness. Wash and cleanse us in your blood from your wounds dripping from the cross and heal us from our infirmities and iniquities. Help us to cling forever to your cross. We pray in your blessed holy name, Amen!!
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