For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:16-17 NKJV
Jesus came down from heaven, not to do His own will, but the will of Him (the Father) who sent Him (John 6:38). In the Old Testament under the law, sacrifices were only made to cover the people’s sins. God’s favor and acceptance comes by believing in Christ (Galatians 2:19). God sent Jesus to give all who obey Him eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9) and everlasting life (John 3:16), a free gift, not of works lest anyone should boast; for it is by grace we have been saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22) and we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 2: 23).
On resurrection day according to Matthew 27: 45-51, darkness fell across the whole land and after Jesus released His spirit, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple separating the Holy of Holies where God’s presence resides (Hebrew 9:1-9), was torn in two, from top to bottom. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that life is in the blood and it is the blood that makes atonement for our souls. Jesus came as a perfect sacrifice, a spotless lamb, with His precious blood He made permanent atonement for our sins in this new covenant of grace and peace. The tearing of the veil signified the accomplishment of that atonement. Jesus was wounded and bruised for our sins, beaten that we might have peace and was lashed—and we were healed (Isaiah 53:5).
The wages of sin is death, sin came into the world through one man, Adam, and through their sin they brought death and a curse to all (Romans 5:12). Christ has redeemed us, having become a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). Even as all who are in Adam die, so also all who are in Christ will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). The last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45). Adam caused many to be sinners because he disobeyed God, and Christ caused many to be made acceptable to God and be made righteous because He obeyed (Romans 5:19), becoming obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). For God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14). Jesus reconciled all things to God, things on earth and things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross… presenting us holy, and blameless, and above reproach in God’s sight (Colossians 1:19-22).
Jesus overcame and took back dominion over this world and through His death He destroyed the devil who had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14), He destroyed his evil works (1 John 3:8) and He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them by his triumphant victory over them on the cross (Colossians 2:15). On the cross, the battle was fought, and the victory was won where God put everything under Jesus’ feet (1 Corinthians 15:27). Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins (1 John 4:10). Jesus showed and portrayed how He unselfishly loved us in His life, in His death and He continues to do so in each of our lives. By His blood you now belong to Him and have been brought very near to Him (Ephesians 2:13). There’s no greater love than what Jesus did by laying his life down for us, His friends (John 15:13). Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8: 38-39).
We are called to be ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) therefore let us follow Jesus’ example and in our lives let us make Him proud for all that He has done for us. Jesus is our King of Kings, Lord of Lords (Revelation 17:14), our Master (John 13:13) our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14) who makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34). Let us regularly worship, give Him praise and thanksgiving for our salvation.
