Sunday, March 1, 2009

Why Jesus' blood is vital

Well actually I skipped Thursday *whoops!*
but i DID do my devotions Friday, Saturday-and soon-today ^_^
So i'll just play catch up...

So in the span of these last few days i came across this amazing scripture in Isaiah that is just a prophesy of Jesus and about what his role for the world was! it was just amazing to see the obvious and blatant connection between the new and old testaments. It was Isaiah 52:13-53:12. I would love to type out that chuck of scripture and just save you the time of going through the pages but there's a good chance i'll accidentally write something down wrong. Plus, opening the bible may lead to reading of more scripture right ;).

Verses that stood out to me in that passage:
"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

"Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. after the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities."
Isaiah 53:10-11

On Friday, i met with one of my friends in Starbucks and we read through Hebrews 1 and 2. Like i said before, i kind of wanted to visit Hebrews again just because it makes a lot of references to Isaiah and, now that I've read through most of Isaiah, i think it will be easier for me to understand Hebrews more as well.

Hebrews 2:14-18 stood out to me the most
"Since the children have flesh and blood, he [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death- that is, the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants, For this reason he had to be made like his brothers 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. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
*wow! that's a long one O.O*
~God is nothing but a father who created something to love. He also gave that something the free will to love back but it was this free will that ended up severing our relationship with God (Adam, Eve, forbidden fruit, sin, the works...). Because of the sin that we brought upon the world, it was impossible for us to have that close relationship with God. How can a room of just light dwell with darkness? How can Holiness dwell with sin? it doesn't work.

However, God found a way to dwell with his people, the Israelites, but it was through many sacrifices that covered the sin of his people. in order for the Jews to be close to God they had to also have a mediator between both of them: that was the role of the high priest. It was through the high priest that God connected with is people but like the high priest was just a man himself, this relationship was still severed because, even though God wanted to be close to his people, this sin that continued to cover them kept them apart.

It's was kind of like a person living in America understanding the life of a person in poverty in Africa or India. They may want help and do everything they can to help but as long as they have never walked in the shoes of the poverty stricken, they will not know truly the types of fears and dangers and problems they face. It's kind of the same with God, He wanted to help his people but like he does not know what it is like to live with sin- him being holy- he can't help his people (i kno, that part can get confusing because it's like a 'but God can do everything so he can...'- just stay with me though. It's more complex than that. It's more of a "Can God sin?" question. The answer is yes he can, but he just wont. He doesn't go against the rules that he has placed up because he doesn't want to. It's also like the "Can God make a rock that too heavy for him to lift?" the answer would be yes but you know the next response would be "But God can do everything" so the answer would be no, but then your saying that God can't do everything and your stuck in a circle of confusion and crazy deep God stuff. My point is, the term "God can do everything" is something that's much more complex that one would think because, as we know, our God has set up rules on how reality works. We just have to trust that we will understand later, when we get our new bodies and dwell with our Father in Eternity, how these two contradicting concepts can still live together in harmony. It obviously goes beyond our logic).

This all changed with Jesus. Jesus came into this earth as a man so that Him being God manifested in human form would be able to experience a life with temptation while still being without sin. also, like he was without sin, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice (like a lamb without blemishes) for the sin of all people. The blood of Jesus is so powerful because it didn't just cover our sins, like other offerings did, but it completely wiped them away! Not only that though, this complete removal of sin also broke free every single person's chain to fear of death, if they so choose to take the key. It is because of Jesus, i can now say that i am no longer a slave to sin. Instead i choose to be a slave to God and through that servitude, i am free. (I would love to go over what i mean by freedom but that's for another day...)

Hebrews 2:1-18 is a real eye opener to the true role of Jesus Christ.

Another verse i like from this passage:
"In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers."
Hebrews 2:10-11
~ 1 Corinthians 15: 20-28 does a great job explaining it. Christ is the first fruit, or the first born. and he was the first of us to be resurrected. Being the first and him being the son of God, He inherits everything but like it is through him that we enter God's family, Jesus calls us his brothers (and sisters of course) as well. He is sharing all that God is giving him with us like adopted brothers and sisters. Another reason why we thank him ^_^


Additional scriptures:
Friday-
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who says to Zion 'Your God Reigns.'"
Isaiah 52:7

"But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard"
Isaiah 52:12

"No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,' Declares the Lord"
Isaiah 54:17

"Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, Listen to me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest fare."
Isaiah 55:2

"Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
Isaiah 55:7

Saturday-
"When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain."
Isaiah 57:13

"....I live on a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite."
Isaiah 57:15
(JUST SO YOU KNOW!- Contrite: rueful, remorseful, repentant)

Peace be With You.

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