AN ENORMOUS DEBT

Imagine for a moment that you opened your mailbox today and that you received a huge, unbelievably enormous bill for something you have never even purchased.  I am not talking about a $5 or even $10,000 dollar bill, I am refering to a debt of ridiculous proportion!  Would you call someone and complain?  Would you protest it on CNN?  Would you for even one moment consider accepting the debt as your own?  Would you even think about trying to pay for something so outlandish?  Jesus did..................

In the Old Testament, many rituals and sacrifices involved the bloodshed of a pure, unblemished lamb.  In fact, God verbally instructed Moses as to what the Isrealites must do in order to avoid the plague of the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:23).  God told Moses that by applying the blood to the doorposts, that He would bypass their homes and destruction would be avoided.  The Isrealites were told to APPLY THE BLOOD!

However, in the New Testament, God choses His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to become the new living sacrifice!  He who knew no sin became sin for us all.  By the shedding of His precious blood, Jesus paid the ultimate debt that he did not owe because we owed a debt that we could not possibly pay!  His skin was whipped off by scourging, His beard was torn out of His cheeks, His head was pierced by thorns, His face became unrecognizable and spikes were driven through both His hands and His feet!!!  And through it all, He never once complained, He never once protested.  He accepted the brutality because of His unconditional love for us all!  As the last drops of His life's blood drained out of Him, Jesus cried out, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).  With His last breath, He cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30). 

God allowed His precious son to go through this agony so that we might live.  We are blood bought (Acts:20:28), justified (Romans 5:9) and redeemed (Colossians 1:14).  The blood of Jesus washed away our sins (Revelation 1:5).  He shed His blood so that we, who fight spiritual, mental and physical battles, can cry out on the blood of Jesus for victory.  His blood set us free from the hold which sin holds over us.  It sets us free from ALL that leads to death.

And for THAT, I give Him glory, honor and praise this morning!

1 John 1:7  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin