ChristiansUnite Forums

Jesus Christ: Redeemer

"..knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22)

"and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His  name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)

What Jesus accomplished for us can be illustrated in several ways. Due to sin mankind is in a state of eternal "hock." We have been set aside in judgment and eternal separation from God. (Ephesians 2:12) Given over as "children of wrath." (2:3) But Jesus redeemed us out of the "pawn shop" of sin and destruction.

He did this with His own blood. As we learned that even "our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6), He washed us from our uncleanness "in His own blood." (Revelation 1:5) So, once saved, we are clean. (Revelation 19:8 )

Scripture speaks of Jesus as the "Lamb." He is our Passover Lamb. Israel took the blood of the lamb and [struck] it upon the door posts of their houses. (Exodus 12:7) As it says of Jesus, "by His STRIPES we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) And when the death angel was passing over the land of Egypt, when he saw the blood, he "passed-over" the house, and its occupants lived. (Exodus 12:13)

And thus, we come to this word "remission." In medicine a person is "in remission" of whatever the disease is. The symptoms are not visible. The person goes along in life as though he is now "well." However, the doctors know that at some future point it could flair up again, thus, the patient goes in periodically for examinations...just to be sure. But the doctor pronounces the person "well."

With Jesus' blood shed, the sinner is in remission. God does not "see" the sin. When the sentence of death is proclaimed, death "passes over" the person covered by Jesus' blood. Thus, John proclaimed, "behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) Jesus, our Passover Lamb.

We were cursed, but Jesus became a curse for us. (Galatians 3:13) He shed His blood. No other way is possible than through His blood; as He gave His life, since the "life is in the blood." (Leviticus 17:11) And then we receive remission of sins...release from the debt, penalty, obligation due to sin. While Paul laments over the residual sin that is left in these earthly bodies (Romans 7), It is the DECLARATION of righteousness. "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24)

However, if Jesus had only died, His redemptive work would not be complete. He might have paid the penalty for sin, but these earthly bodies would still die. But He rose from the dead so that, "just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4) And not only that, those who have died in faith of Christ have the assurance of resurrection, as "Christ.. has become the firstfruits of those who have [died]." (1 Corinthians 15:20)

In His resurrection Jesus leads the way into what we will become. "It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:2)

Adam was a "living being/soul." But Christ "became a life-giving spirit." (1 Corinthians 15:45) We start out in dishonor, but are raised in glory. The natural body is replaced by a spiritual body. The corruptible puts on incorruption, and the mortal puts on immortality. And death is then [fully] conquered. (1 Corinthians 15:42-56) Jesus has already passed this way, making the way for us. For the believer, this fulfillment is yet future...which we will consider in greater depth in a later chapter.