The Wednesday Word - REDEEMED BY HIS BLOOD

More Light from Old Windows.

by D.G. Miles McKee

It is an old story, but for some of us it will always be new. It’s the story of how Jesus died for His people.  It’s the story of how He died for me.  Is it your story too?

In heaven they sing about this story as they proclaim, “You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood,” (Revelation 5:9).

Redeemed by blood … His blood … what a stunning truth!  And Peter tells us that it is precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).  The blood is precious to the heart of God and is precious to every believer.

In the gospels, God gives us 4 different accounts of the death of the Lord Jesus. 

Once we are told the story of Creation.

Twice we are told the account of Jesus' birth.

But God, not wishing us to miss anything, gives 4 accounts of Christ’s death. 

When Jesus died, the religious rulers had their way, but little did old Joe Caiaphas and the boys know that the Scriptures were actually being fulfilled while the Lord Jesus was hanging on the cross (see Isaiah 53, Psalm 22).
 
Look at the cross.  Pilate had affixed a notice over the Saviour’s head saying, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King, of the Jews.”

Good for you Mr. Pilate!  We would congratulate you if we could but what you said was only a little … but not a lot.  You see, Jesus was far more than King of the Jews.  He was the King of kings, and Lord of lords, He was God manifest in the flesh.

Yet there He was hanging on a cursed cross.  And listen, listen to the rabble as they mock Him. Look, look at the soldiers as they gamble for His clothes.

 He was dying but He didn’t have to.

We have the sentence of death in us.  We are sinners and sin brings death (Romans 6:23). That’s why if the Lord tarries we will all someday be corpses. The seed of death is in us. But one of the wonderful truths revealed in God's Gospel is that the One on whom death had no claim actually died.  He it was who alone had life in Himself (John 5:29), and that life He voluntarily laid down for us (John 10:11).

At the cross, Jesus took up the question of our sin.  He was mocked, ridiculed, betrayed by a false friend, denied by a true one, forsaken by almost all yet He bore His people’s sins and judgment as He satisfied the justice of the Father.

Then, at the end, as He bowed His head and gave up the ghost He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Another gospel tells us that He yielded up the ghost when He had cried again with a loud voice (Matthew 27:50).

Notice that His voice was loud. It was full strength. The person who dies after a time of suffering is usually exhausted when they eventually expire. You can tell it in their voice.  But in Jesus, we see a man who gave up His life in His full strength, and in the moment of departure called out, "It is finished."

What was finished? I can’t tell you everything; no one I know can fully answer that question. Here are but a few suggestions.

He had come to glorify God … “It is finished.”
He had come to break the power of Satan … “It is finished.’’
He had come to accomplish redemption … “It is finished,”
He had come to give His life as a ransom for many … “It is finished.”
He had come to fulfill the righteous demands of the Father … “It is Finished.”

The three greatest words in the English language are, “It is finished.” If we think we have something to do to gain salvation we have not yet learned that ‘it is finished.’ The truth is, Jesus got there first!  We are saved by His doing and dying and rising again.

And that’s the Gospel Truth!
 

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