Issue 755 – Blood on the Cross – May 25, 2022

This morning, I thought I would continue on the theme of “the cross.” Today’s image is an Eastern Orthodox Cross. The top bar represents the sign Pontius Pilate had posted on the cross, “Jesus King of the Jews.” The angled bar at the bottom represents the fate of the two thieves crucified next to Christ. One was saved and the other eternally lost.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:15-20

Jesus the Christ is God. These verses make it abundantly clear that He is God when they say, “For by him all things were created.” We only have to compare it to the first verse of Scripture, Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” or, the opening of John’s gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:1-3

I will not make a case for a trinitarian God this morning except to affirm that Scripture explicitly teaches that Jesus is both God and the Son. These verses leave us no room to doubt that.

Jesus is head of the church. No human being can claim that title; those that do are blasphemers attempting to usurp the authority that belongs to God alone. He is supreme.

In Jesus, the pleroma, the fullness of God rests. We cannot understand the fullness of God because we are merely humans, but Christ as fully man and fully God contains the fullness of God. The fullness of His love, mercy; wrath; grace; holiness and every other attribute that we can ascribe to our Holy Father dwells in Jesus.

All that is interesting, but what does it have to do with the cross? We are getting there.

Only Jesus the Christ can reconcile all things to God. How can He do that? The Scripture is clear it is by virtue of His blood shed on the cross at Calvary. He paid the price. He filled the obligation of the law, and He carried it all on the cross.

Without the shedding blood, there is no remission of sins. Christ paid with His own blood for all who would accept the sacrifice. Was there sufficiency in His blood to cover the sins of the world, or was it only enough to cover the sins of the people who would accept Him? It is sufficient for all sins but only credited to the account of those who accept Him by faith. People are free to reject what He did for them on that dark day, but the consequence is that His sacrifice has no value for them.

He offers reconciliation through the blood but never forces it. Forced reconciliation or coerced conversion is empty; it holds no value and is unenforceable. You are free to reject the blood shed on the cross, but why would you?

If you belong to Christ, rejoice and give Him praise for His loving mercy and sacrifice. If you are not yet His, weigh His promises carefully because the only way to be reconciled to God is through Christ. All other paths lead to eternal torment.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed. 

Kevin.

Gleanings From The Word.

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone.)

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV). Spelling modified to Canadian English as required. 

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