Christ our Passover Lamb

THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS & THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN

Man sinned, and the wages of sin is death.

Man had to die.

There was only one solution. God coming down as a man, fully man, fully God, born of a virgin as prophesied, to die instead in our place.  Jesus was the only solution, the last Adam (1 Cor 15).  A sinless, perfect man, an exchange for an ungodly sinner without strength.  

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.   Rom 5:6-8

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  1 Cor 1:18

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  John 1:29b

THE CURSE 

It was written beforehand, that cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.

Jesus hung on a tree.  He loved the whole world and bore the curse for us (Gal 3:10-14), dying for our sins, shedding His blood in our place.

Jews had their Passover Lambs, and Jesus was identified by John the Baptist in John 1, as the Lamb of God which would take away the sins of the world.  He would become the perfect sacrifice, the perfect Passover Lamb with no sin and no spot or blemish or even broken bones.  (See Isaiah 53 for one of the prophecies of the Messiah’s sacrifice.)

CLICK HERE FOR THE PROPHECIES OF THE CRUCIFIXION

Anything we try to do good will still fall short of God’s glory, we all have sinned (Rom 3:23).  No one is good (in His sight) not one. We are separated from God in our sin. All sin is an offense to a Holy God and not one will enter heaven (Rev 21:27).

But Jesus stepped up as prophesied in God’s Word from the very first sin against God a solution was promised (Gen 3:15).  God would provide (Gen 22:8-13).

Jesus put Himself in our shoes (so to speak) a man of sorrows, acquainted with our grief.  He became our substitute to give us the chance for life eternally with Him — if only we would believe upon Him as our Savior. He took our sins upon Him (died for our transgressions).  Isaiah 53:6 prophesied in advance, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” 

The penalty for even one sin is death, the death we all will face without Him is forever, separated from God, hell eternally. Jesus bore the wrath of His Father in our place. Sin is rebellion to God. From the beginning, we have wanted to do it our own way, disobeying God, our Father in heaven. And like a friend said recently, Frank Sinatra did it “My way”, but where is he now? 

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23

God is Holy and our sins are like the stench of a dead decaying body. But there is an answer.  A permanent solution but it is only ONE WAY (John 14:5). Believing on Jesus Christ and His work on the cross.  He died for your sin, to make a way for you to be reconciled to God.   If you think you are a good person, that will not do.  Your rotting dead religion, even your ‘good works’ or promises of doing good will die with you if you do not change your mind (repent), and trust on Him.  The Bible assures us all our works are as filthy rags in His sight (Is 64:6).  We are all going to die, the choice is, where will you go when you die?

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
And we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.   Isaiah 64:6

You must believe upon Jesus alone for your righteousness, there is only ONE WAY (Rom 10:4, Jn 14:6, Jn 6:28-29).  It’s a simple message, He did it all for you.  He died for our sins, was buried and rose again for us, proving that He had power over death as He said He did. He laid down His life willingly and took it back up again.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.  John 11:25-27

Jesus is God, one with the Father, who so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life (Jn 3:16).  I’m sure you’ve probably heard that verse before.  And also have been told you need to ‘ask Him into your heart’ or ‘confess your sins’ or ‘turn from your sins’, but the Bible tells us what we have to do alone is to believe (and we are told that about 200 times).   So, if you will just simply believe that He is who He said He was, and that He died in your place, that you can do nothing to earn this, you will receive the free gift of eternal life (Eph 2:8-9).  You receive Him as your Savior by believing on Him, and you will be adopted, made a child of God, translated instantly from death unto life and you will never come under condemnation (Jn 1:12; Gal 4:4-6; John 5:24).  Eternal life means you shall NEVER perish.  Don’t believe those who say you can lose what is free and what is everlasting.  If you would like to know more about why you are eternally secure, please read here:  

In closing, there is a song called Rock of Ages that says, ‘nothing in my hand I bring, only to the cross I cling’. 

The cross is Christ’s not yours.  Paul said he determined to know nothing among the Corinthians except for CHRIST and HIM Crucified. Colossians 2:13-15 calls it HIS cross.   Pick up your cross once you have become a believer, don’t try to do it to gain eternal life, you will only receive that by believing alone. God bless you, Holly

BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED (Acts 16:31).