Water in the Ship

 

The famous preacher D.L. Moody once said, “The place for the ship is in the sea, but God help the ship if the sea gets into it.” That succinct quote is easy to understand. Ships are made for the very purpose of being in the water. A boat that isn’t afloat is not fulfilling its reason to exist. We also understand the problem when water starts to find its way into the ship. While ships were made to be in the water, they were not made to retain it. A ship that takes in water will eventually sink. 

 

But Moody’s point was not to make us think about ships, but Christians. We are the ships in his illustration, and the world is the sea. We were made by God and put into this world for a purpose. According to the famous catechism, that purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. According to Scripture, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created (Revelation 4:11),” and “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).” We were created by God and for God.

 

We live in this world, but we are not to be of this world. When interceding for the disciples, Jesus said, “I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17:15-16).” Christians, like a ship in the sea, are meant to be in the world. But just as the sea is not supposed to get into the ship, the world is not supposed to get into us. What does that look like? 

 

The world getting into Christians means the world influences us in such a way that our thinking, beliefs, and actions begin to bend towards the world’s system. Rather than being molded by God’s Word, we let the world shape our worldview. Once we begin to take in water, it is only a matter of time until we sink. At first it is only a little water—a small compromise or two that we justify and excuse as “no big deal.” But one compromise eventually gives way to another, and then another. Before we know it, there is standing water in the ship, and we are a little closer to the waterline. Many lives that have been ruined by sin were tragedies over time, not sudden catastrophes. 

 

If your ship is taking in water, you need to repent right away. Don’t let it take you down. 

 

 

 

 

Jesus is the Word

 

In John’s Gospel he famously referred to Jesus as “the Word,” writing, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (1:1).” How do we know the Word is Jesus? John tells us in verse 14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  

 

It is clear John called Jesus the Word, but why? The simplest answer is that John was referring to the words spoken by the Godhead during the week of creation, for John wrote, “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made (v.3).” By calling Jesus the Word, John clearly pointed back to the words spoken in the opening chapters of Genesis, when God said “let there be…and there was.”

 

But John meant more than just the spoken words. He used the Greek word logos, which is a special word. He could have used the word rhema, for example, but he didn’t. Logos is deeper than just the words used, but speaks to the thought process behind the words. As William Dembski wrote in his book The End of Christianity, “Logos is therefore an exceedingly rich notion, encompassing the entire life of the mind.” 

 

Etymology refers to the study of a word’s history, and the etymology of logos is interesting. The Greek word stems from the root lego, translated as “to speak,” but the earliest definition of lego is actually “to lay something down.” Over time, lego began to mean “to pick up and gather,” and then “to select and gather.” As it relates to speaking, then, logos means “to select and gather words.” Logos is not just about speaking, or even speaking certain words, but in choosing which words to speak.

 

Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon has among their many definitions of logos, “the word by which the inward thought is expressed.” The etymology continues when we trace the variant root lec (rather than leg), which appears in our English words intellect and intelligence. Intelligence literally means “to select or choose between.” 

 

Now we have something larger than just saying Jesus spoke the world into existence. Logos speaks to the question of motive. God chose to create the world; speaking was just the vehicle by which He accomplished His will. Logos speaks to the intelligence in our Creator. Jesus was the brains behind the operation, not just the one who carried it out. Isn’t this exactly what we see when we look at the universe? The world attributes everything to random chance, but the Bible points to intelligent design. The universe is far too intricate to have been a coincidence or luckiness; our Lord—the Logos, the Word—put it together as only a sovereign God could.        

 

 

Doubt, Think, or Believe

Rene Descartes was a famous mathematician and philosopher of the 1600s. He was a rationalists, a man who believed he could only believe something that he could experience with the five senses. As a mathematician, he knew that two plus two is always precisely four. As a philosopher, how could he prove he existed, let alone with as much certainty as could prove the sum of adding a pair of twos? 

 

This caused Descartes to become filled with doubt, even about his own existence. But alas, doubt was a good thing for him, for it proved he was rational. Only a thinking person can doubt. Descarte concluded dubito, ergo cogito— I doubt, therefore I think. More importantly, he realized cogito, ergo sum—I think, therefore I am. It was his doubt that helped him conclude he existed. That seems like a miserable life to me, only knowing we live because we doubt. 

 

Is there a better way? Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury until his death in 1109, was a philosopher that Descarte should have studied. Instead of cogito, ergo sum, Anselm said, credo ut intelligam—I believe in order to understand. Belief is of great importance, and what one believes is even greater. We now live in a humanistic world with almost no beliefs. Everything is in flux, so much so that some call themselves “gender fluid,” a man one day, and a woman the next. Absolute truth is a relic of the past. I contend that if we would believe, then we would understand. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32).” Far from wondering whether or not we even exist (and what our gender may be), we can be set free simply by embracing God’s truth.

 

We all may have some doubts on occasions, and I am all for thinking. But I would put a premium on believing. When we develop convictions about God’s Words—things we would be willing to die for—then we will certainly know what to live for. Some today, including many inside the church, will call it arrogant to claim we know the truth, but Jesus didn’t hide the truth from us; He gave us the Holy Spirit, who He said would “lead us into truth (John 16:13).” He even gave us a book called Revelation, which means “to reveal,” not conceal. This whole notion that we cannot know truth is absurd. 

 

God does not want us to doubt, but to believe. That is why the creeds are important (creed comes from the Latin credo, “I believe”). Do you know what you believe, or are you a person of doubt? I would encourage you, whether you call yourself a believer or not, to study the church creeds, to study doctrine, and most importantly, to study the Bible. Develop a belief system that you can articulate to others. There is no reason to doubt; if you really want to understand, then simply believe.     

Misunderstandings

 

Did you hear about the homeless man who was looking for food? He went into a nice neighborhood on the good side of town and approached the first house he saw. He rang the doorbell, and in a few minutes the owner of the house opened the door. 

 

The poor man introduced himself and explained that he had fallen on hard times. He asked the affluent man if there was any way he could spare a few dollars, or maybe a bite to eat. The homeowner said that he is a believer in honest work, and told the man that he had been meaning to paint his porch for quite a while. “If you paint my porch, you can come inside and I’ll serve you a hot meal.” 

 

Not half an hour later the beggar walked right in through the front door and announced he was finished and ready to eat. Surprised that he was finished so quickly, the rich man told him to have a seat at the table while he finished preparing lunch. It was then that the homeless man dropped this bombshell: “By the way mister, you really need to learn your cars. You don’t drive a Porsche, but I painted your BMW.” 

 

We can get in real trouble if we do not understand something. In Scripture we see far too many people who misunderstood Jesus and His mission. For some, they had expectations that when the Messiah came, He would come as a conquering general or a ruling king. When Jesus did not launch an assault against the Roman government, people decided Jesus must not be the Messiah after all. For others, they wrongly viewed Jesus as someone who minimized their laws and traditions, even though Jesus said He came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. 

 

Today we can make a similar mistake if we misunderstand Jesus. Part of the problem is due to our misunderstanding of the Bible. We may develop the wrong idea that nothing bad is ever supposed to happen to a believer, or even go so far as to expect nothing but material and physical blessings from God if we truly believe.

 

Jesus said “These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).” Many misunderstand this verse (and others) to say that only good things are in store for us in this life, but they overlook the clear part that promises tribulations as long as we live in this world. People walk away from the church the second something bad happens, deciding that Christianity must not be real. Don’t let this, and similar misunderstandings, keep you from God. That would be as foolish as painting a car instead of a porch. We need to study the Word so that we do not fall victim to these misunderstandings. 

 

Be Prepared

In 1995 Scott O’Grady’s F-16 fighter jet was shot down over Bosnia. It would be six days before American forces were able to rescue him, so O’Grady had to survive in enemy territory for almost a week. He had no rations or supplies, yet he was able to get through until his allies came to his rescue. The reason O’Grady was able to survive this trial in his life is simply that he was prepared. 

Anyone who has worn the uniform knows Uncle Sam trains people for every situation, including the art of survival. The military doesn’t just hope for the best, they train for the worst. They realize that danger is a very real possibility, and they do not want a single soldier caught off guard. Everyone who serves understands that trials and hardships come with the territory. 

Why do we think the Christian life should be any different? Trials will surely come. Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).” We love the promise that Jesus has overcome the world, but we often ignore the part where we will have tribulation in life. Peter found it odd that some Christians were ill prepared for these trials. He wrote, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you (I Peter 4:12).”

Unfortunately it seems that Christians still think trials are “some strange thing” that isn’t supposed to happen. Many have been deceived by ear-pleasing preachers who tell them to simply live for God and have faith, and God will make sure everything goes their way. Some have subconsciously developed a theology that tells them as long as they live right, say their prayers, go to church, and tithe, then they should expect nothing but good things from God; only sinners go through trials.

This way of thinking causes believers to be blindsided when trials do come. They begin to doubt God, wondering how in the world He could have allowed the hardship. While this column does not seek to explain all the reasons why God allows them, it is a reminder that He does. We need to be prepared for the trials of life because they can come without warning. And yet, we have been warned. In this world we will have tribulation. 

If Scott O’Grady could survive behind enemy lines because of his preparation, then we can survive the trials that life throws at us. Our preparation should include daily time with God through prayer and Bible study, maturing in the faith so that we are not misled, and growing in our relationship with the Father. If we are close to God when the trials come, we will be much better prepared to endure them.     

To the Glory of God

A common practice for artists is to sign their name somewhere on their work. A painter or photographer might slip their autograph or initials in the corner of their finished masterpiece, and even architects have been known to sign their name in wet cement. Johann Sebastian Bach, the famous Baroque composer, always signed his music sheet when he put together a piece, but he didn’t sign his own name or initials. Instead, Bach wrote SDG, which stood for the Latin phrase soli deo gloria, or “to the glory of God alone.” 

Everything we do in life should be done to glorify God, and Him alone. Bach composed some beautiful music, but he wanted his art to bring glory to God, not to himself. When you listen to his Mass in B Minor, he wants you to think about God, not Bach. We need to have that same mentality, where things we accomplish are not for the applause of others, but as our gift to God. Even Jesus made that His mission while He ministered down here, so that on the night He was arrested He prayed, “I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do (John 17:4).”    

If Jesus lived to glorify God then so should we. In Psalm 50:15 God tells us to glorify Him when He comes through for us. Speaking on behalf of God, the psalmist Asaph wrote, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” It is easy to glorify God when He comes through for us; for the immeasurable blessings in our lives we should be quick to turn the praise towards heaven. But giving God glory isn’t reserved just for the times that we have deemed Him to have come through for us. We need to be just as quick to glorify God even when life is difficult. 

In fact, we need to give God glory in all things—good and bad. Paul wrote, “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31).” Is your life being lived in such a way that God gets glory? Do you point people to God, or do you turn them off to God with your sour attitude or sinful activities? Your life is your own masterpiece, and we must make it our aim to sign our lives SDG—to the glory of God alone. 

Give Me the Bad News

We always want the bad news first, right? Whenever someone says, “I’ve got good news, and I’ve got bad news; which do you want first?” we take the bad news first. It isn’t that we like bad news so much that we can’t wait to hear it, we just prefer to get the bad news out of the way and get to the good news. Hearing the bad news is hard, but knowing that some good news is coming right behind it can help to soften the blow of the bad news. 

It reminds me of the man who got a call from his landlord. “I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is your rental house burned down and all your possessions are gone. The good news is you are finally out of the lease.” 

Bad news is a part of life, so it is nice when a little good news helps to offset some of the bad. There is a verse in the Bible that begins with really bad news, but quickly shifts gears and gives us the good news. Romans 6:23 begins by saying, “For the wages of sin is death…” That is very bad news since we are all sinners; just three chapters earlier it says “all have sinned,” and “there is none righteous, no, not one.” So we are all sinners, and the earned payment of our sin is death—both physical and spiritual. 

But there is good news! The verse continues, “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” That is an amazing turnaround in just a few words. We are all sinners by birth; we are all facing a death of our own deserving; but now we learn that we can avoid death and receive eternal life. While death is the earned payment for our sin, eternal life is an unearned free gift because of the amazing grace of God. 

This verse doesn’t mean that Christians will drink from the fountain of youth and find immortality. The Bible teaches that we pass from death to life when we trust in Christ (John 5:24). When my heart stops beating here and my time on earth is over, I’ll continue living in heaven. In that sense I will never truly die. Conversely, Revelation 20:14 and 21:8 teach that the unsaved will experience a second death when they are condemned to the lake of fire. We can avoid this death because of the gift of God. 

God said, “I have good news and I have bad news. The bad news is your sin will lead to your death. The good news is I love you so much that I sent my only Son to die your death in your place. And if you trust in what Jesus did, you won’t face that death you deserve, but instead will have eternal life with me.” 

Christmas Joy

As we inch closer to Christmas we often hear the word joy thrown around, and there certainly should be joy at Christmas. But our secular society has hijacked this word. I did a simple online search using the word joy in Christmas advertising, and among other things I found a Starbucks ad that said “Share Joy With Buy One-Get One” drinks. Gadbury had an ad that said “Unwrap Joy.” GameStop’s ad touted “Joy to the Players.” Dollar Tree invited shoppers to “Spread the Joy” in their stores. Big Lots promised “Joy is in Store.” I don’t blame the advertisers for these tactics; they are doing business. But they operate from a dishonest premise, telling customers that their products will bring joy. They may bring a minute or more of happiness as we drink the coffee, eat the chocolate, or play the games, but that is not real joy. 

Joy should be associated with Christmas because the birth of Christ brought the real reason for joy. In Luke 2:10 the angel told the shepherds, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.” Why? “For unto you a child is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” We can have real joy at Christmas because of Christmas. The great joy of which the angel spoke is that Jesus was born into the world to be our Lord and Savior. 

I believe it is important for us to have a good definition of real joy. John Piper has defined it as “a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as He causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the Word and in the world.” A simpler definition would just be a good feeling deep down that has nothing to do with circumstances. The world can’t give joy, and neither can it take it away. Starbucks, Gadbury, Big Lots, and the others cannot give us joy, no matter how good their products may be. 

If joy doesn’t come from a store, then where can we find it? Piper said it comes from the Holy Spirit, and he is right. Galatians 5:22 lists joy as being fruit that the Spirit produces in the life of a believer. It is possible to be sick, sad, or tired, and still have joy because Jesus is still Lord and Savior. If your sins have been forgiven, if Jesus is preparing you a home in heaven, then you can have real and abiding joy. 

We get joy from the Holy Spirit, but also by being connected to Jesus the Vine. In John 15:11 He told the disciples, “These things I have spoken unto you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” This was in reference to the disciples being the branches and Jesus being the vine. So long as we stay connected to Him, we can have joy even in difficult times. 

The shepherds had joy at that first Christmas, and so did Mary. In the Magnificat of Luke 1, Mary sang, “My spirit rejoices (has joy in) in God my Savior (v.47).” Even if our circumstances are not what we want them to be (remember, Mary was unmarried and pregnant), we can still have joy at Christmas because of Christmas—because God broke into our world to bring salvation to all who call upon Him. That is plenty of reason to have joy this Christmas! 

Judging Your Neighbor

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. On their first morning in the new house, while they were eating breakfast, the young woman saw her neighbor hanging the laundry outside. “That laundry is not very clean,” she observed. “She doesn’t know how to wash clothes correctly. Maybe she needs better detergent.” Her husband looked on, but remained silent. 

Every time her neighbor would hang her laundry to dry, the young woman would make the same comments. About a month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean load of laundry on the line and said to her husband, “Look, she has finally learned how do laundry. I wonder who taught her?” The husband said, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”

It is easy for us to see fault in other people, but it seems a little more difficult to see fault in ourselves. That is part of why we often become guilty of improperly judging people. When we judge, we often use hypocritical judgment, holding people to a standard that we do not meet ourselves. We may even be guilty of judging people for something we are secretly involved in. When we judge, we need to use righteous, not hypocritical, judgment. 

I’ve lost count of the number of times I have heard people remind Christians that they are supposed to “judge not,” but that sadly misses the point of what Jesus was saying. His point was that we will be judged in the same way that we judge others, so we better judge properly. To say judge not and then stop short of the rest of Jesus’ message is to fail to understand that Jesus actually does want us to judge, so long as we do it His way. 

He continued: “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5).”

Did you notice the hypocrisy He condemns? Calling out someone for sin in their life (a speck—which was like a twig), while you have even more sin in your own life (a plank) is hypocrisy. But do not miss the last part: once you have removed the plank of sin from your eye, Jesus expects you to help your brother or sister remove the speck of sin in their lives. This necessarily involves judging the person to assess the speck. 

The key is learning how to judge without being judgmental. We must never look down our nose or point accusing fingers, and this is a passage about helping those inside the church, not yelling at the unsaved. Jesus went on to say in John 7:24, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” Let us be righteous judges for Jesus. 

Reasonable Doubt

 A defendant was on trial for murder. Although there was strong circumstantial evidence indicating his guilt, no corpse had ever been located. It is hard to prove a crime has taken place when there isn’t a body, so the defendant’s lawyer was hoping to use reasonable doubt to get his client acquitted. In the defense’s closing statement, the lawyer, knowing his client probably would be convicted, resorted to a trick. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all,” the lawyer said as he looked at his watch.

“Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom.” He looked toward the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly. The lawyer looked at the door, then down at his watch, and repeated this several times until a minute passed. Nothing happened. Finally the lawyer said, “Actually, I made up the previous statement; but you all looked on with anticipation. Therefore, I put to you that you have a reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed, and I insist that you return a verdict of not guilty.”

The jury, clearly confused, retired to deliberate. Only a few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty. “But how?” inquired the lawyer. “You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door.” The jury foreman replied, “Oh, we looked, but your client didn’t.”

There is plenty of doubt in the world today, especially about the things of God. There are also people who do not struggle with doubt because they know the truth. The defendant in that story knew the truth, although it was not good truth. For you and I as believers, we know the truth that can set people free from their doubts, free from their struggles, and free from their sin. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32).” 

We probably all know someone who has reasonable doubts about the things of God; after all, we are bombarded with messages about evolution, and there are a host of other religions, each offering the way to some kind of better life.  Doubting Thomas said he wouldn’t believe Jesus rose from the dead until he could see Jesus for himself, but Jesus said we are blessed when we believe in Him without seeing Him physically (John 20:29). We know the truth; in fact, Jesus is the truth, the life, and the way that leads to the Father. We need to embrace this truth and carry it to the doubters around us. 

Magic Sinks

Following the end of World War I thirty-two countries sent delegates to the Paris Peace Conference to discus how they, as the victorious Allied Powers, would negotiate the terms of the surrender. The United Kingdom sent Thomas Lawrence, who had earned the nickname “Lawrence of Arabia” because of his good reputation among the Arab tribes. During the conference several key Arab leaders stayed in the same hotel as Lawrence, and they were astonished to see faucets that produced water simply by turning the handle; sinks and bathtubs were such a foreign concept to these Middle Eastern diplomats. When the conference was over Lawrence discovered that his Arabian friends had managed to disconnect several of the faucets and pack them away in their luggage, believing that the devices themselves could produce water.

Lawrence had to break it to these men that the faucets had no water supply of their own, and that they were only useful if they were tapped into a source of water. While those who have even an elementary understanding of plumbing would think it ridiculous to steal a faucet in hopes of it producing water, many try something similar with their walk with Christ. In John 15 Jesus declared Himself to be the true vine, and His followers are the branches. As long as the branch abides in the vine, it can produce fruit, but “as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me (v.4).”

The only way for a Christian to live a fruitful life is to stay connected to the vine. On our own we are like faucets, conduits through which life-giving water can flow, but only if they have been attached to the water supply line. Disconnect the faucet, and it is only a piece of metal; connect it again, and water will come streaming through. That is how Christians are meant to live—connected to the vine and producing good fruit. Are you connected to the vine? If you haven’t felt too productive lately you may need to be reconnected.

We stay connected to the Vine when we stay in fellowship with our Lord and live our lives for Him, but things can come along the way and distract us. We get “too busy,” we make compromises, and we slip into a pattern of sin. When we do those things we will find ourselves severed from the vine, but if we will repent and come back to Christ, He will graft us back in.   

A Tale of Two Citizens

Tragic events have a way of bringing out either the best or worst in people. Like many of you I watched the coverage of Hurricane Florence, and while it was a big storm, I was glad to see that it wasn’t as bad as we were told it would be, at least here in the Upstate. I saw two news stories run back to back that jumped out at me, and I don’t know if it was a coincidence or if we were supposed to get the subtle message.

The first story was about looting. Like with any tragedy, lowlifes come out of the woodwork to steal. A Family Dollar was broken into, and countless people were brazenly walking in and out with backpacks and trash bags filled with things they were stealing. It really is pathetic that some peoples’ first reaction to a hurricane is to grab things off of shelves; it also says a lot about their lack of concern for the people who own the store, and how much money they will lose because selfish people chose to stuff Hefty bags with toiletries and Tostitos.

The next story showed volunteers risking their lives to evacuate people in the path of Florence. An EMS crew from Nebraska left home to evacuate senior citizens from nursing homes, and local crews were making daring helicopter rescues to get people to higher ground. As soon as that segment ended, the anchor said so many people were emailing questions about how they could help, so a number was provided so that viewers can donate to the American Red Cross.

The juxtaposition could not have been starker. On one hand are people stealing items that cost a dollar apiece, and on the other hand are people giving away their own money to help people they don’t know; others were away from home risking life and limb to save people they have never met. Tragic events really do bring out the best and worst in people.

What if those news stories had been part of a quiz? Imagine if we were told one group was composed of Christians and one group was composed of atheists. Which group was acting more Christ like? A simple reading of the New Testament tells us the second group was behaving in a more Christian manner (this is not to stay Christians do not steal, or that atheists do not give to charity).

Jesus said the way to spot His followers is by their conduct, and more specifically, by their love: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35).” It doesn’t just happen during tragedies. If you are a follower of Jesus, make sure your conduct identifies you as such.   

Why is the Bible so Bloody?

One of the strangest parts of Christianity, especially to those of us in the modern, Western Hemisphere, is the seeming obsession with blood. God commanded the slaughter of animals as part of the Old Covenant, and for centuries His followers slit the throats of goats and sheep without batting an eye. In order to appease God’s wrath, the animal’s blood was sprinkled onto the mercy seat atop the Ark of the Covenant. This was commanded and carried out for hundreds of years.

Even before the first Passover, where through Moses God instructed everyone to put lamb blood on the posts of their front door, God killed a lamb in the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve sinned and realized they were naked, they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves, but God made them clothes of animal skin. The only way to skin is animal is to kill it, and it is a bloody process. While the Bible does not specify the type of animal skin, I absolutely believe it was a lamb. This may seem unsettling to some. What is with all the blood in the Bible?

The gruesomeness of the blood makes it crystal clear to us that sin is a big deal. We may be tempted to downplay sin, especially in this era of grace, but sin leads to death. Our first parents were warned that if they ate from the forbidden fruit, they would surely die. Once they ate it, the ones who deserved to die did not die, and instead, an innocent animal died in their place. That was the first death in history, and it came about because of sin. Adam and Eve would forever remember the wages of their sin.

Animal sacrifices forever looked back to that sacrificial animal in Eden. When the Israelites deserved to die for their sin, God promised to transfer His wrath to a lamb; when they offered it as a sacrifice, God was punishing their sin by punishing an innocent animal. Again, the ones who deserved to die did not die, because an innocent lamb died in their place.

That takes us to Mount Calvary. When Jesus came on the scene John the Baptist introduced Him as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).” As we noted last week in Isaiah 53, God was pleased to crush His Son on the cross, for it was “by his wounds we are healed.” Calvary was the culmination of years of animal sacrifices, and now we “are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10).” Because of the cross, those of us who deserve to die do not have to because the innocent Lamb died in our place.

Some reject the idea of the Suffering Servant; they cannot comprehend the necessity of God’s Son dying on the cross. My question is, if the Messiah didn’t pour out His blood on the cross, then what are all the sacrifices about, and why did they end? Only Jesus explains the blood; just as the sacrifices looked back to the animal in Eden, they also looked forward to Christ on the cross. The only reason the sacrifices ended is Jesus rendered them unnecessary with His perfect blood.

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.