SF, Stagecoach, NV
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
So many have fears in their lives, because
they don’t know what Jesus truly accomplished for them on the cross. So I’m going to review something I wrote a
couple of years ago to refresh the minds of those who might have forgotten and
reveal to those who didn’t know.
The power of His blood.
Isaiah 53:4-5 “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.”
Isaiah
53:6 “All of us like sheep have
gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has
caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
I must say, for as many times as I’ve read these passages, I never
realized the true meaning until I looked up their meanings. To
think, that Jesus knew in advance everything that He would do. No
wonder He asked the Father if this cup could be taken from Him -- if it was
God’s will. I cry when I think about the suffering He did just for
you and I to be accepted. The definitions below should help you to
get a clearer picture of what Jesus actually took on for us.
In Strong’s concordance it says...
Griefs = sickness, disease
Bore = took on
Sorrows = pain
Esteemed = thought
Stricken, smitten = beaten,
scourged
Transgressions = sins, rebellion
Crushed = broken, contrite,
oppressed
Iniquities = sin, guilt, fault
Chastening = correction, discipline,
instruction
Scourging = stripes, hurt, wounds
We’ve all been taught that Jesus shed His blood for us, as the final
blood sacrifice. But there is so much more involved in the story
than that. To begin with, Jesus did not just shed His blood
once. He bled for us seven times - God’s perfect
number. Remember in Chapter 6 when we talked about the importance of
numbers? Well, hang on to your socks, because what the
Holy Spirit showed me about this not only changed the way I “put Christ in
remembrance” through communion, but also the way I understand the total
authority He’s given us.
Did you know that Jesus actually bled three times before the cross,
three times on the cross, and once after His death? And there is a
specific reason for each instance? Let me share this revelation with
you.
1) When Jesus was
beaten, He bled.
Jesus
bled when the priests beat Him with their fists (Matthew 26:67, Mark
14:65, Luke 22:63). He bled when the soldiers beat Jesus
with their hands (John 19:3).
Jesus accepted the punishment we
deserved for our sin and rebellion against God. First, Jesus was
beaten by His family, the chosen men of God. Then He was beaten by
the ungodly mockers and scoffers. So Jesus literally took on the
punishment of both the believers and non-believers alike.
2) When the crown of
thorns was put on His head, he bled.
Jesus
bled when the soldiers put a crown of thorns on His head, to mock Him for being
a king (Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17 , John 19:2).
The Romans wore a crown on their head;
to represent a royal rank, a victory, or an honor given to great
champions. For Jesus, it represented His kingdom, His headship, and
His authority to be the head of the body of God.
3) When they scourged
and whipped Him, He bled.
When
Pilate’s soldiers beat Jesus unmercifully then whipped Him, before He went to
the cross (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15 , Luke 23:22 , John 19:1).
The
soldiers also used a reed to beat Him on the head (Matthew 27:30, Mark 15:19 , John 19:3).
A scourging is when someone is beaten so badly that they are not only
bruised, but eventually their skin is broken and bleeds. A whip is
then used, first causing welts on the body, until it tears the flesh open and
the muscle is torn. These wounds were suffered by Jesus for our
punishment, so we could be forgiven our sins.
Only through all this, could we be healed in mind, body, and
spirit. This is why it’s possible for us to claim “we have the mind
of Christ” in I Corinthians 2:16 , and in Isaiah 53:5 that we are healed.
When we actively seek Jesus, we learn the will of God and our minds
become renewed. As we apply His word, we become restored until our
bodies, souls, and spirits reflect our Lord and King Jesus.
1) When they nailed His
left hand to the cross, He bled.
In the Old Testament, the only way to get
into Heaven was by the work of the hands. By the blood covering
Christ’s hands the work is finished and we are now saved by his grace (John 20:25 -27).
The nailing of Jesus’ hands represent our salvation in Psalms
9:16, which says, “In the work of his own hands the wicked is
snared.” Also, the left hand represents the north as the right
hand represents the south (Job 23:9, 1 Samuel 23:19 ). So Christ covered, from
the north to the south, all our wickedness in His blood.
2) When they nailed his
right hand to the cross, He bled.
The right hand also represents the symbol
of power, strength, and honor. Psalms 60:5 shows how
important Jesus’ right hand really was, “That Thy beloved may
be delivered, Saved with Thy right hand, and answer us!”
All our power and authority is in Jesus, who sits at the right hand of
God.
3) When they nailed His
feet to the cross, He bled.
The feet
represent our path and the direction we choose to follow (Proverbs 3:6,
Hebrews 12:12 -13).
Not only did Jesus atone with His blood for the path we had followed,
but also for the innocents we’d hurt or led astray. Isaiah
59:7 says, “Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed
innocent blood;...”
When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He spoke the completion of everything
done to remove satan’s power over us. He was the Lamb of God who
took away the sins of the world. Through His blood and testimony He
is now our intercessor in Heaven, which allows us into our Father’s presence.
1) When they pierced His
side to be sure He was dead, He bled.
Both
blood and water came out (John 19:34 ).
The spear had to go through the side of Jesus, under His
ribs. Only there would they miss breaking a bone to fulfill
prophesy.
On a woman that would have been where the womb is
located. This is important because on this final time, Jesus shed
His blood for the children to come. By this all future generations
can freely choose where they will spend eternity.
Jesus shed His blood for the past, present, and future all in one
act. This corresponds with the scripture that says He is the same
yesterday, today, and forever.
Oh, what His love for us made him suffer for our transgressions! But the
outcome allows Christians to overcome. Allowing restored fellowship
between God and man.
Whenever we look behind us, we see what’s in the past. I
believe this truth is relevant to the message of the cross as
well. Let’s consider the blood that Jesus shed three times from
behind Him.
Keep in mind that the blood shed by the nails bled from both the
entrance and exit wounds of Jesus’ hands and feet, and that the crown of thorns
encircling His head also bled down his front and back.
1) Headship: Jesus
gained authority over our minds with the crown of thorns.
Whatever
we did or thought before the cross is now forgotten and behind
us. No longer will we be condemned by God, once we mentally accept
Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Jesus
healed our minds with His blood that was shed when the soldiers beat him about
the head with the reed.
2) Curses: The
blood from His back covered the wooden cross.
The
curse placed on mankind is removed. No longer are we under the curse
of sickness, disease, and bondage to the flesh or devil unless we allow
it.
You can
see all the curses that are covered, along with all the blessings you can now
receive, in Deuteronomy 28. What a reason to rejoice in
the Lord. We’ve been delivered!
3) Path: The
old ways we followed are under the blood along with the nails in His feet.
Now that
we can claim our path and journey will be directed by God (Proverbs
3:6). Nothing in your past should haunt you because it’s under
the blood of Christ. It’s forgiven, done, and no longer remembered
by God.
The blood covered our future:
The same
principle that applies to our past also applies to our future. The
blood Jesus shed four times from the front represents how we are to go forward
in God. His blood frees us from the past and opens the door to a new
gospel of peace, restoration, and abundant life...
1) His head: Jesus
is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings! He’s given us the
authority and power to overcome this world in His name. We’re to
take His gospel to the entire world and preach His resurrection power.
2) His hands: No
more working for our Salvation, as the Old Testament Israelites had to
do. Salvation has been given to us through Christ. Now
the work that we do must be to perfect our faith and reveal Christ within us to
the world. With the fruit of the Spirit and the signs and wonders
that follow us we will overcome this world! Praise the Lord!
3) His Feet: The
paths that we follow are no longer controlled by the devil, but directed by
God. Ephesians 6:15 says it best, that we are
now blessed in “…having shod your feet with the preparation of the
gospel of peace.” Our lives can now follow the path of
righteousness to magnify our Lord, Jesus Christ.
4) His Side: Many
of us, like sheep will go astray. So we need to continually apply
the blood. It’s our redemption over the earthly
pitfalls. God knew we would fall as we practiced His ways, so He
provided a way for us to repent and daily put our sin to death with the blood
of Christ. Each generation, as they hear the word, will need the
blood so they too can have the opportunity to freely accept or reject Jesus
Christ as their Savior.
Luke
24:30-31 “And it came about
that when He had reclined at the table with them, He took
the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to
them. And their eyes were opened and they
recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.”
We’re told to remember Jesus. Why? So our eyes can
be opened and Jesus revealed. How? By partaking communion
with Him. The bread will remind you of what His body suffered so
that you don’t have to anymore. The wine will remind you that His blood
covers all our sin, and that forgiveness is there for the asking.
Judge yourselves. Ask for forgiveness of your sin and place
it under the blood. If you don’t, we’re told that we’ll become weak, sick, and
fall asleep. Finally we’re told to eat and drink often, to proclaim
the Lord’s death and resurrection until He comes (I Corinthians 11:24 -34).
I hope that the next time you take communion you’ll have a better
understanding of what He really accomplished for you. The new
covenant offered by Jesus’ sacrifice is more than just words. It’s
knowing and believing that we have a better way to live in Him. So
claim those promises for yourself and others. Take your problems to
the cross and pour the blood over them. Once the sin is removed,
then the blessings of healing, restoration, and peace can come. It’s
truly the only way to daily overcome this world and the evil within.
I
hope this will help you to ignore what the enemy [twerp] says you can or cannot
do. Always remind him, that he’s a
LIAR. The only TRUTH is the WORD OF GOD!
Blessings
to all who read the Blogs
Sandy
F. The Lord’s Servant.
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