Atonement (pt. 1)

Good Wednesday to you!

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

Surely, that statement shook those who first heard it. What could it mean? Who was this man? Why would God need a "Lamb?" The image of the Passover Lamb combined with the sacrifices offered on the Day of Atonement would have collided in their minds. For us, we also remember Jesus in the garden, praying for "this cup" to pass, but not His will but the Father's will to be done. Could Jesus have been thinking about the substitute Abraham received when he was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac? There would be no substitute for Jesus because Jesus is our substitute.

What was accomplished on the cross? Why was it necessary? If you were to do an internet search on "atonement theories", you would come up with at least a half a dozen or more. What we know is that through the cross, we are reconciled, pardoned, forgiven, healed, and restored in our relationship with God.

Next Sunday we will "soak" in these verses (John 1:29-34) a bit longer and examine the reasons behind the cross. I would encourage you to spend some time reading and thinking about this first chapter of John. We will be here for a couple more weeks.

Blessings to you all,
Pastor David

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