Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 3 & 4; 1 John 3; Nahum 2; Luke 18
1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
When we think about Jesus coming into the world we are thinking about God’s purpose in redeeming us from sin. The reason that Jesus was manifested in the flesh was to take away sins. For thousands of years, the Israelites had offered sacrifices to God for their sins.
Hebrews 10:3-4 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
These sacrifices reminded them of their sin and their need of forgiveness, but those animals could not take away sins. That is why Jesus came. His purpose was to take our sins away. He is the only answer to sin. No righteous deed can pay for sin. No religious ritual can remove sin. Only the blood of Jesus can take away sin.
Ephesians 1:7 In whom [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.
For Jesus to do that, he had to be sinless. If he was a sinful man, then he would have been under the same curse that you and I are under. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). If Jesus was a sinner he would not have been a spotless sacrifice. But he was the perfect sacrifice. John the Baptist said:
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
The Israelites would have understood John’s reference to Jesus being the Lamb of God. During the Passover, the Israelites were to offer a spotless lamb to God.
Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats.
Jesus was not just another man. He was the only sinless man who could take our place and die for us. Even if I wanted to, I could not die for someone else’s sins. I am a sinful man. I need a Savior. I thank God that he sent Jesus to take my sins away. I thank God that Jesus is without sin. I trust him to save me – do you?
In Christ,
Rody
