ONCE AND FOR ALL! DONE!

 
 While working on a Bible study for Wednesday night from Seamless by Angie Smith, I note that she asked about the tunic that Jesus wore and the four guards haggling over the clothing.  Imagine with me, the very Son of God hanging there, dying for sins which He did not commit, getting to see and hear the haggling over His clothing with no one caring that He was dying as a innocent victim.   I loved the truth stated in the description of the garment, it was seamless.  

Only the High Priest wore a seamless garment.  It was woven in one piece.  The guards haggled for the clothing, and divvied them up among themselves, but the tunic was taken and kept in one piece.  This was a fulfillment of Scripture from Psalm 22:18.  The High Priest dressed in his tunic/robe entered the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement.  He stood before the Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat, the lid, covering the Ark.  He offered a blood sacrifice and incense before the Mercy Seat which symbolized the presence of God. The blood sacrifice was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat A spotless lamb sacrificed was the "demand" by God for the forgiveness of all of the sins of the people.  

Hebrews 9:11 says, "But when Christ appeared as high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves buy by means of His own blood thus securing an eternal redemption."   Calvary was the once and for all!  As High Priest, He hung on the cross before the world and Holy God and Father and was the perfect sacrifice which satisfied God's holy wrath against sin. He has paid the price that you and I could not pay.  I love His last words, "It is finished"!  DEBT paid in full. 

I love to remind you that Christ did not raise Himself  on the third day, "God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death because it was not possible for Him to be held by it." Act 2:24  NOT even death could hold HIM!  Because death could NOT hold Him, we who have chosen to be Christ followers are free from the penalty and power of sin and death. We, too, shall live again.  In fact, hear the promise made by Jesus to Martha in John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?" (Jesus spoke this BEFORE Calvary!)  Promise kept...the tomb was empty!  Hebrews 7:25 speaks that Jesus "always lives to make intercession for them/us" .   Thank You, Lord Jesus for paying the price demanded that I could or would ever be able to pay for forgiveness of my sin, for my salvation, and for eternal life.  #IHAVETHREESONS