The power of God to change our lives in contained in the Blood of Jesus. In Ephesians 1:7 the Apostle Paul writes, “In Him we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
There is another great section of scripture that tells about the finished work of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53:4-5?
“But he was pierced for our rebellion,
Crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.”
Isaiah tells us about the incredible love and sacrifice of that Jesus Christ would make 700 years before he actually made it. Jesus’ sacrifice covered four areas of our brokenness. First, He willingly took upon himself Adam and Eve’s original sin of rebellion. Second, Isaiah says that Jesus took upon Himself the punishment for our personal sins. Third, He was beaten so that we could be made physically whole and fourth and final part of redemption is physical healing. He did all of this by removing the sin nature from our spirits, thus enabling us to live free from the slavery of sin and all of its consequences.
“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.'” – Billy Graham’s words remind us of the profound love that the Cross represents, a divine declaration made through the ultimate sacrifice.
But it doesn’t stop there. The verse goes on to say that through his sacrifice, we can be made whole and healed. How amazing is it that through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can be reconciled with God and made whole again?
“The wounds of Christ were His credentials to the suffering human race.” – A.W. Tozer
A.W. Tozer points to the identification of Jesus with our pain, providing not only a model of suffering but also the credentials that affirm His understanding and His solution to human suffering.
This theme is echoed in other scriptures as well. Matthew 8:17 says, “This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which said, ‘He took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.'” 1 Peter 2:24 tells us, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Ann Voskamp captures the transformative power of the Cross, which not only brings forgiveness but calls us to live transformed lives in the following statement, “The Cross is the ultimate symbol of love. It doesn’t just tell us that Jesus died so we might be forgiven but that He lived so we might be transformed.”
The love and sacrifice of Jesus is truly beyond our understanding. He took upon himself the punishment that we deserved, and offered us the gift of salvation and healing. Let us never take this incredible gift for granted, and let us always strive to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and show love and compassion to others.
