Jesus, Our Atoning Sacrifice

In the halls of eternity past, before the foundation of the world, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit made a covenant. Hebrews 13:20 calls it the eternal covenant, and in this solemn council the Godhead Trinity, existing in perfect union, pledge themselves to one another.

God the Father covenants to give His Son a people, as innumerable as the stars, from every tribe and language and people and nation. God knew that the world would be fallen and the elect with it, and so He promised, as objects of His eternal love, that they would be forgiven. All their sins would be washed away and all their transgressions forgiven through the merit of the blood of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit, for His part, promised that all to whom the Father gives the Son, He would lead in Truth. He would grant them repentance, lead them to cleansing blood of Jesus, and grant them grace and faith for the journey home.

As for Jesus, listen as Charles Spurgeon imagines through eyes of faith:

“My Father, on my part I covenant that in the fullness of time I will become man. I will take upon myself the form and nature of the fallen race. I will live in their wretched world, and for my people I will keep the law perfectly. I will work out a spotless righteousness, which shall be acceptable to the demands of thy just and holy law. In due time I will bear the sins of all my people. Thou shalt exact their debts on me; the chastisement of their peace I will endure, and by my stripes they shall be healed. My Father, I covenant and promise that I will be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I will magnify thy law, and make it honourable. I will suffer all they ought to have suffered. I will endure the curse of thy law, and all the vials of thy wrath shall be emptied and spent upon my head. I will then rise again; I will ascend into heaven; I will intercede for them at thy right hand; and I will make myself responsible for every one of them, that not one of those whom thou hast given me shall ever be lost, but I will bring all my sheep of whom, by thy blood, thou hast constituted me the shepherd—I will bring every one safe to thee at last.”

In this Advent season, as we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ child, let us give glory to God for the blood of the eternal covenant. He is Jesus, our Atoning Sacrifice.

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

About the Author: Christina Langella lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two dogs. In November 1999 she came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by an act of God’s sovereignty. Her hope, as the old hymnist says, “is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.” She teaches women’s Bible study at her church where she also serves gladly in various capacities. She blogs at Heavenly Springs.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”
– 1 Tim 2:5

I have never been more aware of my need for a Mediator than I am at present. As the days pass, the Holiness of God expands in my understanding in its height, depth, length and breadth – and it is truly a fearful sight whilst I live in this fallen world in a fallen body with a fallen heart. I have never felt so small as I do now. Even the thought of trying to write what it means that Jesus is our Mediator feels beyond me at present. So I shall use some borrowed words from the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon, instead.

“A Mediator! That must be for persons between whom them and God there is ground of quarrel. Sinner! Sinner, this is good news for you! A Mediator is not for a man who is perfectly at one with God, but for you, who has by many sins provoked God! For you who by the sinfulness of your nature stand at a distance from Him! There is need of a Mediator between you and the thrice-holy God—and it is for such as you that a Mediator has appeared! Do you understand this Truth of God? A mediator is not a mediator between those who are at one. He is a mediator between persons who differ—and that is the case with you as to your God!

“A mediator, when he would make peace, goes to this one and he states the case. And he urges him and pleads with him. When he has done that, he returns to the other party and states the other side. He pleads with the one on the behalf of the other. Even so our Lord Jesus Christ comes in between God and man. Oh, how wonderful! He pleads with God for sinners, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And then he turns round and pleads with sinners for God and bids them turn to Him and be reconciled to Him, since He is their Father and their Friend!

“His pardoning blood can take away the guilt that angers God and the water which flowed with the blood from His dear pierced side can take away the propensity to rebellion within your own bosom! Surely I ought, by such words as these, to comfort some souls and lead them to Jesus! Reconciliation, worked out by Christ, is absolutely perfect! It means eternal life! O my Hearer, if Jesus reconciles you to God now, you will never quarrel with God again, nor God with you! If the Mediator takes away the ground of feud—your sin and sinfulness—He will take it away forever! He will cast your iniquities into the depths of the sea, blotting out your sins like a cloud and like a thick cloud your transgressions. He will make such peace between you and God that He will love you forever and you will love Him forever—and nothing shall separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“I have heard of some mend-all which so puts the pieces of broken plates together that the articles are said to be stronger than they were before they were broken. I know not how that may be. This I know—the union between God and the sinner reconciled by the blood of Jesus—is closer and stronger than the union between God and unfallen Adam! That was broken by a single stroke—but if Christ joins you to the Father by His own precious blood, He will keep you there by the inflowing of His Divine Grace into your soul—for who shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord?”

I was driven to my knees in the kitchen a few weeks ago whilst preparing dinner for the family, weeping silently on the floor as I reflected on the huge gulf between man and God, but also weeping with longing for that moment when we are finally with Him in His Kingdom for all eternity, we will be perfected, sin will be gone, and we will finally see Him face to face. Face to face – nothing separating us, perfectly, completely at one. Until then – I will cling to my Mediator with all my heart.

Let me conclude with this exhortation from JC Ryle: “Let us strive to know more and more, every year we live, our need of a mediator between ourselves and God. Let us seek more and more to realize that without a mediator our thoughts of God can never be comfortable, and the more clearly we see God the more uncomfortable we must feel. Above all, let us be thankful that we have in Jesus the very Mediator whose help our souls require, and that through Him we may draw near to God with boldness, and cast fear away. Out of Christ, God is a consuming fire. In Christ, He is a reconciled Father. Without Christ, the strictest moralist may well tremble, as he looks forward to his end. Through Christ, the chief of sinners may approach God with confidence, and feel perfect peace.”

About the Author: Diana Lovegrove, who blogs at Waiting for our Blessed Hope, lives in England with her husband, Pete, her 6 year old son Harry, and her Jack Russell terrier, Patch.

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The Amen, Revelation 3:14

I thank you, O LORD, Perfect Amen,
that You are the fulfillment of every promise given by the Father.
When the fierce storms rage against your servants,
You never leave us nor forsake us,
You have spoken, Oh Amen,
and in Your Word we rest assured.

Temptations come and the trials are heavy on our shoulders,
but You have promised that we will not
be tempted beyond that which we can support,
Oh blessed promise,
blessed Words spoken by the Perfect Amen.

When our past hunts us,
and the sins of our youth gallop in our minds,
You speak Words of comfort:
“I make all things new”
You the Amen, have said so,
and we believe it,
and give thanks for such a gift.

Let the thirsty come and drink from the Living Water,
let the hunger eat the Bread of Life,
the Amen has promised to satisfy all our needs in Him.
He is the All sufficient,
We don’t have to wander and be in famine,
we can come to Him, to the Amen,
and be satisfied, always satisfied.

He is not a shadow,
but all substance;
He is not quicksand,
but a Rock, our Strong Tower;
He never changes,
He is the anchor of our soul;
He is not a liar;
He is the Truth,
He is the Great, the Perfect Amen.

Why are you cast down, O believer?
Let this Advent season,
be a time when you see Him in His Word,
when you mediate on Him,
In all of who He is.

The Alpha and Omega.
Our Wonderful Counselor.
Oh what a Might God He is.
The Prince of Peace that quiets the storms.
Our Mediator, the Way, the Truth, the Life,
Oh what a Savior is He!
He is Jealous because He loves us.
Emmanuel, God with us, God with us,
God with us. He is with me.

He is the Light of the World,
our Redeemer
who has broken all chains,
all fears.
He is our Healer, our Physician,
by His stripes we were healed,
by His death we live.
He was bruised for our iniquities,
He bore our guilt,
and gave us white, righteous robes.
He is the Amen.

Our forefathers longed to see this,
to live this,
to be able to the see the Amen fulfilling
all promises, all prophecies,
all shadows-
Oh, how blessed we are to have eyes to see,
and ears to see,
that He is the One,
the Messiah,
the Christ,
the Great Amen.