"Many years later, another Son would climb another hill, carrying wood on his back. Like Isaac,
he would trust his Father and do what His father asked. He wouldn't struggle or run away. Who
was he? God's Son, his only Son - the Son he loved. The Lamb of God." The Jesus Storybook
Bible
The Old Testament is full of events that indicate Christ’s atoning death of the cross. The lamb’s
blood that the Israelites put on their doorposts to save their first born sons (Exodus 12)
foreshadows the blood of the Lamb that would wash away the sins of all who believe in Him.
The ancient priests brought choice animals to be offered to God to pay for the sins of the
Israelites, a sacrifice paling in comparison to that which Jesus would make on our behalf. God
commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, the son he had waited a lifetime to have, but then
provided a ram to die in Isaac’s place (Genesis 22).
Many years later, God again provided a Lamb. Hebrews 9:11-15 tells us that Christ is both the
new high priest and the final sacrifice. By His blood we are not simply ceremonially clean on the
outside, in need of future sacrifice to be made clean again. By His blood we are washed clean
from the inside out. His death was once for all, a final perfect sacrifice by the One who was
without sin.
There is something else that is glaringly different about the foreshadowing events in the Old
Testament and the redemption we have through Christ. In all of the previous sacrifices, that
which died remained dead. Oh, but Jesus…Jesus is alive! Proving that He is indeed God, that His
sacrifice is our salvation, He rose from the dead. Rejoice that the tomb is empty! We do not have
to mourn the death of our Lord because He is alive, ruling in Heaven, dwelling in our hearts, and
He is coming again. Rejoice!
Not only did Christ die for our sin and rise again, but He invites us to die to our old ways and
rise up to new life in Him. He simply asks us to trust Him, to believe in Him, and to know Him
as our Savior.
“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father,
the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given
him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this
is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have
sent.’” John 17:1-3 ESV
“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved
by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God
by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his
life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
we have now received reconciliation.” Romans 5:9-11 ESV
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as
rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness
of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the
righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of
his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any
means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:8-11 ESV
We serve a great, holy, sovereign, living God, who sacrificed His son, and sent His Spirit to
dwell in us. Rather than turning us over to our own sinful hearts, He made the ultimate sacrifice
that we might be saved and have eternal life with Him. The glory and wonder of the atonement is
represented both in the death that Christ did not deserve but willingly endured for us and in His
beautiful, miraculous resurrection. Because He lives, we live. Rejoice!
Oh, death! Where is your sting?
Oh, hell! Where is your victory?
Oh, Church! Come stand in the light!
Our God is not dead. He’s alive, He’s alive!
Christ is risen from the dead,
Trampling over death by death.
Come, awake! Come, awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!
“Christ is Risen” Matt Maher
