Monday, March 23, 2009

How Did Jesus Fulfill the Old Testament Law for Salvation?

Christians claim Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah of the Nation of Israel's Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Jews see Him as a teacher. How did Jesus fulfill the Old Testament Law for Salvation being the Messiah as prophesied of old and bring the offering for sin once for all?

From the Garden, the first promise of a Messiah or Promised One is found in Genesis 3:15. Mankind had disobeyed God, twisted the Words of God and had sinned. There were consequences for this act. The serpent was cursed, Eve was cursed and man was cursed. It was not a good day for humanity. . .To the serpent came the words of promise,

"And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

When God told the serpent this, He was promising a virgin born victor over the effects of sin~death.

Genesis 2:17 "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Sin brings death both physical and spiritual. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life ina]">[Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23. Death~for all.

Jesus claimed to be God. This was what humanly speaking was His accusers accusation. It was the offense claimed by the religious leaders of the day to be enough to incite rage in the people crying out for His execution. But it was His timing and His Father's will. John 17 in Jesus' prayer in the Garden was a cry unto the Father concerning the will of God, "Father, not my will but thine."

The writer of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament witnesses to these early believers in a way to correlate the law of sacrifices for sin~the blood sacrifices as by the priests for sin in the Tabernacle and later the Temple places of worship.

"Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself." Hebrews 7:27.

Jesus offered himself for the sins once, but Old Testament priests had to offer daily for themselves first then the people. Further in Hebrews it says:

Hebrews 9

Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.

For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.

And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.

But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.(Old Testament)

19For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.

Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Clearly the writer wants these believers to understand that Jesus fulfilled the first testament or the Law. Praise God! WHAT A Savior!

I praise our Lord for His sacrifice for me! Have you placed your faith in His shed blood to save you from your sins?

Today is the day to consider knowing Christ~His salvation!

I pray you will look to Him.

In Jesus' name,

Lady Graceful

Phil. 1:6

3 comments:

  1. Lovely writing. Party hopping and participating too so stop in for a visit.

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  2. Thanks for coming by my li'l blog & for your kind message. I like how you wove the Scripture together above. So important to understand the beginning of the Story!
    Have a great weekend!

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  3. Here comes the prize train....TOOT TOOT!!!! You're a winner, stay tuned! #780

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