The Precious Blood of Jesus
Gerald Harris
I Peter 1: 17-21
Think with me about the last hours in the life of Jesus. Everyone falters. Caiphas judges. Peter denies. Judas betrays. Simon of Cyrene balks. Mark runs away. Pilate equivocates. The crowd mocks. The soldiers gamble. Longinus still stabs with his pilus. The centurion still carries out his orders. And as blood and water spew from his side, the complacency of all creation is eternally shattered.
"The scourging alone seems to never end, and you cringe at the sound and splatter of every blow - no matter how steely your nerves. Even those who have known combat or prison would have trouble viewing this scene, no matter their experience - because this Man was not conscripted.
He went willingly, laying down His entirety for all. It is one thing for a soldier to die for his countrymen. It's something else entirely to think of even a common man dying for those who hate and wish to kill him. But this is no common man. This is the King of the universe.
"The idea that anyone could or would have gone through such punishment is unthinkable - but this Man was completely innocent completely holy - and He was paying the price for others. He cries out as He is laid upon the cross, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they do."
And at Calvary the blood of Jesus was spilled out, poured out for you and me. So, I want us to think about the precious blood of Jesus. That is what Peter called it. He said, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,.…but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
Now, the first thing I want us to notice is that:
I. This Precious Blood Provokes Scorn
Peter proclaims that the blood of Jesus is precious, and, indeed, it deserves to be cherished by believers. But the doctrine of the blood atonement has never been popular with the unbelieving world.
When I was in coll ...
Gerald Harris
I Peter 1: 17-21
Think with me about the last hours in the life of Jesus. Everyone falters. Caiphas judges. Peter denies. Judas betrays. Simon of Cyrene balks. Mark runs away. Pilate equivocates. The crowd mocks. The soldiers gamble. Longinus still stabs with his pilus. The centurion still carries out his orders. And as blood and water spew from his side, the complacency of all creation is eternally shattered.
"The scourging alone seems to never end, and you cringe at the sound and splatter of every blow - no matter how steely your nerves. Even those who have known combat or prison would have trouble viewing this scene, no matter their experience - because this Man was not conscripted.
He went willingly, laying down His entirety for all. It is one thing for a soldier to die for his countrymen. It's something else entirely to think of even a common man dying for those who hate and wish to kill him. But this is no common man. This is the King of the universe.
"The idea that anyone could or would have gone through such punishment is unthinkable - but this Man was completely innocent completely holy - and He was paying the price for others. He cries out as He is laid upon the cross, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they do."
And at Calvary the blood of Jesus was spilled out, poured out for you and me. So, I want us to think about the precious blood of Jesus. That is what Peter called it. He said, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,.…but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
Now, the first thing I want us to notice is that:
I. This Precious Blood Provokes Scorn
Peter proclaims that the blood of Jesus is precious, and, indeed, it deserves to be cherished by believers. But the doctrine of the blood atonement has never been popular with the unbelieving world.
When I was in coll ...
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