For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
It sounds so simple and straightforward, doesn't it? Kinda like the newspaper headline about someone dying that we don't know. Just cold, hard facts! But we know differently. Underneath this statement of grace lies the broken heart of God, the sacrifice of heaven, the brutality of supposedly religious men, and the searching love of our Father who would not abandon us to the cruel "Deathmaster" - Satan, the murderer from the beginning (
John 8:44-45) For those who had once experienced animal sacrifice with its high personal cost and animal sacrifices, this verse is more than a headline: it is a "graceline." Jesus'
"once for all" sacrifice meant that no more animal sacrifices would ever be needed (
Hebrews 7:25-27,
9:11-14). It came with the promise that Jesus would
"bring" all to
"to God" who relied on Jesus' sacrifice - no more distance between God and us, no intermediaries between God and us. Jesus is heaven's open door and God's open heart saying, "Come home; I've been waiting for you."
What words, O gracious Father, can I use to express my appreciation for your sacrifice and grace? I have none sufficient to say what I feel. But even in this realization, I know the gift of your Spirit ensures that you hear my words and my heart. Every good and lasting thing I have comes from your grace. Please receive my undying love and heartfelt praise for all you are, for all you have done, and for all you will be. In Jesus' precious name, I pray. Amen.
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