By Gary Ray Branscome
The same grace that
Christ proclaimed as our divine Prophet He obtained for us as our divine
priest. As it is written, We are sanctified through the offering of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all
For by one offering He has
perfected for ever those who are sanctified (Hebrews
The words, Christ
then arrived as a high priest of the good things about to come, through the
greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with human hands, that is to say,
not a part of this creation, and it was not by the blood of goats and calves,
but by His own blood that He entered once for all into the holy place,
obtaining eternal redemption for us, tell us that what Christ obtained for
us was obtained by His own blood (Hebrews 9:11-12). For, Christ redeemed
us from the curse of the law, receiving the curse in our stead: for it is
written, Cursed is every one who hangs on a tree (Galatians
The Bible uses many
different words to describe what Christ accomplished as our High Priest, and
they all play an important role in understanding what He accomplished. For
example:
a)
If two parties are alienated and hostile to each other, a mediator is
someone who goes to each party in order to work out a
reconciliation. The words, There is one God, and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, describe Christ as our Mediator
(1Timothy 2:5). The words, The covenant of which He is mediator is superior
to the old one, being founded on better promises, and the words, He is
the mediator of a new testament, so that since a death has taken place that
redeems them from sins committed under the first testament, those who are
called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, describe Him
as The mediator of the new covenant (Hebrews 8:6, 9:15 and 12:24).
b)
If you sell something, buying it back is called redeeming it. We see that
word used in Leviticus 25:29, If a man sells a residence in a walled city,
then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold. The words, All
have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, tell us that we are
justified through the redemption Christ made for us His own death
being the price (Romans 3:23-24). The words, We have redemption through His
blood, even the forgiveness of sins, and the words, In whom we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of His grace, tell us that we were redeemed by the blood of
Christ, that we are redeemed by the forgiveness of sins, and that it is ours
through grace (Colossians 1:14 and Ephesians 1:7). You are in Christ
Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption (1Corinthians
c)
If two parties are alienated from each other a propitiation
would be something that would eradicate anger bringing peace and
reconciliation. The words, God has shown His love for us
This is the love,
not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins, tell us that what Christ did removed the anger
that separated us from God (1John 4:9-10). For, Christ Jesus is the one,
Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to
declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God (Romans
d)
Christs death has propitiated Gods anger making reconciliation possible.
And, If, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, when we were
enemies, much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved by His life
(Romans
e)
Christs death is also described as a ransom. In both Matthew
f)
The Bible tells us that Christ was made sin for us. As it is written, God
made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us; so that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him (2Corinthians
g)
The Bible tells us that Christ became a curse for us. As it is written, Christ
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us [i.e.
receiving the curse in our stead], for it is written, Cursed is every one who
hangs on a tree (Galatians
h)
The Bible tells us that Christ took our sins and their punishment upon Himself.
As it is written, Surely He has taken on Himself our pains, and carried our
sorrows: yet we regarded Him as condemned, struck down by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities: the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him;
and by His stripes we are healed. Like sheep we have all have gone astray; each
of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of
us all (Isaiah 53:4-6). For He, Bore our sins in His body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sin, should live to righteousness (1Peter
i)
The Bible tells us that Christ shed His blood for our sins. As it is written, It
was not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood that He entered
once for all into the holy place, obtaining eternal redemption for us
(Hebrews
j)
The Bible tells us that Christs death blotted out the indictment
against us. As it is written, He has made you, who were dead in your sins
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, alive together
with him, having forgiven all of your sins, blotting out the handwriting of
ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to His cross (Colossians 2:13-14).
k)
The Bible tells us that Christ freed us from the curse of the Law. As it
is written, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, receiving the
curse in our stead: for it is written, Cursed is every one who hangs on a tree
(Galatians
l)
The Bible tells us that Christ freed us from the wrath of God. As it is
written, You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and
to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who
has rescued us from the wrath to come (1Thessalonians 1:9-10). For God
has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus
Christ, who died for us, so that, whether we are watching or sleeping, we will
live together with him (1Thessalonians 5:9-10).
m)
The Bible tells us that Christ freed us from eternal condemnation. As it
is written, Truly, truly, I tell you, He who hears My word, and believes on
Him who sent me, has everlasting life, and will not come into condemnation; but
has passed from death to life (John 5:24). There is therefore now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1).
n)
The Bible tells us that in Christ we are righteous and beloved. For God made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us; so that we
might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2Corinthians
In the Old Testament the priests offered lambs and goats
for the sins of the people. However, in the third chapter of Galatians the
Apostle Paul carefully explains to us that in every age salvation has always
been through faith in Christ. As it is written, The Scripture, having foreseen
that God would justify the heathen through faith, proclaimed the gospel to
Abraham in advance, saying, In you shall all nations
be blessed. So then those who have faith in Christ are blessed with Abraham,
who also believed (Galatians 3:8-9). Why then was the Law given? Paul goes
on to tell us that, The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ,
that we might be declared righteous by faith. But now that faith has come,
we are no longer under a schoolmaster (Galatians
The Bible describes Christs saving work as obedience. That
obedience can be seen as: a) the active obedience by which He placed
Himself under the Law and fulfilled it in our stead, and; b) the passive obedience by which He allowed Himself to be
crucified and placed under the curse of God for our sakes. Concerning His
active obedience we read, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born
under the law, to redeem those who were under the law (Galatians 4:4-5). For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by
the obedience of one many will be made righteous (Romans
By His obedience Christ Has delivered us from; a) sin,
b) death, and c) the dominion of sin [power of the devil].
Concerning the first, we read, Who gave Himself for us, that He might
redeem us from all iniquity (Titus