Rashard Jones in C4 Bible Blog

6 years ago

1 John 2:2   2 and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.  Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins. When John uses the word propitiation, he's pointing our minds back to the Old Testament when the High Priest would annually offer a proprietary gift to God for the Jews sins. proprietary gift: It is a gift for sins. That gift was brought behind the veil and to the arc of the covenant. The Arc of the Covenant was where the mercy set was. On both sides of the Arc were cherubim (angels). Between the two angels and over the mercy seat is where the presence of God dwelt. This was the picture Moses saw in heaven and had built to represent God presence on the earth once a year to judge sin. Hebrews 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. The High Priest took the proprietary gift behind the veil as a offering to God. Death and blood was required. Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. There is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. This is because the justice wrath of God requires that the sinner is recompensed for his work of iniquity. Romans 3:23 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The lambs blood was offer in the place of the Jews sins and John is pointing out that Jesus blood was the payment to God for our sins. Note: In the Court of law, if a person found guilty but another person comes along and pays the debt for the guilty person, the guilty person can be let off the hook. In the justice system, one person can pay another person's debt. With the debt being no longer present, the guilty person has to be let go. There are two realities displayed in this case and with God when it comes to humanity: 1. The love of the one who paid the guilty parties debt and 2. The justice of the judge who exacted the judgment. In this case, both are God!! God's love paid the price for us and God's justice carried out punishment! Additionally, Jesus is the High Priest who took the gift in to be offered and Jesus is the (lamb) prioratory gift offered for our sins. and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.  This truth raises the stakes on God's judgment. Jesus wasn't just punished for the sins of people whom He knew would get saved as some suggest. No, Jesus died for the sins of billions of people who have existed throughout history. So when we see how badly Jesus was beaten; described in Isaiah 52:14, it come into clearer focus. Isaiah 52:14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness- Every sin that was ever committed was on Jesus and God poured out His wrath on sins. When I was young in the faith, I would read scriptures and they would throw me off because it appeared that God took pleasure in the treatment of Jesus. Isaiah 53: 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why would He do that die for those whom He know would not accept Him? 1. This shows the love that God has for believers and non believers alike. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 2. This justifies God's punishment on those who reject Him even more. No one will ever be able to say of God, "You did not love me."