It Had to be Jesus

 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus is the Son of God

Jesus is God

God incarnate

God in the form of a human’s body

Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us of our sins

and make us righteous

So we can have a relationship with 

The Holy God

Who cannot be in contact with sin

Sinful people like us 

Who cannot save ourselves

Who cannot make ourselves 

Righteous enough

Holy enough

Perfect enough

to have relationship with this Holy God

“For without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”

In the Old Testament

A perfect and spotless animal had to be sacrificed

On our behalf

To satisfy the requirement of the Holy God

For the cleansing of our sins

Over and over

Animals had to be sacrificed

As we sinned

Again and again

The Triune God 

Loved us with all His heart

That He sent His

Perfect Sacrifice

To us

So we wouldn’t have to continually

Offer up animal sacrifices

This Perfect Sacrifice

Had to be

God Himself

So our sins can be atoned for

Once and for all

Through His sacrifice

Once and done 

in perpetuity

It had to be Jesus

No human being’s blood is

Righteous enough 

Perfect enough

Good enough

Holy enough

To cleanse us 

No matter how noble

No matter how willing

a loving person might be to die for us

None

Only Jesus

Only His blood

Can cleanse us of our sins

Only His blood can be an

Once and forever atonement for our sins

Jesus grappled with this TRUTH

He grappled with this reality

In the Garden of Gethsemane

When He cried out to the Father

To remove the Cup

The Cup of torture

The Cup of suffering

The Cup of crucifixion 

The Cup of becoming sin for us

and to suffer momentary separation from the Father

Jesus was born for this very moment in eternity

To become sin for us

To die for our sins

Once and for all

Praise be to Jesus

Praise be to God

For sending His Only Begotten Son

All glory and praise 

Be given to the Lamb of God

The Perfect Lamb

The Sacrificial Lamb

Who died for us

So we don’t have to die

We now can have

Personal

Intimate

Eternal 

Secure 

Loving 

Relationship with God

Jesus’ temporary separation from God

Bought us eternal togetherness with God

Jesus

Only Jesus

It had to be Jesus

Praise be to Jesus

Forever and ever

"Nothing But the Blood" by Charity Gayle