VICTORY THROUGH THE BLOOD

  By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

      “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19: 30)

      Jesus shouted VICTORY from the Cross! He was speaking in Greek. The word tetelestai comes from the Greek verb teleo, which has three essential meanings: 'To finish something, to bring something to an end; to fulfill something; to pay that which is owed'.

      He had FINISHED His work of Redemption. The fountain was now open for sin and uncleanness! Christ's cleansing and healing blood was available for lost, sick, suffering and perishing souls. He had completed His Mission of Mercy and would return to His Father, and pour out the Gift of the Holy Spirit upon His followers!

      The Bible states: “But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of bulls and goats, but by His own BLOOD He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained Eternal Redemption, for us.” (Heb. 9: 11, 12)

                                                THE GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT!

      Once a year on the Great Day of Atonement, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple to make an atonement for Israel's sins, by sprinkling the blood of the sacrificial goat on the Mercy Seat.

     Only the High Priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies where GOD the Supreme Judge dealt with the sins of the nation of Israel. Sin had to be paid for to satisfy the Laws of Divine Justice in the Courts of Heaven.

       The law said; “The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die,” (Ezek.), but another law stated: “It is the Blood that maketh atonement for the soul.” (Lev.17: 11). A sinless Substitute could shoulder the blame and die for the sinner. Innocent animals, who had no eternal souls and no knowledge of sin could take the place of the offender.

     And on the Great Day of Atonement, all of Israel would gather outside the Temple, waiting to hear if God had forgiven their sins for another year. The High Priest had to follow a very strict protocol in fulfilling his personal life, ministry and duties before and during his ministration.

       Bells were attached to his robe so the waiting Israelites could hear that he were still alive. If the High Priest failed to execute his duty perfectly, he would immediately die, therefore he wore a rope around his left ankle, so he could be retrieved from that holy place if necessary.

     There was NO SEAT in the Holy of Holies and the High Priest stood continually until he had finished his course of duty. He spoke to no-one until his work was finished. He then, changed his attire and went home.

      As our Heavenly High Priest, Jesus carried His Own Blood into the Holy of Holies in Heaven! You will notice that on the third day after His crucifixion, He appeared unto Mary, saying: “Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.” (John 20: 17)

     Shortly thereafter, He appeared unto the disciples: “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst…” (John 20: 19, 20)

                                                  JESUS PROMISES PARADISE!

     In His extreme agony on the 'cursed tree' Jesus prayed for those who had crucified Him: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do...” (Luke 23: 34). As the rulers with the people and the soldiers derided and mocked Him, one of the malefactors prayed: “Lord remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee, TODAY shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23: 42, 43)

     The Bible says: “By the which will we are Sanctified through the offering of the body of the Lord Jesus once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sin:

     “But this Man after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, SAT DOWN on the right hand of God... For by one sacrifice he had perfected forever them that that are sanctified.” (Heb.10: 10-14)

     There is a FALSE teaching that says that Jesus was tormented in Hell for three days to pay for our sins.  The truth is that He went directly to Paradise, called Abraham’s Bosom. (Luke 16: 19-31).

    That One Sacrifice was the perfect, pure and sanctified body of our Lord Jesus Christ!

       “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the Eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God, PURGE your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God?

     “For Christ hath not entered into the Holy Places made with hands, which are the figures of the True; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us...

     “But NOW once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away SIN, by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb.9: 13, 14, 24, 26)

JESUS ENDED SATAN’S DOMINATION!

    Jesus Christ stripped the devil of all his usurped power and influence over a rebellious race whom he had deceived by his twisted, outright lies and false promises!

     JESUS of Nazareth not only destroyed his power but also effectively DESTROYED SATAN himself: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through DEATH He might DESTROY him (Satan) that had the power of death that is, the DEVIL: And DELIVER them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb.2:14)

      While praying during His water baptism, Jesus of Nazareth was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Bible states:  “The Heaven was opened. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from Heaven, which said, Thou art My beloved Son; in Thy I am well pleased.”

      At the strategic moment of the Holy Spirit entering Jesus of Nazareth, His FATHER audibly and forcefully identifies with His incarnated (God in human flesh) SON, stating that the Lord Jesus is His Son with Whom He was well pleased!

     Immediately after His baptism, Jesus of Nazareth was driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. During His forty day fast, our Saviour was continually tempted by the Evil One but was victorious each time.

      Jesus of Nazareth filled with the Holy Spirit, commanded: “Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt Thou serve.”   (Matt.4: 11). The devil had to obey the Son of God and angels came and ministered unto Him.

    After His great victory over the devil, Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Spirit and great miracles, signs and wonders occurred everywhere He went!

      “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and HEALING all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And His fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto Him all SICK PEOPLE that were taken with diverse diseases and torments and those which were possessed with devils, and those that were lunatic and those which had the palsy; and He healed them.” (Matt.4: 23, 24)

                                          JESUS FULFILLED THE SCRIPTURES!

     There are 332 Old Testament Scriptures that deal with the coming Jewish Messiah. Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled them all. Included in the 332 Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, there are 61 major prophecies. Dr. Peter Stoner states: According to the Scientific Law of Probabilities, for anyone but Jesus to have fulfilled only 8 of the major prophecies, he would have only 1 chance out of 10 to the 17^th power.

     For us to begin to understand that humungous number, Dr. Stoner gave this explanation: Cover the entire State of Texas two feet deep, with American silver dollars. Mark one silver dollar with an X. Stir it into the mix. Blindfold a man, give him a cane and send him out to search for that marked coin. He can take as long as he wants, walk as far as he likes, dig as much as he likes. The first coin he chooses, must have the mark on it!

                                           JESUS HAS PAID FOR OUR SAVATION!

     An old song says: “I owed a Debt I could not pay; He paid a Debt He did not owe, When Jesus died in my place and took my all sins away.”

      The Bible says: “For 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;

      “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (satisfaction, covering, expiation) through faith in His Blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins, that are passed, through the forbearance of God.” (Rom. 3: 23-26)

     “Therefore being justified by FAITH we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, that rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

     “And HOPE maketh not ashamed; because the LOVE of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

     “But commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Rom.5:1-9)

     “For the wages of SIN is death but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom.6:23)

                                                    I AM BOUGHT WITH A PRICE!

      St. Paul declared: “What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own.

      “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor.6:19, 20); “Ye are BOUGHT with a price; be not ye servants of men.” (1 Cor.7: 23)

     "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come into the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a RANSOM for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim.2: 3-6)

      Jesus Christ GAVE Himself to redeem us all from Sin, Sickness, Hell and Satan’s power. He purchased my soul with the blood of His cross! 

      “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.” Amen.
       JESUS of Nazareth shouted Victory from the Cross, we should Victory through the Cross!