The Kingdom of God has Come--Part 4 ("The Price for Sin Paid!")

We’ve spoken of how God initiated Covenant (“Abrahamic Covenant”) to get “back into the loop” over the issue of authority surrendered by Adam to Satan.  One might say the road back was long and torturous, demonstrating God’s ability to use the deeds and misdeeds of His people to accomplish His purposes.

Then Jesus came as the fulfillment of Covenant.  Israel’s prophets spoke of His coming in quite some detail, still the Jews were hesitant to pick up on cues revealing His identity.  The great majority of Jewish leadership refused to accept the possibility of Jesus’ Messiahship.  Instead, they sought His death.  By this they were unwittingly completing the final phase of the Abrahamic Covenant, providing the One Who became the “perfect sacrifice” (the “Lamb of God”) for the sins of the whole world.

Could this have brought a rueful smile to the Heavenly Father Whom Isaiah characterized saying, “It pleased the Lord to bruise (crush) Him” (Isaiah 53:10)?  In effect, their sin became God’s opportunity.

Amidst the bruising completed on the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished”—and died.  Out of such a “dark moment” sprang the full results of the Abrahamic Covenant, full and complete access to Almighty God!  This access was graphically demonstrated by what happened to the curtain in the Temple separating the "holy place" from "the most holy place".

In the Jerusalem Temple, in the inner sanctums, there was a massive curtain that afforded only one person, the high priest, access to the presence of God, once a year, on the “Day of Atonement”, to make atonement for the sins (covering them, rather than removing them) of the people for one year.

After Jesus’ death that curtain was split from top to bottom, symbolizing the fact that first, all Jewish people, then, all the peoples of the world had access to God.  Restoring the possibility of a relationship God had with Adam before Adam’s sin, because the price for sin had been paid, redeeming man from its consequence--death.

The divine approval and acceptance of this sacrifice completed on a Wednesday afternoon, a special Sabbath, at 3:00 p.m., was the resurrection of Jesus.  This took place on a Saturday afternoon, after 3:00 p.m., allowing for three, full, 24-hour days in the grave.

With His resurrection the Kingdom of God was quietly ushered in.  At first there was only one witness to this stupendous event, a woman; then two men, Peter and John; next, two, unnamed men traveling on the road to Emmaus; finally He appeared to over 500 at one time.  Another appearance was made to James and then all the apostles (probably at the Ascension), “and last of all He appeared to me” said the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 15:7.

He could appear to you—He did to me in extending forgiveness of sins June 17, 1955, and has continued His forgiving, cleansing and maturing work in my life to the present moment.  You can know Him in that life-changing way, too.