Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders....The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
The Bible tells us that when God gave the gift of Jesus the Lamb of God, he gave a gift of great cost.
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:18-19
The gift God gave was the gift of redemption; that is, the gift of salvation. Scripture says that gift was purchased with the blood of Christ.
Economists tell us that the value of anything is determined by the price someone is willing to pay for it.
A 90-year-old baseball card may be worth next to nothing to me; but to a collector of sports memorabilia it could be worth a million dollars.
A certain painting might seem garish to me; but to an art collector an original Van Gogh might be worth $10 million.
While it’s true that most of our possessions come down how much they cost in terms of silver and gold, we all know there are things that can’t be purchased with any amount of money!
Consider the family member or friend who willingly donates a kidney to a loved one who needs a transplant to survive.
Consider the price paid by a soldier who lays down his life for his comrades and his country on the battlefield.
Simply put, there is no price greater than blood.
In Hebrews 9:22 we read, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.”
This verse, of course, takes us back to Leviticus 17:11, where God explains, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls...”
Centuries later, when God announced the gift of his Son through the angels, he said,
“And you will give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins...”
When John the Baptist saw Jesus he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
What all this means is that only by the blood of sacrifice could sin be forgiven and that Jesus was, in himself, the Lamb of God who would make the final sacrifice for all sin.
When the child born to Mary become a man he would say, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood - shed for the forgiveness of sin...”
Jesus came into this dark world as the Lamb of God, whose blood would atone for the sins of the world, past, present and future; and not only the sins of the world, but for my sins and your sins; all of them.
So as we celebrate Jesus’ birth, let us also remember his death; for only in his death, in the shedding of his precious blood, do we see the price paid for the gift we have received.
In Jesus God gave an extravagant gift at an unimaginable cost. May we never forget that the shadow of the manger is a cross.
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