But God 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. Romans 5:8-9
God’s plan for mankind always included the blood of Christ. From the very beginning, the shedding of blood was necessary (Heb 9:22) and the faithful always offered sacrifices to God such as Abel (Gen 4) and Abraham (Gen 22), just to name a couple. The writer of Hebrews mentioned the necessity of continual sacrifice and shedding of blood under the Law as well (Heb 9:25). Christ’s blood is superior to the sacrifices of Old Law and Patriarchal practices (Heb 9:13) and therefore was only offered the one time on the cross (Heb 9:28).
However, many fail to recognize from the Bible that it was planned all along that Christ would offer himself, shed his blood, for the remission of sins for all mankind (Col 1:14). The Old Testament is filled with examples of the offering of Christ, such as the Passover Lamb of Exodus 12. It was to be without blemish and its body offered and consumed as well, a foreshadowing of the Lord’s Supper. The preparation of the lamb for passover required it to be roasted. This would have been done by putting it on a type of cross to suspend it, just as what happened to Christ. Also the prophecies of his death and the trials of his life here on earth so plainly point to God’s intention to use Christ’s blood (Isaiah 53).
God’s plan to redeem man required a great cost to be paid. The scripture tells us that the church was purchased with the blood of Christ in Acts 20:28. We understand in our simple minds the concept of counting the cost for a major purchase, and this concept certainly was always in the mind of God looking toward the cross (John 3:16). We must ask ourselves why he was willing to pay that cost. It’s answered in John 3:16, His love for us. And as it often does, love provides a way. To God, our redemption is worthy of the ultimate cost. 1 Peter 1:18-19 tells us, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”.
By Jason Barger