In the Old Covenant, people’s sins were laid on animals, which were then sacrificed. The spilled blood cleansed the people of the sins for a short time. In the New Covenant, Jesus came as the sinless, flawless sacrificial Lamb. He shed His blood. And His blood is so mighty that it takes away all sins for all time.
- We didn’t deserve to be made righteous, just like Jesus didn’t deserve to be made sin
- Is salvation free?
John the Baptist testified that it is Jesus who takes away all our sins:
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'” (John 1:29; NIV)
Foolishness to those who are perishing
This glorious grace, bestowed upon us by the sacrificial death of our flawless, sacrificial Lamb on the cross, remains completely incomprehensible to those who don’t know God (“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18; NLT).