Easter Sermon - Pierced For A Purpose

Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. It is now almost over--the loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level--the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues--the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues. . .Finally he can allow his body to die.

WOW all this the Bible records in the words of "and they crucified Him."

Mark 15:24

Jesus endured all this pain and suffering so that you and I might be forgiven.

It all happened about 2,000 years ago when God stepped out of heaven, came down to earth, and took the earthly human form of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:17

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people

The scripture says "that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in Service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of His people."

In the Bible days a High Priest wore a breastplate that had stones, engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel, on both his chest and his shoulders.

The High Priest would therefore be in constant sympathy with the people of God, carrying them on his chest representing hi heart and on his shoulders representing his work...

As our High Priest Jesus didn't wear the High Priest’s breastplate; but He took the wounds on His body and the cross on His shoulders to show His heart for us and His work on our behalf. He made propitiation for the sins of His people..

Why did Jesus have to shed His blood?

If Christ would have died any other way without the shedding of blood, His death would have been in vain.

It had to be death by the shedding of blood:

Leviticus 17:11 says for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.

Acts 20:28 - states how He bought us with His own blood.

Ephesians 1:7 - talks about how we have redemption through His blood.

I John 1:7 - talks about how His blood purfies us from all sin.

I Peter 1:19 - talks about how you and I are redeemed through the blood of Christ the precious lamb without spot or blemish.

Rom 5:8-9: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!"

How many are thankful for the precious blood of Jesus?

If it wasn't for that precious blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary all of us would be dead in our sins.

The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

The Bible says that the wages of sin is death - Romans 6:23

So no matter how good you and I think we are and no matter how good we try to be, we still fall short becasue the Bible says all have sinned and fall short.