The New Way

Day 134

 

Dear Explorer,

 

Re-Read Matthew 16:21
And
Re-Read Mark 8:31

 

Yesterday we talked about Jesus sharing with His disciples God's plan.  He's mentioned it a few times in His teaching, but now He's sitting down and spelling it out. 

 

So today, I want to make sure that I spell it out for you even though we've mentioned aspects of it all along the way.   I want to give you the steps we've already covered in God's plan for your sins and mine to be forgiven.

 

(1)      The price tag for sin is death.  Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.  (Hebrews 9:22)

(2)      We are all born with an empty God-shaped vacuum.  We looked at this on Day 39.

(3)      Because we are empty, our decisions are made by SELF.  But decisions made by SELF are sin.  We looked at this on Day 44.

(4)      So, all, everyone, no exceptions, is a sinner.  (Romans 3:23)

(1)      But the price tag for sin is death.  Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.  (Hebrews 9:22)

(5)      The Jews were given Laws to help them realize their sinfulness and their need for a Messiah or Savior.  We looked at this on Day 74.

(6)      God set up the sacrificial system for the Jews not to pay for their sins, but to give them a picture of what their Messiah would do.  He promised to provide a Lamb that would completely pay for their sins.   We looked at this on Day 29.

(7)      When the angel tells Joseph about Jesus' birth, he said that Jesus would take away the sins of His people.  (Matthew 1:21)

(8)      When John the Baptizer announced Jesus to the crowds, he said that Jesus would take away the sins of the whole world.  We looked at this on Day 29.

(1)      There's a price tag for sin.  They cannot just be brushed under a rug or forgotten.   The price tag for sin is death.  Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.  (Hebrews 9:22)

(9)      God is holy and cannot be in the presence of sin.  We looked at this on Day 8.

(10)    But God loves us so much, that He sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins and the sins of the whole world – past, present and future.  We looked at this on Day 41.

(1)      And that price tag is death. 

 

 

So why do you think Jesus used the word “must” in these verses (Matthew 16:21 and Mark 8:31) as He was explaining God's plan?