“And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: Behold the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne” (Revelation 4:5-7).

We know that God Gave His only Son (John 3:16). There is a song that goes through my head all the time. Perhaps you have sung it yourself. The third verse goes like this,

“And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in.

That on the cross, my burdens gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sins” (How Great Thou Art, Hymn).

The last line states “He bled and died,” because we needed both His blood and His death to overcome this world. But did you ever stop to thoroughly consider what else Jesus did for us? Remember, Jesus is the Word (Revelation 19:13) and the “Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1-2) and He chose to step down from heaven to become one of us. It is through Him, we become one with He and the Father (Hebrews 2:5-11). He and the Father were One from the beginning (Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 57:15) and they still are at this time, but there was a time when they were separated. How devastating that must have been for Jesus, not to feel the Father with Him right before His death on the cross. Remember, God cannot be where sin is and Jesus took ALL our sins from the beginning time to the future end of time on His shoulders, and He never sinned! The weight must have been tremendous, so tremendous if fact, He cried out to the Father (Matthew 27:46). Jesus was separated from the Father for a short time, a feeling He had never felt before. It must have seemed like an eternity to Him. And He did that for us! His life is an example and His death allows us to overcome everything in this world. Below are some of the gifts Jesus bestowed on us.

He gives us power to overcome Satan’s manipulations

Jesus was tempted as we are. In Matthew 4: 1-11, we read just how Jesus was tempted. Jesus overcame by using Scripture. That is how He was able to continue to be One with the Father. If we never read His word, how can we ever hope to stand against Satan’s manipulations? Remember the devil has had many years to practice his craft and he wants to draw us away from our Lord.

When we sin, we are pushing the Holy Spirit away. Jesus said this, “Nevertheless it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you” (John 16:7). “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom  the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). Ephesians 4:30 states, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye were sealed unto the day of redemption” (See Outreach Bible Study Corner and see the Unpardonable Sin).

Through the Holy Spirit, we become one with the Father and Jesus because they are One (John 17:21). Jesus will never leave us. He is always trying to reach us saying, “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). We can trust His word, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth” (Matthew 28:18). And John 8: 31-32 has this to say, “Then said Jesus unto the Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Did you catch that? He said “if ye continue in My word” which means we can surely separate ourselves from Him when we do not continue in His Word. It is our choice. So, if we are truly sorry and repent, He comes even closer to us to give us the strength and the power to overcome using His words. He said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). And this is one of many things that Jesus did for us when He died for us!

He forgives our sins.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” From the beginning, God has had a plan in place just in case our first parents sinned (Genesis 3:15). Our God had such love for us that if they chose wrongly, He would send someone to die in our place. Adam and Eve had no idea our replacement sacrifice would be God’s only Son. The forgiveness we receive comes from Jesus covering our sins with His sinless life and death. We will never be sinless but because we have Jesus, our advocate and mediator; when God sees us, He sees His Son’s righteousness. Revelation 19:8 states, “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” And this brings us to the next wonderful thing Jesus did for us.

He gives us His righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 reads, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus promises, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death into life” (John 5:24). When we truly accept Jesus as our Savior, He gives us eternal life. God’s promises are all through the Bible, starting with the Sanctuary service. The Lamb (Revelation 13:8, a warning), the High Priest (Hebrews 9:11-12), the shew bread (John 6:35), the light of the candle sticks (John 8:12), the burnt offering (Hebrews 9:13-15), the laver (1 John 1:5-7), were all shadows of what Jesus was to accomplish for us.

He is our Mercy Seat

Romans 3:23-26 says this, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a Mercy Seat) through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through forbearance of God; To declare, I  say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”  And John 5:22 states this, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son.” As stated above, John 5:24 is a powerful promise. Jesus has already determined our fate as our judge and He promises that if we truly love Him and the Father, we have nothing to fear.  As John 1:12 states, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.”

He took our place!

He died the second death that sinner’s deserve. The second death is total (see Revelation 20:10-15) but because Jesus was sinless (1 John 3:5) and took our sins on Him, death could not hold Him. The Father resurrected Him. Through Jesus Christ and HIS righteousness He bestows on us, we can be sure of our resurrection, also. “Yet in a little while, and the world seeth Me no more: but ye see Me; because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19). Jesus is saying the world cannot see Him because they do not know Him. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not” (1 John 3:1 and see John 1:10-12). So, not only was He speaking of His death on the cross, but also, that the world did not know Him and would “see Him no more”. Romans 5:8 (ESV) states, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” If we have accepted Jesus and we die in Him, He calls it a “sleep” (John 11:11). And because it is temporary, He will come again to bring us home with Him (John 14 1-3) because we are not of this world when we put away worldly things (John 17:14). 

He ransomed us.

Isaiah 35:10 says, “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” And 1 Timothy 2:5-6 states this, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Notice it says “one mediator between God and men…Christ Jesus.” We need to be, oh, so careful that we do not allow someone to usurp the place of Jesus. And there are some religions that do just that. When we accept Jesus, we are redeemed through His sacrifice and only He is worthy and has the authority to act on our behalf in front of our Father God (Matthew 28:18). He is the only One that can save us!

He gives us His peace

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Did you know giving us His peace cost Him? Isaiah 53:5, “But He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” This peace we receive is sometimes hard to explain. When we have it, we want everyone to experience it, because joy fills the heart. Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” On a personal note, I do not fear what is happening in the world because Jesus told us what was going to happen (Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation). I do not fear death, because when He wakes me up when He comes again, the next face I see is His. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  

On a side note, remember Jesus will NOT step foot one this earth again. Many shall be deceived in the last days because there will be impersonators, even Satan will do so at the end of time. If you have not read Matthew 24 yet, I invite you to do so now. Notice in verses 22-27, Jesus warns, “And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.   Behold I have told you before (in advance). Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he (the Messiah) is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall the Son of man be.” Notice it says” if it were possible” the very elect could be deceived. The only way we can be sure we will not be deceived is through Jesus and His word. If you do not know Him and His word, how can you possibly know truth from lies?

He gives us His faith

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Revelation 14:12 states this, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Romans 12:3 states, “For I say unto you, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (also see Galatians 2:16). We still have the choice whether to have faith in Jesus and when we choose Him, He gives us His faith. Think about it. The faith of Jesus is the faith we need, because it was unbreakable and, oh, so strong. He had so much faith in our Father that He was sinless and was able to endure the cross for us. Many times in Jesus ministry, He said, “Thy faith has made thee whole” (Mark 5:34; 10:52, and Luke 17:19). The wholeness was not only physical, it was spiritually, too. They had to believe in Jesus or they could never have become whole and that takes faith!

He gives us everlasting life  

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” His promises are sure and He tells us what is waiting for us. A New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21:1-3), No more sorrow or death (Revelation 21:4), and glimpse of what heaven will be like in Revelation 22. We have the promise of eternal life (John 3:16). And quoting this verse again, Jesus said in John 14:19, “Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more (see above), but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also.” The time is now (tomorrow is never guaranteed) to accept Him as our Savior, so we can “see” Him and embrace these promises!