DAY SIX: Following Christ

Much of what happened on Good Friday was unwittingly done and fulfilled prophecies of long ago.  There is one we haven’t mentioned. “So the Lord God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.’” (Genesis 3:14, 15, nkjv).  In Scripture, the Seed referred to the promise of one who would come to destroy the curse Satan brought to this earth.  Even the ground was cursed, bringing forth thorns and weeds (Genesis 3:17, 18).  The crown of thorns that the soldiers repeatedly beat onto Jesus’ head is a picture of God’s curse on sinful humanity being thrust on Jesus![ix] He took your curse personally on Himself so you can be freed of it—so no matter what troubles you and trips you up today, you can find forgiveness and transformation at the foot of His cross. It was more than atonement that Jesus came to bring us; it was a new life, a New Covenant in which we experience a living relationship with God.  Read through the two passages below and record your thoughts and thankfulness for what He has done for you, and perhaps record some things you have struggled with that can find new victory through the “wonder working power in the blood of the Lamb!”

By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."   Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.  Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,  by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,  and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:10–23, nkjv).

Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ. For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.  When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ. (Colossians 2:8–15, nlt)

Think about this as we close:  The death of Jesus was actually the end of religion!  “No rules, regulations, or rituals are to be imposed between God and humanity.  The distance these created between sinful humanity and the holy God has been done away with from God’s side.  There is now free access to God the Father through the work of the Son on the cross.  God has now come close.”[x]

Scripture Memory:  Hopefully you now can write out this week’s passage completely by memory.  Do so now, and keep on reviewing it so you will be ready to share it with others in your group time.

Colossians 2:14:

[i] Oxford University Press, The Scofield Study Bible, NKJV (New York:  Oxford University Press, 2002), p. 1391.

[ii] John D. Grassmick, Mark.  In John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament (Wheaton:  Victor Books/SP Publications, 1983), p. 185.

[iii] :  A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.  In Oak Harbor:  Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1932, 1933, 1997).

[iv]  James A. Brooks, Mark.  In David S. Dockery ed., The New American Commentary, Vol. 23 (Nashville:  Broadman Press, 1991), p. 252;  John D. Grassmick, Mark, p. 186; and Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Studies in the New Testament:  For the English Reader (Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Co; in Bellingham:  Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1984, 1997). 

[v] John D. Grassmick, Mark, p. 186-187.

[vi] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Vol. 1 (Wheaton:  Victor Books/SP Publications Inc., 1989), p. 164.

[vii] John D. Grassmick, p. 190.

[viii] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Vol. 1, p. 166.

[ix] Grassmick, p. 187.

[x] Peter G. Bolt, The Cross From a Distance:  Atonement in Mark’s Gospel.  In D.A. Carson ed., New Studies in Biblical Theology, Vol. 18 (Downer’s Grove:  InterVarsity Press, 2004), p. 127.

© 2006 by Harvest Christian Fellowship. All rights reserved. Written by Thomas Klock for Men’s Bible Fellowship, 2005-2006.

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