Find the comfort you long for in the wounds of Christ.
John 1:29 (NIV)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 21: The Atonement
We believe
that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek—
made such by an oath—
and that he presented himself
in our name
before his Father,
to appease his wrath
with full satisfaction
by offering himself
on the tree of the cross
and pouring out his precious blood
for the cleansing of our sins,
as the prophets had predicted.
So he paid back
what he had not stolen,
and he suffered—
the “just for the unjust,”
in both his body and his soul—
in such a way that
when he senses the horrible punishment
required by our sins
his sweat became like “big drops of blood
falling on the ground.”
He cried, “My God, my God,
why have you abandoned me?”
And he endured all this for the forgiveness of our sins.
Therefore we rightly say with Paul that
we “know nothing but Jesus and him crucified”;
we consider all things as “dung
for the excellence of the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We find all comforts in his wounds
and have no need to seek or invent any other means
to reconcile ourselves with God
than this one and only sacrifice,
once made,
which renders believers perfect
forever.
This is also why
the angel of God called him Jesus—
that is, “Savior”—
because he would save his people
from their sins.
Summary
John the Baptist boldly declared these words the day after he had told the priests and Levites who were sent to him from Jerusalem who he was and who he wasn’t. This declaration of John regarding our Lord’s sacrifice as the Lamb of God for sin reminds us of one of the many comforts we have in, as our Confession put it, in the wounds of our Savior.
At first glance, you may wonder what sort of comfort we could have in the wounds of our Lord and Savior, but this isn’t the only place we are reminded of it.
The Heidelberg Catechism’s famous first question asks us: “What is your only comfort in life and in death?” The answer follows: “That I am not my own, but belong - body and soul, in life and in death - to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood…”
This comfort is found in the wounds of Christ.
Dig Deeper
How is it, though, that Christ’s wounds comfort you?
It’s not something that we think about enough, especially with how painful of a death our Lord and Savior suffered on our behalf, taking the full wrath of God on our sin upon Himself. But the more you reflect on our Savior’s death, the more you'll come to find how it is that His wounds comfort us, and the different ways they do so.
The song, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” tells us of a couple comforts we have in Christ’s wounds, the first of which is:
As wounds which marred the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.
The final verse reminds us of another:
I will not boast in anything:
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ:
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart:
His wounds have paid my ransom
As John the Baptist reminded us, Jesus is "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" Jesus is the Lamb who takes away your and my sins, His wounds have brought us into God’s Kingdom, His family, making us sons and daughters!
These are just two among many comforts we have in Christ’s wounds; may we take time to reflect on all the many ways Christ’s wounds comfort us, brothers and sisters.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His Lamb to take away the sins of the world;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not boast in anything other than Christ's death and resurrection.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Philemon
