The Back Story
Before Jesus even gets to the cross, Jesus had years of ministry serving people: curing sickness, sharing the heart of God with people, even raising people from the dead. The only ones that really had an issue with these things were the religious people who thought they were righteous because they did everything the way their culture of the day told them it should be done, and they missed God.
Those people had so much of an issue with Jesus doing good things that didn’t line up with their understanding that they had him arrested and eventually they condemned him to death.
Ultimately, Jesus was Brutally murdered. In the middle of that whole process, as Judas realized what he had done, he said this:
Matthew 27:4
“I have sinned,” … “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
In Genesis 8, We see Noah sacrifice innocent blood of animals as repentance for sin and thankfulness for God sparing him and his family.
In Genesis 22, Abraham is willing to sacrifice the innocent blood of his son, but then was provided innocent blood of a ram to take his place.
Genesis 22:12
Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.
In Exodus 12 during passover, a plague is unleashed on the firstborn sons in Egypt, but the Jews’ houses that had sacrificed the innocent blood of a lamb, and spread it over their doorframes were spared and didn’t die.
Then in Exodus 29, God gave the Israelites a system in the Tabernacle where innocent blood of oxen, sheep, goats, and pigeons was sacrificed to pay for their sin.
In every one of those circumstances, a person should have died but the blood of the innocent animal took the place of the blood owed by the person.
Throughout human history, there has been a pattern of:
- Us sinning against God and deserving death
- God providing innocent blood to die in our place
- Us humbling ourselves,
- epenting, accepting forgiveness,
- nd starting to live by
- God’s morality instead of our own
- And then… Being made clean. Being made new.
The reason the term “innocent blood” is so key, is because just like the innocent blood of sacrifices from the Old Testament covered the sins of the people, the death of Jesus on the cross covers the sins of everyone who chooses to humble themselves, repent, and accept forgiveness.
The Resurrection of Jesus
Mark 16:1-4
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.
- Mary Magdalene - disciple of Jesus who had demons cast out by Him
- Mary - mother of Jesus
- Salome - Zebedee’s wife and mother of James and John
Matthew: “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary”
John: “Mary Magdalene went to the tomb” and then says “So she came running to Simon Peter” and “the other disciple, the one Jesus loved”
Matthew 28:2-4
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
Luke 24:3-8
3 when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.
Matthew and Mark also tell us that the angels then said to quickly go tell the disciples.
Mark 16:8
8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
At first, they’re freaking out passing people in the streets and talking to NO ONE! But that apparently doesn’t last long, because they end up seeing Jesus Himself!
Matthew 28:8-10
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Luke 24:9-10
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.
All of the sudden we’re talking about “Joanna” and “the others with them.” There’s a whole crowd now! It’s pure chaos of everyone celebrating the fact that Jesus isn’t dead anymore!
John 20: 2-4
2 So she (Mary Magdalene) came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved (talking about himself), and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
Peter was the oldest of the 12 disciples, and the only one over 20 years old. John was most likely the youngest disciple, and was somewhere between 16-18 years old. And as the youngest, John had to make sure we all knew that when they were running to the tomb, he ran faster than Peter!
Our Takeaway
The death of Jesus was the innocent blood that had to be shed for our sins if there was any hope of redemption.
Hebrews 10:10
10 we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
But the resurrection of Jesus is what separates that sacrifice of a literal lamb, from the eternal sacrifice of THE LAMB that covers our sins today!
1 Corinthians 15:17
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
You don’t get to the relief of the Easter morning story, without the tension and heartache of the Crucifixion story.
Which Type of Sinner are You?
- Like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day who believed they were righteous enough, and thought they were fooling everyone by sinning in private.
- Or like the heroes of the Old Testament who knew that they were broken and wretched people and they humbled themselves, repented, and accepted forgiveness through the innocent blood that paid for them.
