Infidels take great offense at the Scriptural doctrine laid down in this text. "Behold!" they cry in their hatred, "behold what a monster the God of the Bible is! He must first see the flow of blood before His wrath is satisfied. Why does He not simply pardon sinners if He is such a merciful God as the Bible declares?" We answer: Our God is indeed a merciful God, and He proved it supremely in giving His own dear Son to be a ransom for our sin. But our God is also a God of justice; and according to His justice He must punish sin, as all unbelievers will find to their terrible cost if they do not repent in time.

The punishment for sin is death, as it is written: "For the wages of sin is death;" (Romans 6:23). This truth was taught in the Old Testament by the shedding of the blood of the animal sacrifices. When an Israelite had sinned, he had to bring a lamb or some other perfect animal to the temple. This lamb became his substitute, taking his place. Being the sinner's substitute, it had to bear the punishment of his sin - its blood was shed. Thus the Israelite received remission. "Without shedding of blood is no remission." All those lambs sacrificed in the temple pointed to Christ, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. His death, too, was vicarious, He endured it in our place.

Since Christ is true man, His death availed for men, for human beings. But He is also true God; hence His death is of infinite value. By his sins man had offended the infinite justice of an infinite God. For this reason no mere man could by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransom for him. And therefore God "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all," [Romans 8:32] Since it is God's own Son who shed His blood and died for us, His death more than satisfied the justice of God. In Him "we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" [Colossians 1:14]. To Him be praise and glory forevermore!

[devotion text by Rev. F. W. Herzberger (1920) -
from the Family Altar - CPH (1957 edition)]
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