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“In him (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)

Have you ever wondered why there were so many shepherds in scripture? Maybe it was because lambs were in high demand. Innocent creatures lain bleeding upon an altar because of our need to be cleansed.

I’ve often wondered what church would look like today if we had no mediator – no advocate. What if we had to purchase a lamb and walk down that aisle entrusting our pastor to intercede on our behalf. As the blood would spill on the ground would we finally realize the price tag of our sin? Would it be enough to transform our hearts and quicken our spirits? Unfortunately, some of us would find ourselves piling up credit card debt to the shepherds to cover the price of our sin. Desperately lost and in need of a Savior, we would walk that path too often.

Eclipsing the pain of the cross, Christ saw the bigger picture in His suffering – redemption to the world. Was His death justified? No. Did He deserve it? No. Was it fair? No. Was it God’s divine plan? Yes. Was God glorified through it? Yes. Without pain, suffering and anguish we would not have free access to the Father; the gap between God and man would still exist.

Our malls aren’t bombarded with shepherds making a quick sale on Saturday night. Our sin debt has been paid in full, and we can gather at His feet without the intervention of anyone else. We’re privileged, treasured and welcomed – maybe it’s time we realized He is enough to transform our hearts.

“Father, Your gift of salvation is freely available to all who come seeking forgiveness.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life