From the Garden to the Grave

    For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him whether things on earth or things in Heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. Colossians 1:19,20

    The sins of mankind had to be dealt with through the sacrifice of God's own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who like a Lamb without spot or blemished would be slain for us on the cross! His painful journey after His glorious entrance would begin in a garden and lead Him ultimately to the grave.

    After the last supper with His disciples and being betrayed by Judas they went into the garden of Gethsemane to watch and pray. Gethsemane means, "oil press" where Jesus would be overcome with the stress of His mission to save mankind and be pressed to the point of sweating great drops of blood.

    Although fully God His flesh suffered not wanting to be tortured and die but He overcame His distress and cried out to His Father in agony, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." And He submitted to His Divine destiny to deliver mankind from their sins, and again, a second time He went away and prayed:

    "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." Matthew 26:42

THE SACRIFICE OF BLOOD

    "This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you." Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Hebrews 9:20,22

    In the Old Testament the High Priest would take the blood of a spotless lamb and sprinkle it on the mercy seat seven times to cleanse the people of God. Likewise, Jesus bled in seven specific places to set all of mankind free from their sins and sicknesses, those who would repent and make Jesus Lord!

    Jesus sweat blood in the garden which allowed us back into the presence of God of whom man was expelled for his disobedience. As we will see in the outline of His journey to the cross, each time He bled a miracle of healing, forgiveness and deliverance would occur making us ultimately complete in Him.

    Don't let the ritual of Easter become a dead and lifeless event with all the hype of bunnies, eggs and drama, but fix your eyes and heart on the miracle of the shedding of the Savior's blood that has allowed you to enter eternal life in Him!

    For as by one man's disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience (Jesus) many will be made righteous. Romans 5:18,19

BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES

    Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief when You make His soul and offering for sin. Isaiah 53:10

    Jesus was beaten and horribly bruised by the Romans in which He bled inside His body to break the generational curse of our iniquities passed down through the bloodlines of our ancestors.

    Iniquity is a depraved action, perversity, sin, guilt, crooked behavior, sexual sin or infraction of moral law, the word denotes the deed and the consequences. God said in His word that He would visit the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Him.

    The sin of Adam has traveled down the bloodlines of all mankind and has brought about the demise of billions of people bringing with it sickness, disease and infirmity. Hereditary diseases of all kinds proven to come from unfaithful ancestors, have originated from the generational curse!

    The first man (Adam) was of the earth, made of dust: the second Man (Jesus, the last Adam) is the Lord from Heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. I Corinthians 15:47-49

Your servant in Christ, Timothy Laughlin
   Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ