Wednesday, January 17, 2007
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
GO TO THE BANK OF THE JORDAN
If you were making plans to purchase a new car today, would you just go to the car dealership, whip out your wallet, and pay in cash? Well, probably not, not unless you carry all of your financial assets with you wherever you go, including large amounts of cash. Would you just go and write a check? I know my children think that a check is magic, that the paper itself worth money. "Just write a check, Dad!" We all understand that there has to be money to cover such a check, and you shouldn't write one unless you know that you have the amount available in your account. If we were going to buy a car, we would go to the bank and make sure the money is available to pay for the car.
Well, believe it or not, it's at a bank that we first learn who has been chosen by God to pay the debt that we, by our sins have incurred. What bank you ask? Well, it's not a financial institution; it's a different kind of bank, the bank of the Jordan River. It was at the bank of the Jordan that John the Baptist pointed out the one chosen by God to pay the price to remove your debt.
There is no earthly banker that can give you an amount sufficient to "pay off" God for your debt. God cannot be satisfied by earthly treasures or goods. He cannot be satisfied by good deeds. The debt of our sin is so great and we so evil that we cannot pay anything to reduce the amount! Don't bother looking for a loan. Scripture's hymn writer says (Psalm 49:7-8a), "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him -- For the redemption of their souls is costly . . ."
The only one who can pay our debt by offering Himself in our place is the Lamb of God, whose death (because He is True God) is sufficient payment for all sins, past, present and future.
When you sin today or are burdened by your sin and guilt, go to the bank of the Jordan and look to Jesus the Lamb of God who has paid your debt in full.
Jesus, my Savior, himself did offer;
Jesus, my Savior, paid all I owed.
Therefore I'll say again:
God loves me dearly,
God loves me dearly,
Loves even me.
(WS 709:4)
