Good morning and Praise the Lord! Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings to you all. Let us remember that Jesus Christ, alone, is the reason for this Christmas season, and every season of every year forever.
As I often say, we need to always see Jesus Christ as He is. Jesus Christ is not lying in a manger, nor hanging on an old rugged tree, nor is He dead in a rich man’s borrowed tomb. Rather, Jesus Christ is alive and well, for God resurrected His son Jesus from the dead on the third-day. He showed Himself alive with many infallible proofs to more than 500 people, and for 40-days came again speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3 & I Cor. 15:6) Afterwards, Jesus’ disciples saw Him taken up into heaven, and He sat down on the right-hand of God in all power, dominion, and majesty forevermore. (Mark 16:19) And, as Jesus Christ is so are we in this world! (I John 4:17)
I want to preach into your hearing a message entitled: “The Gift From God You Will Never Forget: The Shed Blood of Jesus Christ.”
Most of us can hardly remember what gifts we received last Christmas, or the year before, from family and friends. But, I guarantee you on this Christmas, once you have full knowledge about the gift that God has given to you—the shed blood of Jesus Christ—you will never forget it! You will use this gift for all eternity. You will shout for joy, fanatically praise and thank God for it, and this gift will change your life forever!
Let us begin with John 3:16. This Scripture is among the most well-known and often quoted in the entire Bible. It comes from a conversation that Jesus Christ had with Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee and a very rich ruler of the Jews, about things pertaining to the kingdom of God and eternal life. I want us to read it together out loud. It reads,
For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.
Praise Almighty God! Jesus Christ told Nicodemus that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that any person who would believe in Him should not perish, but live eternally.
Note, Jesus Christ did not say those who “believe on Him,” but those who “believe in Him.” To believe in Jesus Christ means to acknowledge with all of your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is in God, and God is in Jesus Christ. That God is Jesus’ Father, and Jesus is the only begotten Son of God the Father. That Jesus Christ is the Messiah, Savior and Lord, who God sent to save the world. Do you believe this? If you do, then God’s gift of the shed blood of Jesus Christ belongs to you!
Please think with me for a moment also about these words from John 3:16. “For God so loved the world.” Think about it. When you “so love” someone, you take extraordinary steps to plan ahead to give that person the very best of everything you have for them.
When you so love someone, your intent is to ensure that the person derives maximum benefits from knowing and being in relationship or fellowship with you. You also so love them, in hopes that they will so love you back! Love was sown into that person, therefore, it is only right that the love be returned. But, as born-again Christians, whether the person loves you back or not, the love you gave to them was given freely and without conditions.
As parents, we so love our children. We love them so much, that we not only nurture, admonish, and support them from birth into adulthood; but for many parents while the child is yet in the womb of the mother, they plan far ahead to give their child the very best life they can afford.
For example, parents plan ahead for their child’s college education by saving and investing money. Parents take out life and disability insurance policies, and make their children beneficiaries in the event of their death and/or become disabled. Parents secure auto insurance for their children when they come of age to drive an automobile in case they are involved in an auto accident. Parents make and file wills with the state government to leave their assets to their children. These are all things parents plan for and execute to the best of their ability, because they so love their children.
Well I am here to tell you, if you believe in Jesus Christ, God is your Father. And, since God is your Father, He has planned ahead of time—through the shed blood of Jesus Christ—to give you the very best life you can have throughout all eternity. Our Father God, is as no other god! He is “omniscient.”
In other words, our God is the “know it all God.” God understands and knows all things. (Psalm 139:4 & 147:5) Before there was anything created that is seen or unseen—God already knew everything about that thing! Therefore, God is the master planner and His ability to plan ahead and execute His plan is unmatched!
Now hold on to your seats, as I am about to say somethings that are going to absolutely blow your minds. The blood of Jesus Christ was shed for all of mankind and the world, before the creation of the world!
Examine these two scriptures, respectively with me from Rev.13:8 and I Peter 1:18-20, and see how God so loved us from eternity past—from a place where there was no space or time:
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship
him, whose names are not written in the book of
life of the Lamb (Jesus) slain from the foundation
of the world. (Rev. 13:8)
Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed
with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your
vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as
of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who
verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times
for you. (I Peter 1:18-20)
Jesus Christ is the precious and chosen Lamb of God who died for the sins of the world. His mission became clear to mankind only after He had been crucified on the cross. Yet, the Apostle John records at Revelation 13:8 that the Lamb was chosen and slain from the creation of the world.
Also, the Apostle Peter received the revelation that Jesus Christ was predestinated to shed His blood and die for the sins of the world. By the blood of Jesus Christ, we were redeemed from death, hell, and destruction before the creation of the world. But the physical shedding of Jesus’ blood, sufferings, death, and resurrection were brought out in public view for mankind to see, for our good in these last days—about 2000 years ago.
The true reality of our Lord Jesus Christ was revealed to us on earth all within mere moments of time; from Jesus’ immaculate conception, birth, life, death, and resurrection—they were all fore-ordained, pre-planned, and executed by God in the Spirit. The dateless past of eternity where there was only God, the Word—later revealed as Jesus Christ—and the Holy Ghost. (John 1:1-2, 14, Prov. 8:22-27) Jesus’ blood was shed before God created the heaven and earth. (Gen.1:1) You may ask why? It was because God so loved the world.
Before the foundation of the world—before God created the heaven and earth—through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God, established His kingdom for all who would believe in His son Jesus Christ, love, and worship Him. (Matt. 25:31-34) Furthermore, the Apostle Paul enlightened us in many passages of Scripture about the handiworks of God toward us before the foundation of the world.
Paul wrote that God fore-knew all who would ever come to believe in Jesus Christ, and called and made us sons of God, and heirs of all things. (Rom. 8:17, 28-39). God blessed us with all spiritual blessings, declared us holy, blameless, and acceptable in His sight (Eph.1: 3-6) Moreover, through the shed blood of Jesus before the foundation of the world, we were given redemption and the forgiveness of sins, and made God’s own handiwork ordained to do the works of God. (Eph.1:6-7 & 2:10)
Wow this is so awesome! From the knowledge that Jesus’ blood was shed before the foundation of the world we can see that Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden, which plunged all of mankind into sin and damnation, did not destroy God’s purpose and plan in creating mankind and the world.
No way! God as I said before in omniscient, and nothing takes Him by surprise, unaware, or unprepared for any event. God does not go around chasing after the devil trying to sort out the mess he creates. God knows the secrets of every heart. (Psalm 44:21) Rather, the blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed before the world began conquered and provided us with the victory over all the evil works of Satan before sin was ever committed!
Are you ready for this? Satan, whose name was Lucifer, was not even created when the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for the world! According to the Dake Bible commentary, Lucifer was a created being (an anointed cherubim) who God had given authority to rule over the nations and inhabitants (called Pre-Adamites) of the earth God first created. (Genesis 1:1 & Ez. 28:11-19)
Lucifer was created by God full of wisdom. God made him perfect in beauty. God adorned Lucifer in the finest of precious jewels. God placed within him musical instruments. God established for Lucifer a thrown and kingdom on earth called the Holy Mountain of God. God permitted Lucifer to inhabit and enjoy the first Garden of Eden. God appointed him to serve as the worship leader of the Pre-Adamites in sanctuaries all over the earth. Lucifer ruled in perfection and was sinless from the day he was created until the day God found iniquity in his heart.
Lucifer’s beauty went to his head and he became full of pride. He corrupted his wisdom thinking in his heart that he could dethrone God—who had created him. Lucifer went about the earth and up to heaven “trafficking,” slandering and profaning God among his subjects, the Pre-Adamites whose hearts became wax cold and turned away from God, and some of God’s angels as well.
Lucifer boasted in his heart that he would “ascend into heaven, exalt his throne above the stars of God, he would sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north, ascend above the heights of the clouds and would be like the most-high God.” (Is.14.12-15) God’s reply to all of Lucifer’s vain psycho-babble was that he would be “brought down to the sides of the pit.”
In a conversation with 70-disciples about their command over devils during an outreach mission, Jesus Christ testified that He had seen Satan fall like lightening from heaven—referring to Satan being casted out of heaven when he and a portion of the angels rebelled against God and attempted to invade heaven from earth. (Luke 10:17-18 & Rev.12:4)
Afterwards, God brought judgment on the first created earth through a great flood because of Lucifer and the Pre-Adamites’ great sin against God. Not only was the earth flooded with water, but water covered it with total darkness—the sun, moon, and stars withdrew their light, causing all life on earth to be totally destroyed. (Gen.1:2, Jer. 4:23-28, & II Peter 3:5-6) Every person, animal, fowl of the air, and the entire social system was destroyed. Please note this was not the flood of Noah. Noah’s flood was the second time God brought judgment on earth by water because of the sins of mankind.
Among the many differences from this first flood, and Noah’s flood, is that in the first flood—all life on earth was totally destroyed. Whereas in Noah’s flood, Noah’s family (8 people), animals, fowls, the social system on earth, as well as the ark made by Noah to save life survived during the 40-days of flooding of the earth. (Gen. 6:18-20, 8:17-22) Moreover, in the New Testament, Noah’s flood is specified as the times or days of Noah’s flood. (Matt. 24:37-39, Luke 17:26-27, I Peter 3:20, II Peter 2:5, and Heb.11:7)
Further, we know that there were human beings who inhabited the earth before God created Adam, because after God created Adam—he commanded Him to be “fruitful, multiply, replenish and subdue” the earth. (Gen.1:28) Adam could only replenish the earth by procreating after his own kind, just like any other living thing God had made when He re-created the earth. So, in the first flood of the earth, the Pre-Adamites drowned to death, which proves they were created human beings. The Pre-Adamites were different from Adam in that he was created in the image of God, after God’s own likeness, whereas the Pre-Adamites were human creations of God that inhabited the first created earth.
When God released the chaotic earth from the curse and judgment of sin, (Gen.1:2) in Genesis 1:3-19, He was giving permission for the re-creation of earth to come forth. Satan residing in the lower heavens during the flood, had lost complete authority and ruler-ship over the earth. God, in turn, gave to Adam dominion and authority over the recreated earth, planted and set him in his Garden of Eden, and commanded him to subdue the earth—a reference not to permit anything to rise up against him.
Neither Satan, nor any of the fallen angels (demons) had any power over Adam and Eve, and could not touch their lives with evil. Satan, using a serpent, could only ask of Adam and Eve deceptive questionings and make accusations about God and the commandment given to them concerning the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, to tempt them to disobey God. (Gen. 3:1-5)
Finally, we are assured that Lucifer had no knowledge of the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ before the world began because Lucifer, like all other things, were created after God created the heaven and the earth. Everything, whether invisible or visible, in heaven and earth, were created by and through Jesus Christ’s shed blood. (Col.1:12-17) This is why the Scripture says that we overcome the wicked one by the blood of the Lamb and word of their testimony. (Rev.12:11)
Before God made anything, the blood of Jesus Christ was already shed for everything that would ever exist in the world! This is also why at the mention of the name of Jesus Christ, every knee should bow and tongue confess His name to the glory of God—whether they are things in heaven, on earth, or beneath the earth! (Php.2:9-11)
God fore-knew Lucifer would rebel against Him and be cut down long before he ever created Him. God fore-knew before He created Adam, that when tempted by Satan to sin, he would acquiesce and fall. But, because God so loved the world, if you will, He took out an insurance policy on mankind and the world. A comprehensive/umbrella insurance policy against sin, iniquity, and transgressions, wherein the shed blood of Jesus Christ indemnifies all who believe in Him against all the works of the devil past, present, and future.
The blood of Jesus Christ eternally pays for all damages and destruction caused by sin, and promises to restore everything lost, stolen, and broken back to new! The main strength of insurance (like in the natural world) is that it is taken out before the incident occurs. Jesus’ death on the cross, before the creation of the world, settled and paid for the debt of sin, before it even happened in the natural realm!
Jesus’s sufferings and shedding of His blood at Calvary and resurrection from the dead on the third-day, were physical manifestations of what God had already accomplished before in eternity past. Jesus told His disciples that there is nothing that is hidden that shall not be revealed. (Luke 8:17) Jesus also proclaimed that the mysteries of the kingdom of God are revealed to those who are His disciples. (Mark 4:11)
As Jesus publicly ministered on earth as the Son of man, on many occasions, He predicted before His disciples and many others that He would suffer, be crucified, and rise again from the dead on the third-day so that the Jewish people He was sent to might believe in Him. (Matt. 16:21-23, Mark 8:31, and Luke 9:21-22) But in reality, Jesus was not prophesying about His death, burial, and resurrection. Rather, He was revealing to mankind what God had already planned and executed in the Spirit before the world began! In other words, Jesus was only telling them what He had seen His Father do in eternity past. (John 5:19)
It was after the fall of Adam, that God slowly began revealing to mankind, down through the ages, the importance of the shedding of blood to cover sin. After Adam and Eve sinned and separated themselves from God, they tried to cover up their nakedness with fig leaves. (Gen. 3:7) But God found fig leaves an unacceptable method for covering sin. God shed the blood of animals, and with the skins of the animals clothed the first couple—the blood shed from the animals symbolically served to cover their sins both spiritually and physically. (Gen. 3:21)
Under the Law of Moses, it is recorded at Exodus 12:3-6, that God commanded an animal be sacrificed and blood shed for the family. In Leviticus 17:11, God through Moses revealed to Israel that it is the “blood,” which makes atonement for one’s life, and that the shedding of the blood of animals on the altar constituted an acceptable practice for atoning for their sins. In Exodus 30:1-10 and Leviticus 16:3-34, an animal was sacrificed and its blood shed for the nation of Israel.
But all these animal sacrifices offered by priests at various times and occasions under the law of Moses only served as pictures, types, and a foreshadowing of the true and only acceptable offering for the sins of mankind—the precious and spotless blood of Jesus Christ. The offering of animals could never actually take away sins. Only the shed blood of Jesus Christ, planned and executed before the world began, revealed in physical manifestation 2000 years ago, can take away the sins of the world.
John the Baptist proclaimed that the perfect sacrifice had come to earth when he saw Jesus coming to be baptized, saying “behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world. (John 1:29) It was by “one” offering of the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross that provided eternal redemption for the sins of mankind for all times—past, present, and future. (Heb. 9:12-14, 28 & 10:6-12, 16-18) Do you see the pattern? God all along was revealing His gift to mankind—the "lamb of God” slain from the foundation of the world."
Knowing that the blood of Jesus Christ was shed before the world began, has far reaching implications for our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, and our walk with the Lord. For example, the New Covenant we have with God in Jesus Christ, instructs us to boldly enter into the holiest (presence of God) “by the blood of Jesus”—which is a new and living way that Jesus’s blood has consecrated for us.
In our prayer time, when we acknowledge our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, we have immediate access to God, and when we confess the promises of God with our hearts and mouths without wavering (doubting) we will see them manifest in our lives. For God is faithful that promised. (Heb.10-19-23) All of the promises of God given to us as an inheritance before the foundation of the world, are manifested when we appropriate the blood of Jesus.
Also, by faith in the blood of Jesus, as we pray in the Holy Ghost (speaking in other tongues) we release mysteries from the kingdom of God—hidden wisdom established for us before the foundation of the world. Our faith in the blood of Jesus assures us that the wisdom of God will physically materialize in our lives with God-good things prepared before the world began. (I Cor. 2:6-12) All because God so loved us and we so love Him!
We can also have boldness and assurance in knowing that the blood of Jesus Christ is the answer to every trouble and tribulation we encounter in life. The blood of Jesus is our omnipotent provision that supplies and surpasses all of our needs. We don’t have to try to figure out how God will heal our bodies, feed our families, protect us in troublesome times, prosper us in our jobs, give us all good things. For the blood of Jesus Christ has already provided for our complete redemption as we read earlier in I Peter 1:18-20.
Lastly, I always wondered about the passage of Scripture at Ephesians 5:27. The Apostle Paul stated that when Jesus Christ returns, He is coming for a “glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish.” For many Christian folks they spend their entire lives toiling in self-works and strength to be perfect and sinless. Thinking if they live holy enough and good enough, heaven belongs to them. In fact, we use to sing a song years ago that said, “If you live right heaven belongs to you.”
However, being caught up with Jesus Christ at the rapture is not based on our performance as Christians. Rather, it’s based on our belief in Jesus’ performance when His blood was shed before the foundation of the world; and the revealing of His sufferings, death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead that alone guarantees our salvation! (John 3:17-18)
Upon Jesus Christ’s return for His Church, every born-again Christian will be spotless, wrinkle free, and without blemish because of what Jesus Christ will do for us. For the Lord Himself will change us into His glorious image, and not we ourselves. (I John 3:1-3, I Cor. 15:51-52, & I Thess. 4:14-17)
When we see Jesus, in a twinkling of an eye, we all will be changed into His resurrected likeness in bodily form. Even as we await His return, if we have this hope within us, Jesus makes us pure, as He is pure. Remember, from the foundation of the world, we were predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, and at the rapture we will all see the great revealing of our true glory story with God. (Rom. 8:29-30)
In closing, do you see now why it’s so important to believe in Jesus Christ? When a person believes in Jesus Christ, through the shed blood of Jesus, they are entitled to receive the eternal inheritance God reserved for them from the foundation of the world. As Christians, daily, we must appropriate God’s gift of the blood of Jesus Christ in our lives. We must go about securing in physical manifestation “everything good” God has planned and provided for us through the blood of Jesus.
Confess and thank God for the blood of Jesus in everything you say and do. Jesus’ blood was shed to purchase (redeem) all that the enemy has, or ever will attempt to steal from you, and give you all that the kingdom of heaven has reserved and stored away for your good.
The Blood of Jesus Christ is your insurance policy against all evil and corruption in this world! You are the beneficiary of the policy. Claim your inheritance through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas and receive in entirety God’s Gift to you, the blood of Jesus Christ. Share the gift of the blood of Jesus Christ liberally wherever you go with all people. Thanks be unto God for the things He has done!