Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.  (Hebrews 9:12 KJV)

The words spoken by Jesus on the cross, “It is finished” were a cry of victory, not defeat. The death of Jesus was the beginning of a new covenant for all who believed in Him. No longer would the blood of innocent lambs be sacrificed for sin as required by the Mosaic Law.  The Father made a better way by sending Jesus into the world to make a one-time sacrifice through the shedding of His blood.  Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world and became the sacrificial Lamb of God. The sin debt was settled, and reconciliation to God was made possible. Jesus laid down His life willingly, offering humanity the gift of eternal life.

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.  (John 10:17-18 NIV)

The Resurrection proved that Jesus was the Son of God, who was sent by the Father to die for our sins.  (John 3:16)  Because Jesus rose from the dead, we have the assurance that our salvation is secure.  Let us rejoice that we worship a risen Savior who is alive today. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for our sinless Savior, who laid down His life for us.  Let us never forget the sacrifice He made for us at Calvary.  Let the gift of eternal life be our most treasured gift. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.