Subject 3 : The Gospel of the Water and the Spirit
[3-1] The Eternal Redemption (John 8:1-12)
(John 8:1-12)
“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’ Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”
“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’ Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”
| How much sin did Jesus blot out? |
| All the sins of the world |
Jesus gave us eternal redemption. There is no one in this world who cannot be redeemed if they believe in Jesus as their Savior. He redeemed us all. If there is a sinner who agonizes over their sins, it is because they do not understand how Jesus has delivered them of all sins with His baptism.
We should all know and believe in the secret of salvation. Jesus took over all our sins with His baptism and has borne the judgment for our sins by dying on the Cross.
You should believe in the salvation of the water and the Spirit; the eternal redemption from all sins. You should believe in His great love that has already made you a righteous man. Believe in what He did for your salvation at the Jordan River and on the Cross.
And Jesus knew all our hidden sins, too. Some people have a misconception about sin. They think that some sins cannot be redeemed. Jesus has redeemed all sins, every single one of them.
There is no sin in this world that He has not taken away. Because He has redeemed all the sins in this world, there are no sinners anymore. Do you know the gospel that redeemed all your sins, even your sins of the future? Believe in it and be saved. And return to the glory of God.
The Woman Who Was Caught in the Act of Adultery
| How many people in the world commit adultery? |
| Everyone |
In John 8, there is a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. And we see how she was saved by Jesus. We’d like to share the grace that she received. It isn’t too much to say that all human beings commit adultery throughout their lives. Every single person commits adultery.
If it doesn’t appear so, it is only because we do it so often that it appears as though we don’t. Why? We live with so much adultery in our lives.
I look at the woman and contemplate whether there is one among us who hasn’t committed adultery. There is no one who has not committed adultery just like the woman who was caught. We all only pretend that we haven’t.
Do you think I am wrong? No, I am not. Look carefully within. Everyone on the face of the earth has done it. They commit adultery while gazing at women on the street, in their thoughts and in their acts, anytime, anywhere.
They just don’t realize they are doing it. There are a lot of people who don’t realize until the day they die that they have committed adultery innumerable times throughout their lives. Not just those who are caught, but all of us who have never been caught. All people do it in their minds, and in their acts. Is this not a part of our lives?
Are you upset? It is the truth. We are just hushing it up because we are embarrassed. I believe that people these days commit adultery all the time but do not realize that they are doing it.
People commit adultery in their souls, too. We, who were created by God, live on this earth without ever realizing that we are committing adultery in our souls. Worshiping other gods is spiritual adultery because the Lord is the only Husband of all mankind.
The woman who was caught in the act was a human being just like the rest of us, and she received the grace of God just as we who were redeemed did. But the hypocritical Pharisees made her stand in their midst and pointed fingers at her as if they were judges, and were about to throw stones at her. They were about to ridicule her and to judge her as if they themselves were pure, as if they had never committed adultery.
Fellow Christians, those who know themselves to be a bundle of sin do not judge others before God. Rather, because they know that they too commit adultery all their lives, they receive the grace of God which has redeemed us all. Only those who realize that they are sinners who commit adultery all along are eligible to be redeemed before God.
Who Receives God’s Grace?
Does one who lives purely without committing adultery receive His grace, or does the unworthy one who admits oneself to be so sinful receive His grace? The one who admits themselves to be so sinful is the one who receives the abundant grace of His redemption. Those who cannot help themselves, those who are weak and helpless receive redemption. They are the ones who are in His grace.
| Who receives God’s grace? |
| Unworthy people |
The ones who think that they are without sin cannot be redeemed. How can they receive the grace of His redemption when there is nothing to redeem?
The scribes and Pharisees dragged the woman who had been caught in the act of adultery before Jesus and set her in their midst and asked Him, “Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” Why did they bring the woman before Him and test Him?
They themselves had also committed adultery many times, but they were trying to judge her and kill her through Jesus and trying to put the blame on Him.
Jesus knew what was on their minds, and knew all about the woman. So He said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Then the scribes and Pharisees, starting from the oldest even to the last, left one by one and only Jesus and the woman were left.
The ones who left were the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders. They were about to judge the woman who had been caught in the very act of adultery, as if they themselves were not sinners.
Jesus proclaimed His love in this world. He was the Host of love. Jesus gave people food, brought back the dead, gave life back to the son of a widow, revived Lazarus, healed lepers, and performed miracles for the poor. And He took all the sins of all sinners away and gave them salvation.
Jesus loves us. He is the almighty one who can do anything, but the Pharisees and scribes thought Him to be their enemy. That is why they brought the woman before Him and tested Him.
They asked, “Now, Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” They thought that He would tell them to stone her. Why? If we were to judge according to what is written in the law of God, all men who have committed adultery would be stoned to death without exception.
All have to be stoned to death and all are destined to go to hell. The wages of sin is death. However, Jesus didn’t tell them to stone her but said instead, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
| Why did God give us the 613 articles of the Law? |
| To make us realize that we are sinners |
The Law brings about wrath. God is holy and so is His Law. This Holy Law came to us in 613 articles. The reason God gave us 613 articles of the Law is to make us realize that we are sinners; that we are incomplete beings. It teaches us that we have to look to God’s grace to be redeemed. If we didn’t know this and thought about only what was written, we all would have to be stoned to death just as surely as the woman who was caught in the act.
The scribes and Pharisees who didn’t know the truth of His Law might have thought that they could stone the woman and maybe us, too. Who can throw stones at a helpless woman? Even if she was caught in the act, no one in this world could throw stones at her.
If the woman and each one of us were judged according to the Law only, we as well as the woman would receive a terrible judgment. But Jesus saved us, we who are sinners, from our sins and from the just judgment. With all our sins, if the law of God is applied strictly to the letter, who among us could stay alive? Every single one of us would end up in hell.
But the scribes and Pharisees knew of the Law only as it was written. If God’s Law was applied correctly, it would kill them just as surely as the one condemned by them. In fact, the law of God was given to men so that they could understand their sins, but they have suffered because they have misunderstood and misapplied it.
The Pharisees of today, just as the Pharisees in the Bible, only know the Law as it is written. They should understand the grace, the justice, and the truth of God. They have to be taught the gospel of redemption to be saved.
The Pharisees said, “The law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” They asked, holding stones confidently. They thought for sure that Jesus wouldn’t have anything to say about it. They were waiting for Jesus to take their bait.
If Jesus had judged according to the Law, He would also have been stoned by them. Their purpose was to stone the two of them. If Jesus had said not to stone the woman, they would have said that Jesus had scorned the Law of God, and stoned Him for blasphemy. What a terrible plot it was!
But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, and they continued asking Him, “What do You say? What are You writing on the ground? Just answer our question. What do You say?” They pointed their fingers at Jesus and kept harassing Him.
Jesus stood up and told them that the one among them without sin should throw a stone at her first. Then He stooped down and continued writing on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest, even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing in His presence.
“He Who Is without Sin among You, Let Him Throw a Stone at Her First”
| Where are sins recorded? |
| On the tablet of our hearts and in the Books of Works |
Jesus told them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first,” and He kept on writing on the ground. Then they started leaving one by one, starting with the older ones. The older Pharisees, who had committed more sins, went away first. And the young ones left as well. Let’s suppose Jesus was standing among us, and we were standing around the woman. If Jesus had said to us that he of us who was without sin should throw a stone first, what would you have done?
What had Jesus been writing on the ground? God, who created us, writes our sins in two different places.
First, He writes our sins on the tablets of our hearts.
“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; With the point of a diamond it is engraved On the tablet of their heart, And on the horns of your altars” (Jeremiah 17:1).
God talks to us through Judah. The sins of human beings are engraved with a pen of iron, with the point of a diamond. They are recorded on the tablet of our heart. Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground that men are sinners.
God knows that we sin and He engraves sins on the tablet of our heart. First, He records our works, the sins which we commit because we are fragile before the Law. As the sins are recorded in our hearts, we realize that we are sinners when we look at the Law. Because He recorded them in our hearts, in our conscience, we know that we are sinners before Him.
And Jesus stooped down the second time to write on the ground. The Scripture says that all our sins are also recorded in the Books of Works before God (Revelation 20:12). A person’s name and his sins are recorded in the Book. And they are also recorded on the tablet of the person’s heart. Our sins are recorded twice in the Book of Works and on the tablets of our hearts.
The sins are recorded on the tablet of everyone’s heart, young or old. That is why they didn’t have anything to say regarding their sin before Jesus. They who were trying to stone the woman were helpless before His words.
| When are our sins, which are recorded in two places, erased? |
| When we accept the redemption of the water and the blood of Jesus in our hearts. |
However, when you receive salvation, all your sins in the Book of Works are erased and your name will be entered in the Book of Life. Those whose names appear in the Book of Life go to heaven. Their good deeds, the things they have done in this world for the kingdom of God and His righteousness are also recorded in the Book of Life. They are accepted into heaven. The ones who are delivered of their sins enter the land of eternity.
The sins of every man are recorded in two places. So no one can deceive God. There isn’t anyone who has not sinned in their heart and who has not committed adultery in their heart. We are all sinners and we are all imperfect.
Those who have not accepted the redemption of Jesus in their heart cannot but agonize over their sins. They are not confident. They are afraid of God, afraid before God and others because of their sins. But the moment they accept in their heart the gospel of the redemption of the water and the Spirit, all the sins recorded on the tablet of their heart and in the Book of Works are wiped clean. They are delivered from all their sins.
There is the Book of Life in heaven. The names of those who believe in the redemption of the water and the Spirit are recorded in the book, and they will enter heaven. They enter heaven, not because they have not sinned in this world, but because they have been delivered from all their sins by believing in the redemption of the water and the Spirit. It is ‘the law of faith’ (Romans 3:27).
Fellow Christians, the scribes and Pharisees were sinners, just as the woman who was caught in adultery.
In fact, they had committed more sins because they pretended and cheated themselves that they were not sinners. The religious leaders were thieves with formal permits. They were thieves of souls, thieves of life. They dared to teach others creditably, though they themselves had not yet been redeemed.
There is no one who is without sin according to the Law. But a person becomes righteous, not because they do not sin, but because they have been redeemed from all their sins, and their name is recorded in the Book of Life. The important thing is whether one’s name has been recorded in the Book of Life. Because people cannot live free of sin, they have to be redeemed.
Whether you will be accepted into heaven depends upon whether you believe it or not. Whether or not you receive the grace of God depends upon whether you accept salvation in Jesus. What happened to the woman who was caught? She was standing there with her eyes closed because she knew she was due to die. Probably she was crying in fear and repentance. People become honest with themselves when they face death.
“Oh, God, it is proper that I have to die. Please accept my soul into Thy hands, and take pity on me. Please take pity on me, Jesus.” She pleaded to Jesus for the love of redemption. “God, if You judge me, I will be judged, and if You say I am without sin, then my sins will be erased. It is up to You.” She was probably saying all of these things. Everything was left up to Jesus.
The woman who was brought before Jesus didn’t say, “I did wrong, please forgive me for my adultery.” She said, “Please save me from my sins. If You redeem my sins, I will be saved. If not, I will go to hell. I need your redemption. I need the love of God, and I need Him to take pity on me.” She closed her eyes and confessed her sins.
And Jesus asked her, “Where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She answered, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you.” Jesus didn’t condemn her because He had already taken away all her sins through His baptism at the Jordan River, and she was already redeemed. Now, Jesus, not the woman, had to be judged for her sins.
He Said, “Neither Do I Condemn You.”
| Was she condemned by Jesus? |
| No |
This woman was blessed with salvation in Jesus. She was redeemed of all her sins. Our Lord Jesus tells us that He redeemed all our sins and that we are all righteous.
He tells us so in the Bible. Jesus took away our sins with His baptism at the Jordan River, and then He died on the Cross to pay for our sins. He tells us clearly that He redeemed all who believe in the redemption of His Baptism and judgment on the Cross. All of us need the written words of Jesus and need to hold on to those words. Then we will all be blessed with redemption.
“God, I have no merit before You. I have no talent. I have nothing to show You but my sins. But I believe that Jesus is my Lord of redemption. He took away all my sins at the Jordan River and atoned for them all on the Cross. He took away all my sins with His Baptism and His blood. I do believe in You, Lord.”
This is how you are saved. Jesus does not ‘condemn us.’ He gave us the right to be God’s righteous children: To those who believe in the redemption of the water and the Spirit.
Dear friends! The woman was redeemed. The woman who was caught in adultery was blessed with redemption before Jesus. We can also be blessed like that. Anyone who knows of their sins and asks God to take pity on them, anyone who believes in the redemption of the water and the Spirit in Jesus receives the blessing of redemption from God. Those who admit their sinfulness before God can be redeemed. One who sins and does not realize his own sins cannot be blessed with redemption.
Jesus took away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Any sinner in the world can be redeemed if they believe in Jesus. Jesus said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you.” He said He did not condemn her because all her sins already belonged to Him, He took all our sins onto Himself, and He was to be judged instead of us.
We Have to Be Redeemed before Jesus, Too
| Which is greater, the love of God or the judgment of God? |
| The love of God |
The Pharisees, with stones in their hands, as well as the religious leaders of today, interpret the Law to the letter. They believe that since the Law tells us not to commit adultery, one who sins will be stoned to death. They look at women and lust after them while pretending not to be committing adultery. They cannot be redeemed nor saved. The Pharisees and the scribes were the moralists of this world. They were not the ones Jesus called. These people never heard from Him, “I will not condemn you.”
Only the woman who was caught in adultery heard those joyous words. If you are honest before Him, you can also be blessed like her. “God, I commit adultery all my life. It appears as though I don’t only because I do it so often. I sin several times each day.”
When we stand before the Law and accept the fact that we are sinners who have to die and face God honestly and acknowledge ourselves just as we are, saying, “God, this is what I am. Please save me.” God will bless us with redemption.
The love of Jesus, of the water and the Spirit, has won over the just judgment of God. “Neither do I condemn you.” He does not condemn us and He says, “You are redeemed.” Our Lord Jesus Christ is the God of compassion. He has delivered us from all the sins of the world.
Our God is the God of Justice and the God of Love. The love of the water and the Spirit is even greater than His judgment.
His Love Is Greater Than His Justice
| Why did He redeem us all? |
| Because His Love is greater than His justice. |
If God had enforced His judgment to complete His justice, He would have judged all sinners and sent them to hell. But because the love of Jesus which saves us from the judgment is greater, God sent His only Son, Jesus. Jesus took all our sins onto Himself and received just judgment for all of us. Now, anyone who believes in Jesus as their Savior becomes His child and righteous. Because His love is greater than His justice, He redeemed us all.
We must thank God that He doesn’t judge us only with His justice. Just as Jesus told the scribes, the Pharisees, and their disciples, God wants mercy and the knowledge of God, not our offerings. Some people kill a cow or a goat every day and offer it before God and pray, “God, forgive my sins every day.” God does not want our offerings, but rather our belief in the redemption of the water and the Spirit. He wants us to be redeemed and delivered. He wants to give us His love and He wants to accept our faith. Can you all see this? Jesus has given us salvation.
Jesus hates sin, but He has a burning love for human beings, who were created in the image of God. He had decided even before the beginning of time to make us children of God, and He blotted out all our sins with His baptism and blood. God created us to redeem us, to clothe us in Jesus, and to make us His children. This is the love He has for us, His creations.
If God only judged us according to His just Law, we, the sinners, would all have to die. But He delivered us through the baptism and the judgment of His Son at the Cross. Do you believe it? Let’s confirm it in the Old Testament.
Aaron Laid His Hands on the Scapegoat
| Who passed the sins of Israel on to the live goat as their representative? |
| The High Priest |
All the sins of this world were expiated with the laying on of hands of the Old Testament and the baptism of the New Testament. In the Old Testament, all the yearly sins of Israel were atoned through the high priest, who laid his hands on the head of the goat without blemish.
“Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man” (Leviticus 16:21).
This is how they were atoned in the days of the Old Testament. To be redeemed from the daily sins, one brought a lamb or a goat without blemish to the tabernacle and offered it at the altar. He put his hands on the head of the offering, and his sins were passed on to the sacrifice. Then the sacrifice was killed and its blood was put on the horns of the altar by the priest.
There were horns on the four corners of the altar. These horns symbolize the Book of Deeds explained in Revelations 20:12. And its remaining blood was sprinkled on the ground, too. The ground represents the heart of man because man is created from dust. The people atoned for their daily sins this way.
But they could not make sin offerings daily. So, God allowed them atonement once a year for a year’s sins. This was on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. On that day, the representative of all the people of Israel, the high priest, brought two goats and laid his hands on them to pass all the sins of the people onto them and offered them before God to make atonement for the people of Israel.
“Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat” (Leviticus 16:21).
God had appointed Aaron as the High Priest of Israel. Instead of everyone having to lay his hands on the offerings individually, the high priest, as the representative of all the Israelites, laid his hands on the head of the live goat for the remission of a year’s sins(Took away Sin).
And he would narrate all the sins of Israel before God, “O God, Your children of Israel have sinned. We have worshiped idols, broken all articles of Thy Law, called Thy name in vain, created other idols, and loved them more than Thee. We didn’t keep the Sabbath holy, didn’t respect our parents, killed, committed adultery and thievery... We indulged in jealousy and quarrels.”
He listed all the sins. “God, neither the people of Israel nor I have been able to keep any of Thy Law. To be redeemed of all these sins, I lay my hands on the head of this goat and pass on to it all those sins.” The high priest laid his hands on the offering for all the Israelites and passed all the sins on to the head of the offering. The laying on of hands, means ‘to pass’ (Leviticus 1:1-4, 16:20-21).
| How was the atonement accomplished in the time of the Old Testament? |
| Through the laying of hands on the head of the sin offering |
God had given the ritual of sin offering to the people of Israel so that they could pass on all their sins and be redeemed. He specified that there should be a sin offering without blemish, the laying of hands on the head of the sin offering to the people of Israel for all their sins, and that the sin offering should die instead of a person.
On the Day of Atonement, the sin offering was killed and its blood was taken inside the Holy Place and sprinkled on the mercy seat seven times. Thus, the people of Israel atoned for a year’s sin on the tenth day of the seventh month.
The high priest entered the Holy Place alone to offer the sacrifice, but people gathered outside and listened for the sound of the golden bells on the robe of the ephod of the high priest to ring seven times as the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. Then the Israelites would rejoice that all their sins were atoned. The sound of the golden bells was the sound of the joyous gospel.
It is not true that Jesus loves certain people and redeems them only. Jesus took away all the sins of the world once for all time with His baptism. He wanted to deliver us once and for all. Our sins could not be redeemed every day; they were saved once and for all.
In the Old Testament, atonement was given through the laying on of hands and sin offering. Aaron laid his hands on the head of the live goat in front of all the Israelites and listed all the sins that people had committed during the year. He passed the sins on to the goat in front of everyone. Where are the sins of the people then? They were all passed on to the goat.
Then the goat was led away by a ‘suitable man.’ The goat, with all the sins of Israel, was led to the desert where there was no water and no grass. The goat, then, would wander the desert under the burning sun and finally die. The goat died for the sins of Israel.
This is the love of God, the love of redemption. This is how they atoned for a year’s sins in those days. But we are living in the time of the New Testament. It has been about 2000 years since Jesus came down to our world. He came and fulfilled the prophecy that He had made in the Old Testament. He came and redeemed all our sins.
To Redeem Us All
| What’s the meaning of ‘JESUS’? |
| The Savior who will save His people from their sins |
Let’s read Matthew 1.
‘But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins”’ (Matthew 1:20-21).
Our Father in Heaven borrowed the virgin Mary’s body to send His Son to this world to wash away all the sins of the world. He sent an angel to Mary and told her, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.” It meant the Son, coming through Mary, would become the Savior. Jesus Christ means the one who will save His people, in other words, the Savior.
The way Jesus took away all the sins of the world was through His baptism at the Jordan River. He was baptized by John the Baptist and all the sins of the world were passed on to Him. Let’s read Matthew 3:13-17.
‘Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”’
Jesus went to John the Baptist to redeem all of us from all our sins.
He walked into the water and lowered His head before John. “John, baptize Me now. It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. As I am to take away all the sins of the world and deliver all sinners from their sins, I need to take away their sins with baptism. Baptize Me now! Allow it!”
Thus, it was fitting to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. And right at that moment, all the righteousness of God which redeemed all our sins was fulfilled.
This is how He took away all our sins. All your sins were passed on to Jesus, too. Do you understand this?
Believe in the redemption of Jesus’ baptism and the Spirit and be saved.
| How was all righteousness fulfilled? |
| Through the Baptism of Jesus |
God had first promised Israel that all the sins of the people of Israel would be washed away with the laying on of hands and the sacrifice of the sin offering. However, as it was impossible for everyone to lay hands on the head of the goat individually, God consecrated Aaron to be the high priest so that he could offer the sacrifice for all the people of Israel. Thus, He passed all their yearly sins on to the head of the sin offering all at once. This is His Wisdom and the Power of redemption. God is Wise and Amazing.
He sent His Son Jesus to save our world. So the sin offering was ready. Now, there had to be a representative of all human beings, one who would lay his hands on the head of Jesus and pass on all the sins of the world onto Him. That representative was John the Baptist. In Matthew 11:11, God sent the representative of all humankind before Jesus.
It was John the Baptist, the last high priest of man. As it is written in Matthew 11:11, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” He is the only representative of humans. He sent John as the representative of every creature so that he could baptize Jesus and pass on all the sins of the world to Him.
If eight billion people on earth went to Jesus now and each had to lay their hands on Jesus to pass on their sins to Him, what would happen to His head? If more than eight billion people in this world had to lay their hands on Jesus, it would not be a pretty sight. Some enthusiastic people might press down so hard that all His hair would fall out. God, in His wisdom, appointed John to be our representative and passed all the sins of the world on to Jesus once and for all.
It is recorded in Matthew 3:13, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.” This was when Jesus was 30 years old. Jesus was circumcised 8 days after His birth. And there are few records of Him from then until He turned 30.
The reason Jesus had to wait until He was 30 years old to become the heavenly high priest was to fulfill the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy, God told Moses that the high priest should be at least 30 before he could minister the high priesthood. Jesus is the heavenly high priest. Do you believe this?
In the New Testament, Matthew 3:13-14 says, ‘Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”’ Who is the representative of humankind? John the Baptist. Then who is the representative of heaven? Jesus Christ is. The representatives met. Then who is the higher? Of course, the representative of heaven.
So John the Baptist, who was so bold as to cry out to the religious leaders in those days, “Brood of vipers! Repent!” suddenly became humble before Jesus. “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
At this point, Jesus said, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus came to this world to fulfill the righteousness of God, and it was fulfilled when He was baptized by John the Baptist.
‘Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”’
This is what happened when He was baptized. The gate of heaven was opened up when He was baptized by John the Baptist and took away all the sins of the world.
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12).
All the prophets and the law of God had prophesied up to John the Baptist. “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Everyone who believes in His Baptism can enter the kingdom of heaven without exception.
“Neither Do I Condemn You”
| Why was Jesus judged on the Cross? |
| Because He took away all our sins. |
Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and took away all the sins of the world. And later, He told the woman, “Neither do I condemn you.” He didn’t condemn the woman because He took away all the sins of the world at the Jordan and Jesus, not the woman, had to be judged for those sins.
Jesus blotted out all the sins of the world. We can see how afraid He was of the pain He would have to endure on the Cross because ‘the wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23). He prayed to God three times on the Mount of Olives to take this judgment away from Him. Jesus had the flesh of a human being, so it is understandable that He was afraid of the pain. Jesus had to bleed to fulfill the judgment.
Just as the sin offerings in the Old Testament had to bleed to pay for the sins, He had to be sacrificed at the Cross. He had already taken away all the sins of the world and now He had to give His life for our redemption. He knew that He had to be judged before God.
Jesus didn’t have any sin in His heart. But as all sins were passed on to Him through His baptism, God had to judge His own Son now. Thus, first, the justice of God was fulfilled and second, He bestowed on us His love for our salvation. Therefore, Jesus had to be judged at the Cross.
“Neither do I condemn you, neither do I judge you.” All our sins, intentional or unintentional, knowing or unknowing, had to be judged by God.
God did not judge us, but judged Jesus, who had taken all our sins on Himself by His baptism. God did not want to judge sinners because of His love and His compassion. The baptism and the blood on the Cross was His redemptive love for us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
This is how we know of His love. Jesus didn’t condemn the woman who was caught in adultery.
She knew that she was a sinner for she was caught in the act of adultery. She not only had sin in her heart, but also carried it in the flesh. There was no way she could deny her sin. However, because she believed that Jesus took away all her sins, she was saved. If we believe in redemption in Jesus, we will be saved. Believe it! It is for our own good.
| Who are the most blessed? |
| Those who have no sin |
All people sin. All people commit adultery. But all people are not judged for their sins. We have all sinned, but those who believe in the redemption of Jesus Christ are without sin in their heart. He who believes in the salvation of Jesus is the happiest of people. The most blessed are they who are delivered from all their sins, they who are now righteous in Jesus.
God tells us about happiness in Romans 4:7, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” We all sin until the time we die. We are disrespectful before God and we are incomplete. We keep on committing sins even when we are aware of His Law. We are so weak.
But God delivered us with the baptism and the blood of His only begotten Son and tells us, you and me, that we are no longer sinners, and that we are now righteous before Him. He tells us that we are His children.
The gospel of the water and the Spirit is the gospel of redemption. Do you believe it? To those who believe, He acknowledges them as righteous, saved, and His children. Who is the happiest man in this world? The one who believes and has been delivered. Have you been delivered?
Did Jesus omit taking your sins? No, He took all your sins with His baptism. Believe it. Believe and be redeemed of all your sins.
Just as If Swept Away with a Broom
| How much sin did Jesus take away? |
| All the sins of the world |
Let’s read 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!’” (John 1:29)
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
John the Baptist passed all the sins of the world on to Jesus at the Jordan. The next day, he witnessed that Jesus was the Lamb of God who took away all the sins of the world. He took on to His shoulders all the sins of the world.
All the sins of the world mean all sins that human beings commit in this world, the world from Creation until it ends. About 2000 years ago, Jesus took away all the sins of the world and redeemed us. As the Lamb of God, He took away all our sins and was judged for us.
Any sin that we human beings commit was passed on to Jesus. And He became the Lamb of God who took away all the sins of the world.
Jesus came to this world as the Savior, the one who would save all the sinners of the world. We commit sin because we are weak, because we are wicked, because we are ignorant, because we are frivolous, and because we are incomplete. All these sins were passed on the head of Jesus through His baptism at the Jordan. And He ended it all with the death of His flesh on the Cross. He was buried but resurrected after 3 days.
As the Savior of all sinners, as the Victorious, as the Judge, He now sits at the right hand of God. He does not have to redeem us again and again, and all we have to do is believe to be saved. Eternal life awaits those who believe, and destruction awaits those who do not believe. There is no other choice.
Jesus delivered you all. You are the happiest people on earth. All the sins you will commit in the future because of your weakness, He took them all.
Is there any sin left in your heart? ―No.―
Did Jesus take it all? ―Yes! He did.―
All people are the same. No one is holier than their neighbor. But as so many people are hypocrites, they think they are not sinners. But indeed they are sinners too. This world is the greenhouse that nurtures sin.
When women step out of their houses, they put on red lipstick, powder their faces, curl their hair, dress in nice clothes, and wear high-heels. Men also go to a barber to get their hair cut, groom themselves, put on clean shirts and fashionable ties, and shine thei rshoes.
But while they might look like princes and princesses on the outside, inside they are like the filthiest dumps.
Does money make people happy? Does health make people happy? No. Only redemption makes people truly happy. However happy a person looks on the outside, they are miserable if they have sin in their heart. They live in fear of judgment.
A redeemed person is bold like a lion even in rags. There is no sin in their heart. “Thank you, Lord, You saved a sinner like myself, You blotted out all my sins. I know I am not much to look at, but I praise You for saving me. I am forever redeemed of my sins. Glory be to God!”
A person who is delivered is a truly happy one. A person who has been blessed with His grace of redemption is a truly happy one.
As Jesus, ‘The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,’ has taken away all our sins, we are without sin. He ‘finished’ salvation for us at the Cross. All our sins, including yours and mine, are also included in ‘the sin of the world,’ and therefore we are all saved.
By God’s Will
| Do we have sin in our hearts when we are in Jesus Christ? |
| No, we don’t |
Dear friends, the woman who was caught in adultery believed in the words of Jesus and she was saved. Her story is recorded in the Bible because she was blessed with redemption. But the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees ran from Jesus.
If you believe in Jesus, it is Heaven, but if you leave Jesus, it is hell. If you believe in His works, it is like Heaven, but if you do not believe in His works, it is like hell. Redemption is not up to the endeavors of an individual, it is because of the salvation of Jesus.
Let’s read Hebrews 10. “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’” Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:1-10).
“By God’s will” Jesus offered His life to take our sins once for all time and was judged once for all and revived.
Therefore, we have been sanctified. “Have been sanctified” (Hebrews 10:10), is written in the past complete tense. It means that redemption does not need to be mentioned again. You have been sanctified.
“And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:11-14).
You are all sanctified forever. If you sin tomorrow, will you be a sinner again? Didn’t Jesus take away those sins also? He did. He took away the sins of the future, too.
‘But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin’ (Hebrews 10:15-18).
The phrase ‘remission of these’ means that He expiated all the sins of the world(Took away Sin). Jesus is our Savior. My Savior and your Savior. We have been saved by believing in Jesus. This is the redemption in Jesus and this is the greatest grace and greatest present from God. You and I, who have been redeemed of all sins, are the most blessed of all!
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