We have spent considerable time in our journey through the Gospel of Mark thinking about the things that were “written” of Christ. Nevertheless, here is yet another reminder, in outline form, of the OT promise of the cross.
1. Man needs a Savior. Gen. 3:15 (the seed of the woman), 21 (the tunics provided by the Lord, that required the shedding of blood); 4:3-4 (the Lord’s respect for Abel’s blood sacrifice).
2. Only God can provide this Savior. In Gen. 22 (Abraham offering Isaac on Mt. Moriah) Abraham told his son, “God will provide Himself the Lamb” (22:6-7). Out of that story came a name for God: Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. In that story we can see that the Savior would be the Son of God.
3. This Savior must meet God’s standards. He must …
a. Be the perfect Lamb without defect (Lev. 1:3). Jesus “knew no sin” when He became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21).
b. Provide atonement (propitiation, satisfying the wrath of God, Lev. 1:4). Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world (1 Jn. 2:2).
c. Pay the price of redemption that our sins will be forgiven (Lev. 16:7-10). Christ was that Savior (Eph. 1:7).
d. Be lifted up that all who will may look to Him (Num. 21:4-9). Jesus satisfied this picture as well (John 3:14-15; 8:28; 12:32f).
4. Men must by faith accept the Savior God provides (Lev. 1:4, seen in the laying on of hands with the Lamb, transferring their sin to the sin-bearer).
What we see in the consistence between the Old and New Testaments is not only that God is faithful to His promises. It also tells us that things are and always have been the same. The need is always there. People are always sinners estranged from their Creator. They are in a hopeless situation, unable to be their own Savior (Ps. 49:7-8). God Himself, the One offended by the sinner, must come to the aid of the sinner. But Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God and Son of Man, He meets the need and only Him. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Heb. 9:13-14). God has met our need. There is nothing for you to do but to receive the Savior, to look away from all other offers and to look to the cross of Jesus. Whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life.
