Rescue and Reconciliation Through The Blood

Colossians 1:13-20

Colossians 1:13–20 (NASB95)

13 For He [the Father] rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him [Jesus], 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Last Sunday night we heard John the Baptist in John chapter 1, talk about this Beloved Son, this Lamb of God who rescues us from the domain of darkness — who reconciles us to Himself.

This Lamb who, as our text reminds us, is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation

The Lamb of God who created everything — everything exists FOR Him and everything continues to exist, at this moment, because He is holding it together

This Lamb of God, this Son of God is the Head of the Body, the church

He is the One who has first place in everything — everything, everywhere.

Jesus, in whom all fullness dwells

Jesus, who has made peace through the Blood of His cross

Jesus, the One John the Baptist called the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

For the past 2 Sunday nights we have pondered what John meant when he exclaimed at the sight of Jesus:

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!”

Last Sunday night we wondered if perhaps John was thinking of the Passover Lamb revealed in Exodus 12.

A lamb that each one of us has to take.

God isn’t forcing any of us to accept His plan of salvation

BUT, He also isn’t giving us any alternatives — Buddah, Allah, no other religion is an alternative

ONLY though Jesus can we experience salvation.

ONLY as we accept the Lamb that God has given to take our place, can we be saved from the justified wrath of God

Only through the Blood of Jesus can our sins be washed away

Last Sunday night we considered that lamb in Exodus 12 that prefigured Jesus, that showed us how it had to shed his blood and die because of our sins — so that WE can be saved from the destroyer

The lamb whose blood needs to be applied to the doorposts and lintel of our lives

The lamb that has to be completely consumed, nothing left.

The lamb that has to be consumed while we are dressed for departure — ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Read Exodus 12 and see Jesus as the Paschal or Passover Lamb given for us.

Perhaps it was that Lamb, the Passover Lamb, to which John was referring when he made the declaration of Jesus being the Lamb of God.

Our text tells us that it certainly is Jesus, the Lamb of God, who through His Blood, has rescued us from the domain of darkness.

That certainly it is Jesus, the Lamb of God, who, through His Blood has reconciled us into relationship with our Father who is in heaven, who is holy.

Do you know the Lamb?

Have you had His Blood applied to your life?

Have you been rescued and reconciled through His Blood?

Rescued

A few years ago Christian artist Zack Williams released a song called Rescue Story.

In it he says:

Verse 1: There I was empty-handed, Crying out from the pit of my despair

There You were in the shadows Holding out Your hand

You met me there

And now where would I be without You? Where would I be, Jesus?

Verse 2: You were writing the pages Before I had a name Before I needed grace,

oh You sing a song of redemption

'Cause every time I ran away You were louder than my shame

And now where would I be without You? Where would I be, Jesus?

Chorus: You were the voice in the desert

Calling me out in the dead of night

Fighting my battles for me You are my rescue story

Lifted me up from the ashes Carried my soul from death to life

Bringing me from glory to glory

You are my rescue story

You are, You are You are my rescue story You are, You are

The Bridge Says over and over: You never gave up on me You never gave up on me You are my testimony,

Thank God that He saves us through the Blood of Jesus!

That He Lifts us up from the ashes and Carried our soul from death to life

That He never gives up on us!

Because, we were the proverbial drowning person.

Going down for the 3rd time.

When the Holy Spirit opened our eyes to see our only hope of rescue —

Salvation through the Blood of Jesus.

You see until the Holy Spirit opens our eyes, we are blind to Jesus.

It’s as if He is standing in a shadow even though He is, as He Himself declared in John 8:12, the Light of the World.

As Zach Williams sings: There You were in the shadows Holding out Your hand

Brother Ervin Thomason and I once had a discussion about a 1947 chorus by E.J. Rollings that says:

Standing somewhere in the shadows You'll find Jesus He's the Friend who always cares and understands Standing somewhere in the shadows you will find Him And you'll know Him by the nail prints in His hands

We wondered how Jesus, the Light of the World stand in a shadow?

I didn’t have an answer at the time, but as I saw that same thought in Zach Williams’ song I had to question what it means that Jesus is standing in the shadows.

And then the Lord directed my attention to:

2 Corinthians 4:3–6 (NASB95) And even if our gospel [the good news of rescue, of salvation through Jesus] is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

For those who don’t know Jesus, who do not have a right relationship with Him, Jesus is standing in a shadow.

They can’t see the light of the glory of Christ.

But that is NOT a permanent, irreparable condition.

As 2 Corinthians 4:6 says: The Holy Spirit can shine the Light of Jesus in hearts that are blind to Him.

So, can we pray right now for everyone hearing this message to have the blinders that satan has put on their eyes removed?

So they can experience the rescue and reconciliation that comes from repenting of their sins and surrendering to Him?

Prayer

The Holy Spirit, reveals the rescue plan of the Father. He shows us that if we will repent of our sins.

If we will, by faith, receive forgiveness of sins.

If we will surrender control of our lives to God.

We can be rescued.

And that Rescue isn’t a maybe so or a I hope so — it is a “Know so!”

Once we are rescued:

Romans 8:15–16 (NASB95) For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

Thank God for rescue!

Have you experienced God’s rescue, given through the Blood of Jesus?

Reconciled

But, not only have we been rescued, our text in Colossians tells us we have been reconciled.

One of the saddest things we see today is families who are estranged.

Wives and husbands separated from one another.

Daughters cut off from fathers.

Son cut off from mothers.

Grandchildren cut off from grandparents.

Some problem, some stupid argument, some misunderstanding has estranged people from one another.

We live in a world saturated with separation.

Reports tells us that not only has there been a pandemic of covid, but there is a pandemic of loneliness — because people have cut themselves off from others.

Father God, looking at this lonely world, says: “Enough!”

“My beloved Son, I’m giving you to bring reconciliation.”

“First and foremost, with the Blood of Your Cross, You will buy reconciliation between Me and my lost children.”

That’s what our text says in verse 19 & 20:

Colossians 1:19–20 (NASB95) For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Thank God for reconciliation with Him bought by the Blood of Jesus!

We are not alone in the world!

But the Father who reconciles us to Himself, also desires that we be reconciled to others.

True and lasting reconciliation with others STARTS with US being reconciled to God.

An inability to reconciled to others is sure-fire evidence we are not where we should be with God.

God helps us to do what we can’t do on our own — forgive others the wrong they have done to us — or to forgive a PERCEIVED WRONG.

How many people are cut off from relation ship with others because of PERCEIVED WRONGS?

I believe reconciliation with God brings the power of the Holy Spirit to bear on our lives.

Jesus says in: John 16:13 (NASB95) “But when He, the Spirit of truth [talking about the Holy Spirit], comes, He will guide you into all the truth; ...

How many times have we thought someone intended to hurt us or deliberately hurt us?

But that simply was not true.

The Holy Spirit reveals truth.

If you have been reconciled to God through the Blood of Jesus, I want to encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to show you the truth about any relationships where you are estranged from someone else:

A mother or father

A physical brother or sister

A spiritual brother or sister

Someone who was a close friend

A neighbor, coworker, fellow student ...

Maybe you were mistaken about the harm they did you.

Maybe the devil has tried to keep you in the misery and slavery of loneliness.

Through the truth, revealed by the Holy Spirit, be reconciled with others today!

And then sometimes the truth is people DID mean to hurt us.

The Holy Spirit reveals they did maliciously attacked us in some way.

They intended to harm us.

But reconciliation is still possible!

The Blood of Jesus can bring forgiveness and healing of that relationship.

Forgiveness?

Sometimes, whether intentional or not — even when we know the truth — we have a hard time forgiving others.

Jesus, in the prayer He taught us in Matthew 6 teaches us to pray. And part of that prayer involves forgiveness:

Matthew 6:12 (NASB95) ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And then, right after teaching this prayer, Jesus says this huge thing:

Matthew 6:14–15 (NASB95) “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

So, through the Blood of Jesus, with the same forgiveness Jesus extends to us:

WE CAN FORGIVE OTHERS!

So we hear God saying:

“My reconciliation doesn’t just bring relationship between Me and My children — it brings reconciliation with others.

It brings about the fulfilment of the prophecy in

Malachi 4:2–6 (NASB95) “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. 3 “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the LORD of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 6 “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

The Blood of Jesus’ Cross

Praise God for the Blood!

It sends rescue.

it brings reconciliation.

Have you experienced rescue and reconciliation through the Blood of Jesus?

You can today.

There’s no hopeless situation.

He can rescue you no matter what the predicament it.

He bring reconciliation no matter how big the rift between yourself and Him.

Between yourself and others.

IF you will let Him!

Will you?

Prayer for rescue and reconciliation.

If you have experienced rescue or reconciliation, would you let me know?

I would like to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus.

I can help you with Bible study materials.

To those who have experienced rescue and reconciliation through the Blood.

We need to tell others!

Will you commit to telling others?