It’s the contrast that hits me this morning. The contrast between the God who, through Isaiah, declares He is God like no other (Isa. 45:5-6), and the same God, recorded by Luke, who is crucified on the cross (Lk. 23:32-34). The contrast between the One who promises to send a Servant, cloaked in the Spirit, who will bring forth justice to the nations. and that same Servant who, sentenced by the representative power of the nations to die, cries out to Him who sent Him, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Behold your God. Behold the Servant. Worship in the Spirit.

And then I read in Hebrews how this One God in Three Persons has orchestrated these mind-blowing contrasts to secure “an eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12b).

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

(Hebrews 9:13-14 ESV)

The blood of goats and bulls had its place, for “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (9:22). But it was a temporary fix for an eternal problem. The blood of bulls allowed the high priest to enter the holy of holies each time he came to administer atonement. The blood of goats was sufficient to pay the price for those needing cleansing from the defilement of sin. But the blood of goats and bulls was insufficient to purify the conscience, thus releasing it from slavery to sin.

“But when Christ appeared as High Priest” (9:11), He, once for all, entered the heavenly holy of holies (of which the earthly inner sanctum was but a picture) by His own blood and secured an eternal redemption. Thus, the contrasts found in Isaiah and Luke this morning reveal the supernatural workings by which my conscience could be forever cleansed, and my soul forever saved. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Saved for what purpose?

To serve the living God.

That’s not the “price we pay” for being saved. Service to God isn’t “our end of the deal.” Serving the living God is salvation. It is the abundant life! As those created in His image and purchased by blood to be His people, it is the secret sauce to flourishing as sons and daughters of God.

A God unlike any other god — so other-worldly that He would come in flesh to redeem His creation.

A Savior unlike any other Savior — the Son giving Himself freely so that the Father might, with justice met, freely forgive our sin.

A Spirit unlike any other Spirit — the eternal power of God that raised Jesus from the dead and infuses us with His life. A new life to serve the living God.

Oh, the contrasts of salvation. Oh, the wonder of salvation’s plan.

Purposed by the God like no other. Accomplished by the Savior like no other. Internalized and energized by the Spirit like no other.

What amazing grace.

To Him be all the glory.