Exodus 14:14 (NIV)
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
When the risen Lord Jesus Christ appeared to His disciples, it shocked many that such an improbable method was being declared to them as the plan of salvation. They had been thinking of Jesus saving them from the Roman oppressors, similar to how the Lord had parted the Red Sea and saved the Israelites from their Egyptian oppressors (Exodus 14:14), and couldn’t understand how Jesus rising above death and coming back to life in a resurrected body was important until He himself explained the matter in Luke 24:
“36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
A similar seemingly strange occurrence, or instruction (among many), is recorded in the book of Exodus chapter 12 with the Israelites who were told to sacrifice a lamb and apply its blood on their doorposts to escape the condemnation intended for those who were oppressing God’s people:
The same way that the passover lamb was sacrificed by the Israelites in Exodus 12:13 as a sign of obedience and faith in God saving them from destruction,
“And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt,”
the blood of Jesus shed on the cross is given to us to save us from eternal destruction, if we choose to apply it (believe in its power). In the rescue story of the Israelites, God called them to a specific act that denoted their trust in God (and not in their own power or even the Egyptian gods and wealth) in order for them to be saved from the destruction that was planned for all the people around them. In the book of Exodus, chapter 14, God helps the children of Israel escape the oppressive forces chasing them:
In the case of God saving humanity from eternal destruction, Jesus was sent as the ultimate passover Lamb of God, taking away the sins of the world as John 1:29 declares,
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,”
and making a way when there was previously no way. This was displayed marvelously in Exodus 14:14 with the parting of the Red Sea that permitted the seemingly powerless Israelite slaves a safe passage to escape their seemingly more powerful adversaries. In the same way, Jesus makes a way when there is no way from the eternal condemnation we saw described in Genesis 3, into eternal life as Jesus declares in John 5:24:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
So what will you choose today? My prayer is that you will choose life by believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and savior of your life, and opt-out of the path of destruction that we been auto-enrolled in since original sin. It is as simple as what the former Christian-killer-turned-Jesus-preacher, Paul, states in his letter to the Romans, chapter 10:
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
We don’t need to do any works, sacrifices, offer money, or even smear blood on our doorposts (yay!) for this salvation that is offered through Jesus Christ,
“8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8, KJV)“
We are justified in front of God (Romans 3:25) when we are born-again believers in Jesus Christ. It doesn’t mean that Christians are incapable of sinning. It means that when Christians sin, they are convicted by the Holy Spirit who has now taken residence inside them, and are able to go to Jesus Christ who can help us overcome sin through His power. When we sin as born-again believers, we go to God, repent, as a process of sanctification, while still remaining justified by the blood of Christ in front of God. So call upon the name of the Lord and be saved from condemnation, and enjoy the gift of fellowship with Jesus Christ as you turn away from (repent) your former ways of life that go against what God wants for you:
“38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:38-42, KJV)”
Let’s read more about this Holy Ghost promised to believers, and the breaking of bread together 🙂 The next verse on the bright yellow card is:
