# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1904_S4 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 4 The Lutheran Pioneer. took the whole load upon Himself, fulfilling all the demands of the Law, and thus unburdening us. He having perfectly kept God’s Law for us, we are now free from its curse, free children of God. But Christ did more. He also died for our sins. Only by the shedding of blood can there be remis- sion of sins; and to gain forgiveness for us, Christ shed His own blood on the cross. God had said, The soul that sinneth must die,—death was the punishment of sin. This punishment Christ bore for us. ‘‘Christ His own self bare our sins in His Jesus Christ the Righteous; and He is the propi- tiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world,”’ 1 John 2,1.2. The high priests of the Old Testament were the mediators of the people. In this they were shadows of Christ, who is the true Mediator between God and man. He is ever at the right hand of His Father, making intercession for us. Having died for our sins and thus being the propitiation for our sins, His prayer for us is ever heard. Through Him we receive for- giveness of sins and power to overcome evil. His The Jewish High Priest. own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should liye unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed,’? 1 Pet. 2, 24. In the Old Testa- ment the high priest killed a goat upon whom the sins of the people were laid; but Christ, the true High Priest, took our sins upon Himself and gave Himself as a sacrifice for us upon the altar of the cross. He, the holy, harmless, undefiled Lamb of God, bore our sins and the punishment we had de- served; and being God Himself, His death was suf- ficient to atone for the whole world’s sins for all time. But Christ is still our High Priest, and as such intercedes for us with His heavenly Father. ‘‘If any man gin, we haye an advocate with the Father, prayers gain for us all we need to be preserved in faith, and to make progress in holiness. Yes, it is because of His intercession that God shows long- suffering and patience towards the sinner. Jesus, my great High Priest, Fulfilled the Law, and died, My guilty conscience seeks No sacrifice beside: His powerful blood did once atone; And now it pleads before the Throne. F. J. L. —— oo To be baptized is naught else than to be bathed and cleansed in the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. — Luther.