BLEEDING BACK

“Then Pilate laid open Jesus' back with a leaded whip.”

JOHN 19:1 (TLB)

The first bleeding part of Jesus’ body on the Cross was his back. Scripture lets us know that stripes were laid to his back, and this act caused blood to flow out. In the realm of the spirit, blood is needed for redemption, and man could only be redeemed by the blood of a man and the only man whose blood could redeem man was that of Jesus.

The back part of the body represents the past. This past includes one’s parental background, foundation, and history. The past of man has a great influence on his present and future life. Scripture says, “for we are but of yesterday Job 8:9.” Some of the challenges people go through in life are a product of things done in the past. The posture of the dispensation of the law towards the past of a man is to have him suffer the consequence of his sins even to his third generation Exodus 20:5, but it is different with the dispensation of grace.

God, under the dispensation of grace, clearly states that man would no longer live by the consequence of wrong deeds of the past, “What mean you, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, said the Lord GOD, you shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel Ezekiel 18:2-3.”

The bleeding back of Jesus Christ signifies man’s redemption from the past. Hallelujah! When blood came out of Jesus’ back, it once and for all atoned for generational sins and brought man into an estate where they are no longer subject to the mistakes of the past. Scripture says, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 3:11.” You can stand on the authority of this word to refuse any negative trend from your family foundation, if any man be in Christ through faith in Jesus, he is a new man, scripture says that old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new 2 Corinthians 5:17.

There is no reason for you to live with the consequence of the past. Rid yourself off it by believing your position in Jesus and declaring with all persuasion that Jesus has delivered you from the past.

PROPHETIC REALITIES OF THE CROSS

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but to us who are saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 1: 18 (KJV)

The Cross of Jesus holds certain realities that are prophetic in implication. These realities are those events that we saw happen to him during the event of His death on the Cross. There is more to the death of Jesus than what eye can see; every part of his body from which blood came out holds a form of redemption for man. Paul lets us know that without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Jesus’ death on the Cross is for the benefit of man and this benefit can only be appropriated through our focused gaze on his body on the Cross through the eyes of our mind as the Word of God is taught with respect to these realities.

The Children of Israel had a similar experience with gazing at a structure for their redemption: this is in the account the fiery serpent that God sent amidst them because of their murmurings against him. Moses was commanded of God to set up a serpent that would serve as a cure for the poison from the bite of the serpent once it is looked upon by those that have been bitten by it.

Jesus related his death to the lifting of the serpent stating that he would be lifted up in same manner. We can propose that the same reality of gazing at the serpent for redemption holds true concerning the body of Jesus, as anyone who dares to look at Jesus on the Cross will be set free from the poison of the Old serpent called Satan.

There are several bleeding points on Jesus’ body – as it hung on the cross – that are worthy of consideration. These points have spiritual implications that have liberated mankind from the effects of the Fall of Adam and that can liberate anyone who is still held bond by these effects in his mind. These points are:

1.       Bleeding Back

2.      Bleeding Head

3.      Bleeding Hands

4.      Bleeding Legs

5.      Bleeding Side

We will consider them in details in the succeeding articles. Bear in mind that looking unto Jesus through the act of believing on him will deliver to us the blessedness of life that will long so much for.

DEFEAT OF THE DEVIL

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

GENESIS 3:15 (KJV)

In considering the blessings of the cross of Jesus we see a very important blessing that was made available to humans: it is the defeat of the devil. The word defeat cannot be used of a friend, but of an enemy. The devil had long been declared to be the enemy of man and interestingly, man is the enemy of the devil. This reality is evidently declared in our opening scripture.

The devil and man became enemies in the Garden of Eden and this relationship was established by God. It is important we note that the devil, before Jesus’ time, had the upper hand in dealing with his enemy – man. Mankind couldn’t deal with the devil until Jesus came as a man and defeated the devil as a man and made it possible for other men to defeat the devil.

Mankind had long suffered under the hands of the devil through sickness, poverty, oppression, affliction, death etc. Now in Christ Jesus we can make him suffer affliction, bondage, shame, fear, depression, etc.

The cross of Jesus reveals the instrument for the defeat of the devil: Jesus’ feet. The feet of Jesus were pierced so that blood – which was necessary for satan’s defeat – could be available for use by angels and man in casting him out of territories where they wouldn’t want him occupy.  God declared in the Garden that the seed of the woman will bruise the head of satan: and this can only be done with the use of the feet.

The devil stays defeated, and like never before, he and his demons can be cast out by humans because the man Jesus defeated him and brought him to a level where men can exercise authority over him.

Take advantage of this blessing, and do not allow the devil deceive you anymore about your authority over him. Use the name of Jesus in faith as you declare he stops afflicting and oppressing you.

DEVIL’S RIGHT

“Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies.”

ROMANS 8:33 (KJV)

 

Sin is not devil’s right over our lives, our negative thoughts is his right over our life. Through negative thinking, man gets himself on the side of negative experiences. Some people are of the opinion that when a believer sins he gives the devil a right over his life. This is not true! According to our opening scripture we see that no one can bring a charge against God’s people because it is God that justifies them on the basis of their faith in Christ.

Scripture further reveals through Paul’s writing that the power of sin over a believer’s life has been destroyed by Jesus:  “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:15-17  Both sin and law was destroyed by our Lord Jesus, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” Colossian 2:4

The keys (authority) of death and hell are in the custody of Jesus Revelation 1:18, so how then does the devil have the power to afflict a Christian? It is only through his negative thinking. Scripture reveals that as a man thinks in his heart so is he Proverbs 23:7. When we embrace thoughts of condemnation we give the devil right to afflict us. When we think the devil afflicts us whenever we sin we give him the right to do exactly that.

The Lord is aware that we might sin as believers, so he ordained to use it as an opportunity to make us conform to his image, “the righteous falls seven times and rise again.” Proverbs 24:16 This can only happen as we see our weaknesses as a reason to look unto Jesus. Scripture says that as we behold the righteousness of Jesus we are transformed into the same image by the Spirit of God 2 Corinthians 3:18.

The book of revelation further reveals that the devil’s job on earth is deception Revelation 20:3. Do not allow him tell you a lie about your weaknesses, God’s perspective about it is that he wants to use it as a medium to display his grace. Look up to him and you will be transformed from within.