Once For All ~ The Finished Work of Christ

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On a hot August day, I traipsed out to my garden to check my rose bushes. Between the heat and black spot disease most of the leaves were gone, leaving thorny canes stretching bony hands to the sky.

Though I had no control over the soaring temperatures, I had to take at least partial responsibility for the roses’ demise. When I purchased the bushes, I’d been offered the opportunity to buy a fertilizer to help protect the plant from black spot. The product was called Once. (I remember that trivial detail because it struck me as odd that it had to be applied every six weeks instead of once as the name suggested.)

Had I not been so eager to save money and been more diligent about providing what the plants needed, my rose bushes would most likely have fared better.

The Once-For-All Work of Christ

As plants lovingly tended by the Gardener of our Souls, we too have the tendency toward the black spot of sin. Thankfully, He knows what we need and has done all that is necessary to wipe away that black spot once and for all. When Christ cried “It is finished!” from the cross it wasn’t a gasping whisper, but a shout of victory!

Unlike the other high priests, He (Jesus) does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself. ~Hebrews 7:27 (NIV)

When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. ~Hebrews 9:11-12 (NIV)

But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ~Hebrews 9:26b (NIV)

Thank You, Jesus, for being our great High Priest. Thank You for doing for us what we could never do for ourselves–dealing with our sin once for all by Your sacrifice on our behalf. Thank You for loving us so much. In Jesus’ precious and holy name, Amen.

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