One and Done

One and done. An expression often used in sports meaning if you lose one playoff game, your season is finished. That’s the case for the four football teams remaining in the NFL that will play this weekend. The loser goes home and the winner, to the Super Bowl. In case you’re wondering, I’m rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles.

But there’s a one and done in the Bible that is beyond wonderful. It’s not only life-changing but life-saving. To understand the impact of it, we need to know what came before. Through Moses, God implemented a sacrificial system. Every day, morning and evening, a priest would slaughter an animal and place its blood on the altar. There were also many other times, holidays, and reasons for additional sacrifices to be made. The purpose was to temporarily cover sin until the Perfect Lamb of God would come. This is what the author of Hebrews says about Jesus:

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God…. (Heb 10:11-12 ESV)

One and done. Jesus made one sacrifice and, as He said on the cross, it was finished (John 19:30). There’s nothing we can do to take care of our sin problem. Only Jesus could. There’s nothing we need to do to gain forgiveness except receive His gift of salvation which allows His blood to cleanse our sin. What a glorious one and done!

Just something I’m so very thankful for along the way.