| PASSAGE | NOTES |
| John 1:29 | |
| Hebrews 4:15 | |
| Hebrews 7:26 | |
| Hebrews 9:13-14 | |
| 1 Peter 2:22-24 | |
| 1 Peter 3:18 | |
| 1 John 3:5 | |
| Revelation 5:6 |
God’s “Own Blood”
One of the most interesting passages in Scripture has St. Paul telling the bishops and priests of Ephesus that they must “shepherd the church of God which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28, author’s translation). Some modern translations add “the blood of his Son,” but “Son” is not in the Greek manuscripts; it is God’s “own blood” (tou haimatos tou idiou). Clearly, this verse recognizes that Jesus Christ, the only Person of the Trinity who became incarnate and shed blood, is God and thereby has obtained the Church through his precious blood. (See Session 3, pp. 81-82, for further discussion of this text in light of the Holy Eucharist.)
Elements of the Savior
Christians understand that the mystery of salvation encompasses three essential elements of the Savior.
First, he is God the Word, infinite and without limit to save sinners, whose offenses against God possess an infinite quality due to the One who was offended by them. Unless the Savior were infinite, he would be incapable of overcoming human offenses against the Infinite One.
Second, the Savior is truly human: he became flesh (Jn 1:14). He did not merely take on a human appearance, the way the Greek myths describe their gods doing — almost always to work mischief against humans and especially against women. Jesus Christ truly became man, with a human body and soul, will and mind, without in any way ceasing to be infinite God. As a true human being he could authentically represent the human race as a go-between or mediator between human beings and God, which is what makes it possible for Jesus to be the New Adam who redeems the sins of the first Adam.
Third, Jesus, unlike the rest of humanity, is without sin and guilt, and therefore he is able to be the innocent sacrifice for others and truly atone for their sins, without the least need to atone for any sins of his own.
Investigate
Jesus’ Role
Look up the following passages and make notes on the role of Jesus.
| PASSAGE | NOTES |
| 1 Corinthians 15:22 | |
| 1 Corinthians 15:45 | |
| 1 Timothy 2:5 | |
| Hebrews 9:15 | |
| Hebrews 12:24 |
Mary, the Immaculate Conception
The sinful mass of humanity excludes the sinless mother, the Virgin Mary, who, being “full of grace” (Lk 1:28), was given a gift of the redemption — from her Immaculate Conception — in anticipation of Jesus’ saving work on Calvary (which she witnessed in John 19:25: “But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.”). For that reason, the Blessed Virgin could speak truthfully in her Magnificat, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Lk 1:47).
Study
Jesus as the New Adam includes two elements: (1) he removes the original sin and its punishment of death that the first Adam passed on as a heritage to all of his descendants, as well as any other sins committed by any individual person; and (2) he is the New Adam, who restores the image and likeness of God to all who accept him in faith, hope, and love as their Savior.
First, we examine the ways in which Jesus Christ, the New Adam, removes the sin of the old Adam, who introduced disobedience and original sin to the human race.
Stop here and read Romans 5:15-21 in your own Bible.
The second element of being the New Adam is seen in Jesus’ role as restoring the image and likeness of God to all of humanity who come to him and accept his offer of salvation, especially as seen in Ephesians 4.
Stop here and read Ephesians 4:11-16 in your own Bible.
Investigate
A Complete Change in Lifestyle
Not only does Jesus Christ the New Adam establish the norm of mature human living and stature, but following him also means rejecting the ways of the world.
Read the following verses and indicate how following Jesus involves a complete change in lifestyle.
| PASSAGE | NOTES |
| Matthew 5:48 | |
| Luke 6:36 | |
| 2 Corinthians 5:17 | |
| 2 Corinthians 7:1 | |
| Galatians 6:15 | |
| Ephesians 2:10 | |
| Ephesians 4:17-19 | |
| Ephesians 4:20-24 | |
| Ephesians 5:1 | |
| Philippians 3:12 | |
| Colossians 3:9-10 | |
| 1 Peter 1:14-15 |
Consider
How Does Jesus Redeem Sinners?
We have already asserted the New Testament teaching that saving grace comes only through Jesus Christ because he is truly infinite God, truly human, and sinless. He is the one source and foundation of salvation, holiness, and righteousness.
Stop here and read 1 Corinthians 1:30, 3:11 in your own Bible.
We now indicate that the way that he chose to save sinners was not easy. He accepted the fact that justice required him to take on the punishment for sin, which from the beginning was stated by God to be death, in Genesis 2:16-17: “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Eve had learned of this commandment from Adam, since she was able to relate it to the serpent at the beginning of his temptations. Since God had decreed from the outset that death was the punishment for sin, at the time when he passed judgment on Adam’s sin, from that point on, God’s revelation demonstrates that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
Investigate
More Info About “The Wages”
To learn more about death being the punishment for sin, read the following passages. Note the number of times “death” or “die” is mentioned.
| PASSAGE | NOTES |
| Ezekiel 18:4-20 | |
| Ezekiel 33:7-11 | |
| Romans 6:16-21 | |
| Romans
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