What has Jesus done for YOU?

I grew up (and am no longer) Catholic so I can understand where you're coming from. Here's the short and the long answer to what Jesus has done for you/me/us,

Short: Often we typically as humans will not simply talk to God. One of the fundamental reasons is because we have shame, fear, or condemnation because we internally sense God is perfect, and Holy (Holy means whole/complete) and we, being in our fallen state, know that we are not perfect and Holy (whole/complete) so we shy away from talking to God because we feel less than worthy or deserving of His favor---What has Jesus done? Jesus has in short, removed that sense of shame and condemnation by his shed blood. His sacrifice enables Him to stand in the gap for us, and with that, God looks at us through the cleansing blood of Jesus and sees us as Holy (whole/complete) and spotless, able to be in His Awesome presence---Now we can have intimacy, relationship, and fellowship with OUR CREATOR!

Long and scripture rich version, see below:

Scriptures:

Hebrews chapter 9 does a good job of explaining what you're talking about but first its important to understand a few relevant scriptures that give a background history and significance. I left Hebrews 9 and another very important scripture at the bottom. Feel free to give me some feedback or comments if this helped or not:

Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul" (Moses relaying to the children of Israel God's view on atonement and the significance of the sacrificial blood)

Exodus 24:8 "And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, 'This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words'" (Moses symbolically solidifying the bond/covenant agreed to based on the Law and ordinances He had just read for the Israelites to obey)

Matthew 20:28 "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Jesus referring to the sacrificial purpose for which God sent him)

Matthew 26:27,28 "Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Jesus speaking of a new covenant, based on his shed blood; giving grace and mercy as a pardon because mankind had failed to live up to God's perfect standards previously established in the Law through Moses)

1 Peter 2:24 "who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose wounds you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." (another description of the character of Christ as the Apostle Peter reminding new believers WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE and to look to Jesus as an example on how to live--Christs divinity in verse 22 'who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth')

Isaiah 53:4-6 "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (the prophet Isaiah prophecy about Jesus' suffering and dying for our sins so that we could be healed----healed also refers not only to physical health but mending and restoring any spiritual unfaithfulness to God)

FINALLY, the meat and potatoes:

Hebrews chapter 9 (read the whole chapter and study the significance of imagery and symbols as they relate to the old testament traditions)

verses 9-15 (compares and contrasts the ritualistic traditions of the Jews priestly sacrificial blood atonement VS Christs' sacrificial blood atonement) "It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience---concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with HIS own blood HE entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? AND FOR THIS R

Acts 4:10-12

"10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11He is

" 'the stone you builders rejected,

which has become the capstone.[a]'[b] 12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Basically, I think your question boils down to: "Why didn't God just use a ram to cleanse the world of sins, instead of Jesus?"

Let's start with your Abraham question. There are several possible reasons why this passage is in the Bible. The first is that this passage is an obvious prediction to the crucifying of Jesus in the New Testament. Secondly, this passage is an example of how a dedicated Christian should live his life -- fully devoted to God, regardless of the task that one is being asked to do.

Secondly, you mentioned that salvation is the power granted from God. True, but you must remember that Jesus is God's right hand man and he grants repentance, as stated in Acts 5:31.

Also, it seems to me that you are missing the point in the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. In the Old Testament, believers were required to sacrifice animals and do a variety of different hings for different sins in order to be forgiven. The point of Jesus dying for the world's sins, instead of another ram or animal, is the fact that it established a New Covenant that required believers to believe and repent in order to be saved instead of continuing the tradition of sacrificing.

In addition, John 3:16 gives us insight for why God sent His Son to die instead of another ram. "16r God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send his Son to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

Basically, this all leads up to the fact that Jesus is the pathway to Heaven. Almost as if Jesus is the middle guy between us and God because Jesus is the perfect man. That's why he was crucified -- He was the perfect sacrifice.

ADD:

"Why anything"

Simply to show the importance of God's love for the world and for us. If God simply just gave salvation to everyone, then there would be no faith. There would be no obedience. Salvation would seem pointless because mankind would take it for granted, even though salvation is one of the greatest gifts we as Christians can attain.

Why was it seeled in blood?

It wasn't just blood. It was God's Son's blood. Perfect blood from a perfect scarifice. As John 3:16 stated, this showed God's love for the world. You also mentioned that scarifices seem "primeval" to you. Of course they are. Perhaps this is one of the several reasons God sacrificed His son -- to end the old practice of scarifices and launch Christianity into a more advanced world of faith put in His Son, Jesus.

In the Old Testament, Jews would sacrifice animals to atone for sin. They believed that the blood of the animal was essential for "forgiveness"

2 Cor. 5:21 "God made Him (Jesus) who knew know sin, to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

I think that the divinity of Jesus is worth talking about here because In the above verse, Paul points out that Jesus, although divine in being from God, became man/flesh/sin. His suffering is significant because he felt the same pains anyone else of flesh would feel.

Biblically speaking, sin entered the world through Adam (or Eve). Mankinds "broken" condition, being that we all have sinned and all will sin, is based on that belief.

Many Christians believe that sin inhibits salvation, so one must confess sin and/or be forgiven of sin to recieve salvation. Your understanding of this forgivness comes through the suffering and death of Jesus.

My guess would be that if Jesus' death literally purged mankind of sin, that we would be rendered incapable of sin, which is obviously not the case. My understanding of the significance of the death of Jesus to "save" mankind is more clearly seen in His resurrection, in which he literally overcame death.

In the old testament it says that you were to sacrifice animals to God. And they did, thousands of baby sheep and calves were sacrificed to gulch Gods blood lust? Well at any rate that's the way it happened until Jesus died on the cross for our sins. That's why they called him "The lamb of God" he was the big sacrificial lamb, after that it was no longer necessary to slaughter animals.

Honestly none of it makes sense, even to Christians, most of them don't even know that God demanded animal sacrifices before Jesus.

Its funny how so many antiquated folkloric religions required animal sacrifices, like early paganism. Its pretty fricking sick in my opinion, i cant emagine why anyone would consider a God who demanded cute baby animals to be killed to forgive your sins would be worthy of worship.

You have many questions, and sound very confused about many things also.

You need to start reading the Bible with understanding, all your questions are answered in the Bible, you have to study the Bible to get the most out of it, and ask for God to give you guidance.

Don't rely on any man for his views or you will be misguided.

Not much, however he once held a smashing house party for me. He be crazy with his beard, was a real hit with the ladies, actually he was the best I ever had. All that stuff about its wrong to do sin, wait til you see HIM at a party.

When I was being attacked by undead clown ninjas Jesus came and used his epic kungfoo to protect me. True story

You want to hear quotes from someone else that tells what Jesus has done for ME? No one else knows

help my grandma with her heart recovery lots of things brought me into the world

Mowed my lawn