by Pastor Joseph Cortes Precious Blood and the Legal Collapse of Death The blood of Jesus is precious not simply because it was shed, but because it was unique. Innocent blood. Divine blood. Incorruptible blood. There has never been another like it, and there never will be. Judas recognized it when he confessed to betraying innocent blood. David foresaw it when he declared that Jesus’ body would not see corruption. The empty tomb confirmed it. Corruption begins in blood. Human blood, tainted by sin, begins to decay shortly after death. But Jesus’ body did not decay, even after three days in the grave. That fact alone testifies to the purity of His blood. Death could not hold Him because death had no legal right to do so. This is why the blood is the key. Satan’s authority over humanity rested on corrupted blood. As long as humanity’s blood was tainted, death had a legal claim. Jesus answered that claim with sinless blood. When His blood was poured out, the debt of sin was fully paid. Death was not defeated by force; it was defeated by law. Once the debt was paid, death had no authority left. That is why Jesus rose by His own power. Death did not lose because it was overpowered—it lost because it had no remaining claim. This is why Jesus now holds the keys of death and the grave. They were not stolen. They were surrendered. Adam’s blood opened the door to death. Christ’s blood closed it forever. Living in the Victory of Sinless Blood The virgin birth was not an isolated miracle; it was the opening act of redemption. Without it, there could be no sinless life. Without it, there could be no acceptable sacrifice. Without it, there could be no resurrection. God did not improvise after Adam fell. Redemption was prepared before creation itself. When Adam failed, God already knew there would be a second Adam. And this second Adam would not fail. Jesus did not merely correct Adam’s mistake; He succeeded where Adam failed. He lived the life Adam could not live and died the death Adam deserved to die.

The Fire That Spread by Pastor Joseph Cortes Acts 5:27–33 (KJV) “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? And, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.” When Obedience Offends Power If the cancel culture of Acts 4 was about threats, the cancel culture of Acts 5 was about punishment. The apostles had already been warned once: “Stop preaching in the name of Jesus.” But they didn’t stop. They couldn’t. The fire of the Holy Spirit burned too deeply in their bones. So what happened? The same council that condemned Jesus dragged them in again — not because they’d committed any crime, but because their message was spreading like wildfire. The high priest’s words are dripping with frustration: “Didn’t we tell you to stop? Yet you’ve filled Jerusalem with this doctrine!” That’s the power of the Gospel — it spreads even when forbidden. The apostles didn’t have social media, microphones, or marketing. They had boldness, the Holy Spirit, and obedience. That’s all it takes to shake a city. The rulers didn’t fear the apostles’ personalities; they feared their impact. And let me tell you something — when a believer lives in obedience to God, the world always takes notice. Obedience is louder than opinions. And it offends every power that thrives on control. Faith That Refuses to Bow Look at Peter’s answer: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” That’s not just a slogan — that’s a life declaration. Peter wasn’t being rebellious for the sake of rebellion. He wasn’t starting a protest. He was obeying a higher law. When man’s command contradicts God’s Word, you only have one choice if you belong to Him.

by Pastor Joseph Cortes Flesh and Blood: What Jesus Took and What He Did Not Hebrews 2:14 is one of the most revealing verses in the New Testament, yet it is often read too quickly to be understood fully. The verse begins by describing humanity as partakers of flesh and blood. That word means full participation, complete sharing, nothing excluded. Humanity shares fully in Adam’s flesh and Adam’s blood, and because of that, humanity shares fully in Adam’s death. But when the writer turns to Christ, the language changes. Jesus did not partake in the same way. He took part. That distinction is not accidental—it is deliberate and theologically loaded. The Greek language makes clear that Jesus entered humanity without sharing fully in Adam’s condition. He took what was necessary for redemption and left behind what would disqualify Him. Jesus took flesh. He did not take Adam’s blood. This explains how Jesus could be fully human without being fallen. It explains how He could be tempted in every way and yet remain without sin. Adam was created innocent and still fell. Jesus stood firm because His blood was never corrupted. This distinction also explains why Jesus’ death was voluntary. Death has authority only where sin exists. Since Jesus’ blood was sinless, death had no legal claim over Him. He laid His life down willingly, not because death demanded it, but because love required it. And because death never owned Him, death could not keep Him. Understanding this distinction between flesh and blood unlocks the meaning of salvation. Redemption is not God ignoring sin; it is God legally resolving it. Jesus entered humanity without inheriting its poison so that He could absorb humanity’s guilt without becoming guilty Himself. Takeaway Thoughts  Humanity partakes fully in Adam’s flesh and blood—Jesus did not. Hebrews 2:14 makes a deliberate distinction: humanity shares completely in Adam’s condition, but Jesus only “took part.” He entered humanity without inheriting what would disqualify Him.

by Pastor Joseph Cortes Why Jesus could not be like us Jesus was fully human, yet He was not born like us. That statement alone separates biblical Christianity from every other belief system that attempts to explain Jesus merely as a moral teacher or spiritual guide. If Jesus had been born exactly like every other human being, He would have entered the world under the same sentence that rests upon all of Adam’s descendants. A Savior who inherits Adam’s condition cannot redeem Adam’s race. Redemption required something radically different at the point of origin. From the beginning, Scripture makes clear that life is in the blood. When Adam sinned, corruption entered his blood, and death followed. That corruption did not stop with Adam; it passed through him to all humanity. Flesh alone is not the carrier of sin—blood is. This is why death reigns universally. It is not simply because people commit sins; it is because they are born into a condition that guarantees death. Therefore, if Jesus were to be the Redeemer, He could not inherit Adam’s blood. This is where the virgin birth becomes absolutely necessary. Jesus did not merely need to live a sinless life; He needed to begin life without sin. A sinless life cannot undo a sinful origin. Salvation required a man who was not only obedient but uncontaminated. God solved that problem at conception. Modern science now confirms what Scripture quietly assumed all along. The unborn child does not receive blood from the mother. Nutrition passes. Oxygen passes. Waste products pass back. But blood never mingles. Blood is formed within the embryo itself, and life does not begin until conception occurs. An unfertilized egg cannot produce blood. Without the male contribution, there is no living blood. God designed the female body with this reality embedded in it long before science ever discovered it. This was not a coincidence—it was preparation. The virgin birth was not symbolic; it was surgical in its precision. Mary contributed the flesh. The Holy Spirit contributed the blood. Because that blood was not inherited from Adam, it was not corrupted by sin.

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