THE GOSPEL THAT INCLUDES CHRIST’S BLOOD!!!

WHAT IS BLOOD?

Blood referred to literally a fluid in a human being or in an animal; Though the blood occasionally refers to the literal fluids in human beings, the Bible uses it primarily as a symbol of life and death,  so that the phrase “shading of blood”  means taking a life. The bloodshed In the Old Testament sacrifices, therefore represents death as punishment for sin; and this establishes the principle that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb. 9:22), “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”  These sacrifices point to the blood of Christ, His death on the cross as the penalty for sin. Through this blood, presented to God in heaven, He obtains for us the forgiveness, release from bondage, atonement, justification, cleansing, holiness and victory.

THE CLEANSING BLOOD

“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” (Heb. 9:12). These verse draws a vivid contrast between the Hebrew rituals of the Day of Atonement and the finality of Christ‘s redeeming work on the cross. Once a year the Israelites high priest entered the Most Holy Place to make atonement for the unclean ness of the Israelites (Lev. 16:11-16), “And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as a sin offering  which is for himself. Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the alter before the Lord, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil. And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he die. He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his fingers seven times. “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgression, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.” Waa I thank Jesus for His blood for it simplifies the atonement process that the priests were to offer for themselves,  their family and then the entire congregation and mark you there was also a consequence of death if the process was not followed to the latter. Having first followed an elaborate ritual emphasizing God’s holiness and the price that had to be paid if sin is to be forgiven. The high priest atoned for himself and his family first, and after that for the Israelite nation. Christ the great High Priest was offered on Calvary the one sufficient and final sacrifice for sin, thereby making the entire Hebrew Sacrificial system obsolete. Animal blood could not effect a permanent atonement for mankind, for only the blood of God’s Son could achieve this goal. In His substitutionary death Christ offered His lifeblood to the Father. This atoning work can never be repeated, and brings eternal redemption to humanity.

 

THE GOSPEL THAT INCLUDES

The Jews had once enjoyed a covenant relationship with God whereby they had become His chosen people. They were commanded to acknowledge Him as the one and only true God, and live in community as an obedient and holy people. All the nations (Hebrew goyim) who stood outside this covenant were regarded as pagans or heathens, as enemies of covenant righteousness, and as appropriate recipients of divine punishment. Before becoming Christians, the believers in Ephesus had been of the same pagan character of the other Near Eastern nations, worshiping false gods and living carnal lives. But the Hebrew prophets also promised that God would be great among the heathens, this being fulfilled in the work of Christ. The Gentiles need not to be alienated from God’s grace any longer, because Christ has atoned for human sin, bringing the penitent sinner into the new Covenant of Christ’s blood and giving the assurance of life eternal (Ephe.2:13) “But now in Christ Jesus I who once was far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SHED BLOOD BY CHRIST?

1.       The shed blood of Jesus Christ flowed from the cross when He was pierced; “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and knows that he is telling the truth, so that we may believe. For this things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled.” Not one of His bones shall be broken,” And again another Scripture says, they shall look on Him whom they pierced.”(John 19:34-37)

2.       The shed blood of Jesus Christ was presented to God in heaven; “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, sprinkle 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 our conscience from dead work to serve the living God?  For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another- He then would have to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of every ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Heb. 9:12-14, 24-28)

WHAT THE BLOOD ACCOMPLISHES

1.       The shed blood of Jesus on the cross accomplishes our forgiveness of sin; “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb. 9:22) “ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7) and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”(Rev. 1:5)

2.       It accomplishes our redemption: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28); Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like gold or silver, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. I:18-19: Heb. 9:12)

3.       It accomplishes our atonement:  “ being justified freely  by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation, by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed” (Rom. 3:24-25)

4.       It accomplishes our justification:  “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”(Rom. 5:9)

5.       It accomplishes our reconciliation; “But now in Christ you who once was a far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.”(Eph. 2:13-16)

6.       It accomplishes our cleansing: “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleansing your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb.9:14)

Righteous Father, I thank for Your precious blood,  that You shed on the cross for my sake and that has freely redeemed me from all iniquities and make me worthy to be called Thy own, In Jesus Mighty name I give You all the praises due Your name. Amen.

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”