‘The wages of sin is death …’ (Romans 6:23) and death by the shedding of life blood. And when ‘the Lord laid on him the iniquity of of us all’ ( Isaiah 53:6), his blood was shed instead of ours.
‘God presented him as a sacrifice of Atonement, through faith in his blood.’ (Romans 3: 25). Therefore, let us consider the sevenfold purpose of the shed blood of Jesus :-
1. It was shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)
‘In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins …’ (Ephesians 1:7/Colossians 1:14)
‘ … and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.’ (Hebrews 9:22)
2. It was paid as a ransom for our redemption from hell.
‘No man can redeem the life of another or give God a ransom for him ( not to Satan as many suppose) – the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough – that he should live on forever and not see decay. (Psalm 49:7-9)
‘For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all men. (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
‘For you know that it is not with … silver or gold that you were redeemed … but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.’ (1Peter 1:18-19)
3. It was sprinkled in the Highest Heavens for our entry.
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me for I have not yet returned to the Father.” ( John 20:17)
‘He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.’ (Hebrews 9:12)
‘The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as High Priest is to make Atonement … for the Most Holy Place …’ (Leviticus 16:32-33)
‘Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, … let us draw near to God … , having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience …’ (Hebrews 10:19-22)
4. It is for the cleansing of our hearts from sins.
‘If the blood of goats and bulls … sprinkled on those who are unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean, how much more will the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.’ ( Hebrews 9:13-14)
‘But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins because it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.’ (Hebrews 10:3-4)
‘But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light … the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.’ ( 1 John 1:7)
“These are they who have … washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” ( Revelation 7:14)
‘To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us to be a Kingdom of Priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory for ever and ever!’ (Revelation 1:5-6)
5. It is for the peace of our minds.
‘Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body …’
‘God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things whether things on earth or things in heaven , by making peace through his blood shed on the cross.’ (Colossians 1:19-21)
‘He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him …’ (Isaiah 53:5)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives.” (John 14:27)
6. It is for the protection of our bodies.
“The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you …’ (Exodus 12:13)
‘By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.’ (Hebrews 11:28)
‘This was Job’s regular custom : Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering … “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?” (Job 1: 5, 10)
‘ .. through faith we are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.’ ( 1Peter 1:5)
7. It will be by the blood that we escape the coming wrath of God.
‘Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him ! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life !’ (Romans 5:9-10)
‘For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
‘They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.’ (Revelation 12:11)
Amen.
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