Sunday, December 9, 2012
am
LIFE OF JESUS (37)
Lesson from the Cross – 2
The Blood of Jesus
a.
These verses come
following the pronouncement that “all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God.” (3:23) In a
text where Paul appeals to the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, we find
that Christ was “set forth as a
propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His
righteousness – thereby God has
“passed over the sins that were previously committed.”
b.
The word
propitiation is a word
that means to appease and is associated with reconciliation or
atonement. The word atonement is found almost exclusively in the Old
Testament (the KJV uses atonement in Rom. 5:11) and was associated with
the necessary sacrifices of the children of Israel for their sins.
c.
According to Vine’s it
is associated with the Mercy Seat that was upon the lid of the Ark of
the Covenant. The Ark
of the Covenant was in the most holy chamber of the tabernacle/temple
and was only accessed once a year by the high priest with blood to atone
the sins of the people. This
was called the Day of Atonement (cf. Lev. 16).
Because sins separate men from God, provision had to be made to
APPEASE that separation. God
demanded a blood sacrifice of a young bull as well as a goat and a ram
for the people. Obedience to
this command would satisfy God until the next year when another
sacrifice was demanded (a yearly reminder).
One of the problems of the Old Law was its limitations concerning
the sins of mankind, and even the people of Israel.
It could NOT take away sins permanently. (cf. Heb. 10:1-4)
All it could do was APPEASE God for another year.
d.
God had a better
sacrifice in mind – and that was the blood of Jesus Christ, His only
begotten Son. When Jesus
died on the cross, it FULLY SATISFIED God’s demand for the forgiveness
of our sins (cf. Heb. 9:22).
That is what Paul mean when He said that Jesus was set forth as a
propitiation by His blood.
e.
The word “propitiation”
is found four times in the NT (NKJV) – our text, Heb. 2:17 where the
humanity of Jesus is described so “that
He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to
God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” 1 John 2:2
where Jesus is described as “the
propitiation for our sins” (and the whole world).
And in 1 John 4:10, “In
this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved is and sent His
Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
a.
In a passage that speaks
of God demonstrating His love toward us by sending Jesus to die for us
we find, “much more then, having
now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
Him.”
b.
The word
justify means “to
cause someone to be in a proper or right relation with someone else.”
(L&N 34.46)
c.
There are only 2 ways
for one to be just in God’s eyes.
One is for man to never sin.
IF he were to keep God’s law perfectly, perhaps he could argue
that he is just and deserves salvation.
d.
BUT, as we have
discussed in times past, sin separates man from God AND no man is
without sin (Rom. 3:23)(except Jesus).
Because of this and the righteousness of God not being associated
with sin (cf. 1 John 1:5) something needed to be done to take care of
our sins and to JUSTIFY us in God’s eyes.
Though we do not deserve it (by grace we have been saved – Eph.
2:5), God accepts us as just by the blood of Jesus.
e.
Rom. 3:24 says that even
though through our sins we “fall short of the glory of God”, yet we are
“being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus.”
a.
“In
Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace,…”
b.
The word redemption
means to release or set free.
It was a word that was associated with the slavery of the Roman
Empire and dealt with the price being paid to purchase the freedom of a
slave among other things.
c.
Sin comes with a
terrible cost. IT brings
forth death and often slavery to whatever the sinful conduct involves.
Paul in Romans 7:14 said, “For
we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.”
In this word, the point which is emphasized in numerous passages
is that Jesus paid the price necessary for our sins to be forgiven.
d.
Heb. 9:12, 15 – one of
the things that His blood redeems us from is the Old Law and its bloody
sacrifices. Because the
blood of Jesus was a permanent answer, it provided not the temporal
redemption of the lamb of atonement, but “permanent redemption.”
Furthermore, Heb. 9:15 tells us that His blood took care of the
sins of those under the first covenant.
For us this is a demonstration of the PRICE He paid so that our
sins could also be forgiven.
e.
1 Pet. 1:19 – because
the price was paid, we need to understand that we “owe Him” for our
freedom. He deserves our
loyalty. 1 Peter
1:18-19 reminds us that we “were
not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your
aimless conduct received from you fathers, but with the precious blood
of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
That is why we are to conduct ourselves here on earth with fear
(reverence) for Him.
Romans 6 is a chapter that reminds us that when we obey the gospel, we
belong to Jesus. We are no longer
slaves of sin because He paid the price (redeemed us), but we are His
servants (Rom. 6:22, 1 Cor. 6:20, etc.)
a.
“But
now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by
the blood of Christ.”
b.
The context is
addressing those who were without the Law of Israel and thus without
hope and without God in the world.
But now, because of the blood of Jesus,
you (in reality a statement
saying EVERYONE) are brought near to God and the hope of salvation.
c.
Recall how in scripture
we have noted that God has nothing to do with sin.
Our iniquities separate from Him (Isa. 59:2 – You iniquities have
separated you from your God; and you sins have hidden His face from you;
In fact, the more we sin, the further we are from God (and that even
applies to the child of God who persists in a life of sin – cf. Heb.
2:1, etc.)
d.
BUT, no matter how far
we go, because of the power of the blood of Jesus, we CAN be forgiven,
if we will turn back to Him (or turn to Him in the first place.)
a.
“For
it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by
Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth
or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
(Col. 1:19-20)
b.
The word
enmity is a word that means the state of one who is an enemy.
Vine’s describes the word as the opposite of agape love.
When we sin, we are at enmity with God.
Rom. 8:7, we are told, “the
carnal mind is enmity against God”; James 4:4 says, “Friendship with the world is enmity with God.”
And as long as that sin remains,
so will the enmity (we have placed ourselves in the camp of the enemy of
God – the devil)
c.
But through the blood of
Christ, we have peace with God.
a.
“Therefore Jesus also,
that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside
the gate.”
b.
The word
sanctify means to make holy or cause one to have the quality of
holiness in God’s eyes. It
describes something that has been set apart from the ordinary for a
special purpose.
Interestingly, the root of this word is the same root as the words holy
or saint.
c.
The reference of this text is an encouragement to his Hebrew audience to
follow the example of Jesus.
He reminds these brethren that Jesus was willing to suffer outside the
gates of Jerusalem (the place of the Law of Moses) and that they ought
to be willing to do the same.
The reason He did this was so that “He
might sanctify the people with His own blood.”
d.
One of the blessings we enjoy as Christians is knowing that we are special
to God. Yes He loves
everyone, and Jesus was sent to this earth for everyone (i.e. all have a
chance), but only those who are faithful to Him are sanctified.
In 2 Tim. 2:21 Paul speaks of vessels of dishonor and vessels of
honor in the same house. He
then says, “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a
vessel for honor, sanctified
and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”
e.
WE are described as, “his own special people” (1 Pet. 2:9 – KJV – a
peculiar people). We are
also described there as a chosen generation and a holy nation.
f.
What a privilege to know that through the blood of Jesus, we are described
in this way before God.
a.
“But
if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.”
b.
This is a text I am
convinced is addressed toward believers.
It describes the need for us to walk faithfully serving Him.
But from time to time we are going to stumble, and perhaps even
completely fall down. When
that happens do we have any hope?
c.
In this text, we find
that if we are striving to be faithful, our sins will be forgiven.
Now we also understand that a part of that faithfulness is
repentance (Acts 8:22, 2 Cor. 7:10-11, etc.).
It also involves prayer and confession of our sins – 1 John 1:9.
d.
The point is that even
after we first come in contact with the blood of Jesus, it continues to
have an effect in our lives (note: please do not confuse what I say with
continuous cleansing of any sort) if we live for Him as we ought to.
a.
“For
if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling
the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 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?”
b.
In this expression we are
reminded of how the blood of Jesus can give us peace within. When we
realize the dangers and consequence of sins, it grieves us (at least it
ought to). On Pentecost,
after Peter’s sermon they were cut to the heart (Acts 2:37).
When the blood of Jesus takes care of our sins, it ought to give
us that feeling of relief where we know that we are pleasing in God’s
eyes. And a true
understanding of the power in the blood will help us accept that
forgiveness no matter how bad we have been.
What a consolation!
Conclusion: We have seen many things in this lesson that the
blood of Jesus accomplishes.
You can add to that some things mentioned last week such as purchasing
the church (Acts 20:28) and nailing the old Law to the cross.
My point in this lesson is for us to understand WHY Jesus died
for us and WHAT it accomplished.
Truly His blood is precious blood.
The summary of all these this is to say that the blood of Jesus
is the means through which we will find salvation.
BUT, how do we come in contact with that blood?
Rev. 1:5, speaking of
Jesus says “…To Him who loved us
and washed us from our sins in His own blood,...”
Our are described as being
washed away from us. How
does that happen?
Consider Acts 22:16 where Ananias says to Paul, “And
now why are you waiting?
Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of
the Lord.” This accords
with many other passages that show baptism as that final step that puts
one into Christ (Rom. 6:3-4, Gal. 3:27, etc.).
Of course this is based upon our faith (Mark 16:16), repentance
(Acts 2:38) and confession of Jesus as the son of God (Rom. 10:9-10).
So what about you?
What does the blood of Jesus mean to you?