BLOOD --- HEART OF THE GOSPEL Heb. 9:22, Lev. 17:11
I. Introduction
A. As you read the Bible you will find a red line running through it from beginning to end.
I. The word blood is used over 400 times in the Bible.
2. In most of those places it is used to refer to redemption.
3. It is one of the Great Words of the Gospel--- there would be no gospel or good news without it.
B. The scripture makes it clear that-without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. (Heb. 9:22)
I. That shuts every avenue to God but the way of the blood.
2. It reminds us of the Cherubim placed at the gate to the Garden of Eden with a flaming sword to keep the way to the Tree of Life.
3. The message of Cherubim that day was-no way back.
4. But the next time they appear in the Bible they proclaim a very different message.
C. We see them in the Tabernacle in the wilderness overshadowing the Mercy Seat with their faces to ward each other looking down on the blood sprinkled Mercy Seat.
I. In that blood their swords have been sheathed in the blood of God's Son there is forgiveness for sinners.
2. The Way of Life is open and the cherubim are saying-This Way Back.
3. When you come the blood stained way they stand to welcome you home.
4. Jehovah bade His sword awake,
0 Christ, it woke' gainst Thee!
Thy blood the flaming blade must slake;
Thy heart its sheath must be-
All for my sake, my peace to make;
Now sleeps that sword for me.
II. Old Testament Type of Christ-shedding His Blood
A. The story of the first Passover and the blood sprinkled.
I. The background of the incident is found in Ex. 12:12
2. In preparation for the coming judgment each Hebrew took a lamb and killed it and with hyssop as a brush they sprinkled its blood on the doorposts and the lintels of their home.
3. They had the assurance of God-when I see the blood I will pass over you and will not allow the destroyer to come into your home.
4. In the middle of these instructions God explains the efficiency of the blood with this simple phrase:
5. The blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are.
B. What was the token? The blood was a token or sign of judgment met.
I. The decree had gone out that divine justice was to fall on every house in Egypt.
2. The Hebrews were spared that judgment on only one ground-that being the blood of lamb sprinkled.
3. Apart from the blood, judgment would have entered their houses as certainly as the Egyptians.
C. It was a token that judgment for that home had already fallen on the Lamb instead of the first born Son.
I. That passage is one of the great types of Christ
2. The judgment that was our due has fallen on Jesus and was exhausted by Him on that Cross.
3. When Jesus said-It in Finished-it meant that Sin's judgment has been met. It was one sacrifice for sin forever.
4. God is fully satisfied with Christ death-no more human merit is required.
5. The blood is the everlasting token that Jesus has finished the work of judgment that stood against us. (Col 2:13-14) (Rom. 8:1)
III. The Ashes of the Red Heifer
A. Second type of blood of Jesus is found in Num. 19:17-20
I. It is the ritual of the ashes of the Red Heifer
2. In Hebrews 9:12-14 this ritual is applied to blood of Jesus.
3. The ritual with the ashes was concerned with cleansing those who had become defiled and needed reinstatement.
B. A red heifer was slain and its blood sprinkled on the altar.
I Its carcass was burned until it was reduced to ashes
2. Those ashes were carefully preserved in a jar and used to cleanse the people from any defilement. ~
3. A clean person would a little of the ashes mingle it with water and with some hyssop as a brush sprinkle it on his friend.
4. That act cleansed him from his defilement. This whole pass age would seem strange to us if the writer of Heb. 9:12-14 hadn't applied to the cleansing Blood of Jesus.
C. What is God telling us in the ritual of red heifer?
1. First thing for us to consider is the fact that you can't burn ashes.
2. Ashes are what's left when the fire has done its work.
3. Ashes are a memorial to a fire that has burnt out.
4. The fire of God's wrath toward our sin has burnt itself out in the body of the Lord Jesus.
5. His blood is the constant token of the fact that it is finished.
D. Nothing is left of that judgment for the believer but its ashes.
I. Therefore it cleanses our conscience and all else that condemns us.
2. It liberates us to serve the living God-it has opened the door into the very holy place of God almighty.
IV. Whiter Than Snow.
A. David in Psalm 51:7 asks for cleansing with hyssop and I will be whiter than snow.
I. David was referring to the sprinkling of the ashes of red heifer.
2. He was saying, my sins are so black I need a cleansing that has a purifying fire in it but a fire that has gone out against me. I want cleansing but not judgment.
3. I want a cleansing in my conscience without judgment on my soul.
4. Lord cleanse me with hyssop and I shall be clean.
B. But he goes on to pray for something truly stunning.
1. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
2. Snow is the whitest thing we know.
3. Somehow David caught the sight of God's grace - he who was black as the night made whiter than snow.
4. Can there be anything whiter than that? Yes, there is!
5. It is the conscience of a person who has applied the blood of Jesus for cleansing.
6. The truth is-you cannot be whiter in God's sight than what the blood of Jesus makes you, when you call sin-sin.
C. The Fire of God has gone out-judgment is spent it is now only ashes. That leads to this question.
V. Is the Blood Sufficient for God
A. When you think of the appalling nature of people sins-billions of people whose sins multiply every day.
1. Is it possible that one sacrifice made for sin by Jesus is enough to cover all the sins that cry out for justice?
2. Is His death on the Cross enough that God could turn away from this mountain of sin?
3. In other words is God satisfied and has He shown it in a most convincing way?
B. God declared Himself satisfied with Jesus death for He raised Him from the dead. (Rom 4:23,25)
1 God raised Jesus from the dead as a declaration that every sin was removed and our debt fully paid.
2. God is forever satisfied with the blood of His Son on our behalf.
3. That's why Paul's great salvation text in Rom. 10:9 is written as it is.
4. God has forever settled the matter about the efficacy of the blood, judgment is now reduced to ashes.
5. Your conscience can rest.
6. That's why the work of the Cross is called the finished work of Christ.
It is surely sufficient for me,
It is surely sufficient for Me,
If the blood of Christ is sufficient for God,
It is surely sufficient for me.
VI. Finally we come to the matter of The Sprinkling of The Blood.
A. We often talk about the blood shed but that must always lead to the blood sprinkled-or the blood applied.
I. The shedding of the blood was God's work but the sprinkling of the blood to cleanse our conscience is something we must do.
2. It is not enough for the blood to be shed it had to be sprinkled by that I mean applied by faith to my own sin.
3. In Heb. 10:19-22 we are to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus-let us draw near having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.
4. It is the conscience on which the blood is to be sprinkled.
5. Once the conscience is defiled nothing will pacify it but the blood. In Heb. 10 it is said to be part of the heart.
6. If the conscience is not at peace-the heart is not at peace either.
B. How do we sprinkle the conscience?
I. By repentance-calling sin by its name.
2. By faith-a clear understanding of the of the blood.
3. Col. 1:20-He made peace through blood of His Cross.
4. By the blood of Jesus the foulest can be clean
5. By its power the weakest Christian is brought into the fullest blessing.
C. This morning if you take the sinners place you will get the sinners portion. What is that you ask?
I. It is the cleansing of your soul and of your conscience.
2. Do you want to be clean-whiter than snow-God says He will do that for you.