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INJ
Hebrews 9:11-15
'The Blood of Jesus'
Divine Service
Judica, The 5th Sunday in Lent | March 9, 2008
Dear Saints,
Some people get queasy when they see blood. I hope none of you are the sort that hearing about blood will bother you, because today's sermon, like our Epistle reading from Hebrews 9 is about blood.
Many old Bibles were printed with the edges of the pages died red. I don't know why, but it serves as a good reminder that the pages of this book are filled with blood. From the very beginning, where the blood of Abel is spilt by Cain, and it cries out to heaven for vengeance, to the very end where the martyrs dip their soiled robes in the Lamb's blood, and they come out bleached white.
And all through the pages of the Bible we see blood; it's very important. It's important because in the Bible blood is connected to life. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood,” [Leviticus 17:11]. Murder is shedding blood, or spilling blood.
Now the important thing to know about is that there is divinely appointed killing, and that is the sacrifices. The sacrifices started even in the garden of Eden, when the Lord killed an animal to clothe Adam and Eve and cover their nakedness. Cain and Abel were making sacrifices as the prelude to the first murder, where Cain killed Abel instead of a lamb.
Then all the way through. Noah, when he gets off the ark, builds an altar and sacrifices an animal. Abraham, as he travels all around all the promised land, and Isaac and Jacob are always building altars and offering sacrifices. And all of this becomes very clear with Moses and Aaron, first with the passover and then with the institution of the tabernacle and the services there.
Remember first the passover. There was blood. The blood of the lamb on the door post and the angel of death would pass over. But if there was no blood then the angel of death would come for a visit, and there would be blood in another way.
And then, after the people were rescued from the Pharaoh and went out into the wilderness to worship God, the Lord gives His people very specific instructions about how to shed blood, how to make the sacrifices. Build the tabernacle like this, the furniture like this, the priests should dress like this, the altar should be built like this, and this is why and when you should bring the sacrifices, and what the sacrifices should be, and where you put the blood.
And after Moses got all of these instructions from heaven, he came to the people to confirm that they are in this testament, and he did so by sprinkling blood on them with hyssop.
Now the [point of all of this blood has to be understood. The blood is life. But because of our sins we are handed over to death, to destruction. Our blood should be shed, spilled. It is the due punishment for our sinfulness. And yet the Lord is pleased to accept the blood of another on our behalf.
Whenever a bull or goat or lamb was sacrificed on the Old Testament altars the people were to see it and think, “That should be me up there. My blood being spilt, my punishment, my death. And yet, praise the Lord that He accepts the sacrifice of another in my place.” Do you see it? This is fundamental to understanding Jesus on the cross. Because the blood of bull and goats could never really take away sin, but it stood as a picture of what was to come, the true sacrifice, the very blood of God [see Acts 20:28] which would be poured out for our redemption and salvation.
So we get to our Epistle lesson, Hebrews 9, and see that this is exactly whats happening.
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new testament, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
Jesus' blood gives what all the sacrifices pointed to and promised: the grace of God. Jesus on the altar of the cross is dying and suffering God's anger in our place. And the blood spilt there brings with it, then, all the blessings of heaven.
Listen to all the good gifts that come through Jesus' blood. I'm going to list the benefits, and settle in, because this is a long list. The good gifts of God just keep on coming.
Jesus' blood is the propitiation for our sins. Romans 3:25, “...whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.” Propitiation means an appeasement of wrath. Jesus' blood quenches the fiery anger of God.
Jesus' blood is our justification. Romans 5:9, “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” To be justified is to be forgiven, declared to be righteous and holy, and this happens by the blood of Jesus.
Jesus' blood is our redemption. Ephesians 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace...” To redeem something is to buy it back, like going to the pawn shop to redeem your watch. Jesus has redeemed us, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood, and His innocent suffering and death. [see 1 Peter 1:19]
Jesus' blood is what brings sinners near to God. Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” We are no longer strangers to God, but by the blood of Jesus we are His friends.
Jesus' blood is our peace, and the reconciliation between us and God. Colossians 1:20, “...and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.” Do you see that through the death of Jesus there is no more anger toward you, no more wrath from heaven, no more accusations or condemnation, but that there is peace?
Jesus' blood cleanses us from sin. 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” It washes us, it purifies us, cleans us up. You know that blood stains, but not Jesus' blood, it washes, like bleach, our sins away. Thou they are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow. Revelation 7:14, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Jesus' blood frees us from our sins. Revelation 1:5, “...and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood...” Jesus' blood is the payment that buys us our of slavery to sin and death.
Jesus' blood is our ransom. Revelation 5:9, “And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation...”
Jesus blood is our victory over the devil. Revelation 12:11, “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” The devil cannot stand against the crimson flood of Jesus blood. It wipes away our sin so that there is nothing left to accuse, nothing let to condemn.
Jesus blood is our life. John 6:54, “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Jesus blood is our resurrection, our hope, our salvation.
Dear saints, the history of humanity is the history of blood shed. The blood of sinners should be spilt, God in His anger at our sin should spill our blood. But look, the blood of another is poured out for you. By the precious blood of Jesus you have the entire storehouse of heaven's treasury placed in your lap.
The Bible teaches that the life is in the blood. Our life, dear saints, is in the blood of Jesus. Amen.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Hope Lutheran Church | Aurora, CO