|
INTRODUCTION
Today we observe the Lord’s Table, Holy Communion. A tradition ordained by Christ Jesus Himself for us to remember the high
cost of our free gift of salvation.
Each time we observe this tradition it should be an opportunity to worship God and to strengthen our faith. We need to continually
remind ourselves of what the Lord Jesus has done for us. We forget so easily. Jesus died on the cross to pay the high price for our
sins, and He rose again bodily from the grave to give us His new life. This memorial meal shows to us that complete surrender of
Himself for us in His broken body pictured in the broken bread and His shed blood pictured in the cup.
Today, let us talk about shed blood of Jesus. 1 Cor. 11:25 “In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’“
What is so significant about the blood? Today’s text - Leviticus 17:11.
1. Physical Life is found in the Blood. Life Sustaining Power.
- “The life of the flesh is in the blood” Lev. 17:11
ILLUS: You know me I get queasy around blood and needles and pain. Research was fascinating: thanks to book
The Chemistry of the Blood, by RBC founder MR DeHaan, a medical doctor, a Moody booklet Red River
of Life, Trek leaders, Google, and my wife.
- Blood is the marvelous life giving fluid. Average 5.5 - 6 quarts pumped throughout our body by the heart. It takes
about 23 seconds for the blood to make a round trip through our body so that every cell is nourished and cleansed.
16,000 miles of blood vessels. Heart beats 35 millions times yr.
- It has the liquid vehicle called plasma - a colorless liquid that carries the solid parts of the blood. The three solid
parts of blood cells are: Platelets which aid clotting, the red cells which contain the hemoglobin which carries oxygen
and gives the blood its red color, and the white cells which defends the body from infection and disease - the standing
army of the body, they attack germs and provide healing. The complexity and capacity of blood has to show that we
didn’t evolve, blood is too miraculous.
ILLUS: Hemoglobin complex chemical make up. Several of you give blood. Several work in medical field and know how
vital blood is.
Over the years I have had a number of blood tests. I should have one in the next few weeks - I don’t watch.
My last one was a complete test. It provided info on 22 different chemicals.
- If the blood fails to reach the cells of the body, they promptly die and no man ever dies until his blood ceases to
circulate.
- Also amazing is that blood not only carries the substances to give life to our body, and also carries away the waste
products of our cells activities - in the same carrier system. It carries the good and the bad without contamination.
Imagine unpackaged groceries being delivered by the garbage truck when they come to pick up the trash each week.
Amazing.
- Yet that illustrates that apparently our blood while not only giving us life, also carries the sentence of death.
Acts 17:26 “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth,”
1 Cor. 15:22 “For as in Adam all die”
- From Adam on, sin is the blood poisoning that gives death. Adam’s sin not only killed him, so potent was
Adam’s sin that 6,000 years later we still are poisoned with sin and death. Physical and spiritual death.
Physical in that the blood within us eventually dies and our bodies die. Spiritually, that blood poisoning of sin
separates us also from the Holy God who created us, we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1).
- Thus, what is the cure? What can be done to heal us? How can we transcend sin and death?
2. Spiritual Life is found in the Blood. Life Saving Power.
- God has the remedy for our poisoned blood, poisoned with sin.
- Back to our text - Lev. 17:11b,c “I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for
it is the blood...”
- In the OT God required blood sacrifices for sin. It began in the Garden when God killed an animal to cover up Adam and
Eve’s sin born awareness of their nakedness and fright of God - Gen. 3:21.
- Animal sacrifices continued the sacrifices of Abel, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, to the law of Moses. Obedient Jews offered up
those sacrifices of blood to cover their sin. Judaism was a bloody religion.
- But OT was only a foreshadow, prediction of a better sacrifice for sin.
Hebrews 9:11-12 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come…not through the
blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained
eternal redemption.” 22 “...all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is
no forgiveness”
- What was predicted in the Old Testament, was presented in the Gospels and prescribed in Acts and the Epistles - the
blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sins.
Ephesians 1:7-8 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”
Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of
Christ.”
- Physically blood gives life to our flesh. And what is true of the physical body all points to a greater truth about
blood. The physically pure blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross gives us spiritual life.
Col. 1:20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His
cross;
- Jesus was sinless. His blood did not have the poison of sin. The Virgin birth assured that. Without the seed of man,
Jesus did not have the blood line of Adam, and as a baby His blood, like all babies is self-generated and self
contained, it doesn’t mix with the mothers.
- The blood of Jesus had divine origin conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). His blood was innocent
(Matt. 27:4), His blood was incorruptible.
- Soon after death decay begins and begins in the blood, that is why the blood is removed first. David said that the Holy
One would not under go decay (Psalm 16:10). He was dead for 3 days and 3 nights and His body did not see
decay/corruption. He bodily rose whole from the grave.
- His blood is priceless - precious
1 Peter 1:18-19 “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold... but
with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
- 4 powerful life giving blessings of the blood of Jesus Christ:
- His blood saves us. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sin. The spotless Lamb of God who takes away the
sin of the world.
Romans 5:8-9 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the
wrath of God through Him”
QUOTE: Spurgeon “Nothing puts life into men like a dying Savior.”
- Not only does His blood save us the blood of Jesus also sanctifies us. His Blood continually washes our sin.
1 John 1:7, 9 “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, He is faithful
and righteous to forgive us our sins and the cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- The blood of Jesus also secures access to the Throne Room of God for us to fellowship with God, offer up
prayers:
Hebrews 10:19 “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood
of Jesus”
- And the blood of Jesus supplies authority/blessing to the church.
Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for 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.”
CONCLUSION
If you are a child of God, you are invited to the table to partake. If you know not Christ as your Savior, Jesus’ blood is
for you too...
SONG: “Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?”
QUOTE: M.R. DeHaan “There was one Man who gave ALL His sinless blood on the cross of Calvary. There a Blood Bank was opened
and into that bank went the blood of the Lord Jesus. It suits every type, avails for everyone and is free to all who will submit to
its ’transfusion&rquo; by the Holy Spirit. All you need do is to apply for it by faith.“ (p. 40)
Is Jesus Christ your Savior? Has His blood saved you?
|
