The Precious Blood Of Jesus

Hebrews 9:1-14

Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

Leviticus 17:14 “For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof:........”

I guess I have come to these thoughts in our study of Romans 12......in the very first verse it states....Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

The phrase “living sacrifice” has stuck with me! Living as opposed to a dead sacrifice. The animals that were given as a sin offering in the OT, they were dead sacrifices, but ours (which I hope we are living) is alive, it is lived!

In our study, there was a missionary that had spent his life in Africa and they called his service a living sacrifice! He rebuked them of this because from his view in comparison with our Lord and Savior, that his life was no sacrifice at all!

That has stuck with me, along with a book on Repentance that I am reading has stuck with me!

It is not a rebuke on being a living sacrifice, but it is more our lives are lived because of the glorious sacrificial life that Jesus lived and then gave for us!

It is because of how precious the life and death of Christ is for us, that we live unto Him!

Let’s start in Hebrews 9:1-14.........

In this chapter, the writer of Hebrews is dealing with the earthly sanctuary vs. the Heavenly sanctuary.....

The Old covenant vs. the New Covenant.

The first 10 verses cover briefly over 50 chapters that are devoted to the tabernacle and the offerings which were given in that time.

Verses 11-14 deal with the New Covenant in which Jesus is our High Priest.......

Jesus deals with our sin....cleanses it “Once for all” .........

Verse 13-14 is what I really want to look at.....

If the blood of bulls and goats can atone for sin (once a year, mind you)

How much more will the Son of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

The key to verse 14 and our knowledge of Jesus Christ is in these words

“How much more....”

“Offered Himself”

I believe these truths are paramount in our faith of Jesus Christ.......

How much more.......declares the value of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

If animal’s blood can cleanse........we don’t need to just leave it there.....

Those animals had to meet the qualifiers in order to be a perfect sacrifice......

Without spot and without blemish Leviticus 22:17-25 speaks of the offerings made that they are to be perfect.....unblemished!

That would be a valuable animal to those who were bringing them for an offering unto the Lord!

The Lord is worth such value, right? I would say even more!

If those animals could cleanse, how much more could the offering of the Son of God cleanse us from our sins....He that knew no sin!?

This eternal Being that put on human flesh so that we might live through Him!

Offered Himself......it is freewill offering given for mankind!

Sin is the fuel for satan’s life.....sin cannot enter into the presence of God.....

It must be cleansed and we have no power to cleanse and no power to live otherwise!

We needed a perfect sacrifice, and eternal sacrifice!

Jesus was that for us.....I don’t believe we understand the multitude of His sacrifice......

The cross is definitely a sacrifice.....Jesus said “No man takes His life, He gives it.”

Philippians 2:6–8 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Jesus. Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

Jesus whole life has been a sacrifice but the value of His Person and Work exceeds human understanding!

Turn with me to 1 Peter 1:18-21........

Redeemed not by anything you can give.....the Only Way is through the PRECIOUS Blood of Jesus Christ!

Precious meaning “valuable” much more precious than material things or anything temporary!

Blood being the whole life of Christ......what does pouring out blood mean?

Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

Peter recognizes the preciousness of The Life of Jesus Christ and the shedding of His Blood!

He also recognizes the sinless, holy God and his sin that caused the life of Christ to be given!

David said in Psalm 51:3 “For I acknowledge my transgressions: And my sin is ever before me.”

When Paul was a persecuter of Christians, he ran into Jesus on the road to Damascus in Acts ch. 9.

Paul was overwhelmed and fell to the earth and asked “Who are You, Lord?”.....Jesus replied “ I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.”

Thomas Watson said of this moment: “All opinion of self-righteousness now vanished, and Paul then grafted all of his hope of Heaven upon the stock of Christ’s Righteousness.”

Having our sin revealed through the life of Christ, which brings Godly sorrow and then repenting that we had never been born and looking unto a New Life a New Way, that is right and pure and redemptive!

Thomas Watson also wrote that satan has veiled people with ignorance and self-love, therefore they cannot see what deformed souls they have!

I do not set out each time I writer out or ponder about sermons, to keep gnawing at the fact of our wretchedness and Jesus’ Goodness......but that seems to be the only way we know the truth.....to see the value of the life of Jesus Christ!

Peter knew full well how precious the Life of Christ was!! He lived with Him, followed Him, ate with Him, denied Him.......and he saw the life of Christ given and He saw the Life of Christ resurrected and he saw Jesus ascend! He felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, keeping this knowledge of Christ, guiding him in Christ, giving him power and also boldness!

Peter’s life was then lived through the life of Christ......Paul said in Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

That living sacrifice is through Christ!

Let us take stock of our lives and the take stock of the life of Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God.....when we do, rightly we can say as Paul did most assuredly Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

It is no longer I that lives but Christ lives in me!