There IS Power in the Blood

The atonement is all about the blood of Jesus.

His blood is what makes atonement possible.

His blood is the only substance in all of creation that has the power to save people from their sins.

Why blood?

Before we can look at the power of the blood of Jesus we first need to answer the question of: Why blood?

Does God have a kind of blood lust?

An outside look at the OT sacrificial system with its daily blood sacrifices might suggest that He does.

However, the answer actually quite simple.

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After the flood, God spoke to Noah about what food him and his family could eat, and in the middle of outlining whats on the menu, God drops a major theological bomb on us.

Genesis 9:3–4 NASB 2020

3 Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I have given everything to you, as I gave the green plant. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.

God clearly says what blood is: Blood is the representation of life.

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But its even more than that.

One could not just offer up any blood as an offering, it had to be blood from a particular creature that met certain requirements: Such as not having spots or blemishes.

In other words: The blood represents the life of that particular existence.

Bulls blood is NOT the same as human blood.

Dog blood cannot be transfused into a cat or vice versa.

This is precisely why human sin cannot be removed by animal blood.

Hebrews 10:4 BSB

4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

A bulls blood represents the life of that bull.

A goats blood represents the life of that goat.

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So when we speak about the blood of Jesus, we are not referring to the “pathology” of His blood (as if it were “magical”) - rather the blood of Jesus refers to the life of Jesus.

A holy, perfect, sinless life - that He voluntarily laid down, by the shedding of His life blood, for us.

Simply put: The reason there is power in the blood of Christ is because there is power in the life of Christ.

Ok so that is why blood plays such a big role in the redemptive story.

Its got nothing to do with a blood lust, rather its about life or life.

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Sin brings death.

A sacrifice is a life substituted for the person.

Jesus is is that:

He is our sacrificial lamb.

His blood represents the substituted life He places in our deserved place of punishment.

Lets talk about power...

1: There is Cleansing Power in the Blood of Christ.

Hebrews 9:22 BSB

22 According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

In the tabernacle and temple, various “utensils” and pieces of furniture were used: Candlesticks, incense bowls and such.

What is interesting is that the blood not only purified the people, but also purified the utensils as well.

Why? and How does this work?

The sprinkling of the blood did not change the Nature of the piece of furniture.

IT CHANGED GOD’S RELATIONSHIP TO IT.

In other words:

The applying of the blood does not change the nature of the object, it changes the relationship of God to the object.

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When God moved through the Land of Egypt and took every first born son.

God told the people that to escape His judgment they had to apply blood to the doorposts of their houses.

The application of the blood did not change the people in the house.

Egyptian or Hebrew?

So why were they saved?

Exodus 12:13 BSB

13 The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

2: There is Redeeming Power in the Blood of Christ.

Ephesians 1:7 BSB

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Biblical redemption has a specific meaning.

it means:

“To purchase and set free by paying a price.”.

There were 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire, and often they were bought and sold like pieces of furniture.

But a man could purchase a slave and set him free, and this is what Jesus did for us.

The price was His own blood.

This means that we are free.

Free from the Law.

Free from slavery to sin.

as well as

Free from the power of Satan and the world.

Galatians 1:4 BSB

4 who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

This Redemptive Power of His blood results in our forgiveness.

The word forgive means “to carry away.”

This reminds us of the ritual on the Jewish Day of Atonement when the high priest sent the scapegoat into the wilderness.

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First the priest killed one of the two goats and sprinkled its blood before God on the mercy seat.

Then he confessed Israel’s sins over the live goat, and had the goat taken into the wilderness to be lost.

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Christ died to carry away our sins so they might never again be seen.

No written accusation stands against us because our sins have been taken away!

In other words:

There is no legal grounds for anyone or anything to claim mastery over us as its slave.

3: There is Reconciling Power in the Blood of Christ.

Colossians 1:20 BSB

20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

Sin has created enmity between the Holy God and sinful humanity.

What is enmity?

It is simply a state of hostility.

Romans 8:7 BSB

7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

However, this is not some petty hostility, like you have with your inlaws.

This is a very real, very dangerous, very deadly form of hostility.

Why?

Because every time we sin, our decision to sin makes a series of statements to God.

For example:

If God says not to do x because it is wrong.

Each time we do x our actions say to God: “You are a liar! Its not wrong!”.

Every sin we commit is a deceleration against God’s Lordship, against God’s Word, against God’s will.

Lets just take 1 sin as an example:

Exodus 20:16 BSB

16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

So: How many times in your life have you told a lie?

That is how many hostile declarations you have made against God.

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So what on earth has the power to bring peace?

To bring reconciliation between God and man?

Only one thing: The Blood of Christ.

Romans 5:11 BSB

11 Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Think of Reconciliation as Recancellation.

As sinners who offended a holy God, we needed all of our offences “cancelled”.

That is what the blood of Christ did.

4: There is empowering Power in the Blood of Christ.

Revelation 12:11 BSB

11 They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.

The blood of Jesus Christ is what gives the child of God both the Power and the Authority to wage spiritual warfare.

1 Corinthians 15:57 BSB

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Remember that blood represents life.

When we wage spiritual warfare, we do not come against satan in our own name or strength.

We come against the devil in the Name of Jesus.

That is, in the power of who Jesus is, the Holy Son of God.

Conclusion:

The bible describes the blood of Jesus as being more precious than anything else.

More precious that Gold and silver.

More precious than gemstones or diamonds.

And it really is.

Money can buy many things, but it cannot buy atonement.

If the blood was for sale, none of us could ever hope to afford it.

The good news is that God has not offered it for sale.

God has offered it for free to whosoever would.