Forgiveness Demands Blood

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 9:11–22 NASB95

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and 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. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. 18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Introduction

When a person reads the Bible for the first time, he does not get very far without encountering blood.

The very first offspring of Adam and Eve, is guilty of murder.

The announcement of his birth is separated by only six verses in the record in Genesis, before the Bible plainly declares, “that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.” ()

When the LORD questioned Cain about Abel, you remember his infamous words, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” ()

The LORD said:

Gen 4:

Genesis 4:10 NASB95

10 He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.

Even prior to this, although the word “blood” is not mentioned, it is clearly alluded to when the LORD made garments of skin for Adam and Eve, and clothed them ().

In fact, the Bible mentions blood, bloodshed, bloodguilt etc. 457x.

That is, at an average, an occurrence every 2 1/2 chapters.

People sometimes reject the Bible, saying, “It is a bloody religion!”

Some go further, and in their disgust of the mention of blood, call Christianity “barbaric.”

Christianity is neither violent, as implied by bloody religion, nor is it barbaric.

However, there is no Christianity without blood, and blood is foundational to its theology.

The verse for our consideration this morning is the 22nd verse of chapter 9.

Hebrews 9:22 NASB95

22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Notice, “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Therefore, I would like to preach to you on the topic, “Forgiveness Demands Blood.”

Explanation

In the NASB, the words “one may” and “say” are in italics, indicating that they are not in the original Greek text, but supplied by the translators for understanding.

The ESV translates, “almost everything is purified”

The KJV and NKJV use, “almost all things”

The literal translation of this verse is:

“And almost/nearly by blood all things are cleansed according to the law, and without shedding of blood not becoming/happening/taking place forgiveness.”

There are 2 parts to this verse:

1st:

General principle (indicated by almost/nearly, which indicates that there are some exceptions)

Deals with cleansing

2nd:

Universal absolute (indicated by a flat negation)

Deals with forgiveness

Some commentators say that the “almost” applies to both parts of the sentence, but I don’t think it does, because there are two separate “and’s”

Let’s briefly consider the general principle before looking at the universal absolute

The statement is: “almost all things are cleansed by blood according to the law”

The qualifier “according to the law” immediately tells us the context for this cleansing.

This is clearly speaking of the ritual sanctification which required the sprinkling of blood

The immediate preceding context demonstrates this truth:

Hebrews 9:18–21 NASB95

18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.

In v.21, where it records that Moses sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with blood, we must note that at the time that the Sinaitic Covenant was made, the tabernacle was not yet constructed.

Moses had just come down from the mountain with the 10 Commandments, and the people made a covenant with the LORD.

This verse obviously is forward looking.

What is important is that even the tabernacle and the vessels had to be sprinkled with blood.

Why sanctify the furniture?

Why sanctify the furniture prescribed by the LORD Himself?

Perhaps this gives us a glimpse into the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man!

Anything man touches is tainted with sin.

Illustration (mechanic)

Mechanic who has a lot of grease on his hands from working on the engine. Doesn’t matter how clean and pure and white the towel is, as soon as he touches it, the cloth is stained. So also, everything man touches is stained.

So the law required that everything be cleansed by blood.

But you don’t normally associate blood with cleansing!

We tend to think of water as the universal cleanser.

My wife has some strategies which she claims gets rid of any stains on clothes (for the most part)

When it comes to physical washing, there is nothing better than water, running water!

Illustration (Niagara Falls)

This past week I was in Toronto, and after my work I took a bus to go see the Niagara Falls.

I had already seen it from the US side, but never from the Canadian side.

The Horseshoe Falls are really spectacular.

A massive volume of 600,000 gallons of water comes crashing down the 167 foot drop every second.

If you had a stain on your white shirt, and the fabric of the shirt could withstand the deluge, I assure you, the stain would be gone!

The Bible itself speaks in numerous places of washings, ceremonial washings.

However, how do you cleanse your conscience?

How do you remove stains that are upon your soul?

Listen to the writer of Hebrews again...

Hebrews 9:14 NASB95

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

But the writer acknowledges that there are exceptions, so he says, “almost all things”

Here’s why: there were provisions in the law for cleansing, apart from blood.

For instance, Eleazar’s instruction to the men of war...

Leviticus 5:11–13 NASB95

11 ‘But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 ‘He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the Lord by fire: it is a sin offering. 13 ‘So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall become the priest’s, like the grain offering.’ ”

Numbers 31:21–24 NASB95

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, “This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses: 22 only the gold and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin and the lead, 23 everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean, but it shall be purified with water for impurity. But whatever cannot stand the fire you shall pass through the water. 24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may enter the camp.”

We still have not answered a fundamental question...

Why blood for cleansing?

For that we must move to the second part of the sentence, to the Universal Absolute...

Universal Absolute

Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission or forgiveness.

We should note a couple of things before we ask the big question, Why?

This is speaking of an event

the phrase “there is no forgiveness”

It is not just an abstract statement or axiom.

The idea here is more of an event rather than an axiom.

You can understand this text to say, “No forgiveness takes place without shedding of blood.”

Since the subject is understood, let’s state it with the subject performing the action:

The statement is then saying,

God does not forgive without the shedding of blood!

This is speaking of a release

Normally, the original Greek word used here for forgiveness is followed by our sins.

There is a clear omission here - the phrase stops at forgiveness

The immediate context and the way Hebrews uses this term without a qualifier demands a more comprehensive interpretation: including both cleansing and forgiveness.

The blood removes the condemnation of sin

The blood removes the consequence of sin and someday

The blood clears the conscience of sin

The blood will remove the consciousness of sin - the very presence of sin

Why the blood?

Now note, First of all, this is so, because God has declared it as such.

This is no minor point

Nor is it a cop-out

If you are a believer, you acknowledge that it is God who makes the rules, and not us!

It should be sufficient for us that God said it, even if it does not somehow fit into our finite mold of understanding.

Now faith is very reasonable, and God wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

That is why the LORD reasons with Judah and Jerusalem...

Isaiah 1:18 NASB95

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

There is a clear explanation why God demands blood for forgiveness.

Secondly, it is because of the sin-death-life principle

Sin-death principle

Genesis 2:16–17 NASB95

16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Genesis 2:17 NASB95

17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

When Adam and Eve sinned, the LORD sacrificed an animal and clothed them with garments of skin

Genesis 3:21 NASB95

21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

There was death as a result of sin.

Romans 6:23 NASB95

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now the death-life principle

The clinching argument is found in the LORD’s explicit explanation

Leviticus 17:11 NASB95

11 ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’

Sin’s wages, sin’s penalty is death

Death is the removal of life

The blood is the representation of life

Forgiveness is possible only when there has been a just payment for sin.

Consider the case that we began with… Cain’s murder of Abel

Genesis 4:1–10 NASB95

1 Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the Lord.” 2 Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” 8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.

What was Abel’s blood crying out?

Death, Death, Death!

The wages of sin is death!

Give me my wages!

Thirdly, not just any blood will do!

You say, but there are other religions that have blood sacrifices.

But not just any blood will do!

Hebrews 10:4 NASB95

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

The only blood that will satisfy the righteous requirements of God’s justice and holiness is the blood of Christ!

1 Peter 1:17–19 NASB95

17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

Colossians 1:9–14 NASB95

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Revelation 1:5 NASB95

5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—

Isaiah 1:18 NASB95

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

oC

Isaiah 1:18 NASB95

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

Application

All ways that promise you salvation without the blood of Christ are false ways.

John 10:1 NASB95

1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.

John 10:10 NASB95

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

C.H.Spurgeon: Morality will keep you out of jail, but only the blood of Christ will keep you out of hell.

No amount of physical cleansing will present you faultless before His throne.

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

When He sees the blood, He will pass over you!

Hymn 219: When I See the Blood