The Blood Sets Us
The Blood Sets Us
Zechariah 9:11-12
FCC. March 24, 2005
Zechariah 9:11-12… Almost every Disney classic presents the scenario of a captive and a hero sent to set the captive free. Cinderella had her fairy godmother. Sleeping Beauty had Prince Charming. Even the modern movie Shrek had an ugly ogre come to free the captive maiden. It makes for a good story - some fair maiden in distress waiting to be rescued from the evil prince.
In Zechariah it also talks about “prisoners” and a “waterless pit” and a “fortress” as well. Paul said in his letter to the Galatians3:22, “the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin.” The picture that God’s Word draws is that we are held prisoners by our own sin - something we are born into - inherited from Adam and Eve.
Yet the Gospel which is the message of the Passion - is that God would not allow Satan to keep us captive to death and hell. The Greatest Prince Charming would not allow us to remain captives. In Zechariah 9:9-10, mentions the unlikely beast of burden that the Prince would ride in on - a donkey! That’s what we looked at last Sunday. Today, we change our focus instead of focusing on the animal the Prince would ride, it changes focus to the WEAPON of the Prince. That weapon was blood - the blood of the covenant - the blood of God’s covenant. Therefore, this text automatically connects with the night of Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper - as He also called it, “the blood of my covenant.” Tonight, let’s look at how …
1. The Blood Sets Us Free
In the Old Testament blood had a binding nature to it. It was used kind of like a heavenly super glue to bind two parties together - God and man. A very visually bloody scene is presented to us on Mt. Sinai, after the presentation of the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel. It says in Ex. 24:3-8, When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.” Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.” Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
As Moses splattered the blood on the people - he was covenanting the people together with the LORD. This Old Testament covenant was a two sided agreement. If the people remained faithful to God, He would in turn remain faithful to them. The Old Testament word for covenant is “berit” which means literally to CUT a covenant.
Hebrews 9 expounds on WHY blood was necessary to ratify a covenant. It states, “In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.”
God was declaring in His will - the promise of the Promised Land. So he had animals sacrificed. Like with any will - it is not bequeathed until someone dies. This makes sense even to us today. I don’t inherit something from my parents until they actually die. Until that time, they still have use of it. But once they are dead - they no longer need it.
God gives us many things without blood being shed. He doesn’t really need anything. But, He gives us our home, wife and children, all kinds of things just by His good and gracious hand. But the second covenant - the covenant of forgiveness and holiness and salvation - needed blood to be ratified. The reason for this was because of the HOLINESS and JUSTICE of God - and the demands of the LAW of God. Ezekiel 18:20 says, The soul who sins is the one who will die. If God wouldn’t give the LAW without blood being shed - then who would imagine He would then give the GOSPEL without blood being shed? The Gospel is the ultimate fulfillment of the law - it is the completion of the law. It is only natural that a Holy and Demanding God would then demand that Holy Blood be shed in order for this covenant to be fulfilled.
This is what Zechariah says happened. As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners. Look at what Zechariah specifically says. Who is he talking to? “YOU.” Who is the “you?” This text immediately follows God talking about the King riding into Jerusalem to establish peace. Therefore, it would naturally follow that God is talking to Jesus - about the covenant that He would establish with Jesus - to free His prisoners from the waterless pit. This entire passage is a kind of contrast, for he clearly distinguishes the blood of the old covenant from the blood of this King. “Indeed, Moses had blood, but it was the blood of goats and calves, but You have Your own blood with which You establish Your covenant.” Hebrews 9:12 explains this passage beautifully, “He entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
To me, this is a really interesting passage. It speaks in such colorful terms. Prisoners being captive in a waterless pit. It brings to mind images of Joseph - lowered down in the dry well - awaiting captivity to his Egyptian slave owners. The “waterless pit” however, is not only referring to a dry well - but hell. Jesus described how dry it was - as the rich man said to Abraham, “send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” (Lk 16:24) This pit is the most terrifying of all - it involves eternal torture of fire - without water. It is inescapable - impossible to climb out of. The wrath of God and the law of God - has allowed no one to leave without being punished or giving complete obedience.
This is where the blood of the covenant is so important. Jesus said on the night He was betrayed, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28) In the earlier covenant the captives were freed from Egypt and were transferred to the land of Canaan. In this covenant the King transfers captives from the pits in which there is no water, that is, from death, sin, and hell. You see, those who have the feeling of sin also truly have the feeling of death and hell. They have no peace, but eternal thirst. Isn’t it ironic then, that as Jesus established the Lord’s Supper - what did He have us DO with His blood? He says, “take drink, this is my blood.” Jesus wants us to DRINK His blood, as a visual reminder to us as to what SATISFIES our most desperate thirst - the thirst for forgiveness, holiness, and redemption. When the Psalmist declares, “oh taste and see that the Lord is good,” we can do that in the Lord’s Supper.
Therefore, Zechariah encourages God’s people with the blood of the covenant. He says, Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. What is our fortress? Psalm 46:7 says, “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
The greatest strength of God is in the CROSS of Christ. It is here that we see God’s wonderful strength of forgiveness and love shine forth. When God not only takes on blood - but is willing to send His own Son to SHED that blood on a cross - this is where we find God’s greatest strength. So in this covenant of blood God says to us, “I don’t forgive you because of how faithful you are. I don’t forgive you because of how many sacrifices you can make. I forgive you and pledge my love to you in MY BLOOD sacrificed for you on the cross.” This is what we find in the Lord’s Supper. In it God pledges to us, “this is MY BODY, which is given FOR YOU. This is MY BLOOD, that was SHED FOR YOU for the FORGIVENESS of sins.”
So Zechariah says to us, “return to your fortress!” It is essential that we, as Christians go back to the blood of Christ time and again. This is our fortress. This is where our hope for eternity is found.
When the movie Shrek came out, it was unique in that the Prince Charming was an ugly ogre. It was also unique in that his saving of the Princess turned her into an ugly ogre as well. If you think about it, the story of Jesus Christ - as displayed in Zechariah - is unique in a different way. The Prince is beautiful and holy, but the maiden is terribly ugly and vile. She doesn’t want to be rescued. But His forgiveness and love makes her holy and changes her attitude. Also, it is different because the Savior dies as He is freeing His prisoner, but then he raises to life. What else is unique? The arch-enemy is defeated, but still allowed to torment and make life miserable for the rescued prisoner! The Savior returns to His castle, but he seemingly leaves the maiden behind! Instead of making life immediately happily ever after, she is given a promise of eternal redemption and perfection at death. In the meantime, she is given HOPE in a drink - a bloody drink. It is to remind her of the sacrifice her Savior made - to remind her she is holy and forgiven. It is given to give her hope - hope of freedom through the death of Christ. This is the Lord’s Supper. This is the blood that sets us free. It is a story that goes beyond any story - not just because it is beyond reason - not just because it’s different - but because it’s true.
Video Lord’s Supper from the Passion of the Christ