February 21 Sermon: Through the Blood of Jesus
Consider these questions as you listen to this message on Hebrews 9:11-28:
1. How does the author of Hebrews emphasize the significance of Jesus' sacrifice compared to the old covenant rituals involving the blood of goats and calves? What is the central message conveyed regarding the power and efficacy of Jesus' own blood in achieving forgiveness of sins?
2. Why is it important for us to recognize the severity of sin, as highlighted in the passage? How does the shedding of blood serve as a reminder of the gravity of rebellion against God's holiness? In what ways does this understanding shape our perspective on forgiveness and redemption?
3. In what manner does the author of Hebrews stress the once-and-for-all nature of Jesus' sacrifice? How does this concept contrast with the repetitive sacrifices required by the old covenant? How should this truth motivate us to pursue a life of holiness and righteousness as a response to the gift of forgiveness through Jesus' blood?
Transcript:
One of the central ideas in the Christian faith is the idea of the power of the blood of Jesus. I don’t think it would take us long to come up with a list of well-known hymns that talk about the blood of Jesus, and we also know several verses from the Bible that express this important and powerful truth. If we think about it a little, unless you have a working knowledge of Christian doctrine these phrases might not make much sense. Being washed in the blood of the lamb doesn’t sound like it would be anything that would get you too clean, unless you know the foundational Christian teaching behind it. There’s power in the blood seems a bit strange unless you know that the idea is that the power of the blood is to pay for your sin.
There are many who teach that we should do away with this type of language and imagery. It is far too savage for our modern ears they say. What kind of God would require blood. While these false teachers understand that you can’t really understand Christianity apart from this biblical language they still believe that we should do away with it. Clearly, those who speak in this way must not come to the passage that we have read for today with the gravity that it not only requires but it deserves. In where we find ourselves in the book of Hebrews today there is no mistaking that the blood of Jesus is the reason that we have the forgiveness of sins.
But before we begin to dig into this let’s break down the passage into our three points for today.
First, we are going to see that Jesus entered the most holy place not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood that was shed. The author of Hebrews has been speaking to his audience about the old covenant rituals that they are considering returning to. We have seen that the argument is that those rites and rituals were not ultimate. They were simply pointing to what was coming in the Lord Jesus and that idea continues today. The blood of Jesus secures an eternal redemption which is far better that the rituals that had to be repeated over and over in the Old Covenant.
Secondly, we see that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. This truth is what the old covenant rituals show us and the author of Hebrews does not mince words. Blood is required for forgiveness and the blood of Jesus brings the forgiveness that you and I so desperately need.
Finally, we will see that all of this was so that Jesus would pay the price once and for all for our sins. As we have seen in Hebrews so far the Old Covenant needed repeated sacrifices. Blood shed over and over because the sacrifices couldn’t bring peace with God because it was just the blood of an animal. Jesus took on our very own flesh to pay the price for our sins and is the once and all sacrifice that gives us confidence that our sins are forgiven in him.
And so, we arrive in the middle of the ninth chapter as we see these essential truths unfolded for us.
We see here the argument of the author of Hebrews unfolding. He has made his case that Jesus is a high priest in the order of Melchizedek. He isn’t from the line of Levi and now we see why this point has been spelled out so clearly. Jesus is better. Jesus is greater. He is a high priest who has gone in the greater and more perfect tent. The high priests who were sinful humans would set up the tabernacle and go into the most holy place where the presence of God would reside. We saw last week that the rituals done there had a specific purpose. They were to show us the holiness of God. The high priest only went in once a year and when he went in they burned incense. Not to make the place smell like a used record shop but to create smoke that would veil the priest from the holiness and presence of God. They went in with blood to show that a life had been offered for the sins of the people and for the high priest himself.
And now with the case made that Jesus is a better and greater high priest we see that he has gone not into a tent set up by human hands. He has gone into the ultimate holy places. Not just representations set up under the direction of God here on earth, but into the actual presence of God. The true holy of holies. And the point here is that these weren’t made with human hands. They are not a part of this creation. Instead, this is the actual presence of God.
And if the priests needed the blood of goats and calves to go into the presence of God in a place made with human hands here on earth then something must be taken into God’s presence and so the author of Hebrews lets us know that Jesus has gone in with his own blood. This is so substantial because it is not the blood of an animal standing in and being an offering for human sin. Instead, it is the blood of the one who took on our very own flesh and lived a perfect life in our place. It is the blood of the spotless lamb of God, not an animal offered by an earthly priest.
And the author of Hebrews makes a pretty obvious observation. If the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer did something for sins and to purify people then how much greater is the blood of Jesus? I’ve mentioned before that often we try out something with the cheaper, imitation version. You want to see if it is something you will use and you’ll use it until it wears out and then you get the better model and you understand why it is the premium product. You get why it is better.
Now, obviously, I’m not trying to equate the significance of getting a better appliance or vehicle to the significance of the work of Jesus for us but you get the idea. It is obvious how much better the sacrifice of Jesus is. If all those rites and rituals were good how awesome is the work of Jesus on our behalf. In fact, the author of Hebrews says that it can purify our consciences. Last week our passage said that none of these rites and rituals could perfect the conscience of the worshiper but now what do we see. That the work of Jesus can, in fact, purify our conscience. In other words, we can live in confidence that our sins are forgiven because what Jesus has done isn’t merely a religious ritual. It is the actual payment for our sin, done for us in human flesh.
Now, as we look at verse 14 as we close up our first point we see a two word phrase: dead works. All of our attempts at earning salvation through rituals or good works don’t do anything for us. They are dead. What we needed instead is something that would be once and for all and as it says here this purifies our conscience so that we can serve the living God.
And before we move on to our second point I want draw out what this means. Because of what Jesus has done for us we are not continually trying to climb the ladder to God. We are not on a spiritual treadmill trying to run towards God and never getting closer. Instead, we are forgiven and united to Christ. We have a purified conscience and we know that nothing that we have done or will do factors into our salvation. Because of this we get up every day and we can love and serve our neighbor to the glory of God. We aren’t doing this because we want to earn points with God in the hope that maybe someday we will be forgiven and receive salvation. Instead, we love and serve our neighbor because God has already loved and served us in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
And as we move on to our second point we see why this was necessary.
All of what Jesus has done for us shows us that he is the mediator of a new covenant. It is important that we understand this idea. In the Old Testament the priests were the ones who were the mediators. The idea is that God is so unbelievably holy that we cannot go before him without something between us and him. I mentioned already how this looked in the temple not only with the priests but the smoke and the blood. The people couldn’t do this on their own so they had the priests and the rituals and in a way, it was a gracious system because it allowed the people to have access to God. It was just mediated through this whole system but it did allow them to have their sins atoned for.
And so, with Jesus we now have access to God in a new way. It isn’t mediated through priests and these rituals but instead through God the Son himself. That’s why it’s new and that’s why the author of Hebrews calls it better.
Look at the good news that we have here. Those who are called receive the promised eternal inheritance since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
When our first parents fell into sin the stated punishment for their rebellion was that they would die but right there in the 3rd chapter of Genesis we saw that God not only promised a redeemer would come but then he covered Adam and Eve with clothes of skin. In other words, blood was shed to cover the shame of the nakedness caused by their sin. From the very beginning there was that requirement of blood because of the severity of sin being rebellion against a holy God. That obligation is what this new covenant does away with because someone has fully satisfied what was required.
And the point keeps being driven home for us. It tells us that this all in now in effect because a death has taken place. Now, this is kind of confusing to read. The word translated will here is the same word for covenant. The idea is that this covenant, this will is not in effect because, as we see in verse 18, because blood was shed.
And it is important for us to remember. When it said blood was shed it wasn’t that they got out their alcohol swabs and cleaned up a spot to get a pint out for the rituals. Blood here means death. It means that a life was taken in place of the human life that would be required for our sin. As I’ve mentioned so many times while we’ve been in Hebrews the job of a priest was a very bloody job.
We see here that this was the case throughout the old covenant. When there were commandments from God Moses would take blood and sprinkled the book and the people and say this is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you. That’s familiar language right. We know Jesus uttered similar words when he instituted the Lord’s Supper and that isn’t a coincidence. It shows us the truth of what is being told to us here.
Moses sprinkled blood on the tent and the vessels and the people for a reason.
As it says here. Under the law almost everything is purified with blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Again, we know why this is. Sin is an affront to a holy and righteous God and the price to pay is death. Like I said this isn’t blood that’s extracted it’s blood from a sacrifice. And while this seems a bit savage to us it is actually gracious. Instead of requiring the life of the transgressor God allows a sacrifice in their place.
And if allowing the blood of an animal was gracious how much more gracious is what we have in the Lord Jesus Christ who bore the wrath of God for our sin in our place and we see this truth as we move on to our third point as we see that what Jesus has done is once and for all.
And we see the author of Hebrews going back to the point that was made when we started. The copies of the heavenly things had to be purified. All of the stuff that was set up with human hands in the tabernacle and temple had to be set apart but now the heavenly things have been entered into with a better sacrifice.
Jesus entered not into an earthly holy place. He didn’t go into the temple. Instead he ascended into heaven itself and appeared in the presence of God on our behalf. Don’t miss the importance of that phrase on our behalf. The purpose of this was to bring his chosen people into right standing with God. The rituals of the old covenant could never do this fully and that is where this passage is going.
It also wasn’t to offer himself over and over. This is why the author of Hebrews has been bringing up the insufficiency of the priestly system. The priests offered sacrifices year after year. It was done repeatedly because it didn’t perfect anything. But Jesus enters once and for all. If it wouldn’t fully fulfill what was required he would have had to suffer repeatedly over and over from the foundation of the world. But because his death is complete and sufficient for the forgiveness of sins he enters once and offers himself once. He has victory over sin, death, and hell in his coming to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
That language is so important. Remember there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood and what did Jesus do? He once and for all put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. His very own blood was shed so that sin might be done away with.
But that is not the end of the story. The author of Hebrews wants us to see that just as we die once and then we are judged so Jesus has been offered once. In the same manner that Christ suffered and died so shall we but it is his victory over it that we rest in. And as we rest in the truth that he doesn’t have to suffer over and over we do see that he will appear again. But in his second coming he doesn’t need to deal with the problem of our sin again. Instead, he is coming to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. At the end of history, Jesus will return to deliver his kingdom to his Father. And he will reign forever and ever for he has saved his people by what he has done for us.
And so this spells out for us the significance of the blood of Jesus. It is only through his blood that we have hope in this life and in the next and so let’s take a moment to process these truths and apply them to our lives. As usual, I have two takeaways from this passage that I think are important as we leave from here to live in God’s world this week.
The first is that we need to remember the severity of sin. It is so easy for us to dismiss our sin. We become softened to it and we want to excuse it but all sin is a rebellion against the holiness of God. When we read this passage we sin this truth affirmed. The forgiveness of that rebellion does not come to us because God feels in a generous mood. Forgiveness does not come because we feel really sorry. Forgiveness is also not achieved by us making up for the bad that we do by doing a bunch of good stuff.
We read here that forgiveness come at a price. The shedding of blood is required but the good news is that when we are in Christ it is not our blood that is shed for our sin. It is the blood of the Lord Jesus that brings forgiveness to us and it purifies our consciences. And so as we think on this passage may we be convicted of our sin and remember the price that was paid that we have forgiveness.
And as our second point of application may we let this truth and the truth of Jesus going into the holiest place for us drive us to live in holiness.
The forgiveness that we have in Jesus is not a license for us to live how ever we feel. Jesus did not suffer and die so we could thumb our nose at his law and live in rebellion to him. The Holy Spirit also did not give us the gift of faith so that we could just ignore the conviction of our sin that he gives us.
Jesus went into the holiest place for us so that we might be free from sin and live to righteousness. And so when we think of what Jesus has done, going into the presence of God, and sitting down in our very own flesh may it drive us to live a life of holiness. May we consider the price that was paid and strive to honor that with our lives.
For it is through the blood of Jesus that we have hope and peace with God. May we remember this truth and bring glory to God for who he is and what he has done for his people.
