"Why The Blood?"

Exodus 12:12-13; Leviticus 17:11

INTRO: The BIBLE is a bloody book. Through its pages run a trail of blood from Genesis to Revelation. Through out history men have criticized, questioned, and have unsuccessfully tried to stamp under their feet the preaching of the blood atonement made possible by Jesus Christ. Even though the BIBLE says in Hebrews 9:22b—“...without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” When accused of preaching a "bloody gospel," men of God should shout for joy, because "without the shedding of Blood there is no remission."

In the message today we will attempt to answer this question, "Why The Blood?" The old hymn says,"Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power, are you washed in the Blood of the Lamb? There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean, Oh, be washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Are you washed in the Blood? In the Soul cleansing Blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless; are they white as snow? Are you washed in the Blood of the Lamb?"

Why did God choose the agency of Christ's blood for the forgiveness of sins? He could just of easily wrote in His WORD, "And without the keeping of the Law, there is no remission." Why? Because inherent in man is no good thing. We have not the capability of keeping the law of God. But God said, "...without the shedding of Blood there is no remission." The word "remission” in the Greek means "deliverance, liberty, or forgiveness." It implies the idea of our sins being put away.

When Christ was nailed to the cross, Isaiah 53:6b says, “…And the LORD hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all." Our sins were put away from us and placed upon Christ, Who shed His Blood as remission for our sins! But, why the blood? Why was it needed? Why was it sufficient? And how did it meet God's requirement? These are the questions we will answer today.

WHY THE BLOOD? BECAUSE:

(1) The Blood Preserves Life

Leviticus 17:lla—“For the life of the flesh is in the blood..."

  1. THE BLOOD SUSTAINS LIFE PHYSICALLY. The Human body is composed of cells, muscles, organs, nerves, and tissues. But the Blood is the sustainer of Life. Every 23 seconds, the heart pumps the blood throughout the entire body. The Blood is living tissue. It is constantly circulated to each cell in the body where it supplies the body and cleanses it of impurities. When the Blood fails to reach the cells and members of the body, a person promptly dies. (M. R. DeHaan. The Chemistry of The Blood. p. 14). When God created Adam out of the dust of the ground, he was a lifeless hump until God added a necessary element. Genesis 2:7 says, "And the LORD God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." The breath of God put something in man that made him alive. What was it? It must have been the blood, for our text says, "The life of the flesh is in the blood." (M. R. DeHaan. The Chemistry of The Blood. p. 17).
  1. THE BLOOD SECURES LIFE SPIRITUALLY. The blood provided by God was untainted until Adam fell, then something happened to the blood. It became corrupted. Adam began to die, not just physically, but he died spiritually. Ezekiel 18:20a tells us, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” That death passed to the whole human race, because we all share Adam's bloodline. Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-3—“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Friends, I thank God today for the blood of Jesus that was shed on Calvary’s cross! Without the blood we would all be helpless, hopeless, and hellbound!

ILLUS: Dr. Paul Brand wrote:

I used to think it strange that the Bible keeps talking about the

cleansing power of the blood (1 Peter 1:2). It seemed to me that

blood was messy stuff. I needed to wash my white lab coats if

they became stained with blood.

Today, I love the analogy; it is so true of the body. The blood is

constantly cleansing every cell, and washing away all the

debris that accumulates all the time. I like the phrase in

Hebrews 9:14 (KJV): "How much more shall the blood of Christ

purge your conscience from dead works?" --Dr. Paul Brand in

GOD'S FOREVER FEAST (Discovery House, 1998)

(2) The Blood Is The Provision Of God

Leviticus 17:11b—“And I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls..."

  1. THE BLOOD IS A GIFT. Note the words, “I have given it to you…”. Because of Adam's sin, our blood is corrupted and sinful meaning all are sinners (Romans 3:23). For our blood to become uncorrupted and undefiled again, new blood had to be added to our souls. This blood was shed at Calvary for us by Christ! 1 Peter 1:18-19 tells us, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Christ gave Himself, shed His blood that He might secure the atonement of our souls. The word "atonement"--Hebrew—Kaphar (Kaw-Far) means "to cover; to secure thesinner of guilt and punishment."

B. THE BLOOD IS GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS. Why was Christ's Blood

not corrupted and sinful? He was in the form of a man? You will recall

that Christ in the Scripture is called the Seed of the Woman, not Adam's

seed. Christ was born of a Virgin! He had to be because the Blood of

Adam's seed was now corrupted. (M. R. DeHaan. The Chemistry of The

Blood. p. 25). Hebrews 2:14 says, "Forasmuch then as the children are

partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the

same; that he through death might destroy him that had the power of

death, that is, the devil." The phrase "took part" in the Greek is very

interesting, it means "to take part, but not all." Christ was found in

fashion as a man, but His blood was not of man! How is this possible?

Scientists now tell us that from conception to the time of birth not one

single drop of blood ever passes from the mother to child. The mother

provides by the placenta, the nutritive elements for the growth in the

womb, but all the blood which is in that child is produced within the

child itself. (M. R. DeHaan. The Chemistry of The Blood. p. 31).

Mary provided the nourishment for the body of Jesus, but the Holy

Ghost provided the Blood! Thus Christ's blood was sinless, precious,

innocent, and incorruptible. (M. R. DeHaan. The Chemistry of The

Blood. p. 34). Thus it was a perfect atonement for our sins! Romans

5:8-9 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we

were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now

justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”THE

BLOOD PROVIDED:

  • Redemption (Ephesians 1:7).
  • Reconciliation (Colossians 1:14, 19-22; Ephesians 2:13).
  • Justification (Romans 3:24-25).
  • Sanctification (Hebrews 13:12)

(3) The Blood Pleases God

Leviticus 17:llc—“For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for

the soul."

  1. THE BLOOD MEETS GOD’S REQUIREMENT. God assured Israel on the Passover night in Exodus 12:13—“…When I see the blood, I will pass over you." It is the blood that God looks for! Nothing else! Not merit, nor wealth, nor influence, but the BLOOD OF JESUS! Hebrews 9:22 makes it clear—“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Friends, there is no HOPE without the BLOOD! There is no HELP without the BLOOD! There is no HEAVEN without the BLOOD!
  1. THE BLOOD MENDS OUR RELATIONSHIP. Ephesians 1:3-7 tells us, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Friends, We are “accepted in the beloved.” WHY? Because of “redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Isaiah 53:10-11 says, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

ILLUS: Years ago in a Western city, a husband and wife became

estranged and finally separated. They left the city and resided

in different parts of the country. The husband, one day,

chanced to return to this city on a matter of business. He went

out to the cemetery to the grave of their only son. He was

standing by the grave in fond reminiscence, when he heard a

step behind him. Turning, he saw his estranged wife. The first

inclination of both was to turn away. But they had a common

binding interest in that grave; and instead of turning away they

clasped hands over that grave of their son and were reconciled

one to another. It took nothing less than death to reconcile

them! It takes nothing less than death, the precious blood of

Christ, to reconcile man to God. The pronouncement, the

proclamation of that, is the gospel message. --McCartney

CLOSING: The songwriter Mylon Lafevre wrote these words, "The blood that

Jesus shed for me way back on Calvary. The blood that gives me

strength from day to day, it will never lose its power. For it reaches

to the highest mountain and it flows to the lowest valley. The blood

that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its power."

THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD!

Have your sins been covered by the Blood? Do you stand before

God today condemned or cleansed? Isaiah 1:18 says, "Come now,

and let us reason together, saith the LORD: Though your sins be as

scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like

crimson, they shall be as wool."

Christ, almost 2,000 years ago, shed His precious blood on the

cruel Cross as payment for your sins. Will you come today by faith

and accept His payment for your sins?