Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The Prescious Blood of Jesus Christ




The Precious Blood of Jesus
1Peter 1:17-19 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Today in our context – Blood has become cheap. We see blood-shed on TV like it was tomatoes sauce. We hear about gruesome deaths, accidents and murders and it does not even give us a sleepless night.
What about the child in the Middle East that grows up with violent death all around him.
Our sinful humanity has fallen so far in darkness that human life has lost its sanctity and so when we talk about the Blood of Jesus it is almost meaningless.
I hope that after today’s message we would have a deeper devotion and appreciation for the Blood of Jesus Christ.
The Incredible Power of Jesus’ Blood.  – The Bible has much to say about the incredible precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Let us never forget how the Word of God and our Christian lives are touched by the blood of our loving Lord.
Medical doctor and theologian, M.R. DeHaan said, “The Bible is a book of blood … wholly distinct from all other books for just one reason, namely, that it contains blood circulating through every page and in every verse. From Genesis to Revelation we see the stream of blood.”  
He is right. The Bible is a book of Blood! From the Old Testament to the New we see pictures of blood sacrifices. Today we will look at “The Precious Blood of Jesus”!
Jesus Unique Blood
·         Christ’s Blood is not like our blood. It is unique! Holy Blood!
·         Our blood was poured into our veins by our father and his father…. And his father… who received it originally from Adam whose sinful blood is our inheritance, therefore in this sense we are born sinners.
Rom 5:12-13 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men[a] because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Jesus Blood is Holy because of His Father
·         Adam was not the father of Jesus, neither was Joseph.
·         God is His Father. He said I come from my Father in heaven. John 16:28
·         Through the undeniable virgin birth; Jesus had His Father’s blood pulsing through His veins. 
·         Jesus blood was, and is, God’s blood.  Hence, Jesus blood is absolutely unique and Jesus truly is “. . . the only begotten of the father . . .”  (John 1.4; 3.16; 1 John 4.9) 
·         Jesus blood was not like our blood, and therefore offers what only the blood of God can offer.
When we loose sight of the uniqueness of Jesus Blood and you will loose sight of much of the Gospel and the essence of the salvation offered us by God.  
·         Jesus was not just a prophet or a good man. He was God with us! Emmanuel! God in the flesh! John1:1,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
·         There is absolutely nothing in this world that compares to the salvation offered us through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, because there is absolutely nothing in this world that can compare to the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Blood Has, 
1. Redeeming Power (1 Cor 6.19-20; 1 Pet 1.18-19; Titus 3.5) [- To redeem something is to buy something back.  
[1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.]
[This tells us that as Christians we were bought by God.  He paid a price for us and as a result we belong to Him and we ought to live our lives as though we are His.  
Now, How much were you worth? – nothing! His blood was the worth He bestowed on that which was worth only damnation. – you! 
Rom 3:10-12  as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
11 
    no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Rom 2:6-7  He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking[a] and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Christ did not shed His precious Blood because we were so valuable and amazing. It was His Precious Blood that gave us value. Now that you have been plunged in the Blood… you have become valuable.
What an incredible price your Heavenly Father was willing to pay for you – while you were a worthless sinner!
Rom 5: 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The price was so high, because sin is so terrible. His love was so great, because His hatred for sin was so great. God chose in His good pleasure to love that which was worthless and contrary to Him… For His name sake He has done this. [Ezek 20, Psalms 23]
No silver or Gold – Notice that nothing in this world could have purchased your redemption.  
·         Silver and gold are purchased through the sweat of your brow. You have to work to be able to buy it. 
·         Silver and gold represents your good works.  The Bible says,
[Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;]
[There is nothing you could ever do to secure your own redemption or salvation, but you can be redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.]
2. Atoning Power (Heb 9.22) [– Atoning Efficacy – The word atone means to make compensation for or to pay the required price.  Efficacy means the power to produce effects.  
·         Jesus blood alone (the requirement) has the power to purchase your redemption.  
·         Nothing else can take away your sins and their penalties.  Blood has always been required for the remission of sins.  The Bible says,] 
[Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.]
[The Old Testament sacrifices were required.  But these sacrifices were mortal and corruptible.  The Bible says,] These sacrifices only covered sin temporarily it couldn’t take it away forever.
[Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. ]

[Hebrews 10:11-12 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; ]
[The Old Testament sacrifices pointed to the one eternal sacrifice whose blood contained the atoning power to fully satisfy the required cost for our sins.  This sacrifice was the Lord Jesus Christ, with his unique and perfect blood.]
[Only Jesus blood has the atoning power needed to take away your sins and their terrible consequences.]
3.      Cleansing Power (1 John 1.7; Isa 1.18) 
[1 John 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.]
The word cleanseth - Katharidzo here means to free from defilement of sin or faults – continue to cleanse; to keep clean what has been made clean
·         Mortal, corruptible blood has the power to stain and defile. Eg. Blood on your T-shirt/nose bleed…  
·         But the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is unique indeed for it has the power cleanse, not stain.
[Isaiah, in referring to the cleansing blood of our Lord Jesus Christ wrote,
[Isaiah 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ]
·         The Precious blood of Jesus not only cleanses you partially, but it purifies you totally and completely!
·         Jesus blood cleanses from “. . . all sin.”  
·         There is no sin stain too stubborn or great for the cleansing power of Jesus divine blood.
4.      Preserving Power (Exodus 12.13) [– In the Passover we see the Blood of the lamb, which was the foreshadow of the precious eternal blood of the Lamb of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.  The children of Israel were commanded to take a lamb and kill it, then take its blood and strike the door posts and the lintel of their door and then to enter that house and eat that Passover lamb Then during the night, as the death angel passed through the land of Egypt, he would take the fist born of every house.  But God said,]   
[Exodus 12:13  And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. ]
[It was the blood of that lamb that provided the preserving power for those who had applied the blood and trusted in its promise.  Our text declares,]
[1 Peter 1:18-19  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; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: ]
[Notice this phrase and note how it undeniably speaks of the Passover lamb and its preserving blood.  The precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has preserving power.]
5.      Pleading Power (Heb 12.24; Gen 4.10; Num 35.33; Luke 23.34) [– C.H. Spurgeon called this Pleading Prevalence. ]  
[Hebrews 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. ]
[Did you know that your blood has a voice?  It cries out to God, and God hears its plea.  Spurgeon noted that Abel’s blood plead with God for vengeance.] 
[Genesis 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. ]
[Be careful that you do not underestimate the pleading power of one’s blood.  The cry from shed blood is loud and persuasive in the ears of almighty God. The shedding of blood is a serious matter with God The Bible says,]
[Numbers 35:33  So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. ]
Even David – the man after God’s own heart was told he couldn’t build the temple of God because he had spilt too much blood. 1Chron 22:7
[Imagine the deafening cries from all the blood shed in our sinful world these days.  What an incredible cry this must be.] 
[Then there is Jesus precious blood and its cry before His Father.  Again, our text reads,] 
[Hebrews 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.]
[What is the plea of Jesus precious blood?  What is the cry of the blood of God’s Only Begotten Son? The blood of Jesus cries out,] 
[Luke 23:34  . . .  Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do . . .  ]
[Glory to God, Our Lord and Savior’s blood calls out for your merciful forgiveness and total cleansing.]
6.      Consecrating Power (Heb 9.14) [– The precious shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, when properly seen in it sacrifice and compassion has the ability to bring a rebellious and sinful heart and mind into submissive, sacrificial obedience to the Heavenly Father.  The Bible reads,] 
[Hebrews 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? ]
[The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ has the power to transform your mind and the way you think.]
7.      Positioning Power (Heb 10.19-20) 
[Hebrews 10:19-20 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;]
[Through the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ we have been granted the position of a child of the King.  Jesus when He had ascended on high sat down at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2.33; 7.35).  Now we as joint heirs with Christ (Rom 8.17) have come into the holy of holies and stand in the very presence of our Heavenly Father. A position of great stature, authority, power and security.]
8.      Confirming Power (Heb 13.20) 
[Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, ]
[No covenant is confirmed by God without the shedding of blood, The New Testament speaks of Jesus blood as the “blood of the everlasting covenant.” Hence, confirming our eternal and everlasting security.  Through Jesus precious blood we can be secure in our eternal life because Jesus blood is the confirming agent of our covenant with our Heavenly Father.  Praise God for the confirming power of Jesus blood!] 
9.      Quickening Power (John 6.53; Lev 17.11; Eph 2.5-6) [– This is the power to instill life.  The Bible reads,] 
[John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.]
[It is the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that pours the spiritual life of Christ into our hearts and Souls.  Perhaps, this is what God was implying, at least in part, when He said,
[Leviticus 17:11  For the life of the flesh is in the blood: . . .  ]
[It is through the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are brought into the abounding life that our Lord desired for us to know and have (John 10.10).  Paul wrote,]
[Ephesians 2:5-6  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ]
10.  Overcoming Power (Rev 12.10-11
[Revelation 12:10-11 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. ]
[No matter how desperate your tribulation and trials may be you can overcome them all through the strengthening power of the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  When you are in desperate time, remember and plead the blood.  How will pleading the blood help you in those times, it will remind you of the comforting love and goodness of your Heavenly Father, and assure you of the victory that is on your horizon.  It will help you recall that they may take this mortal life, but they cannot touch your promised and secure everlasting life and bountiful rewards.]
11.  Melting Power (Zech 12.10) 
[Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. ]
[When they pierced our Lord what came out?  Water and blood (John 19.34).  The precious shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of the suffering, sacrificial love of God toward sinful, lost and rebellious people.  This love of God, wrapped up in the Blood of Christ, has the power to melt the hardest heart.]
[Do not pound upon the hardened hearts of the wayward with the hammer of the gospel for you will just callus and harden those hearts; but pour upon them the love of God through the blood of Christ and melt those calluses’ away.  It is the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Chris that an melt and change the hardest hearts.] 
[1 Peter 1:18-23 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; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. ]