Our text is taken from: Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.”
We live in a day when churches are trying to get all mention of the ‘blood’ removed from all songs and sermons, because it offends their sense of dignity due to what they call its gruesomeness. But I propose to you that the bible, hymns, the plan of salvation, or any other relationship to God, would be meaningless to us without the blood.
Notice what happened in the Garden of Eden. Man was created innocent. Innocence denotes an absence of guilt. God made everything contained in the world at that time, everything but one thing, was for the good and use of man. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the only thing out of bounds to mankind. God wanted man to serve him out of choice and not by force. When man could not resist the one thing that was out of bounds to him, it was disobedience, which was sin, and lost his innocence.
Our text states that the life of the flesh is in the blood and that this blood was given for making an atonement for our souls. When innocence was lost, guilt from sin or disobedience replaced this innocence. This is where the blood was first used to atone for sins. Genesis 3:21 says, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them.” Modesty is especially important to God, but the aprons of fig leaves that Adam and Eve had made, were not enough to cover the sin. Notice that it said coats not aprons. This was to cover their nakedness to keep the sun from burning them, to keep them warm from the cold and give them blankets for the night air, and to atone for their sin. Could it be that these were rough skins with streaks of blood still on the underside to remind them of what God was compelled to do? Just what is it that clothes us spiritually today? It is none other than the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ who shed His blood on Calvary for our covering, was buried and rose again.
What was God’s reaction to the sacrifices offered by Cain and Abel when they came before Him? Genesis 4:4 says, “And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.” Why did Abel’s’ offering bring respect from God? When he slew the lamb, its blood or life was shed to make atonement for his sins. You will never have God’s respect without the presence of bloodshed. The sacrifice of Abel was a direct type of ‘The Lamb of God’ which would take away the sin of the world. John 1:29 tells us, “The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” A lamb fitly symbolizes the harmlessness and innocence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53:7 states, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.” This type of soul atonement is brought to us in the beginning of the human race through the contrast of Abel and Cain, to show us the importance of the blood. Hebrews 9:22 says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”
What happened when Noah and his family came out of the ark? Genesis 8:20 &22 states, “And Noah built an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.” Here again, we see the shedding of blood. Noah knew the value of gaining the respect of God and he knew it could only be done by the shedding of blood.
How did Abraham know the value of the shedding of blood? He came from a heathen family. He was called to go to a country that he could not even tell you, its location. Yet, Genesis 12:8 tells us, “And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he built an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.” There was something inherent in him that pointed out the shed blood for atonement. This became a practice of Abraham and his descendants, Isaac, and Jacob. In Genesis 17:10 it says, “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.” God made a covenant of circumcision with Abraham, and we find a warning under the law regarding it in Deuteronomy 10:16 which says, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.” God was trying to prepare them for more than just a natural walk with him. He wanted a spiritual fellowship with mankind, like he had lost in the Garden of Eden.
In Egypt after 430 years of bondage, God spoke to Moses with the instructions he was to give to the children of Israel. Exodus 12:7 says, “And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.” Verse 13 continues, “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.” Verse 14 concludes, “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.”
Hebrews 9 speaks of the two covenants, one was the old, which was under the law, and the other was a new covenant, which was under grace. The pattern that was established physically by God in the Old Testament, was followed spiritually in the New Testament. When Jesus and his disciples met for the last supper together, Jesus instituted a new memorial to continue that which was spoken of in Egypt. He said it this way, in Matthew 26, Mark 14 and Luke 22, “This bread is my body which was broken for you and this cup is my blood shed for the remission of the sins of the entire world.” No longer a remembrance of the blood of the sacrifices and their exodus out of Egypt, but now a remembrance of the shedding of the blood of the Lamb of God, commemorating our exodus from sin. This is the bases for the New Covenant, His death on Calvary.
This example Jesus set was carried over into the church when Paul wrote to the Corinthians about how they should have communion. What does this mean to us, how is the blood applied? Colossians 2:9-16 tells us, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
In conclusion, let me remind you of a few things regarding the shedding of blood, and what it means to us today. Firstly, we have remission of sins: Matthew 26:27-28 Jesus stated, “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Secondly, we have been redeemed, bought back: Acts 20:28 admonishes, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Thirdly, we are justified: Romans 5:9 says, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Fourthly, we have been cleansed: 1 John 1:7 tells us, “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 cleanses us from all sin.” Fifthly, we are washed: Revelation 1:5-6 states, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Sixthly and finally, we will be saved: Revelation 7:9-14 gives us a sneak peak at the final act of our story, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
There has never been, nor will there ever be anything more powerful than the Blood of Jesus Christ. For you to have these benefits of the greatest sacrifice ever made, you must apply the blood to your life individually just as the Apostles of old did. Peter originally gave the instructions, in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2:38-39 states, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Join in as the hymn of old rings out, “What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus. This promise is extended to you today.