THE ETERNAL BLOOD OF CHRIST
There is an old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words." The movie star Mel Gibson had
produced a movie in 1994 called, "The Passion of the Christ." It was given an R rating because it
showed Jesus Christ receiving a violent beating with flesh and blood being exhibited. The
February 25`" 1994 opening was seen in 3000 theaters across the United States. The first two
weeks it grossed 212 million dollars.
If you have seen this nineteen year old movie, "The Passion of Christ," you were probably riveted
to your chair. It is a very emotionally moving film. Diane Sawyer, a news reporter interviewed
Mel Gibson and asked, "Why was it made?" He answered by quoting Isa 53:5, "He was beaten
for our iniquities: He was wounded for our transgressions: and by His wounds we are healed." He
said "that is the point of the film." I wanted the viewer to see the enormity of that sacrifice, to see
that someone could endure that and still come back with love and forgiveness, even through
extreme pain, suffering, and ridicule."
There has been a lot of reaction from those who have public name recognition and have seen the
movie, names like Billy Graham, the Pope, Jack Valenti, CEO of the motion picture industry,
Rush Limbaugh, Cal Thomas, James Dobson. The last quote I will mention is from President
Ronald Regan's, he summed it up the best. He said, "I have never sat in the presence of a
religious film with anything like the power of the passion. At the end of it, I wanted to weep, and
to be silent, and to commune with my God, on whom my sins had heaped such afflictions. For
the first time, I felt really inside Christ's suffering, enduring with Him, or more exactly enduring
like those who loved Him then. I now know, as never before, the duration of His excruciating
pain. When I reached home after the theater, I got out my New Testament, and read again each of
the four accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John." End of quote. All these men were
obviously moved by this "R" rated film.
Circumstances for all of us make certain things valuable and priceless. The hungry man thinks
food is valuable and priceless. When a person is dying of thirst in the desert, he values
water--valuable and priceless above all else. A person in poverty looks at wealth as a valuable
and priceless thing. A person cannot truly appreciate the value of a thing until he realizes and
encounters the need for it.
The Lord's priceless, eternal blood, people sometimes use the word "precious" carelessly and
casually, however, in the word of God, the word "precious" is used with great care. This word
"precious" is found 76 times in the Bible. As we are nearing the time for renewing our contract
with God the Father and Jesus Christ, we should have by now examined ourselves. Thinking
seriously about the New Testament symbols that represents Christ's sacrificed body.
Notice; I Cor 11: verses 23 - 30, this chapter will lay the foundation for this article. "The Eternal
Blood Of Christ." "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the
Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread: And when He had given thanks,
He broke it, and said, take, Eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance
of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, this cup is the
New Testament in My Blood: this do you, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as
often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till He come.
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be
guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of
that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks
damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly
among you, and many sleep."
Those verses bring our attention to the importance of Blood that is spoken of in both the New
Testament and Old Testament. The first recorded sacrifice that involved blood was the murder of
Able by his brother Cain. This story we all know well. Able's accepted animal sacrificed offering
to God was a demonstration of faith. Cain's offering to God --in contrast was an attempt to earn
salvation by works out of his garden.
The story goes, Cain felt fierce resentment against his brother and toward God. There was
apparently no sorrow for his sin. No spirit of self-examination, no prayer for forgiveness or
pardon. Cain's behavior is a typical example of a stubborn and unrepentant person, whose heart
does not melt under correction and reproof, but only becomes even more harden and rebellious
with each passing day.
The author of Hebrews wrote in the faith chapter,`By faith Abel offered unto God a more
excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying
of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaks" (Heb 11:4). How was he able to speak, being
dead. Gen 4: 9-10 supplies us the answer. "And the Lord said unto Cain, where is Abel your
brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper? And He said, what have you done?
The voice of your brother's blood cries unto Me from the around." Cain the murderer found an all seeing and all knowing God reading his naked thoughts! Cain's lesson, yet to be learned, was said by the Psalmist, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Psalms 116:15).
History tells us Noah and his family's first act upon leaving the ark, was to offer a blood sacrifice
of animals. You might want to read Geneses 8:20. Notice, Heb 9:starting with verse 19, there we
read the law was sealed with Blood. "For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying, this is the blood of the
testament which God has enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the
tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with
blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission [no forgiveness of sin]" (Heb 9:19-22).
Verse 7, in this same chapter, we read of the high Priest going in once a year into the most Holy
place with blood. "But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, [speaking of
the day of atonement] not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the
people" (Heb 9:7).
Blood holds an important place in the plan of salvation. The Blood of Christ is repeatedly
described as the vital element in redemption. We find expressions in the Bible that says, 1).
Purchased with His own Blood [Act 20:28]. 2). Redemption through His Blood [Eph 1:7]. 3).
Peace through the Blood [Col 1:20]. 4). Sanctify the people with His own Blood [Heb 13:12]. 5).
The Blood of the everlasting covenant [Heb 13:20]. 6). Sprinkling of the Blood [1 Pet 1:2]. 7).
The spirit and the water and the Blood [1 John 5:6]. And the last place we will mention is: 8).
Washed us from our sins in His own Blood [Rev 1:5].
Remove the doctrine of the blood and blood atonement from the Bible, we are left without a
Savior. All the sacrifices of the Old Testament pointed forward to the one great sacrifice of Jesus
Christ. "It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified
with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not
entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven
itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as
the High Priest enters into the Holy place every year with blood of others; For then must He often
have suffered since the foundation of the World: but now once in the end of the World has He
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself' (Heb. 9:23-26).
When Jesus Christ began His ministry, the idea of a blood sacrifice began to be portrayed by
John the Baptist, when he gave recognition of Christ being the "Lamb of God." We find that
referenced in John 1:27-29, "He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's
I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was
baptizing. The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold "the Lamb of God,"
which taketh away the sin of the World."
This is reminiscent of the sacrificed Passover lamb that Israel while in Goshen was told to put its
blood on the door post of their houses for their protection. It typified Israelis separation and
deliverance from Egypt's unrepentant sins.
Blood was mentioned by Christ at the last Passover Feast with His disciples. It was at this
Passover He instituted the new symbols for His memorial supper. He spoke of this blood of the
New Testament in the book of Matthew."And as they were eating, [this is speaking of them
eating the Exodus 12 Passover meal] Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to
the disciples, and said, take, eat; this is My Body. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and
gave it to them, saying, drink you all of it; For this is My blood of the New Testament, which is
shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt 26: 26-28).
The whole history and meaning of Christ's Blood sacrifice centers on the stake where He was
crucified. The Apostle Peter tells us, the sacrificed blood of Christ is indeed, a priceless gift to
mankind. And that the blood of Christ brings redemption. "If you call on the Father, who without
respect of persons judges according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in
fear: Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and
gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the priceless
Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained
before the foundation of the World, but was manifest in these last times for you" (1 Peter
1:17-20).
The Apostle Paul when speaking to the Ephesians said in Eph 1: 7, "We have redemption
through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." The word
"redemption" means, 1. To buy back. 2. Ransom paid in full. 3. Forgiveness. From the start of
human life, man walked and talked with God. But, as all men have done since Adam and Eve,
they sold their soul into the slavery of sin and Satan. In Rom. 6:16; and John 8: 34, we find that
said. First Rom 6: 16 shows us we have a choice in who we want to serve. "Know you not, that to
whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of
sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? And John 8: 34 adds, "Jesus answered them,
verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin."
God desire by His Blood, is to buy human beings back from the clutches of Satan. God could
have rushed the stronghold of Satan and brought men back to Himself by force. Instead, He
chose to redeem man through the blood of His only begotten Son.
Romans 3 tells us, the Blood of Christ brings justification. "For all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus: Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His Blood, to declare His
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare,
I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which
believeth in Jesus" (Rom 3:23-26).
Divine justice requires the condemnation and punishment of all who have sinned. But since all
have sinned and transgressed God's law, all are worthy of death. "For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" [Rom 6:23].
Pointing again at Christ's ultimate blood sacrifice, God could have placed great, laborious,
burdensome demands on mankind. But the only thing that meets the demands of God's justice is
the blood of His son Jesus Christ, not our physical laborious works.
God's meaning of justification is unreasonable to most men and women, so they reject it. But we,
you and I are extremely blessed to have been given an understanding of the many facets of God's
truth and one of those facets of truth is to recognize the blood of Christ brings reconciliation.
The Apostle Paul passes that information on to us in Rom 5:10, "For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by His life." The word "reconcile" means: 1. To make friends of enemies. 2. Restore
friendly relations. When a person sins, he makes himself an enemy of God.
James and Apostle Paul address this in the book of James. "You adulterers and adulteresses,
know you not that the friendship of the world [should read friendship for the world] is enmity
with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4:4).
Look now what the Apostle Paul had to say in Col 1:21. He is reminding the Colossians that
their entire thinking had been in a state of alienation and hostility toward God. "And you, that
were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled
as a man thinks, so will he act." It is impossible for an unrighteous mind to do other thanv produce offensive works. To be God's enemy means certain, absolute destruction.
Back to the book of Hebrews we find, "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for
of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" (Heb 10: 26-27). This will
be the result of a person that is in a continuing state of revolt against God.
Only by the priceless blood of Christ can we be made friends with God and escape the wrath to
come. Only the blood of Christ can bring cleansing to a individual. The word "cleanse" is a
household term, simply meaning, "To clean, to make pure." God regards sin as a defiled garment
in Rev. 3:4, and a diseased body in Isa. 1:6, filth and as vomit in 2 Pet. 2:22.
Look at Isa 59: where Isaiah refers to the administration of justice and the tragic nature of sin.
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot
hear: but your iniquities (your lawlessness) have separated between you and your God, and your
sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and
your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perverseness.
None calls for justice, nor any pleads for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive
mischief, and bring forth iniquity"(Isa 59:1-4).
Sin separates and alienates one from God. John the apostle, who wrote Christ's letter said in Rev
1:5, that the cleansing and washing agent for sin is the blood of Christ. "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."
The New Testament lays out much stress on the blood of Christ. You might want to put these
next 5 verses in your notes. 1. Mark 14:24, Jesus spoke of His own blood as being "Shed for
many." We are "justified by His blood" in Romans 5:9, Christ made "peace through the blood
spilled on the stake" in Col. 1:20. Eph 2:13 tells us, those who were "far off' have been "made
nigh" by His blood. Last, "we are washed "from our sins in His own blood" Rev. 1:5.
In the Old Testament, blood is regarded as representing life. Lev 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." Blood holds a high place in God's plan for
salvation. It also is repeatedly described as the vital element that saves a person. Remove the
doctrine of the blood and blood atonement from the Bible and we are left without a Saviour.
We are brought to understand in the book of Acts chapter 20, that the Church of God has been
"Purchased with Christ's own Blood," according to Paul's farewell letter to the Ephesian elders.
"For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed
The Church of God, which He has purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20.27-28). The death of
Christ by His shedding of blood was the atoning sacrifice that made salvation possible for you
and I to be called and given knowledge of His soon coming Kingdom--we pray daily to come.
On the 14th day of God's first month - God's called, will be renewing their contract before God
our creator. Our commitment contract was to put on the new man, new character, new personality
that we were admonished to do. "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth
walk not as other gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened,
being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the
blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness,
to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ; if so be that you
have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off
concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the new man, which after God is
created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth
with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be you angry, and sin not: let not the sun
go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but
rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to
him that needs. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good
to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Eph 4:17-29).
Those cleansed personalities by Christ blood will be translated into God's kingdom that is yet to
come. "Who has delivered us from the power of iniquity, and has translated us into the kingdom
of His dear Son: in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins"
(Col 1:13-14). Those who will not obey God, will not be added to His first fruits, called out ones,
at this time.
How are the blessings of the blood acquired? There are six required steps in God's plan for
baptism. One is, remission of sin. Matt 26:28; Acts 2:38; Matt 26:28; "For this is My blood of
the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins ( forgiveness of sin )." Two,
cleansed. I John 1:7; Eph 5:26; 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 cleanses us from all
sin." Three is to have purged conscience. Heb 9:14; I Pet 3:21; Heb 9:14; "Flow 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? Four is, washing. Rev 1:5; Acts 22:16;
Rev 1:5; "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." Five, purchased. Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 12:13; Acts 20:28; "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed The Church of God, which He has purchased with His own Blood." Sixth and last is,
redemption and forgiveness. Eph 1:7; Acts 2:38; Eph 1:7; "In whom we have redemption through
His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
Baptism in a special way is related to the blood of Christ. Without baptism, no one receives the blessings of Christ's blood. A study of the scriptures shows that what the blood does, baptism does. For one to continue to receive the cleansing from the blood, he must continue to meet the
conditions of forgiveness. "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness,
(walk in the fruits of the flesh) we lie, and do not the Truth: but if we walk in the light, (walk in
the fruits of God's Holy Spirit ) 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. If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:6-9).
Pardon from sin has come to all men as the result of the priceless Blood of Christ. However, one
must accept the pardon on the conditions of the one who shed His blood for us. If we do not
comply with the conditions, the blessings of Christ Blood will not apply.
James Russell