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The Importance of Christ’s Blood. Matthew 26:26-29: Forgiveness.
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Matthew 26:26-29: Forgiveness “26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’27Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you;28for this is my blood of the* covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.29I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’” (NRSV) • The blood of Jesus was a critical part of the covenant that God would make with His people.
Matthew 26:26-29: Covenant • God used blood to bring about the covenant relationship with His people Israel in the Old Testament. • Passover: Exodus 12-13 • Blood was shed from the Passover lamb, but had to be applied by the people of God (Exodus 12:7-13) to be effective. • Law of Moses (Exodus 24:3-8, Hebrews 9:15-22) • Again, the blood was shed through the sacrifice of the calves and goats, but was applied when it was sprinkled on the people. • With a new covenant, God required the blood of the testator. Therefore, Jesus shed His blood for the new covenant. • Hebrews 8:8-13 • When is the blood of Christ applied?
Matthew 26:26-29 “26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’27Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you;28for this is my blood of the* covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.29I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’” (NRSV) • The blood of Jesus was a critical part of the covenant that God would make with His people. • The blood was used for the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 26:26-29: Forgiveness • The covenant relationship included deliverance by God. • Passover: Deliverance from the death angel • Law of Moses: Forgiveness of sins through a copy of the things to come (Hebrews 10:4, 9:23ff) • Under the New Testament, Christ’s blood was required in order to provide the forgiveness of sins. • 1 John 1:7 – “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (ESV) • When does the blood of Christ cleanse us from sins?
Hebrews 9:11-14: Cleansing “11 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation),12he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.13For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified,14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!” (NRSV) • The Hebrew writer uses the example of the purification or cleansing through blood under the Law of Moses by the priests as an example. • By the blood of Christ, our consciences - a spiritual cleansing and not a physical one - can be cleansed so that we can offer up spiritual sacrifices and service to God acceptably. (Hebrews 10:19-25)
Revelation 7:9-14: Washing “13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?’14I said to him, ‘Sir, you are the one that knows.’ Then he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (NRSV) • The description here by John shows those who stand before the throne of God shouting praises are those who have been washed. It is a similar thought to that of cleansing. • Psalm 51:7 – “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (ESV)
Romans 5:6-9: Salvation “6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.7Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die.8But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.9Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.*” (NRSV) • The blood of Christ was required in order to make us just – declared to be right – with God because it paid the wages of sin. Therefore, Christ’s blood saves us from the wrath that our sins incurred.
If then the blood of Christ provides remission (forgiveness) of sins, a cleansing of the conscience, washing or purification in order to stand before God and salvation from incurred wrath… How do we come into contact with the blood of Christ?
Christ’s Blood and Baptism Church of Christ At Medina March 11th, 2012
Forgiveness “28…for this is my blood of the* covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.29I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’” (RSV, Matthew 26:28) “38Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit..’” (NRSV, Acts 2:38)
Cleansing “14…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!” (RSV, Hebrews 9:14) “18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,19in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison,20who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water.21And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. (NRSV, 1 Peter 3:18-21)
Washing “’14I said to him, ‘Sir, you are the one that knows.’ Then he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’” (RSV, Revelation 7:14) “16And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.” (RSV, Acts 22:16) “19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh),21and since we have a great priest over the house of God,22let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (RSV, Hebrews 10:19-22)
Salvation “9Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.”(RSV, Romans 5:9) “15And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.16The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.” (NRSV, Mark 16:15-16)
Conclusion • Therefore, we come into contact with the blood of Christ when we obey His commands, and are baptized into His body. • Galatians 3:26-27 • This baptism brings us into contact with the blood because it represents His death, burial and resurrection. • Romans 6:1-4 Have you been baptized so that you can receive the blessings of being in a covenant relationship with God? If not, why not? Why delay?
