Sermon Central
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A Portrait Of The Blood - Communion - Lord's Supper
Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Jul 14, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: A "stand alone" message but also good for communion. See also "A Portrait of The Bread". Link included to both sermons in Formatted Text, w/ Handouts and Powerpoint Presentations and Templates.
A Portrait of The Blood
[Hundreds of free sermons and Powerpoints at website...link at bottom!]
Without blood there cannot be life in the physical body. That is just as true in the Bible. Blood flows through the Bible just as it does through our veins. The blood of Christ keeps Christianity alive. Someone has said, “Cut the Bible anywhere and it will bleed.” The blood is spoken of 427 times in our Bible, so it is easy to see, this is not a minor theme. Without the blood, the Gospel is dead and we are deprived of eternal life.
Jesus said, “For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:28
Paul added, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission.” He also explained, “We have redemption through the blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:14.
Peter added, “We are not redeemed with silver and gold, and precious stones, but with the precious blood of Christ.” I Peter 1:18
Then John agreed with Peter and Paul, He wrote, “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” I John 1:7
The early church understood the blood…the 22 sermons recorded by the four preachers in the Book of Acts all give the same message, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They understood that His death and the provision of “covering by the blood” was the essential ingredient of the Gospel. [“there, that should cover it!” – The idea of payment to cover as well as hiding it from sight.]
– “His gaze always passes thru rose-colored glasses every time He looks on my heart.” Wayne Watson
Can you see this portrait of the blood? It’s hard to see blood…it’s internal. To make it external hurts…you have to be cut or injured. But the Bible paints in broad strokes the blood on a canvas, and then in minute detail God’s Word breaks it down to the cellular level—the importance of the blood of Christ! We can see this today…but even more important is that God sees the blood applied to our lives, and passes over us!
Let’s put the blood of Christ under the microscope and do some forensic study…then we’ll get the complete picture—a portrait of the blood.
I. In Analysis: The Blood Is Perfect
The virgin birth of Christ established His righteousness.
Judas cried out. “I have betrayed innocent blood.”
Paul explained, “For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
Pilate said, “I find in him no fault at all.” John 18:38
Jesus Himself said, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” John 8:46
He was spoken of as, “Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” Hebrews 7:26
Again, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” I Peter 2:22
John added, “in Him is no sin.” I John 3:5
A natural father would have imparted the sin-nature of Adam to Christ and His death would not have provided redemption. The virgin birth is absolutely essential to the salvation of our souls.
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin and did not have original sin. Matthew quotes Isaiah the prophet saying,
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Jeremiah the prophet had spoken years before on this. He said, “The Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth, a woman shall compass a man.” Jeremiah 31:22
It certainly was a new thing for a woman without a man to give birth to a child. The Adamic nature is passed to the offspring by the blood line of the man. There were no impurities in the blood of Christ. Everything about Christ was perfect including His blood.
II. In Application: The Blood Is Pure
One of reasons we use grape juice in our Communion Service instead of wine is because wine has to go through a process of fermentation. The process of fermentation is actually bacteria working in the juice. It is a rotting process. This could never give a proper picture of the sinless Blood of Christ. For all that is holy, Satan has his counterfeit…and communion is no exception! Pure grape juice is the true symbol of the pure Blood of the Lord Jesus, just as the bread is to be w/out leaven.
When Dr. Curtis Hutson was struggling with cancer, on a number of occasions he went through a treatment called “Keylation.” Keylation is similar to dialysis in that the blood is removed from the body and sent through a machine that cleanses the impurities from it and then pumps it back into the body. This treatment prolonged Dr. Hutson’s life for a good long time.
