The Blood
Thesis: Our blood does seven life giving functions and the shed blood of Jesus Christ does seven everlasting life giving functions.
Texts: Hebrews 9:11-28
11. When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.
12. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.
13. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
14. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
15. For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
16. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it,
17. because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.
18. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
19. When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.
20. He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep."
21. In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies.
22. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23. It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.
25. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
26. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
28. so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”
Introduction:
De Haan states, “The Bible is a book of blood and a bloody book. When we are accused of preaching a Gospel of blood we proudly plead guilty, to the charge for the only thing that gives life to our teaching and power to the Word of God is the fact that it is the blood which is the very life and power of the Gospel. The Bible declares itself to be a living book, the only living book in the world; and it is able to impart life to those who will believe with their hearts what it teaches”(9).
Hebrews tells us, “The Word of God is quick, powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.”
The word translated “quick” in this verse is living or alive. What the Word declares here is that it is a living Word- it is alive-it’s not a bunch of words on a page. It is a book that has blood flowing from page to page.
Spurgeon stated, “Scripture teaches us…that the blood produces life – that life lies in the blood. Blood, therefore , is the mysterious link between matter and spirit. How is it that the soul should in any degree have alliance with matter through blood, we cannot understand; but certain it is that this is the mysterious link which unite these apparently dissimilar things together, so that the soul can inhabit the body, and the life can rest in the blood”(65).
When I first read Spurgeon’s insight here on the concept of the blood it provoked me to ponder this thought, “Life can rest in the blood.” I then became inspired to discover what does the blood actually do in my physical body. My mind clicked to a Biology class I had, so I dug out my old Biology book. I discovered as I researched that the blood does seven critical functions to help us maintain life.
I. The seven biological functions of the blood.
a. The 7 functions
i. The blood transports metabolic wastes from each cell to organs that excrete them, even drugs.
ii. The red blood cells transport oxygen from respiratory structures (lungs) to the cells of the body.
iii. The blood transports nutrients from the digestive system and from storage depots to each cell of the body.
iv. The blood transports hormones from endocrine glands to target tissues.
v. The blood helps to maintain fluid balance in the body.
vi. The blood helps to distribute metabolic heat within the body and to maintain normal body temperature.
vii. The blood (white blood cells) defend the body against invading microorganisms.
b. Medical science has given us insight into how “life rests in the blood.”
i. These seven functions accomplished by the blood help you and I live.
ii. If for what ever reason you where to lose to much blood you would die – so life rest in the blood
iii. Lev. 17:11 states, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s own life.”
iv. This verse tells us there is physical life in the blood but it also alludes that there is spiritual life in the blood too.
T.S.- The blood is what gives you and I life spiritually and the seven critical functions done by the blood, naturally are also done by the blood for a person spiritually when they have accepted the blood of the lamb- Jesus’ sacrifice of His blood on the cross.
II. The blood of the lamb functions seven ways to give us life and to help us maintain our spiritual life.
a. Revelation 12:11a “They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony…”
b. Hebrews 9:22 “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is not forgiveness.”
c. The blood of the lamb’s seven life functions.
i. The blood of the lamb transports the metabolic waste from each of our cells (spiritually) and then takes this poisonous waste out of our soul and spirit.
1. This is the first task of the Blood of the lamb as it floods through our spiritual veins.
2. Illustration: Red, White and Blue
Not only are the colors of our flag born in heaven, but the order in which they are spoken and sung, find its origin and significance in the banner of the cross. We do not say the blue, white and red, not name them in any other order than the natural one—“The red, white and blue.” And this is God’s own method of salvation. First sacrifice, then holiness, then heaven. There can be no inversion of that part. Through the blood of the lamb comes purity, then paradise.
T.S. Robie
3. Quote: “Morality may keep you out of jail, but it takes the blood of Christ to keep you out of Hell.” (Spurgeon)
4. II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”
ii. The blood of the lamb transports oxygen- the breath of life- into the spiritual cells of us.
1. Genesis 2:7 “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being.”
a. Interesting God formed man- first the physical structure was there but man did not become a living being until God breathed into man.
b. It’s the breath of God in the blood of the lamb which brings life.
c. Reality check – Were never alive until we receive the breath of life from God which only flows through the blood of the lamb.
iii. The blood of the lamb transports nutrients (food) to the spiritual cells of each of us and gives us life.
1. John 6:35 “… Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life, he who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
2. It’s through the blood that we gain food to go on and sustain life spiritually and it comes from Christ’s Word.
3. The Holy Spirit feeds us and gives us water to sustain our life-without it we will die.
4. Illustration- The Body
a. Prof. J.A. Carlson, in your body speaks of hunger. A bird can go nine days without food, a man twelve days, a dog twenty days, a turtle five hundred days, a snake eight hundred days, a fish one thousand days, and insects twelve hundred days. But the bottom line is eventually everything needs food to keep from starving to death.
b. Hebrews 2:1-4 “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
iv. The blood of the lamb transports hormones to the spiritual body.
1. Hormone – The term hormone is derived from a Greek word meaning “to excite.” Hormones do indeed excite their targeted tissues, usually by stimulating a change in some metabolic activity.
2. The blood is the life force that makes you excited about the things of God.
3. The blood will help stimulate a change in you that will make you excited about living-it will bring great joy to your life.
4. Luke 10:21 “At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth…”
a. The blood of the lamb when received will give us exuberant excitement in life.
5. Hebrews 1:9 “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
v. The blood of the lamb is that which maintains balance in our spiritual body.
1. Illustration- Balance beam – everything is kept in balance against the cross-and the blood of the lamb.
2. Balance means a state of equilibrium; equality in amount; stability, harmonious proportion.
3. Ephesians 1:17 “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”
a. This text reveals the importance of balance.
vi. The blood of the lamb helps to distribute heat within the spiritual body to help it keep normal body temperature, even in the midst of storms.
1. II Cor. 1:3,4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
2. It’s because of the blood that we receive warmth and comfort in troubled times. Let us not forget it’s flow of the blood of the lamb.
vii. The blood of the lamb is what defends us against invading enemies of the spiritual body.
1. Dt. 33:7 “With his own hands he defended his cause…”
2. Ephesians 6:10-18 The reason we have God’s armor is because of the blood of the lamb.
3. Psalm 46 – this psalm shows us how god is our protector and refuge.
4. Illustration: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Perhaps the finest of Luther’s hymns is Ein feste Burg. “A Mighty Fortress.” It’s majestic and thunderous proclamation of our faith is a singing symbol of the reformation. Inspired by Psalm 46, Luther caught up in the hymn shows the very essence of faith, and the fervor and flavor of patriotism which he found in the Psalm.
Conclusion: The blood of the lamb is our source of spiritual life. Without the blood being shed, we have no life. Let’s recall through Spurgeon his final thoughts on the blood:
…the shedding of blood, without which there is no remission…
Every drop of blood which flowed out of Jesus’ body is still in existence, and it is just as it was 2,000 years ago wiping away the sins of mankind. The blood has been shed –the incorruptible, eternal, divine, sinless, overcoming, precious blood. It availed then, and it avails now; and throughout all eternity it will never lose it’s power to bring life.
Read Revelation 5:1-14—The theology of the Cross!
Summary: Do not forget the 7 life functions of the blood of the lamb
1. The blood of the lamb cleanses us spiritually and removes all poisonous wastes from the world that will kill us.
2. The blood of the lamb transports the breath of life into out spiritual cells so we can truly live and continue living for all eternity.
3. The blood of the lamb transports food to our spiritual cells and keeps us from starving to death for all eternity.
4. The blood of the lamb transports hormones- excitement-joy to our spiritual bodies.
5. The blood of the lamb will maintain balance in our life so we do not fall off one side or the other.
6. The blood of the lamb will distribute heat to us in the midst of the storms to keep us warm and secure and it will help us stay at peace in the midst of the storms of life.
7. The blood of the lamb will defend us against the powers of darkness and keep us safe in battle.
