The Cross Of Blood

The Cross of the Blood

1 John 1:1-7

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

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 cleanseth us from all sin.

Introduction: It is wonderful to have each of you here for this Palm Sunday service. On behalf of our New Bethel church family I want to welcome you here. I am very thankful for the faithfulness of our church family as well. I love coming to church don’t you? I need to be with my church family. I don’t want to miss out on what God is doing. Reminds me of a story I heard… “It was Palm Sunday but because of a sore throat, 5 year old Johnny stayed home from church with a babysitter. When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm fronds. Sammy inquired as to what they were for. 'People held them over Jesus' head as he walked by,' his father responded. 'Wouldn't you just know it?' Sammy complained, 'the one Sunday I don't go and Jesus shows up.' [funny-jokes.com]

Dear friends do you know what the difference is between all the other world religions and Christianity? It is really quite simple yet so profound. These other religions ask that you die for their gods but in Christianity God dies for us! The religion of Jesus Christ is one of deliverance and redemption from the judgment of sin [Ephesians 1:7]. You see that in the very definition and description of the faith itself. The Christian faith is not in the first place an ethic, although it is ethical. It is not in the first place a theology, although it is theological. It is not in the first place reformational, although it has social and cultural and political overtones. The religion of Jesus Christ is first and foremost and always redemptive. “He was delivered for our offenses, and He was raised for our justification” [Romans 4:25]. You see that in the sign and symbol of the Christian religion. The sign of the Christian faith is not a burning bush [Exodus 3:2-3]. It is not two tables of stone carrying the Ten Commandments [Exodus 32:15-16]. It is not a seven-branched lampstand [Exodus 25:31-32]. It is not a halo above a submissive head. It is not even a golden crown. But the sign and the symbol of the Christian faith is always a cross [Galatians 6:12-14]: a cross in all of its naked hideousness, as the Roman would have it; the cross in all of its philosophical irrationality, as the Greek would have it; but the cross in all of its saving power and efficacy, as Paul would have it. “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” [Galatians 6:14]. This is the very epitome and summation of the redemptive message of Christ. And make no mistake the Cross of Christ is a Cross of blood. There is a very familiar old hymn that asks the question:

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing flood?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace, and His blood?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

No other question this morning is as important as this one.

W. A. Criswell

This morning God has led me to four truths about the blood of the cross from v 7. First there is:

I. The Preciousness of the Blood – “It is the blood…”

Blood is precious, so precious in fact that we can’t live without it. Friday I drove to Sutton FWB Church in Pocahontas where my grandson Chase is youth pastor and they were having a Red Cross blood drive. I was able to give a pint of blood in 5:13 seconds which means that I have given over 2 gallons over the years. That single pint of blood will be used to help someone, maybe even save someone’s life. It is precious for those who need it. I was feeling pretty good about passing this mark until I read about…