I remember growing up, and we would sing about the blood of Jesus. People would pray and plead the blood of Jesus. The Pastors would preach about the blood and how powerful it was to set the sinner free. I accepted Jesus as Lord of my life because I believed His blood was enough to cleanse me from all my sin. Sadly I can’t remember the last time I heard any sermon about the blood of Jesus.
Why have we stopped preaching about the blood? The blood of Jesus is one of the most powerful things, and every devil and demon fears the Lamb’s blood. Recently I saw an interview between a Muslim and a Christian, and the Muslim asked the question: Why does your God need blood? Is he a vampire?
If you remove the blood from the message, then we have no New Covenant, no remission of sins, and no eternal redemption. I want to spend a few weeks looking at the importance of the blood of Jesus.
When a covenant was made between two parties or people groups, they would take an animal and cut it in half. That animal would give both its blood and its life to ratify the Covenant. The symbolism was very significant in the act of cutting or making the Covenant. The life that was given by the animal was symbolizing that if any one of the parties would break the Covenant that it would cost them their lives as well. The blood was proof that the ultimate sacrifice was made to establish the Covenant.
The next important thing we must understand is that it was the way God established a covenant would be made. Shedding blood to ratify a covenant was not something a man initiated, so man can not change that. In Gen 15:9-10, we read how God made a covenant with Abraham.
And he said unto him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
Then God put Abraham to sleep, and while he was asleep, God made the Covenant with Abraham.
Gen 15:12-18 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation, they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. On the same day, the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
For a covenant to establish, two things had to happen: life had to be given, and blood had to be shed to ratify the Covenant.
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever – Heb 13:8.
The New Covenant that God made with us required the same things. Life and blood. This time it would not be the blood of a lamb but the blood of The Lamb. With Abraham, the Covenant was that all the people of the earth would be blessed. With Jesus, the New Covenant will be for the remission of all our sins. What a blessing!
Matt 26:26-28 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake 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 ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
The blood that Jesus shed for me, way back on Calvary
The blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power.
It reaches to the highest mountain.
It flows to the lowest valley.
The blood that gives me strength
From day to day
It will never lose its power.
