WHY
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS
and beast,
as precious. Certainly, not as precious as the blood of Jesus
Christ, but
precious, never the less.
blood
crieth unto me from the ground. God had regarded with favor the
sacrifice
of Abel because it was a blood sacrifice; he had rejected the
sacrifice
of Cain because it was not a blood sacrifice. And because Cain
killed
Able, God said to Cain, "Now art thou cursed from the earth,
which hath
opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from they
hand."
God showed
his high regard for blood again when he commanded that men
are not to
eat blood which is the life of the flesh, and when he
required
the death sentence for any who shed another's blood
intentionally.
Gen. 9:4-6 "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the
blood
thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives
will I
require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the
hand of
man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life
of man.
Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for
in the
image of God made he man."
God's
estimation of blood and its preciousness is seen again in the land
of Egypt.
He did not deliver Israel by the power of the plague of frogs.
He
delivered them by the blood of the Passover lamb. "And they shall
take of the
blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper
door post
of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And the blood shall
be to you
for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the
blood, I
will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to
destroy
you, when I smite the land of Egypt. For the LORD will pass
through to
smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the
lintel, and
on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and
will not
suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you."
(Ex.
12:12-13, 23)
The
preciousness of blood in the sight of God is again set forth by
Solomon
when he declares that God hates "hands that shed innocent blood"
(Prov.
6:17).
The
preciousness of blood is seen again in the book of Revelation. "For
they have
shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given
them blood
to drink; for they are worthy" (REV 16:6). "And I saw the
woman
drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the
martyrs of
Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration"
(Rev.
17:6). "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of
saints, and
of all that were slain upon the earth" (Rev. 18:24). "For
true and
righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great
whore,
which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath
avenged the
blood of his servants at her hand" (Rev. 19:2).
Many other
things could be cited to show the importance God attaches to
blood, even
the blood of beasts. But, super abounding above the blood of
beasts, the
blood of man, the blood of the most godly saint, is the
blood of
the man Christ Jesus.
Though it
was human blood, it was infinitely precious blood. Now let us
notice some
reasons WHY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BLOOD.
We could
not possibly enumerate all the reasons in one message. In fact,
I am
convinced that we will learn much more about the preciousness of
the blood
of Christ as God unfolds the riches of his grace throughout
the eternal
ages.
HIS
BLOOD IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE IT IS THE BLOOD OF THE GOD-MAN
Jesus was
truly God and also truly man. I like the way Spurgeon put it.
"Jesus
is God; but Jesus was born, Jesus lived, Jesus died, Jesus rose
again,
Jesus is in heaven, as a man. He is God and man in one person,
but there
is no confusion of natures; he is neither a deified man nor a
humanized
God. His Godhead is altogether Godhead, and his manhood
altogether
manhood. He is as truly man as if he were not God, and as
truly God
as if he had never assumed the nature of man" (Metropolitan
Tabernacle
Pulpit, Vol. 22, P. 290). Because of the union of the Divine
nature with
the human nature in the one person, the God-man, his blood
is
precious. In fact, everything about Jesus Christ is precious to the
believer.
Peter stated it clearly and pointedly when he said, "Unto you
therefore
which believe he is precious" (I Pet. 2:7).
The human
face from which they plucked his beard is precious. Can you
see the
precious face of our Saviour after the soldiers so cruelly
slapped and
spit in his face. They also pulled his beard out of his
skin. Such
humiliation and pain he suffered on our behalf. That face was
a human
face, but it was and is a precious face. What a thrill and
blessing it
will be to one day look upon and into that precious face!
The human
hands and feet through which the nails were driven are very
precious.
When Thomas was doubting and unbelieving concerning the
resurrection
of Christ, Jesus appeared in his presence and invited him
to touch
those scars. When he did, Thomas fell down before him and
cried,
"My Lord, and my God." One day, when he returns in all his glory,
the elect
remnant of the nation of Israel will look upon him and "one
shall say
unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall
answer,
Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends"
(Zech.
13:6). In that day, his wounded hands will become precious to
those whose
forefathers were behind their being wounded. To those who
believe,
his nail-scarred human hands and feet are now precious.
The very
bones of Jesus must be precious to us also. When they lifted up
his cross
and dropped it into the socket on the rocky brow of Golgotha,
all his
bones came out of joint. This was just another aspect of his
suffering
for us, and every pain he experienced was because of our sins.
He gave his
back to the smiters. They beat him and pulverized his back,
but it is
with his stripes that we are healed. His back is precious.
Though it
was a human back, it was the back of the God man, and it is
precious.
The human
head that was crowned with thorns is precious. He wore a crown
of thorns
that we might wear incorruptible crowns. Imagine the pain of
being
crowned with thorns! That should make his head precious to every
believer.
His human
soul was made an offering for sin. During the three hours of
darkness,
Jesus was not being further abused by man. He was in the hands
of an
offended God, not because of his own offenses, but for ours. God,
clothed the
world in darkness and the very soul of Christ was offered up
for our
sins. That human soul is exceedingly precious.
And, though
it was human blood, the blood of Christ is extremely
precious
because without its being shed there would be no true remission
of sins for
the elect. Oh, precious is that fountain that was opened for
sin and
uncleanness. The precious blood of the Lamb of God is what
redeems us
from all iniquity.
The union
of Deity and humanity in Christ elevated everything about his
human
nature and his manhood. He is the eternal glorious Word made flesh
and
tabernacling among us (Jn. 1:14). He is the express image of the
person of
God (Heb. 1:3). He is the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Col.
2:9). He is
God manifest in the flesh (I Tim. 3:16). He is God blessed
forever
coming to the earth in human flesh, bones and blood (Rom. 5:9).
He is the
son of David who is also declared to be the Son of God (Rom.
1:3-4). He
is God the Son, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father,
taking upon
him the form and likeness of man in order to taste death for
men (Phil.
2:5-8). He is the man Christ Jesus who alone is able to serve
as mediator
between God and man (I Tim. 2:5). He is the Son of God sent
forth and
made of a woman, made under the law (Gal. 4:4). He is the
miraculously
conceived, virgin born son of Mary and the only begotten
Son of God
(Isa. 7:14; Jn. 3:16). He is God's Son sent in the likeness
of sinful
flesh (Rom. 8:3). He is Jesus Christ come in the flesh (I Jn.
4:2-3; II
Jn. 7). And, let it be born in mind that he who denies the
full and
complete humanity of Christ does so under the influence of the
spirit of
Anti-christ.
Who is this
man called Jesus? He is Lord of the angels who is
temporarily
made a little lower than the angels so that he could taste
death for
every man of his elect company. Angels do not die because they
are not
physical beings with flesh and blood. God, if he would taste
death, must
become a man with flesh and blood, in order to die. He is
our great
Goel, our kinsman redeemer, partaking of our flesh and blood
so that he
might bring us to glory and deliver us from the fear of death
(Heb.
2:10-17). He is the man Christ Jesus whose very person is so
precious
that when he died on the cross the most amazing thing to ever
accompany a
man's death happened. The veil of the temple was rent in
twain from
top to bottom, the earth quaked and the rocks were shattered
in pieces,
graves were opened and the bodies of sleeping saints arose.
Those
hardened soldiers who had plucked off his beard and smote his face
and gambled
for his garments, exclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of
God."
(Mat. 27:51-52).
No wonder
his blood is precious; he is eternal God but dying the death
of man, for
he is truly man.
THE
BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS MARVELOUS REDEEMING POWER
It has been
the one single means of redemption since the foundation of
the world.
If his blood had been like the blood of the sacrificial
animals,
Paul says, "then must he often have suffered since the
foundation
of the world" (Heb. 9:26). If, as some teach, salvation was
by some
other means before the cross why the necessity of Christ
suffering
often since the foundation of the world? The clear implication
is that
redemption and remission of sins have always been by the blood o
f Jesus
Christ. If he must repeatedly shed his blood, as animals were
repeatedly
sacrificed, then he must have come and died often. But, by
his one
sacrifice he was able to end all sacrifices and put away sin
forever.
Such precious blood! It was powerful to redeem long before he
actually
shed it on Calvary. He is the lamb slain from the foundation of
the world
(Rev. 13:8).
The blood,
the precious blood of Christ is the blood of the Lamb of God
who was
verily foreordained before the foundation of the world. And, his
success in
redeeming those given to him by the Father was so certain
that all
their names were written in the Lamb's book of life from the
foundation
of the world, or from eternity (Rev. 17:8). Before he had
ever taken
on himself our likeness, our flesh and our blood, God looked
upon that
human blood as so precious and of such power that he would
inscribe
the names of his people in a book from which no name has ever
been
erased, the Lamb's book of life written from the foundation of the
world.
The blood
of Christ is precious to every believer and will be even more
precious
when we sing of it in that vast multitude in heaven. For every
last saint
of God, ever single child of grace, every single human
inhabitant
of heaven, except Christ, shall sing the praises of Christ
who has
redeemed us to God by his blood out of every kingdom, tribe, and
nation
(Rev. 5:8). His blood is so precious that it will still occupy
our tongues
in song in the eternal ages. Praise be to God who gave his
Son to made
in the likeness of sinful flesh that he might redeem us by
his blood.
THE
BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS ATONING EFFICACY
It is the
blood that makes atonement for the soul, according to Lev.
17:11.
Apart from blood there is no remission of sins (Heb. 9:22). I may
make many
sacrifices, I may mortify my body and give it to be burned, I
may be
baptized and join the church, I may receive the blessing of the
pope, and
say a thousand "Hail Mary's" per day, I may constantly pray on
my knees
until they have calluses like the knees of a camel, I may speak
in the
tongues of men and angels, I may read the Bible through and
through
many times, I might teach and work and prophesy in the name of
Jesus, but
I can never come before God in peace, until I come on the
grounds of
the blood, the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
THE
BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS PURGING POWER
O, the
purging power of the blood! "Though your sins be as scarlet, they
shall be as
white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall
be as
wool." That is the promise of God (Isa. 1:18). What possesses such
purging
power? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. It can purge the
conscience
from dead works and equip us to serve the living God (Heb.
9:14). It
is able to cleanse us from all sin, be they ever so bad and
the stain
so deep. Even if your sin is "written with a pen of iron, and
with the
point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of your heart"
(Jer.
17:1), the blood of Christ can remove every trace of it by it's
mighty
power to purge.
Yes, dear
reader, a fountain has been opened that purges from all sin
and all
uncleanness (Zech. 13:1). The believer may assuredly confess
that he has
washed us from our sins in his own blood and made us whiter
than snow
(Rev. 1:5).
THE
BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS WONDERFUL PRESERVING
It is the
blood of the everlasting covenant (Heb. 13:1). To qualify for
such a
wonderful designation, it must have the power to preserve those
whom it
washes. It is the blood by which Jesus Christ obtained eternal
redemption
for his people (Heb. 9:12). What kind of redemption, Paul?
That
apostle and saint said, "Eternal redemption." A lesser redemption
would be
beneath the infinite dignity and worth of the blood of Jesus
Christ. But
Paul tells us more. He tells us that by his one offering
Christ has
perfected forever them that are sanctified. PERFECTED
FOREVER?
YES! PERFECTED FOREVER! Beloved people of God, that is long
enough to
be perfected. FOREVER! Is that not long enough. ETERNALLY
REDEEMED
AND PERFECTED FOREVER by the one offering of the blood of our
dear
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
THE
BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS PLEADING POWER
By using
the term "pleading power" I do not want to imply that Christ or
his blood
must be constantly pleading with God to forgive sinners. He
loved us
with an everlasting love and sent Christ to shed his blood so
Christ does
not have to beg the Father to forgive his own chosen ones.
The blood
of slain Able cried out to God from the ground. It called for
vengeance
and justice. But, the blood of Christ cries out from the
ground of
Golgotha's brow for the salvation of every one of the sheep
(Jn.
10:11-18). It stands as witness of redemption accomplished. It
stands as a
seal of atonement made. It is evidence of reconciliation
complete.
The Father
loves to grant the plea of his Son's blood and give salvation
to all for
whom he laid down his life and shed his blood. And the Father
loves him
because he shed that blood and laid down his life for his
sheep (Jn.
10:17). His blood does not cry for vengeance, as did the
blood of
Abel. His blood speaks of much, much better
things--justification,
expiation, reconciliation, sanctification,
salvation,
and glorification. God heard the voice of the blood of Able;
he hears,
yes, he hears the sweet voice of the blood of his Son.
His blood
not only speaks to God, it speaks to sinners. I recall those
days before
my conversion when God was preparing my heart to answer his
call to
salvation. Some of the sermons I remember most vividly were
sermons on
the blood, the precious, cleansing, preserving blood of Jesus
Christ.
THE
BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS PROPITIATING POWER
When God
looked upon the sufferings of his Son on the cross as he poured
out his
soul and his blood for sinners, he was satisfied, propitiated
(Isa.
53:10-11). The propitiating benefits of the precious blood of
Christ are
applied to the sinner when he trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ
and his
precious blood for his salvation. God has set forth Jesus Christ
"to be
a propitiation through faith in his blood" (Rom. 3:25).
THE
BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS MELTING INFLUENCE ON
"And I
will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem,
the spirit of grace and of supplication: and they shall look
upon me
whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one
mourneth
for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one
that is in
bitterness for his firstborn" (Zech. 12:10). The following
verses
reveal that this mourning spreads to the remnant of the tribes of
the nation
of Israel. It is prophetic of a future time when God shall
save a
remnant of the nation of Israel.
But, what
triggered this mourning? Of course, our first answer to this
question
must deal with the matter from the Divine side. They mourned as
a result of
God pouring upon them the spirit of grace and of
supplication.
In any true repentance, God first moves and then the
sinner
moves.
The second
answer is that the mourning was triggered when they looked
upon Christ
whom they pierced. This piercing resulted in the shedding of
his blood.
That is why their hearts were melted. Two reasons: the spirit
of grace
and supplication was poured upon them and they looked upon the
pierced
Christ.
Allow me a
personal note. Among the sermons that I remember in the days
shortly
preceding my own conversion, are sermons on the blood of Christ.
A
well-meaning friend, upon learning that I had surrendered to preach,
offered me
some advice. He said, "First, don't preach over 20 minutes.
Second,
don't preach hell fire and brimstone. Third, don't preach a
'butcher
shop' religion." By the last he meant that I should not preach
on the
blood of Christ. Needless to say I have not taken any one of the
three
points of advice. God blessed the preaching of his Son's precious
blood as
the means for cleansing from sin. The shed blood of Christ has
a melting
effect on sinners upon whom God has poured his spirit of grace
and
supplication.
THE
BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS JUSTIFYING POWER
God is one
who justifies the guilty. What a marvelous blessing that God
would
justify sinful, guilty, condemned sinners. The question arises,
"What
is the grounds for this justification?"
Let me
remind all that God is absolutely just and will not prostitute
his justice
nor sully his holiness in order to justify the ungodly.
There must
be a payment of the sin debt if he is to justify and deal
with sinful
men as though they had not sinned. The ground of our
justification
is the shed blood of Jesus Christ and all that is implied
in its
shedding. "Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved
from wrath
through him" (Rom. 5:9).
THE
BLOOD OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS OVERCOMING POWER
Satan was
defeated at the cross. Oh, he thought that he had won a
victory
when he bruised the heel of Jesus Christ. He thought he would
finally
succeed in his ages long struggle against the plan and purpose
of God. Had
he known the mystery of God he would not have crucified the
Lord of
glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a
mystery,
even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world
unto our
glory. But, that which he meant for evil, God meant for good.
God's
people overcome Satan, and they do it and will continue to do it,
by the
blood of Jesus Christ. "And they overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb, and
by the word of their testimony" (Rev. 12:11). The precious
blood of
Christ has overcoming power.
THE BLOOD
OF CHRIST IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS POWER TO SLAY ENMITY
At one time
all the Gentiles were cut off from the covenants of promise,
being
aliens and strangers to these blessings (Eph. 2:11-12). In our
minds and
hearts we are still enemies to these blessings and to the God
from whom
these blessings flow (Rom. 8:7- 8). The precious blood of
Christ has
slain the enmity, it has torn down the wall of alienation,
and we are
made nigh by that blood (Eph. 2:13-16). Through Christ, his
finished
work, his precious blood we now have access to God and his
grace (Eph.
2:17-18). We can, therefore, come boldly to the throne of
grace when
we come on the grounds of the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
We have
hardly scratched the surface of our subject. We can joyfully
sing of the
precious flow which makes us white as snow, the precious
blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ. We, the children, were partakers of
flesh and
blood, therefore, our great God and Saviour, in infinite
condescension,
came down and was clothed in flesh and blood that he
might taste
death in our behalf. God, made flesh, and tabernacling among
men! Such a
marvel of grace. And, such precious blood that he shed for
our sins.
Is he
precious to you? Is his blood precious to you. Have you trusted
him as your
Saviour and Lord? Can you trust him? Will you trust him? By
faith
plunge into this flood that washes white as snow.