The Power of blood of Jesus Christ
The Power of the Blood of
Jesus Christ” Hebrews 9:14
I was looking for a sermon illustration to
begin this sermon and then the dog bit me.
Well, it was my fault. I thought
a bagle with cream cheese could go from my hand to her without any
problem. I forgot that it did not work
the last time either. I was
fortunate. She bit but did not get too
much of a hold as I quickly withdrew my hand up remembering the last time
! It woke me up for sure.
Perhaps we need the encouragement of a
timely reminder, “ Nothing but the blood of Jesus can take away our sin.” That is what the hymn says. That is what the scriptures tell us in Hebrews. “ And every priest stands daily ministering
and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins”
10:11 No matter how much we try we
cannot push our way into heaven by our good thoughts, deeds, or
sacrifices. Being nice will not get us
there either and trying to persuade someone to come back to church by being
nice will not either. Nothing but the
blood of Jesus can say ,” Peace within”
Hebrews 9:14 says, “ How much more shall the
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to
God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Another reason for turning our lives to
around in repentance is there. We said
it the other week. We have another
reason now. The incentive of the
sacrifice of Christ on our behalf is another reason to live holy lives. (we spoke of Paul’s admonition from the Old
Testament scriptures not to presume upon the grace of God, from I Cor. 13 and
then we re-lived the parable of the prodigal son which showed God’s willingness
to be the forgiving Father to us when we confess our own inabilities)
In Hebrews chapter 9 is reviewed the beauty
of the old covenant . “ The first
covenant had also ordinances of divine service.” There was the sanctuary of the table. The second veil was “Holiest of all” which
had the ark of the covenant and the tables of the covenant ( the ten
commandments) where the high priest went once a year with blood on what the old
testament called the “day of Atonement”
I have never forgotten at our little chapel in the army where orthodox
jewish services were held that there was that day they came in and did
that. But I wondered there was no
sacrifice. It seemed solemn and
sad. Yet they did it in their faith
without the blood of Jesus which is not enough. No faith can make substitute
for the eternal sacrifice of the blood of Jesus Christ. There is power in the blood. As the hymn says, “ wonder working in the
blood of the lamb…there is power, power, wonder working working power in the
precious blood of the lamb…”
Not by the blood of bulls and calves which
can never take away sins . That is why
the sacrifice has to be repeated. But
Christ has “obtained eternal redemption” for us. You need not see a repetition of that
sacrifice “ But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever,
sat down on the right hand of God” 10: 14 “ We are sanctified through the offering of
the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” 10:10 No other absolution can assist us in that
journey to heaven . We cannot offer our
good deeds as a substitute on our way to heaven. “ that which is born of the flesh is flesh;
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3: 6 Apart from the cross
there is no life.
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