SUBJ: The blood of Christ and its
value to all concerned: The Father, who decreed redemption, the Son
whose blood was shed, and we who have been made whole by it.
AIM: That we might know of the
price of our redemption as it is depicted to us in the blood of Christ.
INTR: The term “the blood” rolls
easily off the lips of many who give little or no thought to what makes
it the “precious blood.” They sing “Power in the Blood” without knowing
the reason of it. 1. Spurgeon expressed a fear of preaching about the
Gospel and not preaching the Gospel. The blood of Christ is the basis
for all that is Gospel to us. 2. “Without shedding of blood is no
remission.” Therefore, without shedding of blood there is no Gospel. How
awful must have been the crimes for the cost to be so great. 3. Yet,
if we only see the act of bleeding and the pouring out of bodily fluid
and do not see the depth of meaning and its value, we fail to see just
how precious the blood of Christ is.
THESIS: It is the value placed on the blood by the Father, the
Son and us that truly deems it of great value and thus it is called
precious.
I. Forasmuch as you know (vv. 17-18) 1. We know that
any act of redeeming requires a payment – monetary or otherwise. 1)
The price of some possession – animal or object 2) The freedom of one
enslaved – we note the extreme bondage of sin and death. 2. What we
first know about redemption is that no amount of money, labor or
commitment can obtain it. Although many have died to save the life of
another, nothing but the blood of Jesus can redeem us from sin and its
consequences. 1) Consider the depth of sin: Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and
let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they
shall be as wool. 2) The hopelessness of sin’s effect in us: “having
no hope and without God in the world.” 3. The traditions that
enslaved us were discovered to be vain (empty and profitless). Sin and
empty practices are passed down from generation leaving all without
hope. 4. We must be redeemed from the Law and its consequences and
man does not have the price or even a part of it.
II. The
precious Blood of Christ (v. 19) 1. Consider the “sweet smelling”
sacrifices of the Old Testament and Who had to be pleased. The valued of
a proper sacrifice was understood as that which pleased God. 2.
Consider further that the blood of Christ is the same as ours (He is a
man) but without any taint of sin and death. 3. The value of the
blood of Christ is seen: 1) To God as the only price of ransom for
His chosen ones 2) To the Son as giving all He had – “the life of the
body is in the blood” and so the life of Christ. 3) To the believer,
knowing of: i. Justification –Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now
justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. ii.
Forgiveness – Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
iii. Peace – Colossians 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of
his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say,
whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. iv. And
reconciliation – See Col 1:20 and 2 Cor 5:19 (God in Christ). 4.
Further we think of cleansing (Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who
is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the
prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood,) and the confirmation in that it is
called the “blood of the everlasting covenant.” 5. We are made nigh
by the “blood of Christ.” 6. Overcoming is by the “blood” (Rev.
12:11) 7. The Lamb of God “without blemish and without spot…” –
Innocent, meek, without malice and so we understand the picture of
Christ. (Note: Christ did not come into the world to act like a lamb.
The lamb was put here to picture how Christ would act).
III. Our
foreordained substitute (vv. 20-21) 1. What we now see and hear was
determined before the foundation of the world. 2. A further note on
the price of redemption is that it was known in eternity that no other
would possess the necessary perfection to obtain satisfaction for His
own. 3. It is by Him that we believe: 1) Ability is given 2)
The sacrifice is provided 4. This is the God who declared acceptance
of His offering by raising Him from the dead 5. Faith and hope are
therefore in God 6. “ye know” (v. 18) to “believe” in (v. 21)
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