Had the privilege to preach along with Bro Donnie at Avalon this past Sunday. Praise the Lord for a chance to share his Word.

Matthew 26:28

Why did Jesus shed his blood?

The Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood for the remission of sins. As we examine scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments, we can gain a better understanding of the significance of the blood of Jesus.

When we turn back to the Old Testament of the Bible, we see that after sin entered into the world, God required the blood sacrifice of animals for the atonement of sins.

Leviticus 17:11, For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Leviticus 4:3-5 If the priest that is anointed do sin…then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering….he shall… lay his hand upon the bullock’s head, and kill the bullock before the LORD. And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock’s blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation…

But the blood of the animals still couldn’t do the trick. The Israelites were still unfaithful to their God as evidenced by their awhoring after other gods. A better sacrifice was needed.

Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

God promised His people, the Jewish people, a new covenant about 600 years before the coming of Christ. We will see that this covenant would also require blood.

The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were only a picture of the ultimate sacrifice. When Jesus Christ went to the cross almost 2,000 years ago, He was the ULTIMATE sacrifice.

• His skin was whipped off by scourging,
• His beard was torn out of his cheeks,
• His head pierced with thorns,
• His face marred more than any man. He was unrecognizable. The Bible says he was more marred than ANY man.
• His hands and feet were nailed through with thick spikes,
• His side pierced with a spear after he died.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, completely abolished the system of animal sacrifice forever. The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were only a picture, a figure, of the true sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Their blood was only a figure of the blood of Jesus that would be shed thousands of years later on a cross outside the city of Jeruselem. The animal sacrifices were…

Hebrews 9:28 …Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many…

Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

The blood of Jesus is powerful. It is a saving, healing blood. Look at what the blood has done:

The blood bought us. [3] Acts 20:28 …feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23 …ye are bought with a price…

The blood justifies us before a holy God.

Romans 5:9 KJV  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

The blood purges our consciences from dead works.

Hebrews 9:14 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?

The blood sanctifies us.

Hebrews 10:29 KJV  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

The blood washes away our sins.

Revelation 1:5 KJV  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,

The blood cleanses us from all sin.

1Jn 1:7  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.

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Matthew 26:29  He is waiting to drink with us again, will you be there?