1210. The Blood–The Basis of the Atonement
The Blood–The Basis of the Atonement
"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" (Lev_17:11).
1. The Blood of Christ is the gift of God. "I have given it to you." When we speak of gifts we have a large territory before us. We usually speak of gifts, material, but we may speak of gifts spiritual.
God has "given unto us eternal life." God has given unto us "all things that pertain to life and Godliness," but the basic gift is the gift of the Blood on Calvary's Cross.
This expression, "I have given you the blood," counteracts the thought that Jesus Christ was slain against His will or contrary to the determinate counsel of Almighty God.
The expression, "I have given you the blood," proclaims Jesus Christ a Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. It carries us back into the realm of God's eternal purpose for us.
2. The Blood of Christ is the Life. There is nothing meritorious in common blood. If so, the blood of bulls or of goats or of heifers might have availed for the cleansing of sin. But the importance of the blood lies in the fact that the life is in the blood. We see in the Word of God, "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground." The verse needs deep consideration. We do not usually suppose that the blood is vibrant, and that it has a voice although such may be the case. But the Blood of Jesus Christ has a voice, and a voice that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel.
The blood of Abel called for vengeance, and the Blood of Christ echoes back God's response. The human body was taken by the Lord Jesus Christ for the express purpose of dying. He took upon Him flesh and blood that He might through death make sacrifice for sins.
"The life of the flesh is in the blood." When Jesus Christ shed His Blood upon the Cross He gave His life as a ransom for sinners.
"I gave My life for thee,
My precious Blood I shed,
That thou might'st ransomed be,
And quickened from the dead,
I gave, I gave My life for thee,
What hast thou given for Me?"
3. The Blood of Christ is typical–
(1) It stands for death. "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 covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
To deny the efficacy of the shed Blood as the basis of remission is to deny the Word of God. Such a denial demands that the Lord's Table be removed from the Church, that the bread shall no more be broken, and that the cup must be no more poured forth.
(2) It stands for resurrection. "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the Blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect." Jesus Christ had said of the grain of wheat; "If it die it beareth fruit." Thus does the Blood of the Cross assure us of the resurrection of Christ. The Blood of the everlasting covenant demanded resurrection–thus when the Blood was shed it immediately assured Christ's coming forth from the grave.
(3) It stands for the Priesthood of Christ. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own Blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption."
Thus, we see that the Blood stands not only for death, but also for resurrection, and for the Divine priesthood of Christ. The High Priest must have somewhat to offer. In the Jewish economy the High Priest offered the blood of bulls and of goats, but Jesus Christ offered His own Blood. The Blood of Christ is the basis for all His Heavenly mediatorial and High Priestly work. The shed Blood then, not only demanded the resurrection of Christ, but it also demanded His ascension, exaltation and mediation at the Father's right hand.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR