"THE BLOOD SPEAKS"
Hebrews 12:22-24
Pastor Dave Campbell
This passage of Hebrews takes us all the way back to the story of Cain & Abel. As you know, Abel was murdered by his brother Cain and the Book of Genesis tells us that Abel’s blood cried out to the Lord from the ground. Thousands of years later, Jesus, God’s Son hung on a Roman cross for the sin of the world and His blood also cries out. While Abel’s blood cried out for justice, the blood that Jesus shed cries out "justice has been paid!"
It has been said that a "Scarlet Thread runs through the pages of the entire Bible. From cover to cover we see this consistent theme: a sacrifice of blood is necessary to deal with our sin and bring the lost soul back to God. This message of the blood is often offensive to many people, but it is the message that has been saving people since the fall.
If the blood of Jesus still speaks, what does His blood say to us in this century? Perhaps we may answer this question by considering the different areas of His body that were wounded for us:
1. HIS BACK.
It would be difficult for us to imagine the extent of the torture Jesus endured during the period of scourging at the hands of a trained Roman soldier. The last time I described it from the pulpit, I asked the parents to take their small children out of the sanctuary so they wouldn’t have nightmares that night. It is almost too much to listen to! The horror and cruel torture of flogging beggars description! The victim was often whipped into unconsciousness. Some men actually died, although the scourgers were trained to only whip them within a hairbreadth of their life so they can still be hung on a cross. Some men have been known to bite their tongues off with the pain. Why did Jesus have to go through this? God’s Word tells us that with His stripes, we are healed!
The blood that flowed from the back of our Lord speaks to our hurts& pains! Everywhere you look are hurting people. People carry pains of all kinds! Emotional pain, physical pain, mental anguish. His blood says to you: "I can touch you, mend you, heal you! I took that pain for you! Only believe!"
2. HIS HEAD.
Luke’s Gospel tells us that while Jesus prayed in the garden just prior to His arrest, that He was in such travail of soul that sweat drops like blood fell from His head. We also know that He was mocked by the Governor’s soldiers with a crown of thorns implying their disbelief that this Teacher was any kind of a king. The blood that flowed from His head speaks to the troubled mind! His blood still speaks to the twisted mind, the addicted mind, the mind wracked by fear or guilt! His blood speaks deliverance to the mind bent by pornography, peace to the mind filled with anxiety, healing to the minds of the abused! His blood says "I accept you" to the rejected and lonely. His precious blood speaks to the stresses and strains and mental afflictions and says "there is hope!" A few years ago, we had a young man from Teen Challenge give his testimony in our church and he shared how after he gave his life to Christ and he was being discipled in the Teen Challenge program, some of his old friends told him that he was only being brain-washed. This young man gave one of the best answers I’ve ever heard: "I sure am! And did I ever need my brain washed!"
If you’re burned out, stressed out or strung out, I’ve got good news for you: The blood of Jesus Christ has never lost it’s power!
What ever your need, I’m here to remind you that He was hung up for our hang-ups!
3 HIS HANDS.
Although some victims of crucifixion were simply tied to the cross, we are clearly told in Scripture that Jesus was nailed there. Five inch iron spikes were pounded through His hands into the cross to make sure He couldn’t fall off. Some believe that the nails actually went through His wrists where there is stronger support for His weight. Perhaps the blood that came from His hands speak to the things we do. Our jobs, our careers and vocations. The things that we put our hands to. Is God able to take hands that stole or shed blood or worked some other kind of evil and change the things they do? He can and He does! By a miracle of His grace, He can anoint our hands to bring help and healing to others! I remember the story of a farmer who was as crusty as they come in his pre-Christian days. While trying to milk the cows he would cuss and swear at the animals non-stop. As you might expect, the cows were usually rather un-co-operative and the old farmer would get even madder and more abusive. One great day, he heard the Gospel and gave his life over to the Lord and the change in his life was almost instantaneous! Even his cows noticed! The abusiveness was gone. So was the terrible vocabulary he was accustomed to using. His cattle never milked better! Imagine that!
Are you willing to let God give you hands that bless and heal others?
4. HIS FEET.
Of course, the nails also went through the feet of our Lord as He was fastened to that old rugged cross. I believe that the blood from the feet of Jesus speaks to our walk! The direction your life is taking. Ephesians 2:1-3 describes those who don’t know Christ:
Before we were saved we walked: 1) according to the course of this world. We lived after the standards and philosophies and values of a world without regard for God’s ways. 2) We walked according to the Prince of the power of the air. The whole world is under his influence. The Bible describes him as a liar! His biggest lie is that man can be his own god! "Just depend on yourself and you’ll be ok". 3) We walked according to the dictates of our own desires. "I’m doing my own thing", not knowing that we were really only on a treadmill to nowhere but hell.
Jesus said: "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction & many go that way." Beating path to hell.
His blood speaks to our need for direction in life! If you’ve asked Him into your heart, don’t be surprised if His blood has touched your feet. Now you are free to "walk in newness of life", "walk in love", "walk in the Spirit, "walk in the light".
5. HIS HEART.
After Jesus died on the cross after only six hours, the Roman officials wanted to make sure that He was dead so a spear was thrust through His side into His heart. The blood which came from His side mixed with water speaks to our desires. The prophet Jeremiah declared: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" God can! He knows that the human heart has to be changed. The only way to change a life is to change what that person wants! Maybe this is the greatest miracle of all! Ezekiel spoke of a day when God would change people’s hearts by giving the a new one: "A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you .. and I will take away the stony hearty of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
I remember the story of a Gospel singer who was attempting to reach a friend for Christ. His friend could not bring himself to believe in the miracles of the Bible. "Do you really believe that Jesus actually changed the water into real wine?" The singer replied: "Yes I do and I’ll tell you something else: When I gave my life to the Lord, He changed wine into food, clothing and furniture!"
THE BLOOD SPEAKS! What does it say? It declares that there is forgiveness and peace and a way has been made to God! It shouts to us from the cross that you can be free from the power of sin and have real lasting joy! Above all it says: "I LOVE YOU!"
I like the way Max Lucado puts it: If God has a refrigerator in heaven, He probably has your picture stuck on it with a big fridge magnet. He loves you that much! Why not give your live entirely to Him?
