Introduction

Good morning, dear family in Christ. It is a beautiful day, isn't it? A day that the Lord has made, and we are here to rejoice and be glad in it. I am so grateful to see you all here, eager and ready to engage with God's Word.

Today, we are going to be meditating on a profound passage from the book of Hebrews, chapter 9, verses 19-28. This is a passage that takes us deep into the heart of our faith, into the very essence of our relationship with God. It speaks of covenants, of promises made and promises kept, also of redemption. It touches on our past, present, and future in Christ.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need." This statement encapsulates the heart of our message today. We have a great need for Christ, and Christ, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, has made a way for us to be reconciled to God through his blood.

Let us read the passage together [read text].

Before we continue, let's bow our heads in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day, for the gift of life, for the gift of Your Word. As we ponder on this passage from Hebrews, we ask that You open our hearts and minds to understand the depth of Your love for us, the magnitude of Your sacrifice, and the hope of our salvation in Christ. Guide us, Lord, through Your Holy Spirit, that we may grasp the truth of Your Word and apply it to our lives. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.

So, let's begin. We have three main points to consider today: Bountiful Bloodshed: The Old Covenant, Blessed Blood of Christ: The New Covenant, and Beneficent Blood: Our Current Standing. As we consider these points, let's remember Spurgeon's words, "I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need." Let's remember that we are not just reading about history, but about our own lives, our own relationship with God, our own need for Christ, and the great Christ who meets our need.

Bountiful Bloodshed: The Old Covenant

In the Old Testament, we see a system of worship that was filled with rituals and ceremonies. These rituals were not arbitrary or meaningless. They were given by God Himself, and they were designed to teach the people about their sin and their need for a Savior. One of the most significant of these rituals was the shedding of blood.

The centrality of blood. The shedding of blood was a central part of the Old Testament sacrificial system. When a person sinned, they were required to bring an animal to the temple to be sacrificed. The priest would then kill the animal and sprinkle its blood on the altar. This was a vivid and powerful symbol of the seriousness of sin. It showed the people that sin leads to death, and that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

Sin demands blood. But why blood? Why was it necessary for an animal to die in order for a person's sins to be forgiven? The answer lies in the nature of sin itself. Sin is not just a mistake or a bad choice. It is a rebellion against God, a rejection of His authority and His love. And the penalty for sin is death. Not just physical death, but spiritual death - separation from God for all eternity.

Blood is the symbol of life. The blood of the animal was a symbol of life. By shedding the blood of the animal, the person was showing that they understood the penalty for their sin. They were acknowledging that they deserved to die for their rebellion against God. But instead of dying themselves, they were allowed to offer the life of the animal in their place.

Substitutionary punishment. This brings us to the first aspect of the Old Covenant that we need to understand. The sacrifices were both about punishment and substitution. The animal died so that the person could live. The blood of the animal was shed so that the person's sins could be forgiven. However, the blood of animals could never truly take away sin. No matter how many animals were sacrificed, no matter how much blood was shed, it was never enough. The people were constantly reminded of their sin and their need for forgiveness. They were constantly reminded of their separation from God.

Sacrifices reminded of sin. This brings us to the second aspect of the Old Covenant. The sacrifices were a constant reminder of sin. They were a constant reminder of the people's need for a Savior. They were a constant reminder of the people's separation from God.

A better sacrifice. But there was also a promise in the Old Covenant. A promise of a better sacrifice, a better covenant, a better hope. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of a day when God would make a new covenant with His people. A covenant not like the one He made with their ancestors, a covenant that would truly take away their sin and bring them into a right relationship with God.

Sacrifices foreshadowed Christ. This brings us to the third aspect of the Old Covenant. The sacrifices were a foreshadowing of the coming of Christ. They pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice that would be made on the cross. They pointed forward to the blood of Christ, which would truly take away sin and bring us into a right relationship with God.

Sacrifices and worship. But there is one more aspect of the Old Covenant that we need to understand. The sacrifices were not just about sin and forgiveness. They were also about worship and worked as a way for the people to express their love and devotion to God. This is how the people showed their gratitude for God's mercy and grace.

Recap/Transition. So, as we consider the Old Covenant, let's remember these four aspects. The sacrifices were about substitution, they were a constant reminder of sin, they pointed forward to the coming of Christ, and they were an act of worship. And as we consider these aspects, let's remember that they all point us to our need for Christ. We need a Savior who can truly take away our sin. We need a Savior who can bring us into a right relationship with God. We need a Savior who can be our substitute, who can die in our place. And we need a Savior who can be the object of our worship, who can be the focus of our love and devotion.

Blessed Blood of Christ: The New Covenant

As we move forward, we find ourselves standing at the foot of the cross, gazing up at the figure of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO