The Power of the Blood of Christ

Hebrews chapter 9 tells of the Old Covenant Sanctuary and the Great Day of Atonement.

¯ The Great Day of Atonement (see below)

The writer explains how Christ offered Himself as the perfect High Priest and perfect Sacrifice for the eternal Day of Atonement! [Read 9:11-15]

As a perfect atonement for sin -- Christ’s blood provides our eternal salvation!

¯ In the New Testament there are 290 references to the love of God, 290 times when God had declared His love for man. But in the same chapters and the same verses there are more than 1,300 references to the atonement, 1300 assurances that salvation can be had through the blood of Christ. —G. Franklin Allee

The blood of Christ is ...

I. THE BLOOD THAT CLEANSES 9:12-15

The Writer speaks of the cleansing power of the Blood of Christ in that ... (note 3 "Eternals")

A. His Blood provides ETERNAL REDEMPTION 9:12

"Once for all" Christ died for our sins and needs never to die again! He has eternally saved all who call on His Name.

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

B. His Blood, offered through the ETERNAL SPIRIT,

cleanses our conscience from sin 9:14, 24*

His blood purges our conscience (not just body)

to SERVE the living God! The power of the

Blood is in His perfect sacrifice.

¯ Nothing But The Blood

At a great parliament of religions, held in Chicago many years ago, practically every known religion was represented.

During one session, Dr. Joseph Cook, of Boston, suddenly rose and said: “Gentlemen, I beg to introduce to you a woman with a great sorrow. Bloodstains are on her hands, and nothing she has tried will remove them. The blood is that of murder. She has been driven to desperation in her distress. Is there anything in your religion that will remove her sin and give her peace?” A hush fell upon the gathering. Not one of the company replied.

Raising his eyes heavenwards, Dr. Cook then cried out, “John, can you tell this woman how to get rid of her awful sin?” The great preacher waited, as if listening for a reply. Suddenly he cried, “Listen. John speaks: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sins’ (1 John 1:7).”

Not a soul broke the silence: the representatives of Eastern religions and Western cults sat dumb. In the face of human need, the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone could meet the need. The sin of the race demanded the blood of Calvary.

—Frederick A. Tatford

"... 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" (Revelation 1:5)

¯ Greater than our Sin Hymn 84

C. His Blood promises ETERNAL INHERITANCE 9:15

¯ Red, White, And Blue

Not only are the colors of our flag born in heaven, but the order in which they are spoken and sung, finds its origin and significance in the banner of the cross. We do not say the blue, white, and red, nor name them in any other order than the natural one—“The red, white, and blue.” And this is God’s own method of salvation. First sacrifice, then holiness, then heaven. There can be no inversion of that order. Through the blood of the Lamb comes purity, then paradise. —T.S. Robie

II. THE BLOOD THAT CONSECRATES 10:19-22

Since Christ has entered the Holiest thru the power of His blood we now have access to God's very presence! The Holiest is the place of the Shekinah Glory of God. We experience this by the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

By His Blood we have a "new and living Way" into the holiest (Wiley 298). Here is heart holiness!

How can we enter the Holiest?

1. With a true heart -- "that which has not only the name and resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name ... real, true genuine." - OLB Greek "genuine"

And we are his witnesses of these things; and [so is] also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. (Acts 5:32)

2. In full assurance of faith -- (see Kittel) the rest of faith in the atonement of Christ!

* What is Rest? Mrs. CE Cowman

How can we continue in His abiding Presence?

A. By trusting the One who promised 10:23

B. By considering (think about) one another in

the Assembly 10:24-25

III. THE BLOOD THAT COMPLETES 13:20-21

The Blood of Christ gives power to do the will of God! ("complete" Wiley 381) Through the Blood we can be made complete ...

A. In every good work

“For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

* There is Power in the Blood vs 4

B. To do His will

C. As God is "working" (poihsai) in you what is

well pleasing in His sight!

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The Great Day of Atonement:

Preparation. The center point of this feast was the expiation offered by the high priest after the morning sacrifice. In later times, at least, the high priest underwent a special preparation for this service. Seven days before, he had left his own home and taken up his residence in the Temple chambers. A substitute was provided, lest the high priest should die or become Levitically unclean. During this week he practiced the various priestly duties, such as sprinkling the blood, burning incense, lighting the lamps, offering the daily sacrifices, etc.; for every part of the service on Atonement Day depended upon the high priest, and he could make no mistake. Further, he was to abstain from all that could render him unclean or disturb his devotions. On the morning of the Day of Atonement the high priest bathed his entire person, not in the place ordinarily used by the priests but one specially set apart for him. He then put on the holy garments—the coat, drawers, girdle, and headdress of white cloth—thus signifying that he was entirely cleansed from the defilement of sin and was arrayed in holiness.

Expiatory Rites. After everything was ready, the high priest slew the bull (the sin offering for himself and his house), then filled a censer with burning coals from the altar of burnt offering, and, putting two handfuls of incense into a vase, bore them into the Holy of Holies. He poured the incense upon the coals, “that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat.” As the burning incense was a symbol of prayer, this covering of the Mercy Seat with the cloud of incense was a symbolic covering of the glory of the Holy One with prayer to God, and thus served as to protect the worshiper. The high priest now returned to the altar of burnt offering to fetch some of the blood of the bull, which he sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat (“on the east side,” Leviticus 16:14) and seven times upon the ground before it. After this he slew the goat selected for a sin offering and did the same as with the blood of the bull, namely, sprinkled it upon and before the Mercy Seat. He thus made atonement for the Holy of Holies because of the uncleanness of both priests and people (Leviticus 16:16). He was now required to atone for the “tent of meeting,” which he did by sprinkling the blood of both the bull and the goat, first on the horns of the golden altar once, and then seven times toward the altar, on the ground (see Exodus 30:10). Atonement having been made for the building, the high priest was to expiate the altar of burnt offering, which he did by first putting some of the blood of the bull and the goat upon the horns of the altar and sprinkling it seven times. Thus the dwelling, the court, and all the holy things were expiated and cleansed. The question as to how often the high priest went into the Holy of Holies on this day is not of great importance. The biblical account seems to indicate that he entered four times: (1) with the incense, while a priest continued to agitate the blood of the bull lest it should coagulate; (2) with the blood of the bull; (3) with the blood of the goat; and (4) to bring the censer, which, according to the Talmud, was done after the evening sacrifice. The high priest then, going out into the court of the Tabernacle, laid his hands on the head of the scapegoat, confessing over it all the sins and transgressions of the people. It was led away into the wilderness by a man standing ready and there let go free to signify the carrying away of Israel’s sins that God had forgiven.

Festive Offerings. The high priest then went into the Tabernacle, took off his white garments, laid them down there (because they were to be worn only in the expiatory ritual of this day), washed himself in the Holy Place (in the laver of the court), put on his usual official robes, and completed his own and the people’s burnt offering in the court, at the same time burning the fat of the sin offerings on the altar. But both of the sin offerings were carried outside of the camp and burned with skin, flesh, and dung. The persons who had taken the live goat into the wilderness and burned the sin offerings outside the camp were, before they returned into it, to wash their clothes and bathe their bodies (Leviticus 16:2-29). “This act of expiation for the people and the holy places being finished, there was presented immediately before the evening sacrifice, according to Jewish tradition, the offering prescribed for the feast of the day, a goat as sin offering, a bullock, a ram, and several lambs as burnt offerings, with the corresponding meat and drink offerings (Numbers 29:7-11), and therewith the feast of the day was closed.” According to the rabbis, the high priest on this day performed all the duties of the regular daily service; sprinkled the blood eight times, once toward the ceiling and seven times on the floor; and after returning the third time from the Holy of Holies to the Holy Place sprinkled the blood of bull and goat toward the veil, mixed the blood of the two animals together, and sprinkled the altar of incense with the mixture, pouring out what remained at the foot of the altar of burnt offerings. The two goats were similar in appearance (size and value); the lots with which they were chosen were originally of boxwood, later of gold. The high priest, as soon as he received the signal that the goat had reached the wilderness, read some lessons from the law and offered prayer. Very strict rules are given by the Mishna for the fasting of the people. – Unger’s Bible Dictionary