Daily Bread - FEB/12/07

Revelation 1:5 - And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness the firstborn from among the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. The One who loves us and has washed us from our sins with His own blood.

The blood of Jesus is the means by which the sins of everyone who believes are removed (Matthew 26:28; Acts 20:28; Romans 3:25; 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14, 20; Hebrews 2:14; 9:12, 14; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7). His blood represents His life and ours and is the means by which all past sins have been erased (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:6; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

In the Old Testament, we discover that the blood purges (Leviticus 17:4), cleanses (Leviticus 14:1-9, 14), and sanctifies (Exodus 19:20-21). These types in the Old Testament revealed what Christ Jesus would do for all mankind when He offered up His own soul as the Lamb of God for everyman.

Most scholars agree that the sprinkling of the blood on the altar and the ascending smoke of the sacrifice symbolize union of the one making the offering with Yahweh. However, in the New Testament this union has been made perfectly clear. We have been so united with Christ Jesus that we no longer live but Christ who lives within us (Philippians 1:21; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Romans 14:8; John 17:22; 6:56; Romans 8:17, 29; Galatians 3:29; 4:7; Titus 3:7).

Jesus came and fulfilled all of the Old Testament sacrifices and offerings being the one which all of these were only types (Hebrews 1:3; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 9:9, 14; 1 Peter 1:2, 19; 1 John 1:7; John 1:29; 1 John 3:5; Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 2:11; Hebrews 13:12; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 3:25; Romans 5:9). Jesus loosed us from our sins so that we could be brought into the family of God and through union with Him made priests and kings.

Be blessed,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org