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It would have been impossible to look at that blood stained altar and
not think of the deaths of the pristine animals whose bodies had been
burnt on it. The writer to the Hebrews wrote: “We have an altar” (Heb.
13:10), that is the cross of Christ, and each Sunday morning many seek
to remember the Lord. During that remembrance there will be mention of
His death for the inspired apostle wrote: “For as often as ye eat this
bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come” (1
Cor. 11:26). Just as the altar was very large, it foreshadowed the
enormity of the work of the Lord. The following questions will perhaps
help us to focus on the fulness of the sacrifice of Christ.
What Did The Vicarious Sufferings And Death of Christ:
1)
Display of
Christ
|
His Character |
Reference |
|
In contrast to
man’s savagery He displayed fulness of sympathy
|
Lk. 23:34 |
|
In contrast to
man’s might, Christ shows meekness |
Acts 8:32 |
|
In contrast to
man’s will Christ displayed God’s will |
Lk. 22:42; Heb. 10:9 |
2)
Manifest to the sinner
|
The supreme manifestation of: |
Reference |
|
The depth of
depravity to which the human heart can sink when away from
God, when man becomes like an animal |
Psa. 22:12-13, 20 |
|
Of the worlds
bankruptcy of merit for deserving Christ |
Lk. 19:14 |
|
The supreme
demonstration of the human heart grasping after that which
belonged to God |
Mk. 12:7 |
|
The totality of
satanic disdain for Christ |
Lk. 19:14 |
|
God taking the
devilish act of rebellion and turning it into the foundation
for reconciliation |
Lk. 19:14 |
|
God taking the
act of extreme wickedness was answered by the act of
greatest love and goodness |
Matt. 16:21 |
3)
Manifest to God
|
It was the greatest manifestation of: |
Reference |
|
The love of God |
Jn. 3:16 |
|
The righteousness of God. God could not overlook sin, so
did God not punish sin in the past? Was he being lax in His
holiness or were they all just idle threats? The cross is
the answer to both. A penal penalty must be paid if a thing
has any value and at the cross God righteously dealt with
sin.
All the sins of the past were dealt with in righteousness
only because of the cross (Rom. 3:25). The sins of the
future is only possible because of the cross (Rom. 3:27).
There is past patience (Rom. 3:25), present justification
(Rom. 3:24), and future grace (Rom. 5:8). All meet at the
cross. God’s banished were reconciled to Him (2 Sam.
14:14). |
Rom. 4:22-26 |
4)
Mean for
Satan
|
It was the foundation for: |
Reference |
|
Destroying him
“who had the power of death” |
Heb. 2:14 |
|
Destroying “the
works of the devil” |
1 Jn. 3:8 |
The Sacrifice of Christ:
|
Was the foundation for: |
Reference |
|
The putting
away of sins |
Heb. 9:26; 10:11-14 |
|
Redemption,
from all iniquity |
Titus 2:14 |
|
Redeeming to
God |
Rev: 5:9 |
|
Reconciliation
to God |
2 Cor. 5:18 |
|
Justification
and the freedom from guilt |
Rom. 5:9; Eph. 1:7 |
|
Sanctification |
Heb. 10:10 |
|
Perfecting |
Heb. 10:4 |
|
Purging away
sins |
1 Jn. 3:5 |
|
Christ being
the propitiation |
Rom. 3:25 |
|
Peace with God |
Rom. 5:1 |
|
Having the
righteousness of the law |
Rom. 8:3 |
|
Being made
alive for righteous activity |
Gal. 2:19 |
|
Bringing forth
fruit |
Rom. 7:4 |
|
Having our
hearts sprinkled and bodies washed |
Heb. 10:22 |
|
Having our
souls saved |
Heb. 10:39 |
|
Having our sins
washed away |
Acts 22:16 |
|
Being made sons
of God |
1 Jn. 3:1 |
|
Finding rest |
Matt. 11:28 |
|
Connects a
disciple with the covenant. |
Matt. 26:28 |
|
Being given the
knowledge of eternal life |
Jn. 6:32-39 |
|
Secures the
approach of the saints to the holiest |
Heb. 9:7-12 |
|
The testimony
of good things to us |
Heb. 10:1 |
|
The testimony
of judgment to the ungodly |
Heb. 12:25 |
|
The pledge of
election |
1 Pet. 1:2 |
|
The daily
resource for cleansing |
1 Jn.1:7; Heb. 9:14 |
|
The theme of
our redemption song |
Rev. 5:9 |
|
The resource
for victory over Satan |
Rev. 15:2 |
|
The proof of
the death of Christ |
Jn. 19:33 |
|
The purchasing
price of the flock |
Acts 20:28 |
|
The Center of
union between saints on earth |
1 Cor. 10:16 |
|
The power of
deliverance from Satan’s power |
Col. 1:13 |
|
Imputed
righteousness |
Rom. 8:3 |
|
The basis for
cleansed robes |
Rev. 7:14-16 |
At The Altar Blood Was Shed
We have already noticed that there was a very close connection between
the altar and the blood sacrifices. When reading in the New Testament
there is a marked difference between how the sacrificial blood is
mentioned in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament it is simply
spoken of as “blood”, but the “blood” of our Lord is never spoken of in
such a way. It is called:
|
|
|
|
1) |
The Blood of Christ
(4 References) |
| |
|
a) |
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of
the blood of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16). The bread which we break,
is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (Eph. 2:13; Heb.
9:14; 1 Pet. 1:19) |
| |
|
|
|
|
2) |
The Blood of Jesus
(1 Reference) |
| |
|
a) |
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest
by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19) |
| |
|
|
|
|
3) |
The Blood of Jesus Christ
(1 Reference) |
| |
|
a) |
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of
the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied” (1 Pet. 1:2) |
| |
|
|
4) |
The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son
(1 Reference) |
| |
|
a) |
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:7) |
| |
|
|
5) |
The Blood of the Lord
(1 Reference) |
| |
|
a) |
“Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of
the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of
the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27) |
| |
|
|
6) |
The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant
(1 Reference) |
| |
|
a) |
“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” (Heb. 13:20) |
| |
|
|
7) |
His Own Blood
(4 References) |
| |
|
a) |
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of
God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28)
(Heb. 9:12; 13:12; Rev. 1:5) |
| |
|
|
8) |
Precious Blood
(1 reference) |
| |
|
a) |
“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:19) |
| |
|
|
|
i) |
Sin lieth at the door. The fulness of the Death of Christ |
| |
|
|
|
ii) |
It decisively and in finality removes me from the sphere of
condemnation (Rom. 8:1) |
| |
|
|
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iii) |
It decisively in finality removes me from the burden of
domination (Rom. 6:18; 8:2) |
| |
|
|
|
|
9) |
The truth of the “Shed Blood” of the Lord is found in
multiple verses, even though the specific phrase does not
occur. Illustration: |
| |
|
a) |
A life given: “The life . . . is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11) |
| |
|
b) |
Judgment fully executed: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom.
6:23) |
At The Altar The Body of The Animal Was Burnt
The bread on the table reminds us of the words of our Lord when He took
bread and said: “This is my body which is given for you” (Lk. 22:19).
Musing on the body of our Lord in which He suffered so greatly we read
of:
|
1) |
The Body of the Lord Jesus
(1 reference) |
| |
|
a) |
“They entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus”
(Lk. 24:3) |
| |
|
|
|
|
2) |
The Lord’s body
(1 reference) |
| |
|
a) |
“He that eateth and drinketh unworthily . . . not discerning the
Lord’s body” (1 Cor. 11:29) |
| |
|
|
|
|
3) |
The body of Jesus
(5 references)
|
| |
|
a) |
Joseph of Arimathaea went to Pilate and begged the body of
Jesus (Mk. 15:43; Lk. 23:52) |
| |
|
b) |
“Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen
clothes” (Jn. 19:38, 40) |
| |
|
c) |
“And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and
the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain” (Jn.
20:12) |
| |
|
|
|
|
4) |
The body of Jesus Christ
(1 reference) |
| |
|
a) |
“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10) |
| |
|
|
|
|
5) |
My body
(2 references) |
| |
|
a) |
“She hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my
burial” (Matt. 26:12) |
| |
|
b) |
“This is my body which is given for you” (Lk. 22:19) |
| |
|
|
|
|
6) |
His own body
(1 reference) |
| |
|
a) |
He “bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24) |
| |
|
|
|
|
7) |
A Body
(1 reference) |
| |
|
a) |
“A body hast Thou prepared me” (Heb. 10:5) |
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May God grant us good understanding as He, by His
Holy Spirit, deigns to guide us into all truth.
John 16:1
Rowan Jennings, Abbotsford,
British Columbia
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