Through His Blood
Old Testament prophecy fulfilled by Jesus.
Jesus, the Messiah, would be an offering for sin.
The Old Testament is full of offerings and sacrifices. From the beginning God taught that life was in the blood, and it was the blood that made atonement for sin. (Leviticus 17:11.) The sin offerings God put into place required the life’s blood of the sacrificed animal to be spilled to atone for sin. The blood of the sacrifice symbolically took away the sins the people, temporarily. The animal’s blood sacrifice was spilled instead of the human sinners. This substitutionary animal sacrifice was an object lesson that foreshadowed the final sacrifice that would come.
All of the animal sacrifices pointed toward Jesus, the Messiah. On the cross, Jesus gave His life’s blood as THE ONCE FOR ALL SACRIFICE that would take away the sins of all people.
Isaiah wrote about it:
“But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering.” Isaiah 53:10.
Jesus laid down His life as the guilt offering. After Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended back to heaven, His followers understood that His sacrifice paid for the sin of mankind. And that forgiveness of sin was possible through belief in Jesus.
Animal sacrifices taught that sin must be paid for with blood. Animal sacrifices atoned for sin temporarily. Animal sacrifices must be done over and over again.
The sacrificial system pointed toward the future sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah. The blood of Jesus paid for the sin of all people, once and forever. To receive forgiveness of sin, all any person must do is believe in Jesus as the One who paid for their sin.
Many verses in the New Testament put all these pieces together:
“Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins. Acts 10:43.
“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” Acts 13:38-39.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7.
“And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” I John 2:2.
Thank you, Jesus.
Carla Killough McClafferty
By the way, I loved your book Forgiving God. I was touched not only by your sharing of what happened to your precious Corey, but by the universal questioning that we Christians struggle with when it seems God isn't answering prayers the way we feel He should. Also, there is applicable for losses of various kinds. And I like all the Scriptures at the back. Well done, Carla.
Thank you for sharing this message about the importance of the blood of Jesus. Without the sacrifice He so willingly offered, we would have no hope of salvation. Through faith in Him and obedience to God's word, we can look forward to an eternity spent in heaven with our Father and our Lord Jesus! How grand is that!