In our churches these days we have people coming from all kinds of backgrounds. I know that I probably have readers of the blog who feel the Mass or Communion in some way is a repetition of Jesus’ sacrifice. I wanted, therefore, to take this opportunity to share some verses which, to my mind, settle that point once and for all.
- “Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the Holy Place yearly with blood not his own; for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” ( Hebrews 9:25–28)
- “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)
A number of years ago I remember watching an evangelism training video. It had a laughable sketch where someone went up to a total stranger and asked, “Have you been washed in the blood of the lamb?” In our squeamish culture, it probably isn’t the best question to ask someone at the very beginning of a conversation about Christ. I fear for us, Howe ever, that we are in danger of loosing the appreciation that the old saints had for the “precious blood of Jesus.” So I thought in this post we would remind ourselves of what the Bible has to say about blood.
- “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)
- “ . . . how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14)
- “ . . . we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.” (Hebrews 10:19)
- “ . . . the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
- “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” (Revelation 1:5)
- “They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:11)
- “Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:18-19)
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