The Blood

Text - Leviticus 17:11 (NASB)

 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'

• God gave the people of Israel all kinds of rules to live by – called “Law Of Moses”
• Leviticus 17: 15 says

  'Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean.

            Make mental note that part of the process of becoming clean was to wash with water

• He knew the people could not keep The Law – His purpose was to show that. When The Messiah would come He would fulfill Law  -

Matthew. 5:17
"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Acts 13:39
and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

He would re-establish God’s Kingdom and bring with Him and give freely (Ephesians 2:8-9) God’s Salvation and everything that is perfect.

·        John 1:17
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

• God’s Plan was, and is being carried out now, that Jesus would (and is) our permanent sacrifice.  

John 1:29   The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

• note: John was baptizing when he saw Jesus. It is no accident that Jesus set the example of baptism for us and requires it of believers who are “born again” (interesting that John was baptizing – symbolic cleansing of old nature – by going under water & coming up clean)

• Note also that John called Jesus “The Lamb Of God” in old testament the lamb always died
  
  
• Ephesians 5:26

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

·        Jesus is The Word.  John 1:1, 14

·        John 2  1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 and Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine

 

·        Before Jesus was crucified at Last Supper he gave thanks and gave instruction:

Mark 14: 22 While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a ^(R)blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body."

23 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

 24 And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many

·       Jesus is telling us that HE is the lifeblood we need

·       Jesus is telling us that His blood is the lifeblood of our salvation

·       Jesus is telling us that until we drink of His blood that He sacrificed for us, we will not have life.

·        HE is telling us to accept the Free Gift He is offering!