April 12, 2022
Power In The Blood – Exodus 12:1-13
Power in the Blood of Jesus | April 10th, 2022
On Passover Sunday, April 10, 2022, Pastor Eric invited his congregation to reflect on the very first Passover, as recorded in Exodus 12. According to the second book of the Bible, God’s people lived as slaves in Egypt for approximately 400 years. Despite the Israelites’ determination to escape, Pharaoh made it extremely difficult for them to flee. During this time, God witnessed their oppression and heard their cries for freedom. As a consequence, God retaliated against Pharaoh by sending the Egyptians ten plagues and a man named Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. In the final plague, all firstborn Egyptian sons perished.
Read Exodus 12:1-13, 23
In the above passage, God is bringing judgment upon Egypt, and in order for the inhabitants to escape the judgment, the blood of a lamb must be applied to the doorposts of their homes. Therefore, when the angel of death sees the blood, he will pass over their houses since he does not have authority over the residents of those homes. This is what is meant by the word ‘Passover’. It is striking how this parallels what Christ did for us on the cross. Each family’s lamb is slain as a reminder that Jesus was the Lamb who was sacrificed for us all. As the blood of the lamb must be applied to the doorposts of the house, so also is Jesus’ blood to be applied to our hearts. If we are sanctified by Christ’s blood, we will be spared from the coming judgment: the judgment that leads to eternal damnation and separation from God. The benefits of accepting Christ as our personal Saviour far outweigh any hardship or persecution in this life. Among other things, we are granted the joy of the Lord, as well as a peace that far exceeds our comprehension. Christ’s blood is our ticket to a relationship with the Father that endures forever.
When Passover was first observed in ancient times, it was one thing for the lamb to be slaughtered and for its blood to be shed, but it was also necessary to apply the blood to the house’s doorposts. The lamb could not simply be slain. This applies equally to Jesus. While many people are aware that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins, not everyone has applied His sacrifice to their hearts. It is vital to ensure that we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, as our eternal destiny depends on it. We may be born in a Christian home, be a second or third-generation Christian, or even be a member of a pastor’s family, but we will not be saved unless we are willing to apply the blood of Jesus to our lives.
What is the significance of Jesus’ blood?
1 – The blood of Jesus has the power to satisfy the justice of God.
As a result of Jesus’ bloodshed, God’s justice, which requires the death penalty for sin, was satisfied. Not only is God a loving God, He is also just and holy. He required that the law concerning sin be fulfilled, and He fulfilled it. The Lord not only rendered the judgment, but He paid the penalty as well.
Can you recall what God said to Adam, the first human being?
Read Genesis 2:16-17
According to the above passage, Adam would die if he chose to consume the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It’s an absolute certainty. Consuming the forbidden fruit would result in death. To sin against a holy God is to perish. For centuries, religious doctrines have attempted to find a path to salvation by promoting good works and by claiming that being a good person will allow one access to heaven. This, however, is far from the truth. Only through Jesus’ death on the cross can God’s justice be satisfied. There is no alternative.
Read Leviticus 17:11
Since the penalty for sin is death, blood had to be shed. In the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed to atone for sin. On the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, every family was required to present a blemish-free lamb to the priest. As the priest presented the sacrifice to God, every family member extended their hands upon it. Symbolically, the sins of the people were transferred to the animal at the time of its slaughter. Keeping in mind that their sacrifice might be rejected, there was a great deal of pressure on them to ensure they offered the right sacrifice. This act had to be carried out repeatedly. The Old Testament provides ample evidence of this, as sacrifices do not eradicate sin: they merely cover it.
Read Hebrews 10:4 and John 1:29
Jesus, the perfect, spotless, sinless Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, shed His blood on the cross so that we might be redeemed. Not only was this sacrifice accepted, but it was accepted once and for all! Therefore, the world is no longer required to perform sacrifices, because the most significant and final sacrifice has already been made. Through Jesus’ death, God’s justice was satisfied for all time.
Read Hebrews 9:12-13 and 1 Peter 1:18-19
2 – The blood of Jesus has the power to reconcile us to God.
The doorposts of the first Passover may be compared to the act of reconciliation with God in some respects. For the angel of death to pass over the house, the blood of the lamb had to be applied to the doorposts. Similarly, the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, was shed for the salvation of all mankind. Those who have applied the blood of Christ to the doorposts of their lives, through believing and receiving Him, will be spared from the upcoming judgment.
Read Romans 3:25
In light of the above verse, it is clear that Christ and His sacrifice are to be accepted through faith. God’s Word claims that if we do so, we will be reconciled to the Lord. Therefore, we are not only saved from hell but are also invited into an eternal relationship with God.
According to the Bible, gold is the material that makes up the streets in heaven. On earth, our streets are typically made of asphalt. Thus, what we value and cherish in this world, such as gold, will be equivalent to asphalt in heaven.
Read Ephesians 2:13 and Hebrews 10:19
Jesus’ blood is the means by which we can approach the Throne of Grace daily and with confidence. As a result of our reconciliation with God, we are also reconciled with each other. While differing doctrines, religious beliefs, and cultural differences separate us from one another, we should keep in mind that ONE single church exists, and that is the one that Christ purchased by dying in our place. Jesus’ blood is the binding force that connects us to one another.
Read Revelation 5:9
3 – The blood of Jesus has the power to wash away sins.
Read 1 John 1:7, Hebrews 9:22, and Romans 8:1
Jesus’ blood atones for our sins. When God’s justice is satisfied, our sins are completely forgiven and we are no longer guilty. As Christians, we no longer walk in condemnation because, according to Scripture, there is no condemnation for those who have placed their faith in Christ.
4 – The blood of Jesus helps believers overcome the enemy.
Read Revelation 12:10-11
The Bible refers to the devil as ‘the accuser of the Saints’. It is indeed his pleasure to condemn believers; however, Scripture indicates that God gives His people victory through the blood of the Lamb, the testimony of their faith, and their willingness to die for Christ. This is how we defeat the enemy. Dr. Charles Ryrie’s comments on this passage are: “The believer’s defense against Satan is (1) to bank on the merits of the death of Christ, (2) to be active in witnessing, and (3) to be willing to make any sacrifice, including death.”
Revelation 12:11 says we defeated Satan by the blood of the Lamb. Christ’s death has redeemed us. As a result, we are now children of God. We are no longer bound by sin.
Read 1 Corinthians 11:25
Some profess to follow Christ, but remain enslaved to sin and are still striving to earn God’s favour through performance. Although, they have access to the blood that reconciles them to Him and grants them access to the Throne of Grace, they are not responding to the call to draw near to Him.
Are you hesitant to enter the Most Holy Place? Do not allow the blood of Christ to be shed in vain in your life. Accept Jesus as your personal Saviour today!