OceanSide church of Christ

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The Blood of Christ

By Wayne Rodgers

Text: 1 Peter 1:18-25  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  (19)  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  (20)  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,  (21)  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.  (22)  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:  (23)  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  (24)  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  (25)  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Thesis: To show the purpose and how valuable the blood of Christ is to mankind.

Introduction:

1.        Redemption = (theology) the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil / Repayment of the principal amount of a debt or security at or before maturity (as when a corporation repurchases its own stock) / The act of purchasing back something previously sold.

A.      (v. 18) not with corruptible things

B.       (v. 19) but with the precious blood of Christ

C.       (v. 20) planned before the foundation of the world

D.      (v. 21) found in the Gospel of Christ

E.       (v. 22) souls are purified in obeying the Gospel

F.        (v. 23) born again of incorruptible seed, the word of God

G.      (v. 24) grass will wither; it’s flower will fall

H.      (v. 25) but the word of the Lord will endure forever

2.        Rev. 1:5 “…unto him (Jesus Christ) that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”

3.        As we consider verse 19 of our text, notice the Precious Blood of Christ.

Discussion:

I.                        Precious

A.      Thayer defines PRECIOUS as: of great price, held in honor, esteemed, especially dear.

B.       Precious as seen in scripture

1.        Mat 26:7  There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

2.        Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

3.        1 Pet. 2:1-8, esp. v. 4-6

C.       Peter speaks of our “like precious faith” (2 Pet. 1:1)

D.      Great price was paid for the church

1.        Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

E.       The church should be held in honor, esteemed highly and held especially dear, because God himself thought it to be so. 

F.        Consider that great price…what was it?  The Son’s Blood

II.                     Blood

A.      Why blood?

1.        Most do not like to speak of it; but it is vital for atonement.

2.        Atonement = the closest literal meaning from origin of the word literally means “AT-ONE”

a.        This is the idea put forth throughout scripture both OT / NT.

B.       OT:  Seen in the numerous offerings made by the priesthood by faith in the

1.        Exo 32:30  And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

2.        Lev 1:4  And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

3.        Lev 4:20  And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.

4.        Lev. 5:6, 10, 13, 16, 18; 7:7

5.        Lev 9:7  And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.

C.       Consider then Hebrews 9:6-14:

D.      NT:  In the NT, the word is only used one time, but it’s seen throughout NT doctrine.

1.        Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

2.      1Jn 1:6-10  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  (7)  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.  (8)  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  (9)  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (10)  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

3.         Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

4.        Rom 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

E.       But, as we have seen…Not just any blood will do…not mine, not yours, not animal…only that of Christ

III.                  Of Christ

A.      Christ = Occurs 514 times in the NT denoting that He was anointed or consecrated to His great redemptive work (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) as Prophet, Priest & King of His people.

B.       Jesus of Nazareth was proved to be the Christ

1.        What did John teach?

a.        John 1:6-37

2.        What did Jesus preach?

a.        Mat 22:41-46  While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,  (42)  Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.  (43)  He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,  (44)  The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?  (45)  If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?  (46)  And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

3.        Acts 2 – Peter’s entire sermon

a.        Matt. 16:13-19

4.        What did Paul preach

a.        To those in Thessalonica?

1)        Act 17:2-3  And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,  (3)  Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

b.        To the Corinthians?

1)        1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

2)       1Co 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

3)        Act 18:5  And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

C.       Because He was Christ, my sins can be washed away by His precious blood!

Conclusion:

1.        To the Christian, the blood of Christ is SO DEAR!

2.        To the Sinner, the blood of Christ is SO VALUABLE!

3.        To the God, the blood of Christ is SO HONORED AND ESTEEEMED!

4.        Where do we fit into this picture? 

5.        What are our thoughts and feelings concerning the blood of Christ?

A.      Have we responded to the fact that Christ shed his blood on our behalf?

1)        Have we obeyed the Gospel where we can finally meet the blood of Jesus and have our sins washed away by:

1.        Believing in Jesus as the Son of God – John 8:24

2.        Repenting of Sin – Luke 13:3, 5

3.        Confessing our Faith in Christ – Matt. 10:32-33

4.        Being Baptized For the Remission of our Sins – Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 22:16

B.        Are we living so as to honor and esteem the blood of Christ?

1)        Or, are we as those of whom the Hebrews’ writer says, “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (Heb. 6:6)?

C.       Where do you stand in relation the “precious blood of Christ”?