Are you washed in the blood of Christ?

“Nothing But the Blood of Jesus,” “Blessed Assurance,” and “Are You Washed in the Blood” are just three of the great hymns that have focused on the blood of Christ.

Parson to person today will reflect on the blood of Christ from Hebrews 9:11-28. This passage would be a great place to turn to for your devotions this Lent.

These 18 verses use the word “blood” eleven times plus “scarlet” once and “heifer” once. Do you remember the color of the heifer from Numbers 19? She was a “red” heifer.

When we speak of the blood of Christ, we do not mean a small tube of O positive, nor a finger prick for a sugar test.

The blood of Christ indicates His brutal beating, crucifixion, and death that pays for our ugly, horrific sin. Christ’s offering turns the wrath of God away from us and makes believers acceptable to God.

Jesus Christ did not die easily. His death was not by electrocution, nor hanging, nor a gunshot to the head.

Jesus Christ endured a horrific beating that tore his flesh away and mutilated his body. Jesus’ bleeding was so suffusive that his body was completely covered in blood fulfilling the prophecy of the red heifer.

The writer of Hebrews makes clear in verses 16-22 that death is required for sin. The writer argues from the bloody Mosaic Covenant, but he could have gone back to the animal skins that God clothed Adam and Eve with.

The writer could have turned to the animal sacrifices of Abel, or Noah, or Abraham.

The writer could have turned to Abraham’s bloody vision in Genesis 15 or the (almost) sacrifice of Isaac.

All of these offerings pointed forward to the Divine offering of God himself in the Incarnate Christ.

Christ’s offering of Himself, once for all time, makes Him the Mediator of the New Covenant.

The repeated offering of the blood of bulls, and calves, and goats that opened the way into the earthly tabernacle foreshadowed the offering of Christ which has opened the way, once for all, into the Heavenly Tabernacle, God’s very presence.

God the Son took on human flesh so he could die for our sin.

Yet, God the Son was still fully God so he could fully bear the wrath of God that was against us.

The dual natures, divine and human, within the one person of Jesus Christ cannot be explained completely but the Bible clearly teaches both.

Physical blood, of course, does not cleanse us. But Jesus’ sacrificial death is completely sufficient to turn God’s wrath from us and make us acceptable to God. Our consciences can be cleansed, washed, because there is no more sacrifice for sins necessary.

“Are you washed in the Blood, in the soul cleansing Blood of the Lamb, are your garments spotless, are they white as snow, are you washed in the Blood of the Lamb?”