Hebrews 9 The Scarlet Thread: Nothing but the blood!

Bible Study Series: Jesus in Hebrews - Better by Far!

Hebrews 9 The Scarlet Thread - Nothing but the blood!

by I Gordon

Nothing can for sin atone, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Naught of good that I have done, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
O precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.

We discussed the shadow and the substance last time in the first half of Hebrews 9, looking at how the Old Testament pictured the person and work of Jesus Christ, even up to 1500 years before He came to this planet. Today's lesson, from the second half of the same chapter, will focus on the blood. Nothing but the blood of Jesus! In particular we will look at the following:

• Why does scripture state that everything had to be cleansed by blood?
• What is the scarlet thread that runs through scripture? Or was the Cross actually 'Cosmic child abuse'?
• What is the blood used for... and what is it not used for, in scripture?
• What is the most important decision facing humanity before facing God on judgment day?
• And can someone's blood provide an antidote from the bite of a snake? (A little cryptic maybe but you will understand later!)

Let's go!

Why did nearly everything need to be cleansed with blood?

Heb 9:16-22  In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it,  (17)  because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.  (18)  This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.  (19)  When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.  (20)  He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep."  (21)  In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies.  (22)  In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Alright Einstein, see if you can see the theme of this passage:

• This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
• When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves...
• He said, "This is the blood of the covenant..."
• He sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies
• In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood
• Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Do you see it? The word 'the' you say? Well it is in each phrase so half points there for thinking outside the box! But no, it is the blood. Nothing but the blood. Some over the years have asked why the blood is so important. We could ask why did nearly everything have to be sprinkled with blood as our passage says? This all seems a little, well, bloody, does it not? I was recently reading an online atheist forum that had the following comments from different people about the blood and death of Jesus:

"'Nothing but the blood of Jesus' has to be the craziest song ever written"
"A lot of their imagery is pretty morbid."
"Imagine being an alien visiting earth and learning that the most popular religion uses an implement of torture as their religious symbol."
"I find it quite strange that the number 1 religion in the world is one that is so obsessed with the blood, body and death of its savior that it saves them through torture and barbaric execution. Think about it and they will give you chills."

Oh... I'm getting chills! : ) It is fair to say that the significance of the death of Jesus remains a mystery to those who have not experienced the second birth! They have no idea what one man dying on a cross 2000 years ago actually did! But it raises the question, why is blood specifically so important to God? We will be answering that today and to do so we will follow a scarlet thread that weaves it way through the scriptures. Let's just start with a few important scriptures.

Our text says: 'Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.' (Heb 9:22) That is a hard and fast spiritual law. There is no wriggle room or getting around it. This is what our friends in the Atheist forum don't understand. But the question is why? What is so important about the blood? Scripture teaches that 'the wages of sin is death...' (Rom 6:23). This is, what you are paid for sin (the Greek word used here for wages 'opsōnia' meant a soldier’s pay), is death. Spiritual death. But scripture also teaches that 'the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.' (Lev 17:11) So though the wages of sin is spiritual death and eternal separation from God, through the giving of a life on your behalf and for your sin, atonement could be made. And this was specifically seen through the shedding of blood because 'the life is in the blood'.  

Why the blood?

Our Daily Bread gives the following story:

Mary Ann believed in God and His Son Jesus, but she struggled with why Jesus had to shed His blood to bring salvation. Who would think of cleansing something with blood? Yet the Bible says, “The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood” (Heb. 9:22). That, in Mary Ann’s opinion, was disgusting!

Then one day she had to go to a hospital. A genetic condition had altered her immune system, and doctors became alarmed when the illness started attacking her blood. As she was in the emergency room she thought, If I lose my blood, I will die. But Jesus shed His blood so I can live!

Suddenly everything made sense. In the midst of her pain, Mary Ann felt joy and peace. She understood that blood is life, and a holy life was needed to make peace with God for us. 
Today she is alive and well, thanking God for her health and for Jesus’ sacrifice on her behalf.

I like what she came to understand through her own situation - that the blood is life. It is critical. In biology, blood is often called the "river of life" because it is the body's primary transportation and communication system, connecting all organs and trillions of cells, bringing oxygen, glucose, vitamins, and minerals to every organ. And how much more important is the blood of Jesus, spiritually supplying what all of humanity needed. And that is atonement. And so though the wages of sin is death, one sinless life, with the shedding of blood, can pay that price for another! 

The Scarlet Thread - Detour time!

Of course, this theme of the importance of the blood has run the entire length of the Bible. It is a scarlet thread¹ beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation. It begins on earth and ends in heaven! Let's quickly follow this scarlet thread through...

• Genesis 3:21 - After the fall, Adam and Eve tried to cover their sin and shame with fig leaves. Rather them than me! But God clothed them with animal skins, which hints at the first blood sacrifice or death that was required to cover sin.
• Gen 4:1-5 - The next chapter in Genesis gives the famous story of the first brother born to Adam and Eve - Cain and Abel. We see that Abel brought a sacrifice to God of fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. Again, another blood sacrifice, pointing to the sacrifice of the true firstborn over creation - Jesus Christ. Cain however brought the work of his hands and the fruits of the soil. And we know how things ended... Abel's sacrifice was accepted and Cain's wasn't. 
• Genesis 22 - Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, prefiguring the spiritual reality of how our Heavenly Father would one day offer His Son as a blood sacrifice.
• Exodus 12 - God initiated the Passover for Israel, where a spotless lamb was sacrificed, to be kept as an annual observance. And the first Passover saw the Israelites in Egypt placing the blood of lamb upon their door frames to protect them from the avenging angel. Again, another scarlet thread pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God, His blood alone can save from death.
• Exodus 26:1,31,36 - Scarlet was woven into the inner curtains, the veil, and the entrance to the Tabernacle. It was all a reminder about the importance of the blood. 
• Exodus 28:4-6, 15, 39 Scarlet was also on the High Priest ephod, breastplate and sash
• Leviticus sacrifices - The scarlet thread continued through the daily and yearly offerings for sin, as seen in the book of Leviticus. As we have seen earlier from Leviticus, the axiom of the Old Testament was that 'the life of a creature is in the blood... it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.' (Lev 17:11)² 
• Joshua 2 - This has the great story of Rahab and her salvation. And what was she instructed to do to show that she should be spared? 'She tied the scarlet cord in the window.' (Josh 2:21) Again, this scarlet cord pointed to the blood of Christ and secured her salvation. 
• Isaiah 53 – The incredible Suffering Servant prophecy vividly describes Jesus’ atoning death.
• The New Testament - The blood and importance of Jesus' sacrifice is seen right throughout its pages. We'll explore some a little later. But we see this right from the start of Jesus' ministry, where John the Baptist called the Lord 'the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world' (John 1:29), through to the book of Revelation where Heaven signs 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain' (Rev 5:12), the scarlet thread is clearly seen. And let's not forget that the redeemed are said to have overcome the Dragon '...by the blood of the Lamb' (Rev 12:11) 

Alright... bit of a detour there, but a necessary one as it is good to see the overall weight and theme of scripture. Getting back to Hebrews we also see that the New Covenant is likened to a will and the point made is that a will only comes into effect after someone's death. Thus, it was necessary for the death of Jesus to take place before the New Covenant came into effect. 

Even Heaven needed to be cleansed

Heb 9:23-26  It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  (24)  For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.  (25)  Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.  (26)  Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

We see this theme of the blood continuing in this passage where we read that not only did the Old Testament Tabernacle need to be purified by a blood sacrifice, but even the heavenly temple did! But the heavenly temple couldn't be cleansed by the blood of lambs, goats or bulls - it required the blood of Jesus. Now this obviously raises the question, why did the heavenly sanctuary require cleansing by blood? Well, because even heaven is not exempt from sin, for the original rebellion of Satan and the angels that fell with him occurred in heaven. And Satan has been allowed limited access to God since that time. William MacDonald writes:

It may seem surprising that the heavenly places needed to be purified. Perhaps a clue is found in Job_15:15, “the heavens are not pure in His sight.” Doubtless this is because Satan committed the first act of sin in heaven (Isa_14:12-14), and because he still has access to the presence of God as the accuser of the brethren (Rev_12:10).
William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary  

We also see the emphasis again on the single sacrifice of Jesus, once and for all time, to 'do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself'. What an amazing verse! What an amazing thought! Sin is done away with. Its penalty has been paid, its power is overcome as we walk by the power of the Holy Spirit, and its presence will one day be forever removed. I look forward to that day! But God sees all this as already accomplished because of the sacrifice of His Son!

The Cross - Cosmic child abuse or the greatest love imaginable?

But not all in 'Christian' circles see the beauty of this sacrifice. In the early 2000's the 'Emerging Church' movement was quite prominent,  with its 'teachers' trying to 'reimagine' the important core teachings of Christianity to mean something else. One example had them calling the sacrifice of Jesus 'Cosmic child abuse'. Look at the following quote:

“The fact is that the cross isn’t a form of cosmic child abuse—a vengeful Father, punishing his Son for an offence he has not even committed. Understandably, both people inside and outside of the Church have found this twisted version of events morally dubious and a huge barrier to faith. Deeper than that, however, is that such a concept stands in total contradiction to the statement: ‘God is love.’ If the cross is a personal act of violence perpetrated by God towards humankind but borne by his Son, then it makes a mockery of Jesus’ own teaching to love your enemies and to refuse to repay evil with evil”
Steve Chalke and Alan Mann, The Lost Message of Jesus

I include this so you will be careful not to believe everything written by so-called "Christian" authors, even if their books are popular and prominent in Christian book stores. This quote is SO WRONG and ignorant of what scripture teaches! Yes, God is love but as we have seen, God is also perfect holiness and His perfect justice demands a sacrifice for sin... and always has. The cross isn't cosmic child abuse but the greatest act of love as Jesus Himself said (John 15:13). Look at some of the many verses in the New Testament that teach the importance of the cross and the reason for the shed blood of Christ:

• Matthew 26:28  “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  
• Romans 5:9  “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”  
• Ephesians 1:7  “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”  
• Colossians 1:20  “...and through him to reconcile to himself all things... by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” 
• Hebrews 9:22  “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  
• Hebrews 10:19  “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus...”  
• 1 Peter 1:18–19  “...you were redeemed... with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”  
• 1 John 1:7  “...the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”  
• Revelation 1:5  “...To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood...”  

I think that is crystal clear. Let me say something else as well that may be closer to home for some of you. The blood is never used for protection in the New Testament. It is all about redemption and atonement. It is all about the payment for sin and forgiveness. I say this because some Christian's like to 'plead the blood', or apply the blood, over their minds, health, homes, finances, family members... maybe their dog. But none of this is New Testament teaching. People say 'I plead the blood of Jesus over my thoughts. I plead the blood of Jesus over my family. Let no harm come near our dwelling. I plead the blood over my finances. Break every chain of lack and open doors of abundance.' I encourage you to look up all the verses concerning the blood of Christ in the New Testament and you will see that it is never used in this way. It is about redemption, atonement and the forgiveness of sins. We have the armor of God, in its various forms, for our protection. But the blood is about the forgiveness of sins. Look it up if this is a new thought for you.

The Most Important Decision

Heb 9:27-28 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,  (28)  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

These closing verses bring home the importance of this message. It is appointed for all men to die once, and then face judgment³. Yeah. No one is exempt. For believers this judgment will be at the 'Bema' or judgment seat of Christ. For unbelievers this will be at the Great White Throne of Judgment. So you want to face God knowing that you have trusted in the person and work of the Lord Jesus and accepted His offer of salvation, right? If that is you, then when Christ appears it will be without reference to sin - because that was dealt with the first time and they are remembered no more! It is your work as a believer that will be examined and judged. But for those not covered by the blood of Jesus, their fate will be judgment for their sins, the lake of fire, and eternal separation from Almighty God. Horrible thought! So this is decision time. This is the time to prepare for eternity!⁴

Conclusion

We have seen the importance of the blood of Jesus today as we have followed this theme through from Genesis to Revelation. We've seen that it is a scarlet thread weaved into the pages of scripture. From the first chapters to the last, God has consistently shown mankind's needs for a sacrifice for their sins. And while this may remain a mystery to the unbeliever who sees it as crazy (or something worse!) it is the greatest act of love imaginable. Before we close, let me state one last story. 

The One who took the snake bite

Have you heard of Tim Friede?⁵ No? Well Tim Friede is a man that has been bitten hundreds of times by deadly snakes. Now, I know what you are thinking... "unlucky!.. Even seriously unlucky!" But luck doesn't actually come into it for it is all, well, by design! Tim desires these deadly snakes, even the worst ones, to bite him. Why is that? Has he got a death wish? No... but over an 18 year period he has built his way up, slowly developing immunity to the snake's neurotoxins. Rather him than you right? : ) But his blood has now become precious for humanity. Researchers are now using the antibodies in Tim's blood to create a new antivenom that can protect others. And in mouse trials, the antidote was found to be protective against venom from the black mamba, king cobra, coral snakes and tiger snakes, among others. Go the super-mouse!

So why talk about this? Well, it's because humanity has a snake problem spiritually speaking. We were bitten in the garden (so to speak) and the effects remain with us today. And yet there was a man, Jesus Christ, who took the biggest strike of all from this snake, Satan, and overcame him. And His death and shed precious blood now becomes precious to everyone. It provides the means for all to be forgiven, cleansed and protected from sin and the effects of that snake bite.

Tim is doing a great service to humanity, risking harm to himself to help others. But Jesus did the greatest service to humanity, taking the full bite of the snake to conquer that wicked serpent once and for all!  

Nothing can for sin atone, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Naught of good that I have done, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
O precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.    

Let me just close with a heavenly scene that I trust we will all participate in (and very soon!) For all of heaven sings and worships the Lamb for what He has done:

Rev 5:8-13  And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty- four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.  (9)  And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.  (10)  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."  (11)  Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.  (12)  In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"  (13)  Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

God bless!

FOOTNOTES