Wednesday, March 4, 2015
1 John 1:7 The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
BLOOD THAT PURIFIES
There are many New Testament Scriptures, too, that show the importance of Jesus' mission as the Lamb of God, our blessed Savior. Paul wrote in Ephesians that we who once were far away from God's family, cut off from Him because of our sins, have been brought near through Christ's blood (Ephesians 2:13), that "in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace." Peter writes that it wasn't by a payment of money, which can be destroyed, that we were set free from the worthless life handed down to us from our ancestors. No, the payment that freed us was the blood of Christ, the lamb with no defects (1 Peter 1:18).
This helps us to appreciate the exceeding value of the Sacrament treasure Jesus instituted for us the night before His death, when He said: "This is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for the forgiveness of your sins" (Matthew 26:28). By the "new covenant" He was referring to the covenant based on the tender mercy of God towards sinners, which is vastly superior to the old covenant based on the law and dependent on man's compliance to all its precepts (an impossibility!). Rather, the blood of the new covenant God has established with us is based solely on His undeserved love as revealed in Jesus-- which is why what John wrote in Revelation will assuredly come to pass: "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. So they are before the throne of God and serve Him continually in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them" (Revelation 7:14-15).
Glory be to Jesus, Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the life-blood From His sacred veins!
Grace and life eternal In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion, Infinitely kind!
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 158:1-2)
