Finished, Perfect, Complete: The Blood

The skilled craftsman had just finished creating a beautiful oak dining room table.  It was ready to be delivered to the waiting customer.  A visitor to his shop picked up a plane and was about to run it across the top of that table.  The craftsman shouted, “Don’t touch that table. It’s finished!”

You might think, no one would be that stupid, or mean enough to do something like that. Yet people do it all the time to the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Jesus paid it all – the debt of our sins, and He said, “It is finished.”  Yet through the ages, people have tried to add to that because they don’t think what Jesus did was enough for their salvation.  They add their own good works, drop money in the offering plate, visit the sick, or do a good deed for a neighbor. Perhaps, they think, they can earn their salvation, or keep their salvation, by their own good works. But God had a different plan – and it was perfect.

From the very beginning, God instituted His plan.  Innocent animals had to die to cover man’s sin.  Adam and Eve sinned. God made coats of skin and covered their nakedness. (Genesis 3:21).

Abel offered a sacrifice of his flock.  Blood was shed.  Cain offered of the fruit of the ground. Abel’s offering was accepted by God, but Cain’s offering was rejected.

God clarified the importance of blood in Leviticus 17:11. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood. : and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls.  For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”   The writer of Hebrews gives a lengthy discussion about the blood for atonement and states in 9:22, “without shedding of blood is no remission.”  Then he adds in Hebrews 10:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

The Old Testament sacrifices and the day of atonement were temporary measures in anticipation of the one perfect sacrifice that would be accomplished.

Comparing the blood of bulls and goats to the sacrifice of Christ, Paul wrote this in Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” And in Hebrews 10:14 the writer concludes, “For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.”  1 John 1:7 states, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Note that the one offering took care of sins forever.  “We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10).  “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (Hebrews 10:12).  Jesus sat down because the job was complete.  Nothing else needed to be done.

First Peter 1:18-19 makes clear the importance of His blood. “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; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” It was precious and it is perfect because the blood was given by the only person that was totally without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21 & Hebrews 4:14-15).  And He is the perfect deity, the Son of God (Hebrews 1:2-3,8)

Jesus’ blood was sufficient to pay for all our sins and to give us entrance into heaven.  Trust Jesus alone for your salvation and for keeping your salvation.

There’s a familiar old song that conveys this truth well, published in 1876 by Robert Lowry.

Nothing But the Blood (v. 1 &4)

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

1. • Refrain:
     Oh! precious is the flow
     That makes me white as snow;
     No other fount I know,
     Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

The third verse of the great hymn, How Great Thou Art, expresses well what Christ has done.  The words are based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Boeberg in 1885 and translated into English by Stuart Hine in 1949.

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

If you have not yet done so, why not trust Jesus today to forgive you of your sin, save you, and give you a new life?  If you have trusted Jesus but think you can lose your salvation, remember:  Jesus paid it all. There’s nothing you can add to His work on the cross. It is only by His grace that we are saved. Rest in His grace and peace.