The Blood of Christ

Deuteronomy 16:1-12

Happy Reformation Day. On this day in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 disagreements onto the door of the Church in Wittenberg. This symbolized a revolt against the Catholic Church known as the reformation. The Bible we read in our language is largely due to the reformation!

I. A Required Substitutional Payment (Deuteronomy 16:2) This passage, Moses is reminding the Israelite people to observe the Passover and other feast. These celebrations were memorials of what happen done. The Passover that is recorded in Exodus 12 was a clear foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus. The lamb’s blood that covered the doorpost, was the covering of salvation of that home, protecting the firstborn from death. Ex. 12:13 “The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” From this event, we see a memorial of celebration begin. The month of Abib was around March/April time frame. Remember that God is a God of order. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ was during the Passover. The Passover points to Christ!

Why was a blood payment necessary? The whole Old Testament points to the Greatest Sacrifice that is to come, the shedding of the blood of Jesus on the Cross. Leviticus 17:11 states: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” The first recorded animal sacrifice was in Gen. 3:21 when God killed an animal to make clothing for Adam and Eve. A sacrifice was made as a result of sin. This Passover Celebration points forward to Christ, and His payment of blood that was made for you and me. A payment is still required today! The blood payment of Jesus. For us to be forgiven, saved, we must individually place faith in Jesus Christ trusting that His blood shed on the cross covers us! Isaiah 53:5 “…by his wounds we are healed.” Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

II. A Remembrance of Suffering (Deuteronomy 16:3-8) The unleavened beard was a reminder that the Israelites suffered and fled Egypt. We fast-forward to the Lord’s Supper, that came from the Passover meal, in which Jesus uses the bread to represent His suffering for us. Luke 22:19 “…This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” They were observing the Passover that Jesus turned into the Lord’s Supper! 1 Cor. 5:7 “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

III. The Rejoicing of Salvation (Deuteronomy 16:9-12) I really want to key in on verses 11-12 here. They purpose of the Passover and the Feast of Weeks was to praise God for what he did. This passage is to praise God for the salvation of the Israelite people from the bondage of slavery by Egypt and the salvation from death during the Passover. The same is true today! Because of the blood of the sacrificial lamb, Jesus Christ, we can rejoice in our salvation! Because of the blood of Christ, we do not have to experience eternal death! Romans 3:23-25 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” It’s by the blood of Jesus that man can be saved!