“And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood…”
in His own blood
Jesus did not free us from sin by His life. He freed us by His death, His substitutionary death on the cross for our sins.
Blood was the system of atonement in the Old Testament (Exodus 12:13; Leviticus 17:11). In the Old Testament, God covers sin (atonement, to cover), but in the New Testament, God wipes out sin completely by the blood of Christ.
“For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
“Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25-26).
“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9).
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:19-20).
“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
“And they sang a new song, saying:
‘You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth’” (Revelation 5:9-10).
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death” (Revelation12:11).
Principle:
Jesus gave His life so that we can have eternal life.
Application:
In every case, it is the blood of Christ that forgives us, not religion, good works, or doing good for society.
There is no redemption without the shedding of blood. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away our sins.
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29).
“And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14).
“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh [his body]…” (Hebrews 10:19-20).
Jesus frees us from our sins by His blood. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. God judged Jesus for our sins. No more judging of sin needs to be done. Jesus suffered all that was necessary in God’s eyes. Jesus is the only person who can forgive sins. Jesus is the great emancipator.
“As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).
Jesus could not have removed our sins further from us.
“Indeed it was for my own peace
That I had great bitterness;
But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption,
For You have cast all my sins behind Your back” (Isaiah 38:17).
