The Blood of Christ

1. Blood speaks of the WORK of Christ on the cross; blood represents the judgement of our sins while Christ was bearing them on the cross (spiritual death).

2. The phrase “blood of Christ” is a representative analogy to animal sacrifices in the Old Testament, demonstrating the fact that the work of Jesus Christ was presented by means of these blood sacrifices — Hebrews 9:22.

3. The physical death of the animal is analogous to the spiritual death of Christ.

4. Every animal sacrifice spoke of Jesus Christ. John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”

5. The animal hadn’t done anything wrong. The animal was judged. In his judgement, the animal died physically.

6. Jesus Christ hadn’t done anything wrong. He was judged (for us). In His judgement the sins of the whole world were poured out on Him. In His judgement He died spiritually. No blood involved — Matthew 26:46.

7. Jesus Christ bled from His hands and His feet, and from His face where He had been beaten up — literal blood.

8. After He died physically they ran a spear into His side and blood and water (serum) came out, (John 19:34) indicating he was truly dead spiritually. He did not bleed to death. His throat was not slit like the animal sacrifices.

9. Jesus Christ said, after His work (spiritual death) was finished, “It is finished,” and then He said, “Father into thy hands I dismiss my spirit.” He dismissed His spirit but He did not bleed to death.

10. The bleeding of the animal (his judgement) is analogous to the spiritual death of Jesus Christ (His judgement for us). The judgement of the animal was physical death. The judgement of Christ for our sins was spiritual death.

11. The analogy is between the physical death of an innocent animal and the spiritual death of the sinless humanity of Jesus Christ.

12. There has to be a meeting of the two sides of the cross and that meeting is in the phrase “the blood of Christ,” which refers to the penalty of sin being paid — judgement for sin.

13. In the Old Testament the mercy seat was covered with the blood of the animal which had been judged by physical death.

14. The teaching of the death of Christ (Spiritual death — His judgement, Isaiah 53:9) before it occurred was by use of the blood sacrifices.

15. The significance of the blood in the death of Jesus Christ is that it relates to millions of people who were saved in the Old Testament as it relates to us — they are saved just as we are.

16. It sets up an analogy (Christ bearing our sins) between those who anticipated the cross historically and those who look back at it.

17. One must understand the entire significance of the person and work of Christ. On the cross He bore our sins, and made provision for our forgiveness and cleansing. This was through Christ bearing our sins, those sins being judged. The blood of Christ expresses this.

18. There is no need to offer animal sacrifices any more, because Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is once and for all.

19. It is apostasy to “plead the blood,” or to ask that the “blood cover us.” One does not “claim the blood,” instead one claims promises.

20. In revelation 12:11 “overcoming by the blood of the Lamb” refers to a Tribulational person accepting Christ as personal saviour, not “by” but “because of” the blood, and being protected because they have entered the plan of God.

21. The blood of Christ (His work on the cross) keeps on cleansing: 1 John 1:7,9.

a) When you believe in Christ, you are cleansed, and released from the penalty of sin through the person and work of Christ.

b) When you confess your sin as a believer, you are cleansed (Christian way of life).