Ladies Bible Study
“The Blood of Jesus Part 3
Fulfillment and Power”
Power and Blessing of the Blood
Last month we discussed the Passover, it’s significance and how Jesus was our Passover.
This month I would like to continue this discussion by keying in on the blood Covenant and the power of the blood of Jesus.
Matthew 13:44-46: "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
- "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
What does this parable have to do with the blood of Jesus? Much more than you may think! It is a very telling parable that Jesus is sharing. He is in parable form showing what was to come. We are that treasure! We are that pearl of great price! Jesus gave up all that he had, his life and blood to purchase us! Always remember that God looks at you as a precious thing that He sent His son to die for. You are a pearl, you are a treasure! Amen!
Jesus went to the cross and paid the ultimate price for us.
Revelation 5:9: 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,
Jesus was slain and we are now redeemed. Lets look at this whole process carefully.
1 Peter 1:18-19: 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.
The word redeemed here is the Greek word meaning to ransom or redeem. In ancient times, this referred to either purchasing a person or his freedom. This is what Christ did for us! He purchased our freedom from death and the power of the enemy!
John 19:30: So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!'' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
“It is finished”. The word finished is from the Greek word teleo, Pronounced tel-eh'-o:
to end, i.e. complete, execute, conclude, discharge (a debt):
KJV--accomplish, make an end, expire, fill up, finish, go over, pay, perform.
Jesus death on the cross discharged our sin debt, it paid our penalty and we are free!
No one else can lay claim to us. We belong to Jesus Christ the Lord and we are forever free. We are free from Satan’s hold over us. He may try and tempt us but he has no real power over us.
Romans 14:7-8: For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
- For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
Jesus bought us with His blood and we are forever his! What is important to Jesus is important to us and what is important to us is important to Jesus! Amen! We must realize that to live unto Jesus means that we are obedient to His Word. We need to remember that the primary goal of all believers is the lost.
Matthew 38:19-20: 19. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
- "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'' Amen.
Mark 16:15-18: 15. And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17. "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.''
We are to win the lost, show them God’s merciful love and goodness. Teach them about the true meaning of salvation. Not just redemption of the spirit but healing and blessings also! Amen!
God is a Covenant God. In ancient eastern cultures blood covenants were very common.
It is interesting to note that even in the native tribes of the Americas blood covenants were practiced. It was practiced because God initiated them with the slaying of the first animal to cover the sins of Adam and Eve. It was carried to all mankind through Adam and Eve and then later Noah.
Basically there were several ways to establish a blood Covenant. The two parties agreed upon the terms, they either slit their palms and joined hands or slit their wrist and joined wrists, mingling their blood. It is interesting that the handshake is the remnant of this practice. Sadly, the bond of a handshake means very little in today’s society.
Blood was also dropped into a cup of wine and both parties drank of it, sealing the Covenant.
The remaining way to make a blood Covenant was by the shedding of animal blood. We talked about this in the first lesson in Genesis 15 when the presence of the Lord passed between the pieces of the sacrificed animal as God began to make His Covenant with Abram.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see the sacrifice of multitudes of animals. Why so many? At the dedication of Solomon’s Temple thousands upon thousands of animals
were sacrificed to dedicate the temple. It was God’s way of saying ‘this is temporary.
This will make atonement now, this points to what is to come. No amount of animal blood will redeem you, only what I have promised. The sacrifice of the Passover lamb, my son Jesus.”
Animal sacrifices, as we all know, were to cover the sins of the people, making them acceptable to God and pointing to Jesus.
In the Old Covenant God signed the Covenant with the shed blood of animals and sealed it with the circumcision of Abraham and his heirs to come.
In Jesus death, God signed the New Covenant with the blood of Jesus and sealed it in our heats with the Holy Spirit.
1 Peter 2:24-25: who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. 25. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
We are now born again, filled with the Zoë life of God. People without Christ only have their natural life; their spirit is dead, forever separated from God. Only by believing in the power of the blood of Jesus can you have new life! It is a demonstration of God’s mercy. We are children of the New Covenant signed in Jesus Blood.
A blood Covenant. Today in America we have no true concept of what a Covenant really entails. We think we do, because we have laws and contracts, neighborhood Covenant etc. These are only poor shadows of God’s intention. I have been meditating on this for a while and I think we as Christians in America have trouble walking in faith because we cannot grab hold to God’s Word. In our minds, we say it is true. In our minds we say it is unchanging, but we really don’t understand or believe it. Why? Because our own word changes and is not true. How many “ white lies” have you told lately? It is especially easy for women to get caught up telling “small lies”. We tell someone a certain outfit looks good on them. We tell someone we like their new haircut or their chicken casserole is great when it is actually dry as a bone! We tell someone that their obnoxious loud child is not bothering us when actually they drive us to distraction!
Why do we do this? It is because we as women are taught to be gentle, diplomatic, not to unnecessarily hurt someone’s feeling. We fell it is okay to tell that small lie because it is not really hurting anyone, right? Wrong! It is hurting you! It makes you not trust anyone’s word, especially your own and in turn you doubt God’s Word. The saying is “I have to see it to believe it.” Why, because that is what we think in our heart.
Ladies, we must be true to our word!
Matthew 5: 37. "But let your `Yes' be `Yes,' and your `No,' `No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Isn’t that interesting? Anything else is from the evil one! That includes “white lies”.
We can tell someone the truth without going out of our way to be brutally honest.
I know that I am really guilty of this, it has been so engrained in me since my childhood. Southern women are good at “stretching the truth” to not hurt someone. Don’t let this be you! Make up your mind to start from this day forth and let your yes be yes and your no, no!
God is a righteous God. He is also a gracious merciful God. It is these characteristics that mark both the Old and New Covenants. In human terms, the Covenant was between two mutually agreeing parties. Each party agrees on the terms of the Covenant and it is sealed in blood. In the case of God’s Covenant, God decided the terms. Terms that were all in our favor. Terms to redeem us and bless us. All we have to do is accept them in faith.
When we enter Covenant with God through faith we become partners and joint heirs with Him. What is mine is His and what is God’s is mine.
God only recognizes a blood Covenant. The only way to God is through Jesus Christ. No other way is possible.
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 atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood”. When the blood is shed it is the life in the blood that makes atonement. It is the life of the blood of Jesus that causes us to be born again.
A blood Covenant involves the co-mingling of blood so that the two parties become one.
Our blood has been co-mingled with the blood of Jesus and now we are new creatures! Amen!
Jesus life became my life! Jesus name became my name! Everything Jesus is and has is now mine, because I belong to Him. What is important to Jesus is important to me and what is important to me is important to Jesus.
We are partakers of the New Covenant and just as Jesus ministered it to us we are to minister it to others.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6. who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
God has made us sufficient through Christ to minister the Gospel. Start walking in that mission today. Live God’s Word!
Please read and meditate on Ephesians chapter 2 for the next lesson.