The Blood of Jesus Speaks of a New Covenant: Diving Deeper
See Jesus
The Blood of Jesus Speaks of a New Covenant
In the aftermath of Abel's murder, God speaks to Cain and says, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground."
Pastor Kevin said this Sunday that every wound, every broken heart, every damage caused by sin, cries out to the Lord for justice.
Scripture tells us this: When Christ offered His body on the cross as the sacrifice to atone for our sins, He entered into the Most Holy Place in the Heavenly Tabernacle and brought His own blood as the atonement of our sins.
This blood speaks, too. Just like the blood of a bull sacrificed once a year as atonement for sin declared one year of justification for the people of Israel; the blood of Jesus in the Most Holy Place of Heaven speaks of eternal justification for those who have been made children of God through believing in Christ Jesus.
This means that Christ has established a new covenant through His broken body and His shed blood. By believing in Christ's work on our behalf we are pulled into His death. Our old man, our sinful nature, who was condemned and held captive by the law, is put into Christ’s death on the cross. Just like people are not beholden to a marriage covenant once they or their spouse dies, so we are no longer beholden to the covenant of the law once we have died with Christ.
Since we shared Christ's death through believing in His atoning work on our behalf, we are also raised up with Him to new life! We share in His death and His resurrection! In this new life, we are no longer beholden to the covenant of our old life. So, we get to come into a new covenant, the covenant that Jesus established on the merit of His perfect, once and for all, totally-satisfactory sacrifice.
Abel's blood speaks and declares, “Justice demands punishment! Blood must be shed! Atonement must be made!"
Jesus blood speaks and declares, "Punishment has been poured out, blood has been shed, and every sin has been atoned for."
Abel's blood demanded justice, but the blood of Jesus speaks a better word, the Word of God: "I love you so much, I have paid your every debt. I love you so much, I have shown you the greatest mercy. I love you so much, I had died in your place."
When we sing, "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!" we are remembering, reckoning, and receiving that there is no good we can do in and of ourselves that could justify us before God. The only thing that can do it is the blood of Jesus! When we sing "Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow!" we are professing, declaring, and reckoning the absolute hope and confidence we have that the blood of Jesus makes us righteous, holy, and free to be in communion with God, our creator.
"No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus!"
-Pastor Nicole
Know Jesus
This week, you can dive deeper into the message through one or all of the following:
One of the best ways we can consider and remember the blood of Jesus and the new covenant made by His blood is to take communion. You can take communion by yourself, with a family member, or with friends. Take some bread and some juice and reflect upon the covenant made through the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus!
Listen to and worship along with "Better Word" in a worship set led by Decibel Worship.
Discovery Bible Study
TO BEGIN
Pray and ask Holy Spirit to teach you about God from His word.
Next, read the verse a couple of times.
Now, ask these questions:
What does this tell me about God/Jesus?
What does this tell me about people?
How can I respond to what I just read?
When you’re done asking these questions, it’s a great idea to pray and thank God for teaching you more about who He is and who you are!
Discovery Bible Study (DBS) is a way for anyone, anywhere to read God's word! You can dive deeper into this week's message by doing a DBS one any one or all of these scriptures. DBS is a great tool to use for your own devotions, as a bible study with friends, or as an evangelism tool!
Matthew 26: 27-28
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Prayer Prompts
Pray that we would see and hear the better word that Christ's blood speaks!
Pray for a revelation of the love of God for you! Let that revelation transform you!
Pray for the influx of souls into the Kingdom! Pray that the love of God would shine through the family as we are on mission through hospitality.
Share Jesus
You can share this week's podcast, email, or blog post. Check out volunteer opportunities to get involved in the work of sharing Jesus in our church family and community.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
Pastor Charla is creating the upcoming Kids Church schedule. You can reach out to Pastor Charla to sign up by clicking here.
Pastor Nicole is looking for volunteers for the administration ministry. If you are passionate about serving in the behind-the-scenes operations of the church, this is a great opportunity to get involved! You can reach out to Nicole by clicking here.
