INTRODUCTION:

1. When our Lord instituted the Lord's Supper, He said, "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28).
2. The book of Hebrews draws a contrast between the blood of the new testament (covenant), and the blood of the old testament (covenant).
3. For example, in Hebrews 9:16, the writer (probably the apostle Paul) says the death of Christ was necessary for the inauguration of the new covenant (9:16, 17).

 

I. THE NEW COVENANT WAS SEALED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

1. The Scofield Study Bible says, "The new covenant is also the last will and testament of Christ, sealed by His blood."
2. There are many references to the old covenant (or "first testament" -- 9:15, 18) in the book of Hebrews, and a contrast is drawn between the old covenant (testament) and the new covenant (testament).
3. By human lineage, the Lord Jesus Christ could not function as a priest under the old covenant, but Hebrews 9:15 says Christ is "the mediator of the new testament (covenant)."
4. Hebrews 9:16 refers to "the death of the testator."  This of course refers to the death of Christ.
5. A testator is a person who makes a testament (or a will) before he dies.  It was the death of Christ that put into effect the new testament.
6. This is the message of the New Testament.  "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
7. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (I Tim. 1:15).
8. When some one writes a will, that will is not effective as long as the testator is alive.  It is when he dies that the will (or "testament") becomes effective.
9. "For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth" (Heb. 9:17).
10. Hebrews 9:22 is an important doctrinal statement -- "without shedding of blood is no remission."
11. But some students of Scripture have been puzzled by the first part of the verse -- "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood" (Heb. 9:22a).
12. Some things were not cleansed with blood. First of all, some things were not cleansed at all -- for example, presumptuous sins.
13. "But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.  Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him" (Numbers 15:30, 31).
14. David said in Psalm 51:16, 17, "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
15. After the rebellion of Korah and his companions, the people rebelled again.  We read in Numbers 16:41, "But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD."
16. The LORD was getting to destroy them all, when Moses told Aaron to take a censer, and put fire in it from off the altar, and put on incense, "and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them" (Num. 16:46).
17. Here is an example of an atonement without blood -- "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood..." (Heb. 9:22).

 

II. THE OLD COVENANT WAS DEDICATED WITH BLOOD (9:18).

1. The word "dedicated" means "inaugurated" (Scofield margin).
2. The blood here refers to the blood of animals (9:18-22).
3. These verses describe the inauguration of the old covenant.
4. Exodus 24:8 says, "And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words."
5. Notice the reference to water in Hebrews 9:19.  Exodus 24 does not mention water, but often water was added to the blood, possibly to make it easier to sprinkle (cf. Lev. 14:6).
6. In John 19:34 we read, "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water."
7. The blood and water the priest mixed together prefigured the blood and water that came out of our Lord's pierced side.
8. Augustus M. Toplady wrote the words to the great hymn:

    

                                Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

                                let me hide myself in thee;

                                let the water and the blood,

                                from thy wounded side which flowed,

                                be of sin the double cure;

                                save from wrath and make me pure.

    

9. The water and the blood suggest two different aspects of our cleansing. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin -- we are cleansed, pardoned, saved, and justified by the blood of Christ.
10. "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:9).
11. The other aspect of our cleansing concerns our sanctification and our fellowship.  In Scripture, water often symbolizes the Word of God.
12. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word" (Eph. 5:25, 26).
13. Hebrews 9:19 says Moses "sprinkled both the book, and all the people."  Exodus 24:8 says, "And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people," but does not say he sprinkled the blood on the book of the covenant (cf. Ex. 24:1-8).
14. It was logical for Moses to sprinkle both the book and the people, because this was a covenant between God and the people of Israel, and the book of the covenant represented God.

 

III. CHRIST PRESENTED HIS SHED BLOOD IN THE HEAVENLY TABERNACLE

1. Last week when we looked at Hebrews 9:12, I quoted Dr. J. Vernon McGee.  Referring to Hebrews 9:12, he said, "I believe this verse proves that Christ took His literal blood to heaven.  If that is not what the writer is talking about here, I do not know what he is saying" (Thru the Bible).
2. There is a great emphasis in this section of the epistle to the Hebrews on the blood of Christ.
3. The word "blood" is mentioned twelve times in this chapter, and three times in chapter 10 (9:7, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25; 10:4, 19, 29).
4. The earthly tabernacle and its furniture were patterned after the heavenly tabernacle ("the patterns of things in the heavens" -- 9:23; cf. 8:2, 5; 9:11, 12, 24).
5. The book of Revelation also refers to the temple in heaven (cf. Rev. 11:19; 15:5-8).
6. The earthly tabernacle and its furniture needed to be purified with blood (9:23).  However, "the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these" (9:23b).
7. "Better" is the key word in this epistle.
8. According to Hebrews 9:12, the Lord Jesus Christ presented His blood in the heavenly tabernacle in the Holy of Holies.
9. The heavens need to be purified because sin originated in heaven when Satan rebelled against God (Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-19).
10. Contrary to popular opinion, the devil is not in hell right now.  He still has access to heaven, as we see in the book of Job and the book of Revelation.

 

CONCLUSION:

1. Hebrews 9:24 refers to our Lord's work as our mediator and intercessor.
2. The Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven right now interceding for us.
3. Romans 8:34 says Christ is at the right hand of God the Father making intercession for us.
4. Hebrews 7:25 says our Lord ever liveth to make intercession for us.
5. These are encouraging Scriptures for our prayer meeting.