In my last piece I told of how Jesus stated the Son of Man would be the “ransom for many.” Yet in that statement, Jesus speaks of the Son of Man in the third person. Speaking in the third person, speaking in flowing discourses which have the main point tucked within, and speaking with metaphors, are all manners of an “oriental” style of speech and writing indicative of the culture of the “ancient near east.” Especially those who adhere to a Greek style of speech and writing poplar in Western culture can dispute Jesus was speaking of Himself. Yet after I wrote that piece I remembered this statement by Jesus which was a direct claim He would be the atonement for sins.
The purpose of pouring out His blood was for the forgiveness of sins. And He stated it at a Passover feast, a time when a lamb was slaughtered at twilight, and then the blood was brushed on the top and both sides of a door frame. Doing such was to be a lasting ordinance for Jewish people as is stated in Exodus 12:24. Jesus truly was the Passover Lamb for the whole world.
Further His pouring out of blood was the fulfillment of the atoning sacrifices made in the temple in Jerusalem which were supposed to be made consistently and which were supposed to be done every year on the Day of Atonement. On that occasion the high priest was to sprinkle blood on and in front of the “atonement cover” (Leviticus 16:15) of the Ark of the Covenant. Why all of this blood stuff? Blood gives life to the body, including bringing oxygen to the body. That is why a person needs a properly functioning heart to stay alive. The pouring out of the blood of the animals signified the death of the animal, a sacrifice. Yet what did the sacrifice accomplish? The forgiveness of sins. Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The consequence of sin by people is death, physical and spiritual. The animal sacrifice represented this, but such physical death of animals could not be a permanent substitute for the spirits of people. Only God could provide the permanent sacrifice, and He did. Jesus, God the Son, was the substitutional atonement as He died, pouring out His blood, on the Cross.
So Jesus was direct in saying the reason His blood was poured out was for the forgiveness of sins. And Jesus shed His blood on the Cross. Thus Jesus directly stated what His disciples taught:
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood…” (Romans 3:23-25 NIV). Taking this verse in context, it does not mean you only have faith in the blood of Jesus, but that faith in Jesus is faith in Him who was the atonement for the world by his sacrificial atonement on the Cross where He shed His blood. I add Paul often uses the word God generally where more specifically you could say “God the Father.”
And as Jesus physically shed His blood, there was also a spiritual element to the sacrifice! “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Hebrews 9:14 NIV). Christ’s death on the cross was physical and spiritual.
Jesus stated the ransom by the Son of Man was for many, and that His blood was poured out for many. A number of folks in Christian history have interpreted this to mean that Jesus died for a select number of people, those predestined by Him to be saved. But that is a wrong interpretation. (Calvin was right on with his doctrine of penal substitution, saying Jesus took the punishment for sins, and I even go with Calvin regarding his doctrine for the Lord’s Supper that there is a spiritual feeding taking place in addition to the remembrance, a doctrine many of my “Calvinist” brothers and sisters do not even adhere to, yet Calvin’s doctrine of predestination conflicts with Scriptures overall.) Scripture teaches Jesus loves everyone, thus He died for everyone, that all may have an opportunity to be saved. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9 NIV), is a key verse, and John 3:16 is another. Then why was His blood only poured out for “many?” Jesus, being God the Son, knew that some people would reject Him and thus would not be saved. It is a person’s choice. So the doctrine of universalism which claims all people are saved by the atonement of Jesus is also shown to be wrong, since Jesus foreknew those saved would be “many” not all. Yet all have the opportunity. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (I John 4:10 NIV). If you believe in Jesus, you will be forgiven of your sins by God, the One who died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone. If you believe in Jesus, you will have everlasting life with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in heaven!
+: Thank You Jesus for pouring out Your blood so we can be forgiven of our sins. Thank You!
Hunter
