A Christian is justified by the blood of Jesus Christ and lives under the blood as a living hope. This is best displayed in the sacrifice that belonged to the law for the cleansing lepers in the Old Covenant that is written in Leviticus 14. This sacrifice is just like the other sacrifices of the Law, a foreshadow of the finished and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and the power of His blood. Let’s look at the significance of the blood in the Bible and the life under the blood of Jesus Christ.
The sacrificial laws in the Old Covenant
All sacrificial laws that God instituted in His covenant with Abraham and his seed that are written in the Law of Moses and were executed by the (hoog)priester(s) that were appointed by God, point to the perfect sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross and His blood, whereby a New Covenant came into being.
One of the sacrifices was the sacrifice of the law of the cleansing of lepers.
What is the law for the cleansing of lepers?
According to the law of the cleansing of lepers, the leperd had to be brought unto the priest. This didn’t happen in the camp but outside the camp.
The priest went outside the camp and looked and beheld if the plague of leprosy was healed in the leper.
If the leper was healed, the priest commanded to take for him that was to be cleansed two birds that were alive and clean, and cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.
The two birds, the cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop, were brought to the priest.
Then one of the living birds was killed in an earthen vessel over running water.
The other bird was taken together with the cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop, and dipped in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.
Then he would sprinkle upon the one that was to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and pronounce him clean.
The living bird that received grace and was dipped in the blood of the sacrificed bird was loosed into the open field.
The person that was to be cleansed washed his clothes. He shaved off all his hair and washed himself in water, that he might be clean. He returned to the camp but stayed seven days outside of his tent.
Then all kinds of rituals had to be performed, which can be read in Leviticus 14:9-32.
How the sacrifice of the two living birds is a foreshadow of Christ
This sacrifice ritual of the two living birds beautifully illustrates the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross and the life of a born-again believer under the blood.
Two random, innocent birds were captivated due to the leprosy of man in the flesh.
Deur Adam se ongehoorsaamheid aan God (sonde), die dood het die mens binnegedring, and his seed became corrupt.
Everyone that would be born of the corrupt seed of man would live under the condemnation and punishment (oordeel) for sin (O. Romeine 5:12-19).
Every person is born in a fallen state as a sinner and possesses the corrupt nature of fallen man.
A person can’t help being born in sin.
Every person carries the sin in his flesh through the choice that man made in the Tuin van eden to not listen to the words of God and not obey His commandment.
Elke persoon (every soul) is born under the curse and lives in a sinful flesh in a fallen (broken) state and stands guilty before God and demands a blood sacrifice.
God in His great mercy took care of the demand of the blood sacrifice. Sodat, man had the ability to be redeemed from the curse of sin and the punishment for sin, wat die dood is.
God showed His love for humanity through Jesus the Christ. Omdat uit liefde, God gave a way out to be saved and escape His judgment through His Son Jesus Christ and by His blood.
Jesus came in the flesh and was born of the holy Seed of God
Although Jesus was fully human and a partaker of flesh and blood, Jesus was not born as a sinner in a sinful flesh in a fallen state living under a curse. That’s because Jesus was not born of the corrupt seed of man but of the holy Seed of God (Hebreërs 2:14).
But although Jesus didn’t come in a sinful flesh, Jesus het in die vlees gekom and had the ability to become disobedient to God and sin and become equal to Adam’s state.
If Jesus couldn’t sin, the devil would not have tempted Jesus in the wilderness and during His life by the people around Him. After all, it was pointless anyway.
But Jesus could sin. Egter, Jesus stayed yielded and fully obedient to His Father and His Spirit. He resisted every temptation and overcame all the temptation of the devil.
Jesus was both Son of God and Son of man. He had to become the Son of man. So that fallen man could become through and in Him a son of God (dit geld vir beide mans en wyfies) and walk as a son of God after the Spirit on earth.
Jesus was taken captive for mankind
Op God se bestemde tyd, Jesus prepared Himself for His captivity and the way of suffering He had to go in order to deliver the captives from their bondage and sufferings and set them free.
And so Jesus was captured and bound and taken to the high priest for interrogation. (Matteus 26:50-27:54; Merk 14:45-15:39; Lukas 22:47-23:48; John 18:3-19:30).
This proves that the spiritual leaders of God’s people deviated significantly from God. They had no insight and understanding regarding God and His Word and His Kingdom. Andersins, they would have recognized the Father in Jesus. Since Jesus was the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person (Hebreërs 1:2-3).
Jesus was scourged and crucified for mankind
Hoewel this lot was already determined by God before the birth, lewe, and captivity of Jesus, it became visible after His captivity when all the people of Israel demanded the release of the criminal Barabbas and the crucifixion of the innocent Jesus.
Jesus Christ was the One Who freely gave His life for humankind. He carried all the sins and iniquities, en die straf vir sonde, wat die dood is, in His flesh and became a curse on the cross and died.
Jesus brought salvation for mankind
Jesus gave His life and died on the cross, and shed His blood, so that everyone that believes in Him and His sacrifice and accepts His blood would be saved.
Hy is uit die gevangenis en uit die uitspraak geneem: en wie sal sy geslag verkondig? Want hy is uit die land van die lewendes afgesny: Want die oortreding van my mense was hy getref.
En hy het sy graf met die goddelose gemaak, en met die rykes in Sy dood; omdat hy geen geweld gedoen het nie, Enige bedrog in sy mond was ook nie.
Tog, dit het die Here behaag om Hom te verbrysel; Hy het Hom bedroef gemaak: wanneer U Sy siel 'n offer vir sonde sal maak, Hy sal Sy saad sien, Hy sal Sy dae verleng, en the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
Hy sal sien van die kruis van Sy siel, en sal tevrede wees: deur Sy kennis sal My regverdige dienskneg baie regverdig; want Hy sal hulle ongeregtighede dra
Daarom sal Ek Hom 'n deel verdeel met die groot, en Hy sal die buit verdeel met die sterkes; omdat Hy Sy siel uitgestort het tot die dood toe: en Hy is saam met die oortreders getel; en Hy het die sonde van baie ontbloot, en voorbidding gedoen vir die oortreders
Jesaja 53:9-12)
Dipped in the blood of Christ
Just like the living bird was baptized (Gedoop) in the blood of the living bird that was sacrificed for the leprosy of the man in the flesh, and was set free, so are you baptized in Christ in His blood. Through the baptism (dipping) in Christ His death, you are redeemed from the power of the devil, en sonde, and death and cleansed and justified before God.
Deur die ongehoorsaamheid van Adam, you lived under the power of death under God’s judgment (God’s wrath, God’s punishment). But through the obedience and the sacrifice of Christ en deur sy bloed, you are redeemed thereof (the power of death and the judgment).
In Christus, you have redemption through His blood and are forgiven of all your sins, and are justified and saved.. (O. Romeine 5:1-19; Galasiërs 1:4; 1 Korintiërs 6:11; 2 Korintiërs 5:21; Efesiërs 1:7; Kolossense 1:13-14; 1 Tessalonisense 1:10).
Want almal het gesondig, en kom tekort aan die heerlikheid van God; Om vrygespreek te word deur Sy genade deur die verlossing wat in Christus Jesus is: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, om Sy geregtigheid te verklaar tot vergewing van sondes wat verby is, deur die verdraagsaamheid van God; Om te verklaar, Ek sê, in hierdie tyd Sy geregtigheid: dat Hy regverdig kan wees, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus
Romeine 3:23-26
What is the significance and power of the blood of Jesus Christ?
The blood of Jesus contains the life of God and the power of the blood of Jesus is:
- You are forgiven of your sins through His blood (Efesiërs 1:7; Kolossense 2:13).
- You’re redeemed through His blood (Efesiërs 1:7; Kolossense 1:13).
- You are justified by His blood (Romeine 5:9; Titus 3:7).
- You are reconciled by His blood (2 Korintiërs 5:18; Romeine 3:25; Kolossense 1:20).
- You have peace with God through the blood of His cross (Romeine 5:1-2; Kolossense 1:20).
Without the shedding of blood there is no redemption and justification
Without the shedding of blood, there is no salvation for humanity. And without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness, verlossing, justification, versoening, en vrede met God (Hebreërs 9:21).
Die life is in the blood. Daarom, a gospel without the blood is dead and doesn’t make a person alive.
In die Ou Verbond, everything that came in the service of God and belonged to God had to be purified with blood first.
In die Nuwe Verbond, Dit is steeds die geval. Egter, not with the blood of animals but with the blood of Jesus Christ.
Without the blood of Jesus Christ, a person is dead, and the faith is dead, and the preaching of the gospel that is proclaimed is powerless.
Sonder die bloed van Jesus, a person is not forgiven, skoongemaak, verlos, geregverdig, en met God versoen.
No work, ritual, metode, strategy, opoffering, or precepts and regulations of man can redeem a person from the power of the devil, sonde, en die dood, and justify and reconcile a person with God.
Only the blood of Jesus Christ can redeem, and justify and reconcile a person with God.
What is the significance of the baptism in Christ according to the Bible?
The baptism in Christ takes place after your repentance and not after your natural birth. The Bible speaks about a baptism in water and not a sprinkling with water (Matteus 28:19; Merk 16:16; Handelinge 2:38; 8:12).
For the identification with Christ, you need to be baptized. Through the identification with Christ, through the baptism in the water of separation, jy is geskei van die wêreld (Deur die dood van die vlees) en met God versoen (deur die opstanding van die gees uit die dood), and you have peace with God.
Jy word in Sy dood gedoop, into His blood, and risen in His resurrection (Romeine 6:3:11).
The water separated you from the world and brought a separation between your old wicked sinful life (na die vlees) and a new holy life (na die Gees) aan God.
Just like God separated the righteous from the unrighteous through the water (die vloed) in the Days of Noah, and separated His people through the water from the pagan life in Egypt and a holy life with God.
Deur die baptism in Christ, you are dead to the world and made alive unto God and have peace with God. (O. Handelinge 26:18; Romeine 5:1; 6:5-11; Efesiërs 2:13; Filippense 3:10-21; Kolossense 1:20-23).
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: Maar nou word Jesus in Christus Jesus wat soms ver was, deur die bloed van Christus gemaak (Efesiërs 2:11-13)
As it is appointed unto men once to die, maar hierna die oordeel: Christus is dus een keer aangebied om die sondes van baie te dra; en aan die wat Hom verwag, sal Hy vir die tweede keer sonder sonde verskyn tot redding (Hebreërs 9:27-28)
The Life under the blood of Jesus Christ
You no longer live in darkness under the blood guilt of sin and death, whereof disobedience to God and His Word (die Bybel) and sinful works of the flesh bear witness.
But you’re baptized in His blood, washed, and resurrected and made a quickening (living) spirit in Christ that lives under the blood in the light in freedom, whereof obedience to God and His Word and the righteous works bear witness.
Die bloed van Jesus was 'n offer, a remission, and not a permit to keep sinning.
God is light, en in Hom is geen duisternis nie. As ons sê dat ons gemeenskap met Hom het, en wandel in duisternis, Ons lieg, en moenie die waarheid doen nie: Maar as ons in die lig wandel, as he is in the light, ons het gemeenskap met mekaar, en die bloed van Jesus Christus, sy Seun, reinig ons van alle sonde
1 John 1:5-7
The new creation lives under the blood and is a witness of Jesus
The new creation is baptized into His blood and lives under the blood and is a witness of Jesus Christ.
Nou, the new creation testifies, through his words and deeds and obedient life unto the Word in the truth and will of the Father, of the power of His blood and work of salvation for mankind.
You are God’s possession; your life belongs to God. God purchased you with the precious blood of His beloved Son, under which you live and you are set as a living hope for the people around you.
Omdat die krag van Sy opstanding and His blood shall be revealed through your faith and regeneration in Christ by the life you live and the works you do.
The life under the blood gives you a right and privilege to come boldly before the throne of God in the holiest, op 'n nuwe en lewende manier, wat Hy vir ons geheilig het, deur die sluier, met ander woorde, Sy vlees (O. Romeine 5:1-2; Kolossense 1:20-23; Hebreërs 10:19-20)
Nou die God van vrede, wat ons Here Jesus uit die dood opgewek het, daardie groot Herder van die skape, deur die bloed van die ewige verbond, Maak jou volmaak in elke goeie werk om Sy wil te doen, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, deur Jesus Christus; aan Hom die heerlikheid tot in alle ewigheid. Amen
Hebreërs 13:20-21
