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 (גָבוֹהַ)כּוֹמֶר(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.
דרך אי הציות של אדם לאלוהים (חטא), המוות נכנס לאדם, and his seed became corrupt.
Everyone that would be born of the corrupt seed of man would live under the condemnation and punishment (פְּסַק דִין) for sin (אה. הרומאים 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 גן עדן to not listen to the words of God and not obey His commandment.
כל אדם (every soul) is born under the curse and lives in a sinful flesh in a fallen (שָׁבוּר) 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. אז זה, man had the ability to be redeemed from the curse of sin and the punishment for sin, שהוא מוות.
God showed His love for humanity through Jesus the Christ. כִּי מתוך אהבה, 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 (עברים 2:14).
But although Jesus didn’t come in a sinful flesh, ישוע בא בבשר 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. עם זאת, 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 (זה חל על זכרים ונקבות כאחד) and walk as a son of God after the Spirit on earth.
Jesus was taken captive for mankind
בזמן שנקבע לאלוהים, Jesus prepared Himself for His גaptivity 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. (מתיו 26:50-27:54; סִימָן 14:45-15:39; לוק 22:47-23:48; ג'ון 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. אַחֶרֶת, they would have recognized the Father in Jesus. Since Jesus was the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person (עברים 1:2-3).
Jesus was scourged and crucified for mankind
לַמרוֹת this lot was already determined by God before the birth, חַיִים, 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, והעונש על החטא, שהוא מוות, 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.
הוא נלקח מהכלא ומשיפוט: ומי יגיד את דורו? כי הוא נכרת מארץ החיים: על פשע עמי הוכה.
ועשה את קברו עם הרשעים, ועם העשיר במותו; כי הוא לא עשה אלימות, ולא הייתה שום רמאות בפיו.
אוּלָם, מצא חן בעיני ה' לחבור אותו; הוא הכניס אותו לצער: כאשר תעשה את נפשו קרבן לחטאת, הוא יראה את זרעו, הוא יאריך את ימיו, ו the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
הוא יראה על עמל נפשו, ויהיה מרוצה: על ידי ידיעתו יצדיק עבדי הצדיק רבים; כי הוא ישא את עוונותיהם
לכן אחלק לו חלק עם הגדולים, ויחלק את השלל עם החזקים; כי הוא שפך את נפשו למוות: וְהוּא נִפְנָה בַּמַּעֲבָרִים; והוא נשא חטאת של רבים, ועשה השתדלות לעוברים
ישעיהו 53:9-12)
Dipped in the blood of Christ
Just like the living bird was baptized (טָבּוּל) 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, וחטא, and death and cleansed and justified before God.
דרך חוסר הציות של אדם, 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 ועל ידי דמו, you are redeemed thereof (the power of death and the judgment).
במשיח, you have redemption through His blood and are forgiven of all your sins, and are justified and saved.. (אה. הרומאים 5:1-19; הגלטים 1:4; 1 קורינתים 6:11; 2 קורינתים 5:21; אפסים 1:7; קולוסים 1:13-14; 1 התסלוניקים 1:10).
לכולם חטאו, ובוא קצר מתפארת האל; להיות מוצדק בחופשיות בחסדו באמצעות הגאולה שנמצאת במשיח ישוע: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, להכריז על צדקתו להשגת חטאים שהם בעבר, באמצעות סבלנות האל; להכריז, אני אומר, בשלב זה צדקתו: שהוא יכול להיות פשוט, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus
הרומאים 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 (אפסים 1:7; קולוסים 2:13).
- You’re redeemed through His blood (אפסים 1:7; קולוסים 1:13).
- You are justified by His blood (הרומאים 5:9; טיטוס 3:7).
- You are reconciled by His blood (2 קורינתים 5:18; הרומאים 3:25; קולוסים 1:20).
- You have peace with God through the blood of His cross (הרומאים 5:1-2; קולוסים 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, גְאוּלָה, justification, פִּיוּס, ושלום עם אלוהים (עברים 9:21).
ה life is in the blood. לכן, a gospel without the blood is dead and doesn’t make a person alive.
בברית הישנה, everything that came in the service of God and belonged to God had to be purified with blood first.
בברית החדשה, זה עדיין המצב. עם זאת, 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.
בלי דמו של ישו, a person is not forgiven, מְטוּהָר, נפדה, מוּצדָק, והתפייס עם אלוהים.
No work, ritual, שִׁיטָה, strategy, לְהַקְרִיב, or precepts and regulations of man can redeem a person from the power of the devil, חטא, ומוות, 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 (מתיו 28:19; סִימָן 16:16; מתנהג 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, אתה מופרד מהעולם (דרך מות הבשר) והתפייס עם אלוהים (דרך תחיית הרוח מהמתים), and you have peace with God.
אתה נטבל למותו, into His blood, and risen in His resurrection (הרומאים 6:3:11).
The water separated you from the world and brought a separation between your old wicked sinful life (אחרי הבשר) and a new holy life (אחרי הרוח) לאלוהים.
Just like God separated the righteous from the unrighteous through the water (המבול) ב the Days of Noah, and separated His people through the water from the pagan life in Egypt and a holy life with God.
דרך baptism in Christ, you are dead to the world and made alive unto God and have peace with God. (אה. מתנהג 26:18; הרומאים 5:1; 6:5-11; אפסים 2:13; פיליפים 3:10-21; קולוסים 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: אבל עכשיו במשיח ישוע אתם שלפעמים הייתם רחוקים מתקרבים על ידי דמו של המשיח (אפסים 2:11-13)
As it is appointed unto men once to die, אבל אחרי זה הדין: אז המשיח הוצע פעם לשאת את חטאיהם של רבים; ואל המחפשים אותו יופיע בפעם השנייה ללא חטא לישועה (עברים 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 (התנ"ך) 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.
דמו של ישוע היה קורבן, a remission, and not a permit to keep sinning.
God is light, ואין בו חושך כלל. אם נאמר שיש לנו התחברות איתו, וללכת בחושך, אנחנו משקרים, ולא לעשות את האמת: אבל אם נלך באור, as he is in the light, יש לנו אחווה אחד עם השני, ודמו של ישוע המשיח בנו מנקה אותנו מכל חטא
1 ג'ון 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.
כעת, 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.
כי ה כוח תחייתו 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, בדרך חדשה וחיה, אשר הוא קידש לנו, מבעד לצעיף, כלומר,, בשרו (אה. הרומאים 5:1-2; קולוסים 1:20-23; עברים 10:19-20)
עכשיו אלוהי השלום, שהחזיר מן המתים אדוננו ישוע, אותו רועה צאן גדול, בדם הברית הנצחית, עשה אותך מושלם בכל עבודה טובה לעשות את רצונו, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, דרך ישוע המשיח; למי תהילה לעולם ועד. אמן
עברים 13:20-21
