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 (phezulu)umbingeleli(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.
Ngokungathobeli kuka-Adam kuThixo (isono), Ukufa kwangena, and his seed became corrupt.
Everyone that would be born of the corrupt seed of man would live under the condemnation and punishment (isigwebo) for sin (Owu. AmaRoma 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 Umyezo wase-Eden to not listen to the words of God and not obey His commandment.
Wonke umntu (every soul) is born under the curse and lives in a sinful flesh in a fallen (yaphukile) 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. Lo nto, man had the ability to be redeemed from the curse of sin and the punishment for sin, oko kukufa.
God showed His love for humanity through Jesus the Christ. Ngokuba ngaphandle kothando, 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 (Hebhere 2:14).
But although Jesus didn’t come in a sinful flesh, UYesu weza esenyameni 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. Nangona kunjalo, 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 (oku kusebenza kuzo zombini iinkunzi nemazi) and walk as a son of God after the Spirit on earth.
Jesus was taken captive for mankind
Ngexesha likaThixo elimisiweyo, 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. (UMateyu 26:50-27:54; Phawula 14:45-15:39; ULuka 22:47-23:48; UYohane 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. Kungenjalo, they would have recognized the Father in Jesus. Since Jesus was the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person (Hebhere 1:2-3).
Jesus was scourged and crucified for mankind
Nangona this lot was already determined by God before the birth, ubomi, 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, nesohlwayo sesono, oko kukufa, 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.
Wakhutshwa entolongweni nasekugwetyweni: and who shall declare His generation? Kuba wanqunyulwa ngaphandle kwelizwe labaphilayo: ngenxa yokreqo lwabantu bam wabethwa.
Kwaye wenza ukuba nengcwaba lakhe kunye nabangendawo, nabazizityebi ekufeni kwakhe; ngokuba engenzanga lugonyamelo, kwaye ayizange ibe nayiphi na inkohliso emlonyeni wakhe.
Yet, it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; Umenze buhlungu: Xa usenze umphefumlo wakhe umsondezo wesono, Uya kuyibona imbewu yakhe, Uya kuyolula imihla yakhe, kwaye the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
Uya kubona imbandezelo yomphefumlo wakhe, kwaye siya kwaneliswa: by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; Uya kubuthwala ubugwenxa babo
ngoko ke ndiya kumabela isahlulo nabakhulu, Kwaye uyahlulahlula amaxhoba ngamaxhoba; ngokuba ewuthulule umphefumlo wakhe ekufeni: Wabalwa kunye nabakreqi; Yena wasithwala isono sabaninzi, kwaye wabathethelela abakreqi
uIsaya 53:9-12)
Dipped in the blood of Christ
Just like the living bird was baptized (dipped) 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, nesono, and death and cleansed and justified before God.
Ngokungathobeli kuka-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 nangegazi laKhe, you are redeemed thereof (the power of death and the judgment).
KuKristu, you have redemption through His blood and are forgiven of all your sins, and are justified and saved.. (Owu. AmaRoma 5:1-19; kwabaseGalati 1:4; 1 KwabaseKorinte 6:11; 2 KwabaseKorinte 5:21; Kwabase-Efese 1:7; KwabaseKolose 1:13-14; 1 KwabaseTesalonika 1:10).
kuba bonile bonke;, yaye basilela eluzukweni lukaThixo; begwetyelwe ngesisa lubabalo lwakhe ngako ukukhululwa ngentlawulelo ekuYesu Kristu: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, ukuba bubonakalaliswe ubulungisa bakhe ngenxa yoxolelo lwezono ezidluleyo, ngonyamezelo lukaThixo; Ukuvakalisa, Ndithi, ngeli xesha ubulungisa bakhe: ukuze Yena abe lilungisa, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus
AmaRoma 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 (Kwabase-Efese 1:7; KwabaseKolose 2:13).
- You’re redeemed through His blood (Kwabase-Efese 1:7; KwabaseKolose 1:13).
- You are justified by His blood (AmaRoma 5:9; uTito 3:7).
- You are reconciled by His blood (2 KwabaseKorinte 5:18; AmaRoma 3:25; KwabaseKolose 1:20).
- You have peace with God through the blood of His cross (AmaRoma 5:1-2; KwabaseKolose 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, intlawulelo, justification, uxolelaniso, noxolo noThixo (Hebhere 9:21).
I life is in the blood. Ngoko ke, a gospel without the blood is dead and doesn’t make a person alive.
KuMnqophiso oMdala, everything that came in the service of God and belonged to God had to be purified with blood first.
KuMnqophiso Omtsha, Oku kunjalo. Nangona kunjalo, 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.
Ngaphandle kwegazi likaYesu, a person is not forgiven, ihlanjululwe, ihlangulwe, kugwetyelwe, kwaye waxolelanisa noThixo.
No work, ritual, indlela, strategy, ukubingelela, or precepts and regulations of man can redeem a person from the power of the devil, isono, nokufa, 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 (UMateyu 28:19; Phawula 16:16; IZenzo 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, nahluliwe kulo ihlabathi (Ngokusweleka kwenyama) kwaye waxolelanisa noThixo (ngokuvuka komoya kwabafileyo), and you have peace with God.
Ubhaptizelwe ekufeni kwakhe, into His blood, and risen in His resurrection (AmaRoma 6:3:11).
The water separated you from the world and brought a separation between your old wicked sinful life (Emva kwenyama) and a new holy life (emva koMoya) kuThixo.
Just like God separated the righteous from the unrighteous through the water (umkhukula) kwi the Days of Noah, and separated His people through the water from the pagan life in Egypt and a holy life with God.
Nge baptism in Christ, you are dead to the world and made alive unto God and have peace with God. (Owu. IZenzo 26:18; AmaRoma 5:1; 6:5-11; Kwabase-Efese 2:13; KwabaseFilipi 3:10-21; KwabaseKolose 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: Ke ngoku kuKristu Yesu, nina maxesha athile, zenziwa zikukufuphi neGazi likaKristu (Kwabase-Efese 2:11-13)
As it is appointed unto men once to die, Emveni ke komgwebo: Ngoko uKristu wanikelwa kwaba kanye ukuba athwale izono zabaninzi; uya kuthi okwesibini, ngaphandle kwesono, abonakale kwabo bamlindileyo, ezisa usindiso (Hebhere 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 (Ibhayibhile) 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.
IGazi likaYesu yayiyidini, a remission, and not a permit to keep sinning.
God is light, kwaye kuye akukho bumnyama kwaphela. Ukuba sithi sinobudlelane naye, kwaye uhambe ebumnyameni, siyaxoka, kwaye ayiyinyani: Kodwa ukuba sihamba ekukhanyeni, as he is in the light, Sinobudlelane omnye komnye, negazi likaYesu Kristu uNyana wakhe lisihlambulula kuso sonke isono
1 UYohane 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.
Ngoku, 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.
Ngenxa yokuba amandla ovuko lwaKhe 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, ngendlela entsha nephilayo, athe wasingcwalisa yona, ngekhuselo, koko kukuthi, Inyama yakhe (Owu. AmaRoma 5:1-2; KwabaseKolose 1:20-23; Hebhere 10:19-20)
Ngoku nguThixo woxolo, Oko kwabuyisa kwabafileyo inkosi yethu uYesu, laa Malusi mkhulu wezimvu, ngegazi lomnqophiso ongunaphakade, Akwenze ugqibelele kuwo wonke umsebenzi olungileyo ukuze wenze intando yakhe, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, ngoYesu Kristu; UBUNYE BONA BONKE BONKE BONKE. Amen
Hebhere 13:20-21
