The Blood

The Blood of Jesus Cleanses Us From All Sin and Unrighteousness

The Old Testament points to Jesus's blood.

Adam and Eve were clothed by God in animal skins, which indicated a blood sacrifice.

Abraham's sacrifice was provided by God as a substitute for his only son. That whole story is a picture of God sacrificing His only son for us as a substitution.

The passover in Egypt required the sacrifice of a lamb without spot or blemish. Its blood had to be applied to the lintel and doorposts of their homes, which makes the sign of the cross.

The blood of bulls and heifers did not remove sin but was a type and pattern of and looked forward to Jesus's sacrifice. Faith in God's grace and forgiveness predicated on the shedding of blood was in essense faith in the coming Messiah, which is how Old Testament believers were justified. The believers had faith in God's grace and forgiveness and the substitutionary sacrifice God provided for them.

The keeping of the Law of Moses did not justify sinners but only revealed their sin. It was only the sacrifice that actually addressed their sin and pictured God's substitution of another life in exchange for the lives of His beloved children.

Romans 5, 6, 7, 8

Since the destruction of the 2nd temple, the Jews have been without any sacrifice to atone for their sins. Without Jesus, there is no sacrifice for sin and therefore no forgiveness of sins. This is a grand clue. God promised Israel He would never forsake them. So if they are without the means for sacrifice, then either God is a liar or else their sacrifice has been provided, once and for all, in the person of Jesus Christ. Whether they keep the Law is inconsequential if they have no means for remission of sins. Faith in God has always been faith in His sovereign ability to forgive your sins and was never faith in being perfect under the Law. If their faith is in the law, then their faith is in themselves being justified by their own works and not in God's mercy, which is what all the prophets proclaimed.

Isaiah 52:13-15

Isaiah 53

Psalm 40:6-8

Psalm 51:10-17

Romans 4:5-8
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin."

Jesus wrapped up and completed the old covenant with His own blood while at the same time instituting a new covenant:

Hebrews 9:15
And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Romans 5:9
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

See Hebrews 9 and 10.

Hebrews dire warning of there no longer being a sacrifice for sin was about rejecting the blood of Christ. Read it carefully and in its context; the writer just finished a long discourse on the blood of Jesus. It's not a warning against breaking the Law; it's a warning against rejecting grace and forgiveness which is only ours through the blood of Jesus. When the writer says in Hebrews 10:26 "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" notice the call-back to verse 18: "Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin." In this context, it must be considered that to "sin willfully" must mean that one is trying to be justified by the works of the Law and rejecting Jesus's sacrifice and grace, which is "the knowledge of the truth."

This exact concept is explicitly laid out in Galatians.

Gal 2:21
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.

Gal 3:1-14
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Yet the law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them."

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Galatians 5:2-4
Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Matthew 17:1-8
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

This tells us that Jesus is the complete fulfilment of the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah) and that Jesus supersedes them and eclipses them in every way.