Study
of First Peter Lesson
17
Review:
Observations on the Blood of Christ
1. Animal blood was used under the OT shadow for
soteriology to portray Christ's spiritual death on the cross to pay for our
sins. Lev 1-7 details
the sacrifices.
a.
This analogy is a representative one.
x
= y ; where x =
the animal dying by bleeding to death (visible) and Y = Christ being judged during the 3 hours of
darkness for our sin. (invisible)
The
blood of the sacrificial animals must be recognized as constituting a
representative analogy to the spiritual death of Christ, the lesser
representing the greater, the visible representing the invisible.
1) While
the animal blood was real, it was literal it represented in shadow form the
spiritual death of Christ on the Cross.
2) A real
analogy (verses a representative would be a literal death compared to a literal
death, the physical death of the animal made visible by the shedding of the blood
and the physical death of Christ.
b.
The blood of the animal sacrifices did not save them. Heb 10:4
c. The death or blood of the animal was only a
shadow of Christ being judged on the cross in our behalf, the reality. Heb.10:1
d. Therefore the reality that those sacrifices
pictured, Jesus Christ, is designated as the Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world. John 1:29; also Rev 5:6
2. Christ actually died twice while on the
Cross (Isa.53:9, "deaths").
a. Adam
died twice: spiritually at the moment of his sin (Gen.3) and physically 930
years later (Gen.5).
b.
Christ's spiritual death is designed to undo what Adam's negative
volition got us into (Rom.5:19 "For as through the one man's
disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the
One the many will be made righteous"; also, cp. vv.13-21).
c. In
time, Christ made a volitional decision to die spiritually (Lk.22:42,
cf.
-
He was obedient even unto death Phil 2:8
-
He had the authority over His physical life John 10:18
d.
Christ's spiritual death took exactly three hours (Mk.14:33,34; Mt.27:45,46;
Lk.23:44,45; Jn.19:28-30).
e.
During those three hours He was judged for all sins, including
the sins of unbelievers
(2 Cor.
f. His
rhetorical question draws attention to the three hours (Mt.27:46).
g.
Afterward, He said "It is finished", the perfect
passive indicative of Tete,lestai, referring to bearing our sins and the payment
for them.
h. Finally,
Christ died physically by His own volition (Lk.23:46).
3. Christ did not bleed to death on the
Cross, nor does His physical bleeding save.
a. The witness of John (eyewitness;
Jn.19:30-35).
b.
Christ did bleed both before and after His deaths on the Cross (at
1.
The first blood he shed associated with the cross was at
2.
He shed blood at Pilates court when His back was
whipped. Mk 15:15; (beat on His head with reeds - Mt 27:30)
3.
When the crown of thorns was placed on His head. Mt 27:29
4.
When He was nailed to the cross. Mk 15:24
5.
When his side was pierced. Jn
c.
Christ's sufferings fall into two categories: those inflicted by the
cosmos, and those inflicted by God. (separation on the cross while being judged in our place)
d. Only
the latter was efficacious, and it did not include bleeding.
4. Synonyms for the blood of Christ.
a. Christ died for our sins (1Cor.15:3).
b. Christ bore our sins (1 Pet.2:24).
c. Christ was made sin (2 Cor.
5. The blood of Christ portrays:
a. Propitiation (Rom.3:25).
b.
Redemption (Eph.1:7; Col.1:14; 1Pet.1:18,19;
Rev.1:5)
c. Reconciliation (Eph.2:13-17).
d. Sanctification (Heb.13:10-12).
e. Justification (Rom.5:9).