S226P3 – The power of the blood: the great propitiation

Rom. 3:21-26

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.  For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.  This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Sin breeds death and so it requires the taking of life.  Every person who sins must pay a debt of life for that sin.  The sacrifice of an animal as atonement for sin was not about the animal but about its blood, its life source.  In order for that blood to serve its purpose, it had to come from a specific type of animal that met specific requirements.  When we read about the final plague of Egypt, it was the blood of the spotless sacrificial lambs that was spread over the doorposts.  This blood was the sign for God not to send the destroyer into a household.  The symbolism of blood is that it gives life, and without it no living creature can survive.  Our sin demands a life as atonement, but our blood would be insufficient.

This passage gives us specific insight into the operation of the sacrifice of Christ.  He became the substitute for our death not by his body or his breath but by his blood.  This is what we mean when we talk about his life being poured out for us.  It is the literal pouring out of his blood from his body.  The blood of Christ being poured out for our sins is akin to the blood of lambs covering the doorposts.  As God passed over houses and withheld destruction then, He now will pass over those who are covered in the blood of the spotless lamb.  The destroyer will want to come in and destroy us, but our Father will not allow a way for him.  Our life now does not need to be given for our sin because the lamb has given his already.

The paradox here is that the outpouring of blood that ended the physical life of Christ on Earth begins a new life for us.  This substitution works both ways.  Our lives should have been given for our sins, but his life was given instead.  He is the only one who deserves perfect eternal life with his Father, but faith in that blood grants us the same life.  Those who lack that faith will lose their lives because of sin, but it will not gain them anything because those will be unworthy sacrifices.  Our blood spilled only brings death.  His blood spilled brings life.  Father, thank You for the only sacrifice worthy of bringing us life, and keep our faith in that life-giving blood strong until the end.