Nothing But The Blood

Hey, this is Jim Graham from the Masculine Journey Podcast, where we explore relationship instead of religion every week. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few seconds.

Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the Truth Podcast Network. Do you feel like your faith is dead or alive? Today, Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions. Join us on Finding Purpose, a local triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living.

For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and Finding Purpose, you can visit us online at findingpurpose.net or connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you for this incredible day that you've given us. We see your hand in creation. We know, Lord, that you are in control of all things. That's why Christians don't have to worry about global warming or politics. Who's the president?

Who's not? Because we can trust you, Lord, that you've got everything under control and that you're not caught off guard by anything that happens. And that you're moving history with your providential hand toward its ultimate fulfillment and consummation when you will return and bring heaven to earth. And, Lord, we long for that day. In your name I pray.

Amen. I've entitled tonight's message, Nothing But the Blood. We're going to be looking at Mark, chapter 14, verses 12 through 25.

Dateline, Goshen, Egypt, near the Nile River, 1400 BC, twilight. Eliakim stepped down off the front porch of his house and headed quickly to the barn. He dreaded this moment knowing that what he was about to do was going to break his daughter Rachel's heart.

However, he also knew that he had to obey the instructions that Moses had just given to the elders if his family was going to escape to freedom. As he opened the door of the barn, he saw Rachel holding the little male lamb that she had nursed ever since its birth 12 months earlier. She was crying. She loved this lamb.

He was perfect in every way. But she also knew that this would be the last time she would be able to hold him in her arms. As Eliakim reached for the lamb, she burst into tears. Father, does it have to be this one? Don't we have another older lamb that can be sacrificed?

No, Rachel. He's the only one year old male lamb that is without defect. We have to obey Moses, Rachel, and do everything just as he told us to do. If we want to see our family living in freedom, Eliakim then took that lamb and carried it outside where only he would see the pain of the lamb as he slit its throat and collected the blood that was to be put on the sides and tops of the door frames of his house. As he collected the blood, he remembered the words that Moses had just spoken to all the Israelite leaders. Moses told them, go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a branch, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the door frame.

Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the door frame and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony and when your children ask you what does this ceremony mean to you, then tell them it is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians. Then the people bowed down and worshiped. The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. At midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on the throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon and the firstborn of all the livestock as well.

Pharaoh and all of his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night and there was loud wailing in Egypt for there was not a house without someone dead. That brings us to Mark chapter 14. Dateline, Jerusalem, the upper room, 33 AD, twilight. On the first day of the festival of unleavened bread when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover? So he sent two of his disciples telling them, go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you, follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, the teacher asks, where's my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? He will show you a large room upstairs furnished and ready.

Make preparations for us there. So the disciples left, went into the city and they found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the 12. While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me. And they were saddened and one by one they said to him, surely not I. It is one of the 12, Jesus replied, one who dips bread into the bowl with me. Then he said, the Son of Man will go just as it is written about him, but woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man.

It would be better for him if he had not been born. While they were eating, Jesus took bread and when he'd given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, take it, this is my body. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them. They all drank from it. This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many. He said to them, I tell you the truth, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God. Here's what I want you to notice. These two great events that I've just read to you, the Passover that took place in Egypt and the Passover dinner that is taking place here in the upper room on Mark 14 are separated by approximately 1,433 years.

And yet they take place during the exact same month on the same day and even the same hour, twilight. All throughout Jerusalem, Jews were preparing for Passover when they would kill their one-year-old male lambs to celebrate and remember that God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt 1,400 years earlier. But here's the irony. That very night in Jerusalem while thousands of lambs were being prepared to be sacrificed, right there in their midst was the Lamb of God who's preparing himself to be sacrificed. This is why Jesus commended the woman, remember you read about her, who was at Simon the leper's house, it was probably Mary, who poured the expensive perfume on his head. And then in verse six, Jesus said to her, she poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, whenever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.

And then that's what I'm doing right now. Just as Jesus foretold, we're remembering what Mary did with that expensive perfume. 700 years before this Passover, the prophet Isaiah wrote these words in Isaiah chapter 53. He, referring to the Messiah, was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.

He was led like a lamb to slaughter and as a sheep before his shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. So here's what I want us to think about. What can we learn from the Lord's Supper here in Mark chapter 14 that marked the beginning of Passover? What I want us to do in our remaining minutes, I want us to examine carefully what Jesus says in verses 17 through 25. So make sure you've got your Bibles open, Mark chapter 14. We're going to look carefully at verses 17 through 25. And listen, from these nine verses, I want to share with you four truths.

Here's truth number one. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was betrayed. It's amazing, guys, when you look at the accuracy of the Word of God. Zechariah was a prophet and a priest, just like Jesus, who lived in the sixth century before the birth of Christ.

In Zechariah chapter 11, verses 12 and 13, he gives us one of the most amazing prophecies that you can find anywhere in scripture. He writes, I, Zechariah, told them, the Israelites, if you think it best, give me my pay and if not, keep it. So they paid me 30 pieces of silver and the Lord said to me, throw it to the potter, the handsome price at which they priced me. So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter.

Anybody would think, well, what has that got to do with anything? Well, see Zechariah, you need to understand, Zechariah lived during the time right after they'd been exiled in Babylon. And now he and about 50,000 Jews have come back to Jerusalem, which is totally destroyed. But the people there, the Israelites, it's hard for me to imagine this, they were still being unfaithful. And so what the Lord is doing here, he's breaking his covenant with them because of their unfaithfulness and because they basically rejected him as their shepherd.

And so the Lord sent Zechariah to speak these words to them. But they rejected Zechariah and in essence, they declared that he was only worth 30 pieces of silver. And so the Lord told Zechariah to reject their payment and throw the silver into the house of the Lord to the potter. Now fast forward, we come to Matthew chapter 27 where we learn that Judas betrayed Jesus for how much money? Thirty pieces of gold, silver. In Matthew 27, we learn that in his remorse, Judas threw the 30 silver coins into the temple just as Zechariah had done. And then he went away and hanged himself. The chief priest then picked up those coins and said, it is against the law to put this into the treasury since it is blood money.

So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. See the scripture foretold that the Messiah would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave. That is the value that they placed on the Son of God. All that Zechariah prophesied happened just as recorded in the word of God.

So what can we learn from that? If it says it in the word of God, then what? It's true and you can believe it.

Here's the second truth. Jesus, the Lamb of God, went away in fulfillment of scripture. Look at verse 21. Jesus said, the Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.

This is all I want to say about this. Guys, this is where you see the supernatural way that God wrote scripture. This is one of the things that I came to appreciate in seminary when I was forced to take Greek and Hebrew. When you get down even to the verb tense, it's exact. So the Greek word from which we get the verb will go is hupago. It means to go away quietly without making noise or drawing attention to yourself. You see, you don't get that in the English.

It just says will go. But in the Greek, it carries this meaning so that it might read like this. The Son of Man will go away quietly without drawing attention to himself. Just as it is written about him. And that's exactly what Jesus did. Jesus was led away like a lamb to slaughter. And yet scripture tells us that he remained silent. Listen, when Pilate sent him to Herod, the Pharisees were all out there making accusations at him. And what did he do?

He didn't say a word. And Herod had always been fascinated with this Jesus. And he had all these questions that he was pummeling him with. But Jesus would not respond. Luke 23 verse 9 says Herod plied him with questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.

Do you know what I learned from that? Remember Herod is the one who beheaded John the Baptist. Herod had gone beyond the point of no return.

There's a time and place, man, I don't know where it is and I don't want to know, when a man just goes too far. And God says enough. When Jesus was later crucified, most of the world was unaware or simply paid no attention. Because they were so preoccupied with other matters. Not much has changed, has it?

The world is so busy being preoccupied right now with other things. To notice the one who cries out day and night, come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you what? Rest. In Matthew chapter 23 verses 37 and 38, Jesus said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you are not willing. And then he said, Look, your house, some of the temple, is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. I wonder what Jesus would say to our nation right now. I believe he'd say the same thing he said over Jerusalem. O America, America, you who remove my name from the public square, who kill my children before they are born and who profane my name with that shame, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you are not willing.

Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, America, you will not see me again until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. If our nation does not repent, I fear for what we're going to see next. Here's the third truth. Jesus, the Lamb of God, died in our place. This is the most important truth we learn in these verses. Jesus was the prophesied Lamb of God who came into this world for one reason.

To what? Die for our sins so that we might have eternal life and live with him one day forever. Guys, I want you all to get a glimpse of what is in store for those who place their trust in him. Because that's what will give you hope and joy and peace. Look at verses 22 through 24. While they were eating, Jesus took bread. And when he'd given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, Take it, this is my body. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them. They all drank from it. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

Think about it. This was the first Lord's supper. Whereas we look back, he was looking forward to his coming death, burial, resurrection and guess what?

Even his second coming. Notice that the first thing that he did was give thanks. In essence, Jesus was thanking his heavenly father. Not just for the bread that they were getting ready to eat, but for what it represented. His soon to be broken body. Can you imagine he was thanking God for that?

Do you know why? Because he loves us. And he knew it was the only way for us to have eternal life. So he took the bread and broke it.

And Jesus knew when he broke that bread, that his own body was getting ready to be broken. Do you recall what the soldiers did to him? First, the soldiers took him to the Praetorium, which was Pilate's residence, where they had basically like a corral right beside there where they could take prisoners and torture them. And they flogged him. The Romans used a whip that had several leather tongs and at each of the ends of those leather thongs, if you will, there were pieces of lead and glass and bone. And so when they would scrape that across a man's back, it would literally skin him.

Stripping him of his skin. And he could kill a man. In fact, the Jews limited the number of lashes to 40 minus one. Because they believed that 40 would kill a man.

So they would only do 39. But the Romans had no such limit. Thus many victims died just from the flogging. After they flogged Jesus, the whole company of soldiers scripture says, gathered around him and stripped him naked and put a scarlet robe on him. Those soldiers were rough men. Then they twisted together a crown of thorns that had thorns about an inch, inch and a half long.

Not like these little briars you see over here. Long thorns. And they jammed that on his head. Driving those thorns into his skull. And then they put a staff in his hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. They spit on him and then they took that staff and they beat that crown of thorns into his head.

It says that they beat him over and over again. Then they led him away to be crucified. So listen, the next time any of us take the communion bread, we need to remember what Jesus did for us.

The cup is symbolic of the blood of Jesus. Jesus said this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many. The blood of the covenant takes us men back to Abraham where God literally cut a covenant with him. In Genesis chapter 15, God makes a covenant with Abraham. Promising to give him and his descendants the land of Canaan. That's why it's called the promised land.

It was an unconditional promise from God. Genesis chapter 15 verses nine and 10 says the Lord said to Abram, this boy's name was changed to Abraham. The Lord said to Abram, bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram. Each three years old along with a dove and a young pigeon. Abram brought all these to him. Cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite of each other.

So you get the picture. They cut in half, lined up, facing each other. Verses 17 and 18 say when the sun had set and darkness had fallen, notice this was also twilight. Something about twilight.

A smoking fire pot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day, the Lord made a covenant. He cut a covenant with Abraham. Abraham had to kill those animals. In the same way that God had to kill some animals to cover Adam and Eve when they sinned.

And it was bloody. He set the halves of those animals on opposite sides facing each other and then the fire of the Lord, that is symbolic of God, God himself passed through the pieces. It was God's way of assuring Abraham that he would do what he said by cutting this covenant with him. Now fast forward to the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, God cut a new covenant, if you will, a final covenant with every man or woman who had placed their trust in his promise.

So what's the promise? John 3, 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that who have believes in him shall not perish but have what? Eternal life. I'll never forget when I heard that as a 12 year old, 10 year old, I think I'll take eternal life. I don't care about that perishing, whatever that is. I just came with the simple faith of a child and that's all God expects us to do.

He just wants to be believed. You see that promise on the cross was guaranteed by what? The blood. Nothing but the blood. Hebrews 9 verses 15 and 22 put it like this. For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant that those who are called, they receive the promised eternal inheritance now that Jesus has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. And without the shedding of blood, there's no what? There's no forgiveness. If Jesus had not shed his blood, none of us would be sitting here tonight and the whole world would be without hope.

I believe this is why Robert Lowry wrote the hymn in 1876. Nothing but the blood. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Did you know that a lot of churches, I hate to digress, have removed most of the hymns from their hymnal books that talk about the blood? Why is that?

You know why? Because it's a bloody mess and it's a reminder that we're sinners and most people want to go to church and feel good about themself. But thank goodness in this church, we're still saying nothing but the blood. Have you placed your trust in the blood of Jesus? All you have just come to the cross, received Jesus' gift of eternal life, placed your trust in him so that you may know, man, that one day when you die, you will step through death's door and you're gonna live with Jesus in a place called paradise? For how long?

Forever. Speaking of heaven, I want you to think about what heaven's gonna be like. You know, when I think about heaven, I think about Shawshank Redemption.

Where am I going with this? Do you remember when Old Red is on that bus headed for the Pacific and he says he's dreamed about the Pacific. Is it gonna be as blue as I have imagined it in my mind? And it gives him hope. I believe in heaven, guys.

And that's what gives me hope. See, here's the fourth truth we learned from this text. Jesus, the lamb of God, is coming again. Look at verse 25.

I tell you the truth. I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God. What was Jesus pointing to? He's pointing to the second coming when the kingdom of God will arrive here on planet earth in all of its glory and power. That's why we pray thy kingdom come, thy will be done where?

On earth as it is in heaven. In that moment when the Lord returns, all believers of all time will be invited to sit down at a very special banquet called the what? The wedding supper of the lamb. See, right now, Jesus is still sending out invitations to this banquet. Have you accepted the invitation?

Have you RSVP'd? Revelation chapter 19, verses six through nine. Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder shouting hallelujah for our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory for the wedding of the lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. Who's the bride? If you're in Christ, you're part of the church, the universal church, you're part of the bride. Fine linen bright and clean was given her to the church to wear. Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints. Then the angel said to me, talking about to John, write, blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the lamb and he adds, these are the true words of God.

That's just for emphasis. Can you imagine what a joy it would be to find your name card at one of the spots at that table? I want you to picture yourself sitting there watching and listening as people from every nation, tribe and language shout hallelujah for our Lord God Almighty reigns. I believe Jesus is going to uncork in that moment when we're all seated, the finest wine. Seriously, I'm gonna show you in a second. You guys say, Russ, where's that in the Bible? I'm gonna show you. He's gonna uncork the finest wine that has been aging for how many years?

At least 2,000. And he's going to welcome us into his kingdom. Think I'm making this up. Go to the prophet Isaiah, who's looking at the same wedding supper as John and they're separated about almost 800 years. Here's what Isaiah saw on this mountain. That's the mountain in Jerusalem. The Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples. That's all people who are saved.

A banquet of aged wine, the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain, he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations. He will swallow up death forever. The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces. He will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.

All the Christians have been mocked and ridiculed. The Lord has spoken. In that day, they will say, surely this is our God. We trusted in him and he saved us. This is the Lord.

We trusted in him. Let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation. You see, on that day, Jesus will fulfill his promise that he made to the disciples in that upper room when he said, I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.

The next time you take communion, I want you to look back and remember Jesus' body hanging on that cross. I want you to look forward to the day when Jesus will return in all his glory and make all things new. You look out there at this fallen world.

I right around now look at potholes and I'm going, this is the most fallen world I've ever seen and yet we live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. But one day, Jesus is gonna come back and he's gonna make all things new. And I for one cannot wait. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your promises in your word. Lord, when we go through difficult times, we need to cling to you, cling to your word as an anchor for our country. Dear Heavenly Father, that you'll have mercy on us. We pray that for the whole world. And Lord, we pray that you'll come back soon. We're so ready but in the meantime, Lord, help us to take this incredible news that we know that we have inside of us and be willing to share it with a friend, a coworker who doesn't know you.

In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Being a Christian is not about being religious but about having a dynamic, alive relationship with Jesus Christ. You've been listening to Finding Purpose with Pastor Russ Andrews, a local triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources at findingpurpose.net or connect to Finding Purpose on Facebook. Pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him and over 300 other local triangle men to study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in downtown Raleigh. Find out more at findingpurpose.net. This is the Truth Network.