|
If we read the New Testament,
the apostles do not intently focus on the death of Christ as if it
had more importance than anything else.
A narrow focus on the death of
Jesus has little support from the gospels or from the other New
Testament writings. Jesus’ martyrdom gained its significance for
the early Christians from the content of his teachings, his movement,
and his resurrection. Separating his death from his teachings and his
movement, therefore, strips his death of its original significance.
It would be comparable to commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. by
meditating solely upon his assassination and the weapon that killed
him, without remembering the cause for which he lived.47
Note
how Paul, when writing of Jesus’ death, often draws attention to
the faithful obedience Jesus demonstrated rather than to the physical
death itself. Paul referred to Jesus’ death as if it represented
and encapsulated Jesus’ entire life and cause. For example, he
wrote, “‘We proclaim Christ crucified.’ We could interpret
these passages to imply that Paul was fixated on the crucifixion, yet
that interpretation does not seem most appropriate. Paul instructed
his converts in details of Jesus’ life and did not focus solely on
the crucifixion. Thus, these short statements seem to be better
understood as references to Christ’s martyrdom, which represented
his entire life and cause.”48
“No
gospel writer mentioned the idea that the world’s sin centered on
Christ when he died on the cross, nor did they state that Christ
suffered the punishment for all of humanity. Despite
describing the whole course of
Jesus’ death at length, they failed to completely to mention any
concept of effective death. This omission
by the gospel writers thus challenges strongly the idea that they
believe Jesus’ death had an important and supernatural effect.”49
Christ
Had Human Blood
Because
of the intent focus on the crucifixion of Christ as though it has
some supernatural effect, people also concentrate on the blood
of Christ as though
the rest of his life had very little meaning. Those who believe in
the effectiveness of blood sacrifice look to Leviticus 17:11 for
justification. The context clearly refers to abstaining from eating
or drinking the blood of a sacrifice, and nothing more. You will find
that the pagans ate the blood of their sacrifices as a means of
incorporating their gods into their bodies and into their lives.
(Does this remind you of Catholicism?)
Would
it surprise those who have some knowledge of scripture that blood was
not required all the time in sacrifices for a sin offering? If a
person were very poor, God allowed the use of flour
for a sin offering
(Lev. 5:11-13). I believe that is equivalent to two pounds of flour.
Flour
has no blood.
But if he cannot afford two
turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for
the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a
sin offering.
Jewelry
has no blood
Jewelry
was offered for reconciliation.
And we have brought the LORD's
offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and
bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads, to make atonement for
ourselves before the LORD. (Numbers 31:50)
Coal has no blood.
There
is the example where Isaiah had his sin removed with a live coal:
Then one of the seraphim flew to
me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs
from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has
touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned
for.” (Isa. 6:6-7)
The
scriptures do mention plenty of times the blood
of Christ.50
However, much of modern Christianity have taken the nature of
Christ’s blood and have come to heretical views by adopting that
his blood as having some mystical
power in itself! We
often hear:
-
plead
the Blood to relieve
fears and depression
-
plead
the Blood to cast out
demons
-
plead
the Blood to remove a
curse
-
plead
the Blood to heal and
work miracles
-
plead
the Blood to get
‘baptism in the Spirit’ and to speak in tongues
-
plead
the Blood for
revival, for intercessory prayer, and for worship.
-
plead
the Blood if you need
a new house
-
plead
the Blood for the
salvation of loved ones
-
plead
the Blood if facing
persecution
Blood,
blood, and more blood. You will also find that the blood of Jesus is
personified
by spelling it with a capital “B”.
There
seems to be an intense practice of manipulating God by “pleading
the blood” of Christ as though it holds some miraculous formula.
Where is the practice of pleading
the blood of
Jesus found in
scripture? This teaching of pleading the blood of Jesus has more
to do with mysticism. The blood
of Christ is not some mysterious formula for protection and
power, nor is it a formula for defeating the Devil. Defeating the
Devil is by resisting
him (James 4:7; 1 Pet.
5:9).
Some
will say that our old hymns (e.g., Are
you Washed in the Blood?
There is Power in the
Blood, Nothing But the Blood,
etc.) speak of the power of the blood of Christ. These hymns in their
day were not defined as it is today in the Word of Faith Movement.
Furthermore, we do not get doctrinal truths from hymns. I think it
was A.Z. Tozer who said, “Christians don't tell lies they just go
to church and sing them.” We need to be careful of hymns and modern
gospel music that contradict scriptures. I, personally, do not listen
to Christian radio because the songs and teachings are often mixed
with error. Why constantly feed myself with false teachings and sing
lies?
Jesus
was a man who had human
blood comprised of
plasma, erythrocytes, leucocytes, iron, etc., the same as we do.
However, there are those who say that Jesus did not have human blood,
but had “God’s blood,” which they call “divine blood.” They
will quote Acts 20:28 as a proof-text.
Pay attention to yourselves and
to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers
to be shepherds of God's church, which he acquired with his own
blood.
However,
God does not have blood. God is Spirit and not comprised of flesh and
blood. We know Acts 20:28 has to do with Jesus for in Rev. 5:9 we
read:
And they are singing a new song,
saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals.
For you were slain, and by your blood you redeemed for God those from
every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
The
death, blood,
and the cross
have no mystical
power. Concentrating
on his physical death, blood, and the cross does not change anyone’s
immoral behavior. However, the early believers did see his death as
very significant (I
do as well) because it proved Jesus’ love for them. It was the
greatest act of love to lay down his life, even at the hands of
sinners.
“The
early Christians associated Jesus’ death with the concept of
reconciliation with
God. They
believed his death as a martyr had resulted from his work to
transform the character and conduct of unrighteous people, thus
reconciling them to God. Peter wrote of this idea using martyrdom
language. ‘Christ also suffered [crucifixion] for sinfulness once
and for all, the righteous for the unrighteousness, in order to bring
you to God.’” 51
Scripture
states Jesus came as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world!” Jesus came to take away the sinfulness of the world. How
does Christ do this? Is it through some mystical power that
overpowers us (which does not seem to be working in most professing
Christians)? No. Rather, it is his example that we are to follow.
When we follow and obey Christ, this is how we are set free. This is
how the lamb of God takes away the sinfulness of the world. It does
not happen until we walk
in the light as he is
in the light. We are no longer servants of unrighteousness but of
righteousness. We must be born
again, which means a
moral transformation, which does not come about until a person
repents of his evil deeds and believe the gospel. If we love him, we
will obey him.
This
is the heart of the gospel. The main mission and purpose of Jesus was
to proclaim the good news (gospel) of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43),
and we learned that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself (2 Cor. 5:19). He demonstrates to us how to be reconciled
with God by living rightly. Deeds do matter! We will be judged
according to our deeds (John 5:28-29; Rom. 2:6-8, etc. etc.). A clear
conscience is only a reality when we walk in the light,
putting away dead (evil) works
and serving the living God (Heb. 5:19; 1 Jn. 1:7).
|