Reflections on Sacrifice, Redemption, and New Covenant Life from the recent message “Don’t Be Atone Deaf”
The atonement is a powerful biblical concept throughout Scripture that is essentially the price that has been paid by God himself to restore a right relationship with His creation. It revolves almost entirely around shed blood! It is vital for us all to be reminded of the power in the blood—to acquaint ourselves deeply with the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross and to honor the shed blood of Christ. Jesus did not merely spill His blood; spilling implies an accident. Rather, He intentionally poured it out in dramatic grace for the redemption of humanity.
“The blood that Jesus shed for me, way back on Calvary…
The blood that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its power.
It reaches to the highest mountain, it flows to the lowest valley.
It soothes my doubts and calms my fears, and it dries all my tears.
The blood that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its power.”
The Inspiration Behind the Song
A 14-Year-Old’s Prayer & Vision from Author Andre’ Crouch
“I was only 14 years of age, three years following my initiation to the piano, and had been invited to a friend’s home. It was Memorial Day, and there was to be a party with most of the guests being choir members. When I arrived, the people were in the backyard barbecuing and generally having a good time. I was so shy and little … I didn’t want to go out there.”
“I then said to the Lord, ‘God, I really love you. I would love to write songs for you. If you would give me a song, I will live for you forever.’ There was a large piano in the living room and I began to play. Suddenly, in my mind’s eye I could see Jesus carrying his cross up to Calvary and I said, ‘Oh, the blood!’ And I began to sing, ‘The blood that Jesus shed for me…’ The people in the backyard heard me singing and came into the house. They began to weep as they came and joined in my song. That was the writing of my first song, ‘The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power.’”
Redemption: Beyond the Definition
In Hebrews 9:11–28, scripture paints a vivid contrast between the old ceremonial covenant and the eternal work of Christ. When Christ appeared as high priest, He entered once for all into the holy places—not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of His own blood, securing an eternal redemption.
Dictionary definitions often frame redemption as the “act or process of redeeming,” or “serving to offset or compensate for a defect.” Modern definitions list synonyms like to buy back, to repurchase, to free from captivity by payment of ransom, to release from debt, or to change for the better.
While these definitions offer a glimpse, the blood of Jesus accomplishes far more than simply freeing us from the consequences of sin! It brings transformation, dynamic security, and total restoration.
Hebrews 9:13–14 (ESV)
“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
1. The Blood Separates
The blood of Jesus acts as a divine divider. Scripture illustrates this truth as far back as Israel’s deliverance from Egypt:
Exodus 12:7, 12–13
“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses… For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night… and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you.”
It was the blood that separated Israel from death. In ancient Near Eastern culture, blood carried immense significance. Leviticus 17:11 reminds us: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls.”
When death came looking for life to claim, it encountered the one thing it could not defeat: The Blood—the life protected and overseen by God. Death cannot cross the threshold of the blood! In fact, the blood is the ignition switch of the resurrected life, sealed forever by Christ’s resurrection.
This blood is what separates the believer today. It is not our intellect, financial generosity, or time spent (though all are important); it is the blood of Jesus and only the blood of Jesus. Just as Moses sprinkled blood upon the tabernacle, the testimony, and the priests to consecrate them to God, we too are cleansed and separated by Christ’s blood to minister in His kingdom.
2. The Blood Heals
True healing begins and ends by dealing with the root cause behind all brokenness: sin.
1 Peter 2:24
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
While physical sickness is not always a direct result of personal sin, sin entering the world opened the door for sickness and decay to prevail. Without dealing with the source, we only treat symptoms rather than the root.
In ancient Israel, sacrificial blood was used to ward off destructive forces, cleanse altars, and purify individuals recovering from skin diseases. In priestly consecration, blood was applied to the ears, thumbs, and big toes of Aaron and his sons—conferring upon them a new status and entering them into new life.
If the blood of bulls and goats opened the door for miraculous purification in the Old Testament, how much more does the precious blood of Jesus release the fullness of God’s Spirit in our lives today? The blood paid the price for comprehensive healing—both physical and spiritual.
Conclusion: A Better Word Than Abel
Hebrews 12:24 tells us that we have come “to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”
The blood of Abel cried out from the ground, testifying of faith in God (Hebrews 11:4) and calling for justice. But the blood of Jesus speaks of something far greater: it speaks of Him! While Abel’s blood was an expression of worship accepted by God, the blood of Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s divine love toward us.
His blood is the sum total of our worth to Yahweh. Today, let us remember the blood, honor the sacrifice, and walk in the confidence that it shall never lose its power!
