DATE: –4TH APRIL, 2021
TOPIC: – THE BLOOD OF JESUS (Part 1)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Hebrews 10:1 – 22
MEMORY VERSE: – “For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you on the altar to make an atonement for you souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).
INTRODUCTION: –The Old Testament sacrifices of blood are related to atonement (i.e. a covering for sin). The animal’s blood is life and it was the price of atonement for human sin. The price for sin is death – loss of a life (Rom.6:23). The life of an innocent sacrifice (an animal) provided a covering for the guilty person’s sin.
This is the principle of substitutionary atonement in which Christ’s blood provides forgiveness and salvation (Redemption) to all sinners (that believe) under the new covenant.
As Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross, as propitiation for our sins. He substituted His life for the sinners’ life (Rom.5:1). And because His life was perfect and sinless, His blood is priceless and does not only provides a complete covering for but also completely blot out all sins for all who believe, accept and follow Him (Heb.9:13-14; 1Jh.1:7; Rev.7:14).
LESSON OUTLINES
Basic Facts About The Death of Christ
1) Christ’s death was a perfect sacrifice. Jesus willingly offered His own perfect and sinless life for our sins (Jh.10:11; 1Corint.5:7; Eph.5:2).
2) Christ’s death was vicarious (i.e. experience of endured by Him for the benefit of others). Jesus died not for His own sake, but for the sake of others (Ro.5:8; 8:32; Mk.10:45; Eph.5:2; 2Corint.21).
3) Christ’s death was substitutional. Christ suffered death as the penalty for our sins, He took our place in the fiery judgment of God on sin (Rom.6:23).
4) Christ’s death was propitiatory (i.e. it made peace and resolved eternal problem of sin). Christ’s death for sinners satisfied God’s perfect justice, righteousness and moral order, which required that sin be punished and a penalty be paid for human offenses against Him.
Christ’s sacrifice covered that penalty in full, removing God’s wrath (i.e. His justified anger and punishment) from all those who acknowledge and repent of their sin and sinfulness (Ps.51:3; Prov.28:13) and accept by faith, Christ’s forgiveness, accepting Him as Lord and Saviour by entrusting their lives to Him (Eph.2:8-9; Acts6:31; 2:38).
Through Christ’s blood, God’s holiness was not compromised and He was able to reveal His grace and love for us (Jh.3:16). God Himself put this plan in place (Gen.3:15) not because He owed us, but because of His love and mercy toward us (Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-6; 2Corint.5:19; Rom.5:8; 8:3, 32; 1Corint.8:6; Eph.4:4-6).
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The Day of Atonement as given in the Mosaic Law (Lev.16:29-34) is a shadow of the New Testament sacrifice of the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the whole world – the Lord Jesus Christ (Jh.1:29), He indeed, is our Paschal Lamb provided by God Himself to pay the death penalty that all humanity deserved for rebellion against God.
While the blood of innocent animal sacrificed in the Old Testament were imperfect and could only cover but could not remove or blot out sin, the Lord Jesus Christ came and offered Himself the perfect and sinless sacrifice, paying the full penalty for the sin of humanity once and for all thereby not only providing a covering but a total extinction or blotting out of our sins.
QUESTIONS
- In what way is Christ’s death substitutionary?
- How did God revealed His love and grace to us without compromising His holiness?
DATE: –11TH APRIL, 2021
TOPIC: – THE BLOOD OF JESUS (Part 2)
BIBLE PASSAGE: -Hebrews 9: 11 – 28
MEMORY VERSE: – “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).
INTRODUCTION: –The blood of Jesus Christ, signifying His sacrifice for our sin, is central to the New Testament concept of redemption. As He died on the cross, Jesus shed His innocent blood in order to remove our sins and to restore our opportunity for a right relationship with God (Heb.5:9; Phil.2:8).
LESSON OUTLINES
Basic Facts About The Death of Christ
1) The Death of Christ was expiatory (i.e. it supplied the right for our wrong against God). Jesus’ perfect sacrifice not only paid in full the price for our sin, but it also erases and cancels the guilt of those who accept His forgiveness and follow Him. Christ makes it just as if His followers had never offended God. By Christ’s death, the power of sin that separated us from God has been broken in the lives of those who believe on and completely give their lives to him.
2) The Death of Christ was completely effective
Christ’s atoning death has the power to restore people to a right relationship with God if they put their faith in Him.
3) The Death of Christ was victorious
By dying on the cross, Christ fought against and was triumphant over the power of sin, of Satan and over all demonic forces and agents that once held all of humankind captive. His death was the beginning of the victory over all spiritual enemies both of God and mankind (Rom.8:3; Col.2:14-16). Christ’s death paid the ransom to God and not to Satan (1Pet.1:18-19).
As a result, Jesus liberates people from sin (Rom.6:6), from death (1Corint.15:54-57; 2Tim.1:10). From all consequences of sin (Isa.53:4-6; 1Pet.2) and from Satan (Acts 10:38).
Christ’s victory made it possible for us to serve God before Him in holiness and righteousness (Lk.1:74-75).
Christ’s death gives us free access to the Father. We can now come boldly to the throne of grace even in the Holy of Holies as the veil had been torn into two (Lk.23:44-46; Heb.4:14-16).
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Christ’s sacrificial death offers us great benefits which are readily available and potentially active for all people. But in reality they only take effect in the lives of those who, through faith accept Christ’s sacrifice for themselves and show their devotion and dedication to Him by totally submitting to His purpose for their lives.
QUESTIONS
- Explain what we mean by “Christ’s death is expiatory?
- When does Christ’s sacrificial offers take effect in the life of a man?
DATE: – 18Th April, 2021
TOPIC: – THE BLOOD OF JESUS (Part 3)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Hebrews 9:11 – 28
MEMORY VERSE: – “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).
INTRODUCTION: –The blood of Jesus Christ, signifying His sacrifice for our sin, is the central theme of the New Testament (1Corint.10:16; 11:27; Eph.2:13; 1Pet.1:2; Rev.7:14; 12:11).
As He died on the cross of Calvary, Jesus shed His innocent precious blood in order to blot out our sins and to restore us the opportunity of having a right relationship with God (Gal.5:8; Rom.5:19; Phil.2:8).
LESSON OUTLINES
1) The Great Accomplishment By The Blood of Jesus
By His blood, Christ Jesus accomplished great things for us who believe in Him. These include:
1. Forgiveness: – The blood of Jesus Christ provides forgiveness and pardon for all our sins as we turn from our evil ways and put our faith in Him (Matt.26:28).
2) Ransom: – The blood of Jesus Christ ransoms for rescues and restores all true believers from the control of Satan and evil powers (Acts 20:28; Eph.1:7; 1Pet.1:18-19; Rev.5:9; 12:11).
3) Justification: – The blood of Jesus Christ justifies (i.e. makes us right with God) all who surrender their lives to Him by faith (Rom.3:24-25).
4) Cleansing: – The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses believers’ consciences from guilt so that we might serve God with full assurance of salvation, without fear before Him (Luk.1:74-75; Heb.9:14; 10:22; 13:18).
5) Free Access to God: – The blood of Jesus Christ opens the way for all who believe Him to come boldly and directly to God through Christ in order to find grace, mercy, help and salvation (Heb.7:25; 10:19; Eph.2:18).
6) Guarantee: – The blood of Jesus Christ is a guarantee of all the promises of the New covenant (Matt.26:28; 1Corint.11:25; 2Corint.1:21; Heb.10:29; 13:20).
7) Salvation, Restoration and Sanctification: – The blood of Jesus Christ constantly provides salvation, restoration and purification to all believers as they come to God through faith in Christ (Rom.3:25; heb.7:25; 10:22; 1Jh.1:7).
8) Victory and Protection: – The blood of Jesus Christ provides all believers victory over Satan, sin and all the enemies of our souls (Lk.10:19; Rev.12:11). The blood also protects all believers from the fiery darts of the enemy. The blood is both a weapon of victory in battle and a shield protecting the believers from the wiles and attacks of Satan (2Corint.10:4-6).
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The blood of animals was only a temporary provision or atonement for the sin of the people. Ultimately, a human was needed to serve as a substitute for humanity. That is why Christ came to earth and was born as a human so that he might offer himself in our place. In addition, only a human who was free from sin and lived perfectly by God’s standard could take our full punishment for sin and perfectly satisfy the demands of God’s justice and holiness. Jesus Christ was the only one who could fulfill these criteria.
QUESTIONS
- Enumerate the accomplishments by the blood of Christ
- How can we have access to the God’s promises?
DATE: – 25TH APRIL, 2021
TOPIC: – THE PASSOVER
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Exodus 12 1 – 14
MEMORY VERSE: – “And Thus shall ye eat it; with your loins guarded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and ye shall eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover” (Exodus 12:11).
INTRODUCTION: –Since the time the Israelites left Egypt about 1445B.C, they have been celebrating the Passover feast each year in the spring around the time Easter is celebrated.
LESSON OUTLINES
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Israelites went down to Egypt when Joseph was the Prime Minister in search of food (Gen.46:26-27). Then, there arose a Pharaoh that knew not Joseph (Exd.1:8). The Israelites served in Egypt as slaves for more than four hundred years. Afterwards, God began the process that will eventually lead to freedom for descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
He chose and prepared Moses, then commissioned him to lead Israelites exodus, from Egypt. Moses did exactly what God told him and confronted Pharoah with God’s mandate. “Let my people go” (Exd.5:1 – 4). But Pharoah refused to let Israel go. So, God showed him how serious the message was by sending various plagues and unimaginable, unbelievable diseases upon Egypt through Moses. During each plague Pharoah became remorseful and desperate for relief and agreed to let the Israelites go. But every time Pharoah saw the plague coming to an end, he changed his mind and refused to let the Israelites go.
Thus, the Egyptians suffered nine different plagues from the hands of God.
When God sent the tenth and final plague upon Egypt in which God sent an angel one unforgettable night that went throughout the land of Egypt to destroy all the first born both man and beast” (Ex.12:12).
And since the Israelites were also in the land of Egypt, God gave them specific instructions on how to avoid and escape the mass destruction coming upon the land. Each household was to take a year old male lamb without blemish and kill it just before sun set on the fourteenth day of the first month (month Abib). Smaller house hold could share with another household a lamb (Ex.12:4). God told each household to put some of the blood of the slaughtered lamb on the two sides and the top of the door post of their house. When the LORD went through the land executing judgment on the Egyptians. He could “pass over” those houses that had blood on their door posts.
This is Passover (Hebrew; Pesah, meaning “to jump and pass” or “to spare”.
The Israelites were thus saved from the judgment of death brought upon all Egyptians’ first born both man and animals. Although God could certainly recognize the Israelites and could have kept them from the plague as He did in the other nine plagues, He gave the command to sacrifice a lamb and apply the blood on their houses to teach His people the importance of obeying Him and being in covenant with Him.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Through the ordinance established as the Israelites were to leave Egypt finally, God began to reveal how His mercy and forgiveness would come at the expense of a blood sacrifice. This ultimately was culminated in the sacrifice of His Son; Jesus Christ – “The Lamb of God” – and pay the price for the world’s sins through His sacrificial death (John 1:29).
QUESTIONS
- How were the Israelites delivered from Egypt?
- Why was the sacrifice of the blood?