Blood Works - Fourth Order

We have come to the end of the first full week in Lent and the conclusion of our witnessing of how the orders given to Moses about the blood, which is guaranteed to work at Passover, is a shadow of the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. We now ponder on the fourth and final order.

The he-lamb or he-goat had to be in the first year of his life. The chosen animal had to be, of the first year. This is particularly interesting and curiously mind boggling. We know of people, urgently needing blood to save their lives. I specifically and personally remember the case of a year old child and blood was accepted from people of all ages, to save this young life. Let me hasten to add that the blood worked and all praise and thanks to God, the child survived.

However, in this case and for His Divine will, God says that the only blood to work, in this saving work from the angel of death, is the blood that must come from animals that are yearlings. Only the blood from animals in their first year of life will work. In other words, the type of animal may be perfect, in that it is a sheep or a goat, but unless the age is correct, it will be of no use. Where is Jesus in this? He certainly was not one year old, in our human reckoning.

I need to confess over and over again that my thoughts and ways of thinking are so deficient, so empty and so inferior, I have no choice but to die to all of my ways of thinking and heavily cast my all on the Holy Spirit. He alone enables me and all of you who need Him, to see with the mind of Christ Jesus.  So how do we reconcile Jesus and this command of God that the sacrificial animal had to be in its first year?

Let’s return to what was said about it in the text. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Exodus 12: 5.  Notice how this verse is recorded in the NKJV. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. The lamb, or goat, had to be a year-old male or an animal of the first year of its life. Think about it. Isn’t it true that the lamb would have lived one year, before it died or was sacrificed? In other words, it was the sacrifice of death, which ensured that the blood of the lamb was in keeping with God’s decree of being one year. No lamb ever was sacrificed and came alive again to die at another time. Will you dare look at Jesus in similar light of Sacrifice?

Jesus was a year-old Lamb in these ways.

• Jesus lived one life on earth, in Human flesh. He was a one-year old Lamb.

• Jesus lived and was sacrificed, so that He truly died. He died, not to ever die again, so that He had one living, one life, here on earth, in flesh. He was a yearling.

• Jesus lived, died and rose again, but not to live on earth in flesh again, but to return to the Father. Jesus had one flesh life.

Let’s explain this, simply.  Think of Lazarus. Lazarus had one life, his first life, if you will, then he died. When he was raised from the dead, in a very real way, he was given a second life, if you like. In that sense, Lazarus did not live one time. Not so with Jesus. When Jesus was risen from the dead, when His human body was resurrected, it was not for Him to live again, as Lazarus did, a second time on earth, in flesh. Jesus rose, but in resurrected form, so that He could return to heaven and have the Spirit come to earth. In this way and in other unmentioned ways, Jesus had one year, or one time of life in this human flesh. So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9: 28.

Here are two interesting references.

John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Revelation 1: 4 – 5a. Jesus is indeed the firstborn from the dead.

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. Hebrews 12: 22 – 23a. Jesus is the firstborn and the Church is His.

We can safely and truthfully confess that God’s order for Blood Works was fulfilled in Jesus, who knew a one time of life in flesh – a yearling, in many ways.

Be ever mindful also of time – hours, days, months and years - and how our heavenly Father counts time. Do not forget this one thing dear friends: With the Lord, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 2 Peter 3: 8.

Our first question has been answered. Who is the Person from whom the Blood comes? The Person is Jesus Christ, Son of Man and Son of God. He is the only One without blemish, a yearling male, the sinner’s Scapegoat who bore all our sins in Him. He is the Sacrificial Lamb, who paid it all, to bring us into the righteousness of God.