The Meaning Behind “Good News”...

You hear the Bible talk about blood all the time. Christ’s blood shed on the cross in the NT. The blood of rams, goats, and bulls sacrificed in the OT. The meaning of the blood is death. You’ve read in Romans, “the wages of sin is death”. That means when we sin, we deserve death. Death is the payment for sinning. God knew this and instead of carrying out the penalty of sin immediately, He provided a way of temporary cleansing by requiring a sacrifice, the death of an animal (shedding of blood) as substitute for our death. The blood was proof that the animal was dead. As it says in this chapter of Hebrews, “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins”. Sin requires death as payment. The death of these animals was only temporary, and it was a picture of what Jesus would do on the cross for the complete forgiveness of our sin (permanent). His death and resurrection secured our redemption forever. So many people think just by asking for forgiveness, without accepting Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross, they can receive forgiveness. They continue to live a life-style in contrary to God’s will. What they don’t understand is only Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross, can they be made right with God. It’s God’s only substitute payment for the sins they committed. There’s no other way. Talk about Good News!!!

12 With His own blood–not the blood of goats and calves–He entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Hebrews 9:12 22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22