16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.’21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
The last ten words in the above paragraph (highlighted in bold print) articulate a central Biblical principle: “Atonement by the blood of Jesus is not an arm of Christian truth; it is the heart of it.” Charles Spurgeon
Some people respond to this truth with revulsion; others are horrified at the thought of this ‘religion of blood’. A famous preacher once said that Old Testament religion resembled an abattoir as much as anything. But the truth is that those imperfect animal sacrifices were preparing the way for the final unblemished sacrifice of Jesus. The need for ”the shedding of blood” points to ‘the exceeding sinfulness of sin’, and this is not something people like to think about today- generally speaking.
“The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.” Oswald Chambers.
This is such a holy mystery that I almost feel reticent to say anything for fear of saying too much, But I recognise that it is because of the blood of Jesus that we may approach (with boldness) the Holy of holies, and make our dwelling there.
“On the back of Satan’s neck is a nail scarred footprint.” C. S. Lewis