This sermon is based on Hebrews 12:24, which mentions that the blood of sprinkling "speaks better things than that of Abel." This message was provided for a worship service in which the Sacrament of Communion was administered following the sermon. It discusses what it means to say that the blood speaks of better things. To view a video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was given, please click here.
Written Excerpts:
Introduction:
I decided to break away from the series of messages I was doing on
Renewing the Mind so we could focus our thoughts on the sacrament of communion
today. More than likely, we will return to the series after the holidays.
Here is a question for you to ponder: “Who is one person you would love
to hear give a message or a speech?”
It’s quite possible that many different individuals will come to your mind. There are plenty of well-known people that have impressive abilities for speaking. If I asked you to not only think of people who are living today, but also include anyone in the world who has lived in the past, that would bring many more people to our minds. In fact, it might be hard to narrow it down to one or even a few.
In trying to make up our minds, we might not only consider the relative
popularity of the speaker, but we might want to focus on those who have a
particular kind of authority or power. Maybe wealth and “success” would be a
major factor in our choice.
I recently finished reading about King Solomon in my personal Bible reading. Wouldn’t it have been awesome to have the privilege of listening to King Solomon – a man declared by God to be the wisest man who ever lived? Some people might choose Moses. On and on we could go, suggesting the famous people of history we would have liked to hear.
The passage Scripture we are looking at today does not describe a
person speaking great eloquent words, but it describes something else that is
speaking. In verse 24, the Scripture tells us that the blood “speaks better
things than that of Abel.”
For our message from God’s Word today, I want to speak to you about the
“Blood that Speaks.”
I. The blood speaks about
Jesus.
Jesus – Mediator; The person is Jesus and the role is Mediator.
In verse 24, immediately before the phrase about the blood that speaks, the author writes about Jesus and identifies Him as “the mediator of a better covenant.” It is written in such a way that we can clearly assume that the “blood of sprinkling that speaks” (v.24b), is the blood of Jesus.
In Heb. 8, the writer mentioned the mediatorial work of Jesus.
Hebrews 8:6 (NKJV) But now He has obtained a more excellent
ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was
established on better promises.
In this verse, the pronoun “He” refers back to the term, “High Priest,” found in verse 1. Again, it is obviously referring to Jesus. Jesus’ role as Mediator requires the sprinkling of blood, which is the very next phrase in 12:24. The purpose is to show the comparison between what Jesus does and what Moses did in the Old Covenant, and it helps define His role as mediator.
Hebrews 9:15, 19-22 (NKJV) 15 And for this
reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the
redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are
called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 19 For
when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he
took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and
sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, "This
is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you." 21 Then
likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the
ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are
purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV) For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
You already know that a mediator acts as an arbitrator between two enemies to bring peace and reconciliation. I am so grateful for the fact that Jesus is my personal Mediator with God because of His blood that was shed.
II. The blood speaks a
welcome.
“You have not come … You have come.” (vv. 18, 22)
When I began to look at the other verses leading up to verse 24, I was
struck by the contrast that the author is trying to portray for us.
Hebrews 12:18 (NKJV) For you have not come to the
mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and
darkness and tempest,
(Compare with Exodus 19:16-19) I’m not going to read it, but it gives the physical descriptions of what took place at Mount Sinai. The original mountain (Sinai) was a physical mountain that could be touched, but they were ordered not to touch. It symbolized the awesome distance that existed between a holy God and a sinful people.
Hebrews 12:22-23 (NKJV) But you have come to Mount Zion and
to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable
company of angels, 23 to the
general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in
heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
In stark contrast to that OT scenario, they now have come to Mount Zion. “Have Come” (KJV, “are come”) – perf. tense; gives idea of completed action. It is portrayed as though they have already arrived at the heavenly Jerusalem. It is established, but not yet. Mt. Zion was the term used in the OT for Jerusalem, but it is used here to speak of “the New Jerusalem” or “The City of God.” I couldn’t help but feel the contrast between the mountain they weren’t allowed to approach and the new mountain they not only can approach, but are welcomed, or invited. It is an invitation not only to the city of God, but all of the other blessings that go along with that city.
(Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) – …a series of nine descriptive phrases identifying the place and the
people that represent the Christian’s true destination.
“innumerable
company of angels”
Revelation 5:11 (NKJV) Then I looked, and I heard the voice
of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the
number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
“general assembly
and church of firstborn”
(Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) – Elsewhere in the NT, “firstborn” is used as a title of Christ himself
(see in this letter 1:6), not of his people, but it recalls the OT description
of Israel collectively as God’s “firstborn son” (Ex. 4:22; Jer. 31:9). Here it
may well be intended to include God’s true people of both OT and NT eras.
“God – the Judge of
all”
(Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) – The reference to God as judge then prompts a second mention of the
redeemed, now described as “the spirits of the righteous made perfect”—a phrase
probably to be understood especially (but not exclusively) of the OT saints ….
“spirits of just
men made perfect”
(Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) – …redeemed human beings in heaven … They have been “made perfect” in the sense that we have so often seen in this letter … in that their salvation is now complete.
III. The blood speaks of
better things.
“speaks better than that of Abel” (KJV, “better things than that of
Abel”)
It is interesting that the writer brings up the OT character of Abel in this setting. Why? The reference to Abel, who was killed by his brother Cain (both sons of Adam & Eve), is probably the only other time in the Bible where the blood is characterized as speaking. In the case of Cain and Abel, the Lord told Cain that his brother’s blood “cries out to me from the ground.”
Commentary writers have suggested that the blood of Abel was speaking “condemnation” and “vengeance.” But, the blood of Jesus speaks of “better things.” That is, redemption, forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation.
Colossians 1:14 (KJV) In whom we have redemption
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Colossians 1:20a (KJV) And, having made peace through
the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself….
Conclusion:
Whenever we talk about something inanimate that is speaking, we
obviously are talking in figurative terms.
Today we have been considering the ways that the blood of Jesus speaks and what it could be saying to us. The author of Hebrews is giving us a lesson about what the blood has to say to us and it is a message of joy because it speaks to us of our mediator, it speaks to invite us and welcome us to join the company of the redeemed, and it speaks a better message than the blood of Abel who was murdered. Rather than condemnation and vengeance, the blood of Jesus speaks of forgiveness, peace and reconciliation.
Before we share the sacrament of communion today, let us sing a very familiar song: The Old Rugged Cross
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