Lev 17:11, 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.' 
    	This passage details exactly why the whole of scripture points to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. We have just celebrated the Christmas season, but the very reason for Christmas is contained in the truth that 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls… Without the birth of Christ there could be no death of Christ that by the spilling of His dear blood, the life He gave up on the cross, we receive the eternal atonement for our sins. 
We cannot separate one from the other as do so many in this world. They will accept the story of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, and even tolerate what they consider the legend of His virgin birth, but they cannot accept that by His shed blood God has given atonement to those who will call upon Him. As stated in this passage …for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.
	The Lord taught the people that the blood was the life source for the body as is recorded in the text of our morning’s passage, verse 14. That is why it was the very means by which life, even our eternal life, would be instituted. Lev 17:14, "For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, 'You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.' 
       	Earlier in the Book of Leviticus, we read how Moses was instructed to use blood to purify the altar in order that it would be holy unto the Lord. Blood was required for this cleansing process. Lev 8:15, Next Moses slaughtered it and took the blood and with his finger put some of it around on the horns of the altar, and purified the altar. Then he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. 
    	Then, in last week’s reading, we were informed as to the entire process of how the blood was to be used to sanctify the people. Please turn again to Lev 16:14-19 so we can re-read the instructions to the priestly order. 
Lev 16:14-19, Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. "Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil, and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. And he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel, and because of their transgressions, in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. And with his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times, and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it. 
	God valued the life blood of both animals and man. He created us with the mechanism of the heart and the circulatory system in order for our bodies to function as living beings. The marvel of how He designed and put us together shows just how much the blood means within us. If we lose too much blood or if our hearts fail to circulate the blood throughout our bodies we will die. This creative manifestation of how bodies work shows the value that God set upon the blood in order to bring about the purification of His people. In the Old Testament, as we have read, it was the blood of the animal sacrifices that sanctified His people for the short term. That blood was not sufficient to thoroughly cleanse the people, but it showed that something more was needed for mankind to come into a living relationship with God. 
	Jumping forward in scripture, the Writer to the Hebrews, in Heb 9:19-26, bridges the Old and the New Covenant. He gives us the detailed description of how the blood was necessary for the purification of the nation before the Throne of God’s judgment. Please turn ahead to it so we can read it together. 
Heb 9:19-26, For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you." And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 
	Those blood sacrifices of animals and their temporary cleansing power in the eyes of God pointed to the need for the perfect sacrifice that He would provide. He showed the utter necessity for a sacrifice that could wash away sin forever and forever and that was only by the perfection of His Only Begotten Son. It is only the blood of God’s Christ that can deal effectively and eternally with the curse of sin and its death sentence upon defiled humanity, lost and desperately in need of salvation. 
	Jesus, Himself, detailed this for us in Matt 26:27+28, at what we call the Last Supper. Matt 26:27+28, And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. It is only by the spilling of His life’s blood that mankind can receive full and complete and perfect forgiveness of the sinful nature under which each of us is born. It is by Christ’s death and resurrection, alone, that we have that complete purification that could never come through the sacrifices of animals, no matter how many were slaughtered in our stead. 
	And, less anyone think that living a good life would be sufficient, the Apostle Paul, in Rom 3:23-26, set that false idea completely aside. Rom 3:23-26, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 
	This shows that it is completely impossible for mankind to save himself through any measure of his own efforts. Even trying to live by the Law of the Old Testament only proved that man’s utter depravity in sin negated the very best efforts that were put forth. As much as man tried, and many still try to do it on their own, it is utterly impossible to come to God apart from the provision of His own gift of salvation given in the sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.
    	There is no other means of justification from our sins. What the animal sacrifices pointed to in the Old Testament has now come into full fruition by the gracious work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. God has provided the only means of our redemption as we read later in this Letter to the Romans, chapter 5, verses 8-10. 
Rom 5:8-10, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 
	The Apostle never hesitates to announce the reality of the power of the blood of Christ shed for us throughout his letters of encouragement to the churches. Consider Eph 1:7, wherein it is very directly stated that through the blood of Christ we have our redemption. Eph 1:7, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace… 
    	And then in his letter to the Colossians, Chapter 1, verses 13-20, if you would read along with me, the Apostle highlights exactly how powerful and how complete is the work of Christ on the cross. Col 1:13-20, For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 
    	This is the surety of our redemption in action, as we are saved and we are sanctified and we are transferred into His kingdom, now and forevermore. No longer are we under the dominion of sin and the curse of death. We have been delivered and we have been released and are now partakers of the spiritual truth that Jesus is the Lord of all creation. We are now His redeemed people and fully at peace with God and able to enjoy the glory of being part of His kingdom forever and ever.
	The Apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 1:2, further described just how effective is the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:2, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. Not only do we receive forgiveness and cleansing from our sins, but we have God’s grace and peace as our portion precisely because we are saved. We are indwelled by the Holy Spirit Who works in us, through the power of the blood, the purity and the sanctification which causes us to obey and to know the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding.
	The Apostle John also reiterates just how effective is the mighty working power of the blood of Christ in 1 John 1:7. 1 John 1:7, but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. Not only do we have peace with God but we have fellowship with one another. The blood of Christ manifests the very heart of God unto the full measure of our becoming one with each other in Him. We are joined together into the unity of Christ as well as being cleansed from all sin. Not just some sin. Not just most sin. We are cleansed from all sin! It is on that basis of purity of heart and mind, in complete obedience to the Holy Spirit that we enjoy the results of that salvation in fellowship with each other and with God, Himself. 
	 Our final passage of this morning is Rev 1:4-6. In it, John recounts the fact that because of our cleansing by the blood of the Lamb of God, we are to give God the glory and the honor and the praise and the dominion forevermore.     
Rev 1:4-6, John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 
	Our placement into His kingdom as priests results in our ministering unto God and unto all humanity of the glory that God is due. We give Him utmost honor and adoration and worship and reverence for the so great love with which He has loved us unto Himself through the shed blood of the Son of God.
Therefore, we must always and forever hold to and declare the truth that Jesus Christ came to earth, born of a virgin, in order to shed His blood for our salvation. The glory of Christ is completely centered in His death and in His resurrection which brings redemption and sanctification to you and to me in order to add to the full majesty of God. So be it!
'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.' Amen.

This morning’s benediction is Ps 96:2. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Amen.