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The Three Witnesses of Christ (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The apostle John uniquely records the testimony of Jesus Christ's blood as a witness to His identity and purpose. Jesus allowed His blood to be spilled as the price to purchase the church of God, redeeming the firstfruits of His creation. This blood, witnessed by John as it poured out, serves as a silent testimony to Christ's sacrifice and divine mission. Just as the presence of the Holy Spirit testifies without spoken words, the spilling of Christ's blood onto the ground made a profound witness to John. Furthermore, Christ's blood covers our sins, allowing us to appear before the Father, justified and washed clean, mirroring the process through which we receive God's Spirit. These three witnesses—water, blood, and Spirit—identified not only the firstborn Son of God but also apply to all the sons of God, marking significant steps in our journey to know God.

The Talking Blood (Part One)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

The blood of Jesus Christ holds profound significance as a witness to His life and sacrifice. In the Bible, blood figuratively speaks, and God interprets its message as a teaching lesson for our benefit, revealing its biblical prominence and immense importance. The blood, alongside water and the Holy Spirit, serves as a constant witness, testifying to the truth of Jesus Christ, the Creator God, who came in the flesh. Through His bloody death on the stake, He paid for the sins of the world, and this act ensures that we have life—eternal life—because of Him. The blood certifies the reality of His devotion and dedication to His labors of love on our behalf. The testimony of the blood runs like a red ribbon through the entirety of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, emphasizing that life is in the blood, and no one is more associated with life than God Himself. The Scriptures reference blood atonement 427 times, underscoring that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins, no covering or blotting out of transgressions. This repeated emphasis highlights the seriousness of sin and its consequence—death—as the only means by which sin can be atoned for, demonstrating God's unyielding intent that we never forget the act of love His Son performed for us.

The Talking Blood (1994)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The blood of Jesus Christ serves as a profound witness for God, bearing a continuous testimony that speaks to the gravity of sin and the means of atonement. The blood, shed through His violent death on the stake, testifies to the payment for the sins of the world, marking the completion of His purpose as He declared, "It is finished." This witness is not a singular event but an ongoing process, constantly affirming the truth that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and that we have life because of Him. Throughout Scripture, a red ribbon of blood runs from Genesis to Revelation, appearing 427 times to underscore that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins, no covering for transgressions. The blood speaks with a message of seriousness, hammering into consciousness the consequence of sin, which is death—the only means by which sin can be atoned for. Unlike the blood of Abel, which cried out for vengeance, the blood of Jesus speaks of something better, offering a path beyond retribution through His sacrifice. The blood of Jesus Christ reveals a better way than the shedding of bulls or goats for atonement, emphasizing that His death redeems us if we trust in it. It is through faith in His blood that deliverance from bondage to sin and death is found. This blood acts as a covering, akin to pitch on Noah's ark, sheltering from judgment, and neutralizing the death-dealing agent of sin, rendering it white in God's sight. Only blood can atone for sin, satisfying the righteousness of God where sin is involved, as no forgiveness comes without death. The blood stands as a constant rebuke to the human tendency to minimize sin, shocking us out of insensitivity by highlighting the horrific crucifixion of God's innocent Son. It makes clear that forgiveness is not a casual matter with God, reflecting the immense sacrifice and pain involved in His love. The blood of Jesus Christ is the appeasing force, the means of propitiation that causes God to deal mercifully with us through faith. It is the blood of God in the flesh that cries out for mercy, putting away sin and establishing righteousness. No human offering can appease God for forgiveness of sin, as the righteousness of God demands a greater sacrifice, which Christ Himself became, paying not just for one, but for the sins of all for all time. This testimony of the blood declares that without it, there is no appeasing God's righteousness and holy justice, no covering for sins, no reconciliation with God, and no redemption. Without this witness, there is no justification, no receiving of God's Spirit, no further cleansing unto sanctification, no reconciliation with brothers involved in our sins, and therefore, no hope.

The Talking Blood (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

God the Father does not take the minimization of His Son's sacrifice lightly, as some Protestant theologians imply with their cheap grace doctrine.

Why Two Goats on Atonement? (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

In Israel, sins were symbolically placed on the altar throughout the year. On Yom Kippur, one goat's blood cleansed the altar; the second took away the sins.

Why Two Goats on Atonement? (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

In the Day of Atonement ritual, the first goat's blood cleansed the altar of sin while the azazel goat took them away. Christ fulfilled both roles.