In The Word
Read: Hebrews 9:16-28
16 For where there is a covenant, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when people are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. 18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19 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, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22 And almost all things are cleansed with blood, according to the Law, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these things, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made by hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year by year with blood that is not his own.26 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 revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Walking In The Word
In the profound depths of Hebrews 9:16-28, the eternal significance of Christ’s sacrifice, likening it to a will or testament that requires the death of the testator to take effect. Just as no legal covenant activates without proof of death, the new covenant in Christ demands blood—His blood—as the seal of redemption. The passage echoes Leviticus 17:11, affirming that “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” and without its shedding, there can be no forgiveness of sins. This truth forms the heartbeat of our faith: no covenant with God exists apart from blood, and no remission of guilt without its outpouring.
Jesus Christ, our High Priest, entered the heavenly tabernacle not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own precious blood, securing eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12, 24-26). He gave His lifeblood on the cross to forge an unbreakable bond between humanity and our Heavenly Father. Through this act, we are invited into divine intimacy, where forgiveness flows freely. As the user insightfully notes, because we partake of Christ’s blood in communion, His very life pulses within us. This is why Scripture commands us not to consume the blood of animals (Leviticus 17:14)—life resides in the blood, and we are to reserve our spiritual thirst for the blood of Jesus alone. In John 6:53-56, Jesus declares, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” His cup is our source of eternal vitality, transforming us from within.
Each Lord’s Supper becomes a sacred reminder of this covenant. As we lift the cup, we commemorate not just a ritual, but the life-infusing power of Christ’s blood. It’s a moment to pause and reflect: life and forgiveness are ours in Him! No sin is beyond cleansing when we apply His blood by faith. Whether it’s a hidden shame, a relational fracture, or a persistent struggle, Hebrews assures us that Christ appeared once to put away sin by His sacrifice (Hebrews 9:26). He will return not to deal with sin again, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him (Hebrews 9:28). This promise empowers us to live boldly, applying the blood today to every wounded area of our lives.
Beloved, let this devotional stir your heart. In a world stained by brokenness, the blood of Jesus speaks a better word than Abel’s (Hebrews 12:24)—one of mercy, life, and unbreakable covenant. Drink deeply of Him, and watch His life renew you. Apply the blood; claim your forgiveness. For in Christ, we are forever cleansed, alive, and heirs to glory.