The Power of the Blood — Roy Hession

The Passover and the Blood of the Lamb

To a scripture and we're going to read this very important incident in the Old Testament and then I want you to sing a chorus which is based upon it. It's number 24 isn't it? Now the passage I want to read with you is Exodus chapter 12 the book of Exodus chapter 12 and I presume you know what the book of Exodus is about.

It is about the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt and that's why it's called by that name all right then here it is in chapter 12 verse 1 and the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying this month shall be unto you the beginning of month it shall be the first month of the year to you.

They were to start their calendars all over again and this month the month of their Exodus was to be the first month the January so to speak of the Hebrew calendar. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel saying in the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb according to the house of their fathers a lamb for an house and if the household be too little for the lamb let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

Your lamb shall be without blemish a male of the first year. You shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats and you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening and they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses wherein they shall eat it and they shall eat the flesh in that night roast with fire and unleavened bread and with bitter herb they shall eat it eat not of it raw nor boiled at all with water but roast with fire his head with his legs and with the pertinence thereof and ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning and that which remain is of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire and thus shall ye eat it with your loins girded your shoes on your feet and your staff in your hand and ye shall eat it in haste.

It is the Lord's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt both man and beast. And against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment I am the Lord and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are.

And when I see the blood I will pass over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. Verse 21. Then Moses called for the elders of Israel and said unto them draw out and take you a lamb according to your fathers and kill the Passover.

And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop that was a weed that grew in the cracks in the wall. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin.

And none of you should go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptian. And when he seeth the blood upon the lintel and on the two side posts the Lord will pass over the door and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

Verse 29. And he came to pass it at midnight. The Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon and all the firstborn of cattle.

And Pharaoh rose up in the night he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not a house where there was not one dead. May God add his blessing to the reading of his word.

And now there's a lovely little chorus that I don't know where it's printed. I just heard it and someone wrote out the tune and harmonies. And it's right on this beautiful subject. I'm under the blood of Jesus safe in the shepherds fold.

I'm under the blood of Jesus safe when the world grows old. Safe when the nations tremble. Safe when the stars grow dim. I'm under the blood of Jesus and I am safe in him. You'll find it easy to pick up but I'm gonna sing it to you first.

And then we'll try and learn the words and sing it. Here is the tune. I'm under the blood of Jesus safe in the shepherds fold. I'm under the blood of Jesus safe when the world grows old. Safe when the nations tremble.

Safe when the stars grow dim. I'm under the blood of Jesus and I am safe in him. Amen. That's what the firstborn of Israelite homes might well have sung had he known that the lamb that secured his safety was typifying God's dear son.

Now the words are very simple. I want you to say them after me like the children. Do you pick it up that way. We haven't got it in front of us. I'm under the blood of Jesus safe in the shepherds fold.

I'm under the blood of Jesus safe. I'm under the blood of Jesus safe when the world grows old. Safe when the nations tremble. Safe when the stars grow dim. I'm under the blood of Jesus and I am safe in him.

I'm under the blood of Jesus. Wonderful word safe. And there's only one place where you could be safe and that under the blood of Jesus. Now let's try and sing it. And if you don't know this tune too well make up one you do know.

And if it doesn't harmonize we'll try again on that. And if you forget a word you don't sing a lot and you come to a word you do know. But I'll try and coach you as we come along. I'm under the blood of Jesus safe in the shepherds fold.

I'm under the blood of Jesus safe in the shepherds fold. I'm under the blood when the world grows old. Safe when the world grows old. Safe when the nations tremble. Safe when the nations tremble. Safe when the stars safe when the stars grow dim.

I'm under the blood of Jesus and I am safe and I am safe in him once again. I'm under the blood of Jesus safe in the shepherds fold. I'm under the blood when the world grows old. Safe when the world grows old the nations safe when the nations tremble the stars safe when the stars grow dim.

I'm under the blood of Jesus and I am safe in him in him. Well the nations are trembling these days and the day's gonna come when the stars are going to grow dim and the elements are going to dissolve with fervent heat.

But if you're under the blood of Jesus you are safe eternally. Should we sing it just once again so that you remember it. And we'll try these two new choruses at a later meeting. So we're laying up a store for coming days.

And brother you must feel free to pick them up and include them. I'm under the blood of Jesus safe in the shepherds fold. I'm under the blood of Jesus when the world, safe when the world grows old when the nations, safe when the nations tremble.

Safe when the stars grow dim. I'm under the blood of Jesus and I am safe in him. Amen. We've read this evening that graphic story of how in the hour when God was smiting the firstborn in the land of Egypt and indeed judging the gods of Egypt, Israel God's ancient people were saved.

Salvation Through the Passover Blood

And in particular I want to read to you again that 12th verse of that 12th chapter of Exodus or the 13th verse. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are. And when I see the blood I will pass over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt.

Now this incident gives us a wonderful picture of how God provides salvation for his people in a world under the judgment of God. Yes the land of Egypt was indeed under his judgment. God had brought plague after plague to fall upon Pharaoh and his kingdom in order to induce him to let his people go nine of them but still it was to no avail.

He stiffened his neck he hardened his heart and he refused to let them go. And so it was that God said yet will I bring one plague more a last one after that he will let you go. Indeed he will thrust you out all together.

And that last plague was a dreadful one at the appointed hour in the midst of the night the firstborn in every Egyptian home died from the firstborn of Pharaoh in the palace to the firstborn in the dungeon and it even extended to the firstborn of Cato.

And it was a solemn judgment that Egypt couldn't afford to ignore that great act of God. In the hour of that judgment Israel however were to be saved and this was the manner of their saving. Each home was to take for themselves a lamb.

They were to keep that lamb from the 10th day to the 14th day presumably to assure themselves that there was no blemish in it. And on the 14th day as the sun was setting each home would take that lamb outside and they would slay the little innocent creature.

They would catch the blood in a basin and they'd pull a hyssop weed out of the wall and make it into some sort of a brush and then they would dip it in the blood in the basin and sprinkle the doorposts and the upper doorposts of the houses wherein they were with that blood and the promise God had given them was this when I see the blood sprinkled there upon the doorposts of your house in this dread hour when the firstborn of Egypt were going to die but when I see the blood I will pass over you.

And so it was that while Egypt were mourning their death and a great cry went through the land Israel were feasting on the very lamb whose blood had assured the safety of their firstborn that night everything for Israel depended on the value God put upon that blood and his faithfulness to the promise when I see the blood I will pass over you.

Many a firstborn son might well have felt that he'd done nothing very good indeed the reverse that he deserved to die as much as anybody but God had said that it matters not whether you're worthy or not when I see the blood I will pass over you.

Now that's the picture of the way God saves his people today in a world under the judgment of God this world is under God's judgment because of its rejection of his son they have not been willing to have this man to reign over them and God has appointed a day in which he will judge this world in righteousness.

Many in grievous disciplines he's brought upon this world in order to bring men back to himself but all to no avail. They've stiffened their necks they've refused to return and just as in the story there was one last plague that God brought upon them so there is upon this world coming a last judgment and I saw a great white throne we read in Revelation and one sat upon it from whose face the heavens and the earth fled away and there was found no place for them and I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book which is the book of life and the dead were judged every man according to the things written in the books and everyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was cast it says into the lake of fire this is the second death.

This is the last judgment that God is going to bring upon a proud impenitent world. In that day however there's going to be a people who are to be saved and are not going to share in the judgment of the world and you and I could be amongst that people if we've any doubt whether we are it's available and open to you.

For that people who are to be saved in the day of the world's judgment God has provided a lab. God's had him in reserve since the foundation of the world even before sin was committed in Jesus God had provided for that contingency and Jesus is said to be the lamb slain from the foundation of the world and this people to be saved have done something about that lamb.

They have appropriated his blood each man for himself or to use the imagery of the story in front of us they have sprinkled the blood of Jesus on the doorposts of their hearts and they've done so through repentance of their sins and the faith that says it was for me that blood was shed and in that simple way they have appropriated that blood they've sprinkled it upon the doorposts of their hearts and God has said with regard to them when I see the blood sprinkled there upon the doorposts of your heart I will pass over you.

The Passover Lamb Fulfilled in Christ

It's possible of course for the preacher to take up Old Testament incidents and almost force them of his own will to be pictorial of Christ. Perhaps I might have done that sometimes in my anxiety to find a picture of Jesus in my Old Testament but I don't really need to try very hard it's all there and certainly this one is clearly stated in the New Testament to be a picture of Jesus and that redemption which he's accomplished for us because in the first epistle of Peter chapter 2 it says for you know you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers you were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without spot and without blemish and there's no doubt at all when Peter talks about being redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without spot and blemish he is definitely referring to this great Passover incident and Jesus is the antitype of that lamb whose blood assured the safety of the firstborn in Egypt.

So we got good ground for looking at this story in that light. Now this incident not only provides us with a wonderful picture of how God saves men today but it also provides us with a picture and precious teaching of how the saved may be maintained in daily fellowship with the one who saved them.

They are maintained in daily fellowship by the blood of the lamb which blood was efficacious for their initial salvation but which goes on availing for them right the way through and it's that from that point of view I want to look at this great story with you.

When I see the blood I will pass over you. It doesn't say I will pass by you but I will pass over you and I understand that the Hebrew word pass over is certainly not pass by you but I will pass over you, I will hover over you I will spread my wing over you I will stand on guard over you and not suffer the destroyer to come in unto you.

I will fight your battle for you I will answer every opponent and all on one condition when I see the blood. Now God wants to see the blood of his dear son newly freshly sprinkled on the doorpost of our hearts and when he sees that blood newly freshly sprinkled there he passes over us in the same sense in which I've indicated.

He spreads his wing over us he stands on guard over us. He answers every accusation that men or devil could level against us. He fights our battles for us He answers our prayers. He undertakes the whole business of the victorious life for us and all on one condition when I see the blood.

However all too often when he looks into our hearts what he sees there is not a fresh sprinkled blood, a fresh sprinkling of the blood of Jesus but very often sin which has never been confessed and never been cleansed.

Sometimes what he sees staining the doorpost of our hearts are possibly some long-standing sins. Sins that happened years ago we may not have repeated them but they've never been confessed and cleansed and it's Thinney I think who says that we are regarded as persisting in a sin up to this very hour if only by our failure to repent of it.

Which means if years ago a man was guilty of stealing he may not have stolen anything since but just because it's never been repented of that man is regarded as persisting in stealing right to this day if there's perhaps some sexual impurity that's taken place in our lives and that too has never been really truly confessed that man is regarded as persisting in fornication to this day and so it is when God sees such things, looks into our hearts sometimes he sees long-standing things not necessary such as I've mentioned it could be anything or it may be the day-to-day things that go wrong in our attitudes and reactions even as believers he sees the resentment or the hurt feeling or the self-pity or the jealousy or the irritation and many a time I have to confess sometimes when I've sat in a meeting there's been a bit of a fuss and a bit of a rush to get to the church on time and in the rush hard words, sharp words have been spoken and there have I been sitting trying to worship.

But when God has looked at my heart he sees those things staining the doorpost of my heart. And these things are not only things have come between us and God that is staining the lintel of the door but many of them have come between us and other people.

They relate to other people their wrong attitudes wrong reactions. Oh they were wrong in their actions. But friend you were just as wrong in your reaction. Reactions of anger reactions of annoyance or resentment.

And there they are not only staining the lintel but also the side post of the door. And when he sees our sin staining the doorpost of our heart he's unable to do what he otherwise would stand over us spread his wing over us fight our battles for us answer every accusation for us.

And we are left to trust try to struggle on living the christian life in our own strength. There's a verse in the Psalms which says if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me. And maybe you've often heard that that that uh people mention who touching on that verse have said that if I regard means if I regard with favor iniquity in my heart.

What does it mean to regard sin with favor. Very simple. It's by justifying it. And maybe there's something happened some attitude been adopted and we won't call it sin. We excuse it we justify it. And that is regarding iniquity with favor.

And when and that is the case the word tells us he will not hear us. And we're in the terrible pathetic position of having to try and be effective christians and maintain testimony when the Lord is no longer with us in power as he once was but but but when he sees the blood of Jesus covering those things sprinkled on the doorpost of our hearts and ourselves newly humbled before him in penitence it matters not what it is that's been there.

Such is the power of the precious blood of Jesus. He returns with life and fullness to the soul. He passes over us he hovers over us once again spreads his wing over us and answers every accusation from devil or man leveled against us.

Because now he's seeing the blood applied to those things. It's one thing to preach the blood. It's another thing to apply the blood. It's one thing to believe in the blood. The great thing is are we applying it.

And when he sees it applied to that which needs it you cannot be more right with God than what the blood of Jesus makes you. When you call sin sin you can't have a better righteousness before God the better the blood.

When at last you take a sinner's place over any issue and with joy you lift up your head again and you find yourself in an extraordinary new relationship which was never there when before you were struggling away at last you've consented to call it sin.

And the blood of Jesus has been applied to that thing. And when he sees the blood he passes over you. You're forgiven. You're cleansed. You're put in completely right relationship with Jesus again. It couldn't be better than what the blood affects for you.

Repentance Rather Than Self-Improvement

When we take call the thing sin when i see the blood the great thing is what he wants to see. When i see the blood now it's at this point i think that we do often make a mistake. It's easy to understand it didn't need much revelation just now for you to understand that when he sees sin unconfessed taming the doorposts of our hearts and the long-standing things or the day-to-day things that he's unable to spread his wing over us and take up our case.

It doesn't need much revelation to see that. And we assume that we know what the answer is then. And we assume that the alternative to him seeing sin staining our hearts is for him to see no sin. That the alternative for him seeing defeat in our lives is for him at last to see victory in our lives.

That the alternative to him seeing impatience there with one another or the children in our hearts for his to see sweetness there. And we make it our great business to put those things on the door. We long to have victory.

If only i can get victory that'll put things right between me and god. And when he sees that all will be well between me and him we long to be holier and sweeter. And we try our best to be like that confident if only you can see something of that order that will put things right.

And as i say that's what we strive to do. And that for some of us can be virtually the whole of our christian life one long endeavor to hang up holiness to hang up victory on the doorposts of our hearts.

And though that at first sight seems so right it just isn't god's way. And that for several reasons. First it means that we're trying to make up by our efforts for that which has been lost by sin. Oh we've lost peace we've lost the joy of our salvation.

But we're trying to make up by our efforts by our resolve by our determination to be better for that which was really in the first place lost by sin. And i would say there was a time in my life when that really was what i was trying to do although at the time i was an evangelist i seem to have got out of step with god.

I seem to have lost what i thought i once had of power. And my service became one long chore. And i tried so hard to make up for that loss of life and liberty and power by my efforts when in reality i had to see it had been lost by sin.

And you know christian service is no answer to the christian sin. And yet so often that's our way. And then this way that looks at first as to be so right is proved not to be god's way because you never quite succeed in hanging up those things on the doorpost of your heart.

You promise you try you vow you walk the aisle again but it never succeeds. And the attempt to hang up a real degree of holiness only lands us in despair for the good that we would we don't do and the evil that we would not that we do.

And if we took our attempts to get right with god this way seriously we would soon end as it as it brought paul to oh wretched man oh wretched christian that i am who shall deliver me. And this way of seeking peace with god always if you take it seriously enough leads you to despair.

How do you walk with god. How do you know peace when all these things all the time these things are coming at us and we're reacting to them. And then too i believe the attempt to get right with god by means of hanging up our holiness or attempts at it is really another way of dodging repentance.

We are offering god our new start in lieu of our repentance. And i believe that's the reason why the way of works is refused by god. Not merely that for theological reasons he has decided that salvation is going to be by grace and not by works but much deeper because works is so often a way of avoiding repentance.

I've got a book at home. I've got a number of books that i've got on my shelf for their titles. I haven't read all of these but they're good enough just for their title worth the money i pay just to have that title staring at me.

And the book i'm thinking of is this what do you think of this for a title of a book. The art of dodging repentance. And really and truly your attempts to be nicer and so kind even to your wife can be a dodging of repentance.

God wants you to say you're wrong and ask forgiveness of him and of her or of him the husband. Sometimes there's been some few words sharp words at breakfast and the man can't wait any longer he's got to get to work off.

He goes gets to his car and that's how he leaves home. But he's a christian and he feels a bit bad about that. That wasn't the way to leave his dear wife. And so on the way home he stops at a store and buys a box of candy and he comes back with candy.

Well i'm sure she's glad to see the candy and i'm sure she's glad to realize that. That probably means his attitude has changed. But he doesn't put things right. It takes a lot of candy to take away sin.

What god requires is that man to humble himself. Honey i was wrong. And not to imply that she was wrong too. No no i'm the one who's wrong. Then it really is right. Because then the blood of jesus is applied to that thing which we repent.

But if there is a way of getting by and getting on peacefully which does not involve the humbling business of saying i'm wrong of repenting we'll take it. And so often the way of work our efforts our polite substitutes for humbling ourselves before god at the foot of the cross and having the blood of jesus applied to us.

And though it does seem so reasonable to think that the alternative for him seeing defeat in our lives is for him to see victory it's not the way it doesn't work. And that for some of the reasons i've mentioned.

But what does it say here. Not when i see these things on the doorpost but when i see the blood upon the doorpost upon the lintel upon the two side posts then i will pass over you now this then is the great chapter that speaks in a foreshadowing way of this great standing provision that god has made for the saints as well as for the sinner the blood of jesus.

Now our hymns often allude to it. In our preaching we often do. And strangely when it comes to revival always the message of the blood of jesus assumed increasing importance. But that fact may fox you deep down.

You may hear these words you know it's part of evangelical faith. But frankly you're not quite sure what is really meant by the blood of jesus christ. And when people give testaments to what god's done for them through the power of that blood it really can puzzle us.

Now this particular passage gives us the most beautiful simple picture of what is meant by the blood of jesus. When these instructions were being given to them the lord said and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are the the whole thing is that that blood was a token.

It wasn't the literal blood that secured their salvation so much as that of which that blood was a token. Now what was it a token of. Well surely as we look at the story it was a token of judgment met.

God had said i'm going to execute judgment upon egypt and upon every home in egypt tonight. But that sprinkled blood was a token of the fact that as far as that house was concerned judgment had already been there.

It fell upon that house as the sun was setting that night. But it didn't fall on the person of the eldest son. It fell upon the innocent little lamb on his behalf. Maybe that that boy hesitated to kill the lamb.

It had become a household pet. And there's nothing quite so touching and innocent and meek as a lamb. And his father's now telling him to take the knife and plunge it in his breast and said i can't dad i can't.

And i think that dad said to him son either that lamb dies or you do. And so he had to do it. And as far as that house was concerned judgment fell upon it when that lamb died instead of the son and the collected blood from it sprinkled on the door was a witness of that fact.

It was as if it spake and it said so does peter the destroying angel. Thou canst not come hither judgment or already been here. This blood is a token of that fact. And i believe that's exactly what is meant by the blood of jesus christ.

It speaks of god's judgment of sin already fallen already completed. It's fallen not on the person of the sinner but of the on the person of the one who stood surety for the sinner. I read and i read virtually every day a beautiful little book.

Have i mentioned it to you daily light. It's a book that i would regard urgently. Suggest you purchase it was the power of thine anger. What a question to ask. Who's ever known it. Next verse. Without any comment.

And about the ninth hour jesus cried with a loud voice my god my god why hast thou forsaken me. You see only one person has ever known and experienced the power of the anger of god against sin. And that was jesus.

That was what was happening there on the cross. But listen he didn't only know it and experience it. He exhausted it. For he not only said on that cross why has thou forsaken me father. But he said it's finished and the anger of god burnt itself out in the breast of the lord jesus.

And the blood is a token of that fact. And thus it is every every reference to the blood in hymnology or in scripture always has this blessed connotation of a judgment that's over and finished a victory that's been won on behalf of the sinner by jesus.

That's the reason why when you get certain hymns about the blood there's always a rhythm and a lilt about them. Hymns about the cross. The good friday hymns are solemn oh sacred head once wounded and such and so on.

They speak about the brokenness of the deity taking the blame himself when it really was ours and died there. But hymns about the blood. Some have thought they're really irreverent. Come sing like that.

Oh yes you do. Because it's joyous. The thing's over. The victory's been won. Judgments has been met. And i don't need to have any hangover of guilt. I don't need to labor on the feeling with the feeling that god's still disapproving of me.

All disapproval was finished by jesus and the blood is a token of that fact. Can you not see then how right it was when i see the blood. I understand it. If you don't and you don't have to understand it all provided you've got it sprinkled in your heart.

It's god who sees it and he knows what it means and it satisfies him. It's enough for god shown by the fact that he raised his son from the dead. If jesus had not paid the debt he ne 'er had been a freedom set.

And when god sees that holy all sufficient blood covering those things which until they were repented of caused it to withdraw his presence he returns. He passes over. He stands over you. He takes up the whole battle again.

And you're restored to relationship with jesus. And he's undertaking your all to be when when he sees the blood. And there's nothing more important for us to learn is how to apply the blood quickly without delay humbly.

And you do it by putting yourself in the wrong. When i see the blood. Well when does he see the blood. When you put yourself in the wrong. When you repent. Now to put ourselves in the wrong is usually the last thing we want to do.

Our natural reaction is always to justify ourselves i'm right. The other fellows are wrong. They're accusing me wrongly. No god i think you've got it wrong too i'm right. But when you repent to repent simply means you change your mind.

And where before you said i'm right and you're wrong you say to god oh god you're right and i'm wrong. That's when he sees the blood at large or small things things of action or things of reaction things of attitude.

As the holy spirit shows you these things as you walk in the light that reveals everything you say yes lord that's right. And the blood is applied. That's when the blood's applied when i call sin sin.

The blood of jesus only covers and cleanses that which we call sin. And so in tried instead of trying to be better we want to be those who are quick to admit we're wrong. I say that again instead of trying to be better especially that particular thing and trying to make up for it in some way or other instead of trying to better be quick to admit you're wrong.

And what happens in as much as this blood was shed for sin it's applied to it. You had the faith to believe that you're a candidate for that precious blood. It's custom made or provided for you. And when god sees the blood you're restored.

And you're as right with god as you can possibly be. And you find yourself on new ground with god. Frankly it's better for the blood to be applied than for you to prove your innocence. If you're innocent.

Okay you're not going to get too much from a god of grace. An innocent man is hardly a candidate for grace. Is he. Grace is for those that don't deserve it. But the moment i take my place as a wrong one and come to jesus again for the blood to be sprinkled afresh in my heart i want to tell you there's nothing that god won't do for a man like that he'll become an object of divine grace on a scale he never thought possible.

He's treated in a way which he doesn't deserve. Because god seeing the blood is a great thing to exchange the ground of your innocence for the ground of the blood. And in this way the devil could overstep himself.

Even the very thing which trips you up if acknowledged becomes the occasion for getting on the ground of the blood again where there's peace the ground of grace. Oh wondrous peace. That's the place you're on the ground of grace.

And i want to tell you when he sees the blood you needn't worry whether he's going to bless whether he's going to use you when he sees the blood. And i can't tell you the numberless times when i've enjoyed peace with god by the blood.

This way when he sees the blood you don't have to have any hangover of guilt even as you walk it can happen. And it's so complete. If having been cleansed you find that the devil has come again and you've reacted again.