On 6th of November, Pastor Rob Rufus – founder and lead pastor of City Church International in Hong Kong – was the guest speaker of The New Covenant Church’s 7th anniversary at Wisma TA, Petaling Jaya.
In conjunction with the church’s Perfection Anniversary Celebration, Pastor Rob Rufus shared about the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Several performances were shown by the members of tNCC for this joyous anniversary celebration, ending with the momentous commissioning of the pastoral team by Pastor Rob Rufus from Hong Kong, Pastor Barnabas Mam from Cambodia and Pastor Jimmy Santos from the Philippines.
Why is blood required to atone for sin?
In the book of Leviticus, God told Moses that the life of a creature is in the blood; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life (Leviticus 17:11).
In other words, a sacrifice is required to pay for our sin. If not, we will suffer its consequences. ‘Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness’ (Hebrews 9:22 NIV).
But ‘Christ bought us with His Blood and made us free from the Law. In that way, the Law could not punish us. Christ did this by carrying the load and by being punished instead of us’ (Galatians 3:13 NLV).
Jesus’ blood was poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28). Jesus is the perfect sacrifice!
What makes Jesus the perfect sacrifice?
Firstly, Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 17:5; Mark 1:11) and God Himself (John 8:58; John 1:14). He was not born out of Adam’s lineage of sin but of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35).
When Jesus died on earth, He was found to be without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). This makes Him the perfect sacrifice. Unlike the continuous ritual of animal sacrifice in the Old Covenant, Jesus ‘died to sin once for all’ (Romans 6:10).
This shows us how much Jesus loves us! He is not only willing to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin, but He has the power to take his life up again as well.
Replying the Pharisees, Jesus said, “No one takes it (my life) from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again” (John 10:18).
What are the seven applications of Jesus’ blood?
The laws of the Old Covenant is a foreshadow of the new covenant.
The priest of the Old Covenant is required to apply the bull’s blood seven times, at the mercy seat of the Most Holy Place (Leviticus 16:14).
Likewise, Jesus also applied His Blood seven times in His journey to His crucifixion on the cross, shared Pastor Rufus.
#1 The Garden of Gethsemane – Sweating
Jesus first shed His Blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, shared Pastor Rufus.
Due to His agony in facing the impending crucifixion, he sweat great drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Jesus said his disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38 NIV). It was the most intense pain He had ever felt in His life on earth, Pastor Rufus stressed.
When Jesus shed blood here, He died for all our emotional agony, in exchange for our emotional well-being. In Christ, there is no room for anxiety because we can pray, petition and give thanksgiving to God (Philippians 4:6-7). We are also called to cast all our care upon Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
#2 The House of the High Priest Caiaphas – Beating
The second time Jesus shed His blood was at the house of the high priest Caiaphas. The guards mocked, beat and blindfolded Him, demanding Him to prophesy who hit him (Luke 22:63).
Jesus was severely beaten, shared Pastor Rufus. ‘His face was so disfigured He seemed hardly human, and from His appearance, one would scarcely know He was a man’ (Isaiah 52:14 NLV).
But by His Blood, we are now recognized as sons and daughters of God, shared Pastor Rufus. ‘We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus’ (Hebrews 10:19 NIV).
#3 The Palace of Pilate – Crown of Thorns
At the palace of Pilate, the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus’ head (John 19:2).
The crown of thorns represents the curse of painful toil on Adam when he sinned (Genesis 3:17-19). Jesus broke this curse by the shedding of His Blood at the crown of His Head.
That means we are no longer governed by this world’s principles but Kingdom principles. ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will’ (Romans 12:2).
That is why we are called to seek first the Kingdom and His Righteousness (Matthew 6:33). When we do that, God promised that He will supply all we need (Matthew 6:33), according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
#4 The Palace of Pilate – Flogging
Later, Jesus was flogged before the Jews and Pontius Pilate, shared Pastor Rufus.
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 NIV)
His shedding of the blood by flogging represents Him dying for all our diseases and sicknesses in our body, shared Pastor Rufus. And we need to claim this in faith.
#5 Golgotha – Nailing of hands
Jesus also shed His Blood when His hands were nailed on the cross
In the Bible, the hand of God is the source of blessings and strength, shared Pastor Rufus.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.
(1 Peter 5:6 NIV)
You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
(Psalm 145:16 NIV)
Like Jesus, we are also called to lay our hands to proclaim blessings and healings on other people as well (Mark 10:16; 2 Timothy 1:6).
#6 Golgotha – Nailing of feet
Jesus shed His Blood when His Feet were nailed to the cross (John 19:18).
This speaks of Jesus overcoming death and breaking dominion and power of the devil over the earth, shared Pastor Rufus.
‘Through death, He might destroy Him that had the power of death, that is, the devil’ (Hebrews 2:14 NKJV). Through Jesus, God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13).
In Him, we have the authority of Jesus Christ to command dominion wherever we go, stressed Pastor Rufus. All angels, authorities and powers had been subjected to Jesus (1 Peter 3:22). Jesus said, “And these will accompany those who believe; In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues” (Mark 16:17).
#7 Golgotha – Piercing of side
Jesus shed His blood from His side when a soldier pierced Him with a spear (John 19:34).
This proved that Jesus had already died, completing His task of preparing His bride, the Church, shared Pastor Rufus.
God has always wanted a Bride, he continued. That is why God knew Adam’s desire of wanting a bride, because Adam was made in His image.
Hence, God sent Jesus to prepare His Bride for Him, which is the Church. And to redeem a bride for God, Jesus became the unblemished and spotless lamb for God (1 Peter 1:19). ‘God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God’ (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV).
So, here are the seven applications of the precious blood of Jesus Christ. If we meditate upon the applications of the blood of Jesus, we will experience an anointing of Him, shared Pastor Rufus. Jesus came not only to give us eternal salvation but a full life (John 10:10)!
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Note: All pictures are credited to tNCC.
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