Today's my favorite day of the
week and this is my favorite place to be. And this Sunday
is my favorite Sunday in the month because this is the day
that we will observe the Lord's Supper. We'll remember Him. God help us to do that. Now you
know it's very easy simply to take the wine and eat the bread
without remembering Him. God don't allow me to do that. I'm capable of doing it and that's
what I will do unless He allows me to remember Him who bore my
sins away. He bore our sins. Oh, but more
than that. He bore them away. They're gone. He obtained... Now, this is the language of
Scripture. This is not Baptist doctrine. This is the language
of Scripture. He obtained eternal redemption
for us. He got the job done, Joe. He
did exactly everything God the Father sent him into this world
to do. God the Son was also the Lamb
of God. He bore our sins away. He obtained
eternal redemption for us. That's worth remembering, isn't
it? That's worth remembering. Is there anything better to be
reminded of? Anything better, anything more
comforting to a child of God than that? The Passover that
we read about in Exodus 12, more than any other Old Testament
picture or type, sets forth the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses wrote the first five books
of the Bible, and our Lord said, Moses wrote of me. And that is certainly evident
here, is it not? This is such a clear picture
of our Lord Jesus Christ who was sacrificed for us. Turn,
if you will, just for a moment to Luke's Gospel, chapter 24.
Luke 24. Verse 26. This is our Lord speaking. After
he rose from the dead, just like he said he would, he asked this
question. Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures
the things concerning himself. Look on down in the chapter at
verse 44. Again our Lord speaking, and
he said unto them, these are the words which I spake unto
you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled
which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets
and in the Psalms concerning me. Then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the Scriptures. He gave them the
key, Jesus Christ himself. And he said unto them, Thus it
is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise
from the dead the third day. And Paul very plainly in 1 Corinthians
5 says, for even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. My prayer is that God will be
pleased to use this message, this simple message, to help
prepare our hearts to remember Him who loved us. and gave himself for us. My text is verse 13 of Exodus
12. And the blood shall be to you
for a token upon the houses where you are. And this is God saying,
rather God telling Moses what to tell the people. And God says,
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." The title of my message is, Nothing But The Blood. Nothing But The Blood. One of
our hymns begins with a question in the first verse of it. It
asked the question, depth of mercy, can there be mercy still
reserved for me? I declare the only people that
ever consider that question are those whom God wakes up. Is it not so? Did you ever give
it any serious thought? until God, by his grace, taught
your heart to fear? Were you concerned about your
soul, about eternity, before God came to you? And oh, then
the question of our hearts are expressed in that old hymn. Oh,
depth of mercy, can there be? Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God his wrath prepare? And me? the chief, the very chief
of sinners spared? And the answer is, oh, thank
God, the answer is yes. Yes, there is. There is a way
for God to bestow his mercy with no sacrifice of justice. There
is a way that God can prepare his wrath and pass over you,
but only by the blood. Nothing but the blood can enable
him to do so. What brings redemption? We spoke
about that, our redemption and acceptance, last Lord's Day when
we gathered here. Turn if you will, we'll come
back to our text, but turn to, turn to Ephesians chapter 1.
Ephesians chapter 1. What brings redemption? What brings redemption? Here in verse 7 of Ephesians
1, we read, in whom? In whom? Our Lord said, as we
read in Luke 24, they testify of me. It's about me. In whom
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins
according to the riches of his grace. Nothing but the blood. What can cleanse me from all
my sins? All my sins. And that's a lot. My soul. Multitudes of sins. Mountains
of sins. Sins of commission. Sins of omission. Sins in thought. Sins in word. Sins in actual
deed. Just a Mount Everest of sin. My soul, what can cleanse me
from all those sins? And the answer is the same. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Look here in 1 John chapter 2
or listen while I read. My little children, God's children,
true believers. Oh, I like that title, little
children. Oh, how helpless we are. Oh, but our Heavenly Father,
little children fear not. My little children, these things
write out unto you that you sin not. That you sin not. And, if any man sin, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and
he is the propitiation for our sins. And not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world. All nationalities
of man. A multitude of all different
nationalities of people. Jew, Gentile, black, white. Look at verse 7 of chapter 1
in here in 1 John. If we walk in the light as he
is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood
of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. All sin. Oh, what a great thing
sin must be. See what alone can remove it. But oh my, see how great the
blood of Christ must be because it takes all my sin away. His blood cleanses us from all
sin. The blood of that man who is
God. The blood of God, Paul said in
Acts 20. How valuable, how meritorious
is the blood of the Lamb of God. John said when he read a verse
of scripture from Jeremiah this morning that he never tired of
hearing this. And I thought, as he said, that
that's exactly right. Neither do I, John, had it marked
down. As one of the verses I wanted
to refer to, in those days and in that time, saith the Lord,
the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for But there shall
be none. You can't find what doesn't exist. It's gone. It's gone. And the
sins of Judah? And they shall not be found.
For I will pardon them whom I reserve. No wonder the apostles said,
God forbid that I should glory. Let the legalist glory in their
supposed self-deceiving belief that they're keeping the law.
Let them glory in that. Oh, but God forbid that I should
glory. Save in the cross of the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's what Paul said. Turn,
if you will, to Revelation chapter 14. Nothing but the blood can accomplish
this. My soul, what a picture this
is. John sees the redeemed before
the throne in Revelation 14 verse 3. And we read, they sung as
it were a new song before the throne and before the four beasts.
and the elders, and no man can learn that song but the 140 and
4,000 which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which
are not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are they
which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed
from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb, and
in their mouth was found no gout, for they are without fault before
the throne of God." My soul. Not all the blood of beasts on
Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace or
wash away the stain. Can't do it. Can't do it. Oh, but Christ Oh, but Christ's
heavenly land takes all our sin away, a sacrifice of nobler name
and richer blood than day. That can give the conscience
peace. Looking to where God himself
looks, what can bring a sinner into God's presence in perfect
reconciliation? and acceptance. Again, the answer
is the same. Nothing but the blood. Wherefore remember, remember
that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands that
at that time ye were without Christ without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from
the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the
world. But now, nothing but the blood can accomplish
this. But now, In Christ Jesus, ye
who sometimes were far off are made nigh, are brought nigh,
near to God by the blood of Christ. Near, as near as Christ. And dear, as dear as Christ. Brings them to God. Oh yes, in
time, in their experience, they're brought near to God. They're
made to know it. Christ said, oh hear the sure and certain proclamation
of He who is the captain of our salvation. Hear Him speak in
no uncertain terms. When he says, all that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh unto me I
will in no wise cast out. They'll all come to me. Not some of them that the Father
gave me shall come to me. Not even the majority of them
will come to me. Oh no, oh no. He says, they'll
all come to me. They'll all come. David said
the same thing. David echoed the very words of
the son of David when he said, every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. Every one of them. Come to God. Again John said, I saw a multitude
that no man could number of all tribes and peoples and tongues.
And they stood before the Lamb and before the throne of God.
And John said, they're all dressed in white robes. Every one of
them. White robes. Picturing purity. Purity. picturing a perfect righteousness. That's what the father said concerning
the prodigal son, didn't he? The father said. The father himself
provided the robe. God sends forth his son. God shall provide himself a lamb,
Abraham said to Isaac. And he puts upon the prodigal
the very best robe there ever was. A robe of perfect righteousness. And it covers all the filth and
all the stench of that pigsty that he crawled out of. Oh yes,
with his holy garments on, I'm as holy as God's own son. I saw them, John said, and they're
all clothed in that robe of the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. Want him right or put it this
way. This spotless robe the same appears when ruined nature sinks
in years. No age can change its glorious
hue. The robe of Christ is ever new. Ever new. Jesus be endless praise
to thee whose balance mercy has for me. For me a full atonement
made and an everlasting ransom God saw in that blood on the
doorpost the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God slain from the
foundation of the world. This is why Adam, Noah, Moses,
David, every believer, Before Christ offered the sacrifice,
they were redeemed on the basis of that sacrifice. When God saved
them and God redeemed them, it was on the merits of the blood. When I see the blood, God always
looks to that. That's what he saw. And that's
why he says, I will pass over you. That's the only reason. I'll not destroy you. In 1 Peter we're told, you were
redeemed, not with silver and gold, but with the precious blood
of Jesus Christ as of a lamb. As of a lamb. A lamb. Oh, precious. There's nothing else like it,
Joe. Nothing else can do what the
blood does. Oh, precious is the flow that
makes this sinner white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing,
nothing but the blood of Jesus. In Hebrews chapter 10, Paul compares
the blood of those animal sacrifices which only typified the one glorious
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ and their effects with the sacrifice
of the Son of God. Hebrews chapter 10, for the law,
having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image
of those things, can never, can never, with those sacrifices
which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto
perfect, For then would they not have ceased to be offered?
And the answer is yes. But because that the worshippers
once purged should have no more conscience of sins. But in those
sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should
take away sins. Now compare that to what he says
concerning the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. the Lamb of God, by the
which we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all. And every priest and daily ministering
and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take
away sins, but this man, oh but this man, the God-man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down at
the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool for by one offering he had perfected forever,
perfected, made perfect forever them that are sanctified as he
himself proclaimed. After offering himself to God,
he cried, it is finished. Do you hear that, my brothers
and sisters? It is finished. Oh, my sins! Oh, the bliss of
this glorious thought! My sins, not in part, but the
whole, were nailed to His cross and I bear them no more. Praise
the Lord! Oh, praise the Lord! Oh, my soul! It is finished! It's complete! Final! It's done! And God Almighty responded, when
he raised his son from the dead with an everlasting Amen. That's enough, God said. That's enough. I'm satisfied. I'm satisfied. There is no fury
left in me. I'm satisfied. Justice says it's
enough. It's enough. Put up your sword
into its sheath. It's plunged into the heart of
the Son of God and there it was satisfied. It's enough. Oh glory to His name. That's
why God says, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Not if. Not if I see the blood. That's not what he said. There's
no if about this. There's no maybe about this. God sees the blood. God always
sees the blood. He always has seen the blood. And glory to His name, He always
will see the blood. And He says, and I will pass
over you. Again, not a question, not a
perchance, not a perhaps. There's no question about this.
I will pass over you. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus, and there never will be. They
never will be. There's no doubt about that.
Oh, what a blessed and sweet assurance to every sinner that
trusts God's Son. You're listening to one, and
I'm speaking to some. Oh, what sweet assurance to every
sinner that trusts God's Son. I received an email. I think
it was yesterday. And this friend said, I'm happy to tell you that I
always receive good reports about you and about your preaching.
And I thought, well, I don't know where he gets those reports,
but somebody's being very gracious to me, being very kind. I want that to be true. I want that to be true. I want to honor God. I want to serve him and be faithful
to him and to you. I want to serve you and be faithful. But my hope and my peace doesn't
rest on that. Oh, my soul, if it did have pickle,
it would be. Oh, but rather this, rather this,
my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
spring, but wholly lean on Jesus' name and He'll bear all the weight. He'll bear all the weight that
this sinner can lay upon Him. He'll bear all the weight. He
has borne and He shall continue to do so by His amazing grace. God said, Without the shedding
of blood, there is no remission of sins. No remission means no
forgiveness, no salvation, no peace with God, no hope. No hope. No hope. Look here again in Exodus 12
at verse 29. Look what we read here. And it
came to pass that at midnight, it came to pass just exactly
when God said it would, as God said it would. It came to pass
that 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
even all the firstborn of the 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." Not a house where there was not
one dead. Not a house. Wasn't at this time
the houses of Israel in Egypt too? They sure were. And what we read there is true
of their houses as well. Death had been there too. John, it had already come there. Death had already visited the
houses of the children of Israel in the person of a substitute. In that lamb that was slain,
God provided himself a lamb. Oh, thank God for glorious substitution. Oh, more than that, thank God
for our glorious substitute himself. I laid down my life for the sheep. Therefore doth my Father love
me because I laid down my life for the sheep. God made him to
be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the very
righteousness of God in him. Oh, what a comfort it must have
been for those in the house where the doorpost had been smeared
with the blood of that sacrificed lamb. Oh, how horrible it must
have been for them at midnight to begin to hear cry after cry
after cry of anguish. My firstborn is dead. My son,
my own son is dead. And then another and another.
There wasn't a house where there was not one dead. Oh, but oh
what a comfort it must have been knowing death cannot come in
here. No, no. The blood is upon the
door. Death has already, already came
here. Death cannot come here. God says, I will not allow it. and God will not violate his
own command or reject his own remedy. God provided the sacrifice. Surely God will accept it. God
in righteous justice and mercy, justice and mercy, says, deliver
his soul from going down to the pit. I found the ransom. When you observe the Lord's Supper,
Let us pray that God, by faith, will enable us to hear again. When I see the blood, I'll pass
over you. The blood of the lamb was shed
before God came to execute judgment, to carry out the death sentence.
There was nothing for them to do except Just stay in the house. That's all. Just stay in the
house. Just stay in the house. Oh, brothers
and sisters, he that hath the Son hath life. He's in the house. Jesus Christ himself and he that
hath not the Son hath not life but the wrath of God abideth
on him. You add nothing. You add nothing. to the finished work of Jesus
Christ. He by himself purged our sins. He trod the winepress alone,
and he alone deserves the praise for doing so. And God says to
every believing sinner, when I see the blood, I will pass
over you. For God sent not his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him
might be saved. Look back here in Exodus chapter
11. Chapter 11. God speaking to Moses. And in verse 6 of chapter 11
we read, And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of
Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it
any more. But against any of the children
of Israel should not a dog move his tongue." Oh, I like that. I like that. Man, they had been bond slaves
to Egypt for years and years and years, generation after generation,
400 years, they've been filling the whip of the taskmaster. And
now God says, not a dog will wag his tongue at you, shall
not move his tongue against man or beast, that ye may know how
that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. Oh, God's grace alone makes us
to differ and nothing else does. God help us never to forget that.
Nothing else does. The only difference in you and
the most wayward particle that comes to your mind right now
the most debased sinner that you can think of. The only difference
between them and you is the grace of God that He's extended to
you. The only difference in you and
I and that man who has opened his eyes in hell this morning,
the only difference in us is the difference that the grace
of God has made. God sees the blood and He says
death's already been there. I'll pass over. God sees the
blood and says justice has been executed and satisfied. I'll
pass over. God sees the blood and says payment
in full. I'll pass over. And God help us to remember and
to rejoice in it when we take the bread and the wine to know
that Jesus has paid it all. Jesus has paid it all, all to
him I owe. Paschal Lamb, by God appointed,
all our sins on thee were laid. Thy almighty love anointed, thou
is full atonement made. All thy people are forgiven through
the virtue of thy blood. Open is the gate of heaven, peace
is made, t'wixt them and God. In that day when God says time
shall be no more, when Peter tells us all these things shall
be dissolved, when men hear from the throne of God those
horrible, horrible words, depart from me, I never knew you. And they're cast out into eternal,
everlasting, inescapable darkness. And there I stand. And God says, enter into the
joy, Larry Criss. Why? Why? because I see the blood. I see the blood and I pass over
you. Now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd
of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working
in you, that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and forever. Amen. Amen. God bless you.