24. The blood of Jesus Christ is part of God's witness on earth. As it is written:-" There are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." (1 John 5:88And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. (1 John 5:8).) This water and blood seem to me to be the same spoken of in verse 6. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood." It refers, I think, to John six. 34. The water and blood in death by which Christ Jesus came (not into the world), but INTO THE PLACE WHENCE He speaks to us, and is God's witness to us.
In verse 5 you will see the thing is connected WITH VICTORY over the world: "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood," &c. If I understand this aright, it makes the knowledge of Jesus risen to heaven, after shedding His blood upon earth, the power of victory over the world. The blood on the mercy-seat speaks better things than that of Abel: but the same blood as shed upon earth shows why God has, for the present, ceased to recognize, as to religion, all such earthly places and things as once He did among the Jews; it cries also for vengeance on them that despise the mercy proffered through it, and LAYS NAKED AND BARE THE TRUE CHARACTER OF THE WORLD.
Let us consider the blood of Jesus as looked at in connection with the earth, in Jerusalem, and with the world as among the Gentiles. According to God's estimate, earth's fairest portion, since the fall, has been Judea; its bravest city, Jerusalem; and of all its goodly edifices, the noblest and the best, the temple. What portion of earth, since the deluge, could compare for real importance with Judea; what nation so honored as the Jews; what city so distinguished as Jerusalem; what part of it so renowned as the temple? Well, who undertook to count the value of the blood of God's Lamb? The priests and high priests of this temple. They could count it and buy it too. Aye, the Jew and Gentile-the people Israel (with its double headship in kingly and ecclesiastical power, Herod and the chief priests), and the Gentiles (as well the Roman soldiery as Pontius Pilate), pronounced their own character in their connection with the blood. The money-changing temple (a fit house of merchandise for the sale of the Lamb of God) would give as much as thirty pieces of silver for His blood!! though the coffers of the holy temple might not be defiled with the money when returned; nor the holy city itself be stained with His blood; " He suffered without the gate." (Heb. 13:1212Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Hebrews 13:12).) Neither could they go into the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled (John 18:2828Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. (John 18:28)); nor allow their sabbath to be defiled by the bodies remaining on the cross. (Chap. 19:31.) How nice-how delicate! how fine-drawn the earth's and the world's estimate of right and wrong! And where did the sin of the blood rest? upon the priests in any sense? They thought NOT; for they remonstrated (Acts 5:2828Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. (Acts 5:28)) with Peter and John:," Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." And surely their remonstrance availed them as much as Pilate's protest against the deed he did. Observe, he and Herod shake hands, and make up their quarrel, when the scent of this blood is first found: just as the ravening wolves forget their feuds and contests, and cheer one another on, when any worthy, any noble prey is afoot. But Pilate would not admit the deed was his, or that he had part in it; so he gravely calls for water and washes his hands before the multitude, saying, " I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it." Alas! though vain was his act, as to himself, there was a band of volunteers ready to undertake the burden. " Then answered all the people, and said, his blood be on us and on our children." (Matt. 27:21, 2521The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. (Matthew 27:21)
25Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (Matthew 27:25).) " That upon Jerusalem might come all the righteous bloodshed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias." (Matt. 23:3535That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. (Matthew 23:35).) And to crown the whole, and bring in the Gentile mob as much as the Gentile nobility, it was the Roman soldiers who mocked, and their spear which pierced the side.
O earth, earth, earth! how has she disclosed her blood-been unable to cover her slain! Observe, in the above scene the earth and the world are both unmasked. The religious Israel, and the Gentiles without God in the world, were united to shed the blood-and so. Satan was recognized as god of. the whole world. And thus we get the cause of such words as, " Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him—for the friendship of the world is enmity with God;" and get too the character not only of the world, but of all that she is mother of: " The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." The mother and her daughters, however specious and fair their disguise, are thus unmasked. It is an awful thing to think how little the world knows that it " is condemned already." Men wish the question of their guilt to hang upon a comparison of their lives with what is right and wrong; instead of seeing that the question is, Are you a citizen of the world; have you any connection with the earth; are you a man? Even as when David sent to avenge his messengers on the cities of Ammon (2 Sam. 10): the question was not to each, " Did you insult my messengers?" but, " Are you one of Hanun's subjects?" The count on which condemnation stands now is wider-Do you belong to the earth, which murdered the Lord's Christ? But the blood tells not only thus the badness of earth's subjects and the world's citizens, when in the place of power appointed by God, as Herod; or in the place of power allowed of God, as Pontius Pilate and the Roman soldiers; or in the place of leaders of the earthly worship; but it tells still more, I think, if rightly considered-for the blood here, as connected with the shedding of it, tells only of their cruelty, and coming condemnation as being of the world: and thus it unmasks the world's character to the disciple, and so gives him power over it. Yet it tells me more than this: for-
I see in it, as to flesh itself, two things. First: the blood of the Son was shed in atonement and propitiation for our bad flesh. Surely thus it speaks volumes about the badness of our flesh: all that can be told about it is said, to my mind, in Rom. 8:3: " God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh " (visiting the guilt of our sinful flesh even upon Him in holy flesh). And what was the judgment, but the forfeiture of the blood? Yea, the very life was given in atonement, for " the blood is the life of the flesh." This is the measure of our flesh's badness. What an awful one surely an end of all hope as to at is here pronounced, and pronounced in a way to silence our hearts and still our minds. But not only does the shed blood of the Son tell the end of bad flesh; but more: it tells, secondly, as to the pure and holy Jesus, of that deeper glory that was in Him as God manifest in the flesh. The blood is the life of all flesh. The life, which is in the blood, was originally given in good flesh in Adam, and was found in perfect flesh in Jesus. And He is the only one that could say to God (Psa. 63:11<<A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.>> O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; (Psalm 63:1)), " My flesh longeth for Thee;" or (Psa. 84:22My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. (Psalm 84:2)), " My flesh crieth out for the living God," &c. And He was God manifest in the flesh. Now let us see in this connection what the blood teaches us. First, it was not the simple fact that He was pure and holy as a man which gave the real character, virtue, and excellency to the blood of Jesus. Adam's blood, as he was set in purity in Eden, could not have made atonement. But Jesus was God manifest in the flesh -and it was through the eternal Spirit that He offered Himself without spot to God. But for His being God, His blood would not have availed. Second, the blood was given out in atonement-the way by which God could be just and yet the justifier of the sinner-yet the blood was not in its shedding, taken alone, enough even for this -for (1 Cor. 15:1414And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians 15:14)), " if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." " Ye are yet in your sins." Third, the insufficiency of the life of flesh altogether for the glory is asserted in 1 Cor. 15.50; " Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." And accordingly, though (Heb. 2:1414Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14)), " Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same;" yet He shed His blood upon the cross and rose without blood. And surely it was as new a thing for a man to live without blood, as for a virgin to conceive a child: yet so it was, and He could say (Luke 24:38, 3938And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (Luke 24:38‑39)), " Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." Observe, He could let them here (as with Thomas in John's gospel) handle the body, with the wounds still open-for He was still flesh and bones; though not flesh and blood. And how did the life that was in the blood seem to labor even to sustain the agony of the exceeding weight of sorrow in the blessed Lord! (Luke 22:4444And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:44)) "His sweat was as it were great drops of blood;" so an angel came and strengthened Him. (Ver. 43.) Yes, and it is written, "He was crucified through weakness;" much less was the life which was in the blood found to be the root or sustainer of that exceeding and eternal weight of glory which He brought in, and for which the shed blood opened the way; for the first Adam was made simply a living soul; the last Adam was a quickening spirit. Now though both living soul and quickening life might be found in Him, it was not till He had laid aside the life which was in the blood for atonement-that the streams of the spiritual life began to flow freely. (John 7:3939(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39).) But when declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead (Horn. i. 3), then did He begin to manifest the new life, and its glory, and sphere and bearings; among His disciples: and almost the first word of Jesus risen was, " Go tell my brethren, Behold, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Though heaven and heavenly glory were once and again opened to Jesus, and He was even while on earth in heaven (John 3:1313And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:13)), yet He did not appear actually in heaven in the character of the quickening spirit, save by and after death; for this name bound Him up in one bundle of life with sinners, and He could not quicken save those who were atoned for. I see this also (namely, the insufficiency of human nature) in such passages as Matt. 16:17: John 1:1313Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13); Gal. 1:13: and as in 2 Cor. 5:1616Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. (2 Corinthians 5:16); Though we have known Christ [observe; Christ Himself] after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more." The seeing this-that the whole life and privilege and glory of the church are resurrection things, not proceeding from the life of the blood which Jesus shed, but from the life of the Spirit of the Son, is of great, immense importance. Yet though not found in the life of the blood, they were found by the blood of that life, for but for atonement, Christ could not have given spiritual life or glory; neither could we have received them: and atonement is only in the blood.
I would also notice here that the blood of Jesus, as connected with Satan, the prince and god and living energy of this world, is his death warrant. Abel's blood cried to God for vengeance against Cain. And Uriah's blood cried for vengeance against even David. Assuredly, Jesus' blood cries for vengeance to God against Satan. Yea, it is more than a cry for vengeance, it is the expression of judgment coming upon Satan. " Now is the prince of this world judged:" and as it is the thing which, to the soul standing in nakedness before God, tells of the love of God, and of the rich and varied provision made by His grace for the poor sinner in all his necessities, as before God; as in the world, though not of it; as in the flesh, though not debtor to it; so also toward Satan, it is the thing by which we may resist the devil, and he shall flee from us. (James 4:77Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7).) He knows the blood is his death-warrant, and when presented to him, it is not only an answer to all he can say, but victory over him. (See Rev. 12) If Satan could have killed Adam, when first put in Eden, before the fall, any one would feel that it would have called to God for vengeance; well, he did kill Jesus, holy, spotless Jesus, and shall suffer for it.
Observe, I learn then here, by the blood of Jesus, the true character,
First, of the world which is thus unmasked, and shown to be already condemned.
Second, of the flesh: the thorough badness of which, as it exists in us, is hereby exhibited; it needed His blood for atonement: and the thorough goodness of which in Jesus is thus commented on. First, Though most pure and perfect as a man, the value of His blood for atonement derived its character not from His being a holy man, but from His being GOD manifest in the flesh. Secondly, He gave the life that was in His holy flesh, even the blood (which had, from His being very Son of God, an eternal excellency in it) in atonement to meet God's justice, and give sinners peace. Thirdly, He gives, as risen without blood, honor and glory and immortality, as by and in the Spirit of the Son of God.
Third, Of Satan, as the god of the world; for it is his death warrant.