Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding
Luke 24:1-6
Louis Pasteur's coworker in the demonstration of what used to be called the germ theory was Dr. Felix Ruh, a Jewish doctor in Paris. The physician's granddaughter had died of black diphtheria, and he vowed to find out what had killed her. The medical association of Paris succeeded in getting Pasteur exiled because they disagreed with his methods of research, but that did not stop him. He build a modest laboratory in the forest in order to continue his forbidden research.
Twenty beautiful horses were led out into the forest to the impoverished laboratory. Scientists, doctors, and nurses came to watch the experiment. Ruh opened a steel vault and took out a large pail filled with black diphtheria germ. There were enough germs in that pail to kill everyone in France. The scientist went to each horse and swabbed its nostrils, tongue, throat, and eyes with the deadly germs. Every horse except one developed a terrific fever and died. Most of the doctors and scientists wearied of the experiment and did not remain for what they thought would be the death of the remaining horse.
For several more days this final horse lingered, lying pathetically on the ground. While Ruh, Pasteur, and several others were sleeping on cots in the stables, the orderly on duty had been instructed to awaken the scientists should there be any change in the animal's temperature during the night.
About 2:00 AM, the temperature showed a half degree decrease, and the orderly awakened Dr. Ruh. By morning the thermometer had dropped two more degrees. By night the fever was entirely gone, and the horse was able to stand, eat, and drink.
Then Dr. Ruh took a sledgehammer and struck that beautiful horse a deathblow between the eyes. The scientist drew all the blood from the veins of this animal that had developed the black diphtheria but had overcome it. The scientists drove as fast as they could to the municipal hospital in Paris. They forced their way past the superintendent and the guards and went into the ward where three hundred babies lay, segregated to die from black diphtheria. With blood of the horse, they forcible inoculated every one of the babies. All but three lived and recovered completely.
They were saved by the blood of an overcomer.
We have been saved by the blood of an overcomer, Jesus Christ. Eph. 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.
II. There are two things I want you to take with you from our look at the resurrection of Jesus Christ. First is that we have forgiveness. In the Old Testament forgiveness was given based on the sacrifice of a animal usually a lamb, but Christ was the final sin offering, the sacrificial lamb. Because of that we have forgiveness.
Secondly, we have hope. Just as the horse in the story was an overcomer, so is Jesus Christ and overcomer, as are we when we are in Christ.
Because Jesus had achieve victory over sin and death, we who believe in him can have hope, because we have that same power. And that power is in the blood.
Possible Illustration, The Bee Sting
A vacationing family drives along in their car, windows rolled down, enjoying the warm breeze of the sunny day. All of a sudden, a big black bee darts in the window and starts bussing around inside the car. A little girl highly allergic to bee stings, cringes in the backseat. If she is stung, she could die within an hour.
"Oh, daddy," she squeals in terror. "It's a bee!" It's going to sting me?" The father pulls the car over to a stop, and reaches back to try to catch the bee. Buzzing around toward him, the bee bumps against the front windshield where the father traps him in his fist. Holding it in his closed hand, the father waits for the inevitable sting. The bee stings the father's hand and in pain the father lets go of the bee. The bee is loose in the car again. The little girl again panics, "Daddy, it's going to sting me?" The father gently says, "No honey, he's not going to sting you now. Look at my hand."
The bee's sting is there in his hand.
I Corinthians 15:55, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"