Christ is the Shedder of the better blood to enact the new covenant. The new covenant required the shedding of the blood of the God-man, the shedding of the blood of Jesus, the Son of God (1 John 1:7). The efficacy of this blood is eternal, and its application has no limit either in space or in time. This is the better blood by which the new covenant was made.
Hebrews 9:22 says, “Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Without forgiveness of sin there is no way to fulfill the requirement of God’s righteousness that by it the covenant may be enacted. But Christ’s blood has been shed for the forgiveness of sin, and the covenant has been enacted with His blood (Matt. 26:28). We are told in Hebrews 12:24 that Christ’s blood “speaks better than that of Abel.” This precious blood speaks to God for us that by it the new covenant may be enacted. Hence, it is called “the blood of an eternal covenant” (Heb. 13:20).
Hebrews 9:12 says, “Nor through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, entered once for all into the Holy of Holies, having found an eternal redemption.” In the old covenant the blood of goats and calves only made atonement for the people’s sins (Lev. 16:15-18); it did not accomplish redemption for their sins, “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). In Hebrew the root of the word for atonement means cover. Thus, atonement means to cover, not to take away sins. Because Christ as the Lamb of God took away the sin of the world (John 1:29) by offering Himself on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins once for all (Heb. 10:12), His blood, which He sprinkled in the heavenly tabernacle, has accomplished an eternal redemption for us, even the redemption of the transgressions under the first, the old, covenant (Heb. 9:15), which transgressions were only covered by animal blood. Hence, we have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19).
Hebrews 9:14 says, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” The blood of Christ purifies our conscience to serve the living God. To serve the living God requires a blood-purified conscience. The living God, whom we desire to serve, always comes to our spirit (John 4:24) by touching our conscience, the leading part of our spirit. God is righteous, holy, and living. Our defiled conscience needs to be purified so that we may serve Him in a living way. In order to contact this living God we need to exercise our spirit and have a blood-purified conscience. The blood of Christ was shed for the forgiveness of sins (Matt. 26:28), and the new covenant was consummated with it (Heb. 10:29; Luke 22:20). It has accomplished eternal redemption for us (Eph. 1:7) and has purchased the church for God (Acts 20:28). It washes us from our sins (Rev. 1:5; 1 John 1:7), purifies our conscience, sanctifies us (Heb. 13:12), and speaks better things for us (Heb. 12:24). By this blood we enter the Holy of Holies (Heb. 10:19) and overcome Satan the accuser (Rev. 12:10-11). Therefore, it is precious and better than the blood of goats and bulls (Heb. 9:12-14a). We must highly value it and should not regard it common as animal blood.
Hebrews 12:24 says that “the blood of sprinkling… speaks better than that of Abel.” This is the blood of the eternal covenant (Heb. 13:20), with which the new and better covenant was enacted. By this blood Christ cleansed the heavens and all things in the heavens (Heb. 9:22-24). The blood of Christ not only redeems, sanctifies, and purifies; it also speaks. It is the speaking blood, speaking better than the blood of Abel. Abel’s blood speaks to God for accusation and vengeance (Gen. 4:10, 15), whereas Christ’s blood speaks to God for forgiveness, justification, reconciliation, and redemption. Moreover, this precious blood speaks to God for us saying that by it, as unveiled in the book of Hebrews, the new covenant, which is eternal, has been enacted, and that in this new covenant God must give Himself and all His blessings to the believers in Christ who receive this covenant by faith.
Hebrews 13:20 says, “The God of peace who brought up from among the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of an eternal covenant.” This verse indicates that it was by the blood of the eternal covenant that God raised Christ from the dead. All that God has ordained has been covenanted to be our portion. This portion is actually God Himself with His nature, life, and attributes. The blood of Christ, therefore, brings us into God to enjoy Him as our portion.
The blood of the covenant is not mainly for forgiveness; it is primarily for God to be our portion. God has ordained and predestinated us to enjoy Him. This enjoyment has been covenanted to us through the new covenant enacted by the blood of Jesus Christ, the blood that brings us into all the divine blessings. Yes, the blood cleanses us from our sins. But even more important than this, the better blood of the new covenant brings us into the very God who is our portion for us to enjoy.