The Rev. Paul J Cain
Mark 14:12–26
Nothing But the Blood
of Jesus
Holy (Maundy) Thursday, 5 April 2012
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, WY
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
This is the
night on which He was betrayed. Jesus’ Last Will and Testament proclaims: Given
and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
Tonight, we
will sing, “O precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount
I know; Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” That is the well-known refrain of
“Nothing but the Blood,” a hymn by Robert Lowry, absent from Lutheran Service Book. Why? For all the
Gospel comfort it extols, the text fails to concretely locate the forgiveness
of sins. Tonight, the night on which Jesus was betrayed, the Sacrament of the Altar
provides the perfect context for
locating the forgiveness of sins where Jesus has promised that we will find it!
Dr. Luther writes, “So that our readers may the better
perceive our teaching I shall clearly and broadly describe it. We treat of the
forgiveness of sins in two ways. First, how it is achieved and won. Second, how
it is distributed and given to us. Christ has achieved it on the cross, it is
true. But he has not distributed or given it on the cross. He has not won it in
the supper or sacrament. There he has distributed and given it through the
Word, as also in the gospel, where it is preached. He has won it once for all
on the cross. But the distribution takes place continuously, before and after,
from the beginning to the end of the world. For inasmuch as he had determined
once to achieve it, it made no difference to him whether he distributed it
before or after, through his Word, as can easily be proved from Scripture. But
now there is neither need nor time to do so.
“If now I seek the forgiveness of sins, I do not run to the
cross, for I will not find it given there. Nor must I hold to the suffering of
Christ, (as Dr. Karlstadt trifles), in knowledge or remembrance, for I will not
find it there either. But I will find in the sacrament or gospel the word which
distributes, presents, offers, and gives to me that forgiveness which was won
on the cross. Therefore, Luther has rightly taught that whoever has a bad
conscience from his sins should go to the sacrament [of the altar] and obtain
comfort, not because of the bread and wine, not because of the body and blood
of Christ, but because of the word which in the sacrament offers, presents, and
gives the body and blood of Christ, given and shed for me. Is that not clear
enough? (Luther, M.
(1999). Vol. 40: Luther's works, vol. 40 : Church and Ministry II (J. J. Pelikan, H.
C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (213–214). Philadelphia:
Fortress Press.)
12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they
sacrificed the Passover lamb, [Jesus’] (his) disciples said to him, “Where will
you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent
two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a
jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to
the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may
eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper
room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set
out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they
prepared the Passover.
Because of
the shed blood of the perfect lamb on the doorposts of a house when the
Israelites were in Egypt, the Angel of Death was able to “pass over” that home.
A sacrifice of atonement had been made. This is Jesus’ Passover. He is the Lamb
of God who takes away the sin of the world once and for all.
What can
wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.
18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I
say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They
began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?”
20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread
into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been
better for that man if he had not been born.”
The meaning of the question “Is it I?” does not mesh with
the words of Jesus we so often hear this week: “You have said so.” Reword the
disciples’ question this way: “It is I?” Take away the question mark and you
have a confession of sin. We all have betrayed our Lord. We all are in need of
the cleansing forgiveness of the Lord’s Supper.
For my
pardon this I see: Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my cleansing this my
plea: Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after
blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.”
23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and
they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not
drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the
kingdom of God.”
These are the Words of Jesus’ Testament, the new Testament
in His blood, poured out for you. We are not saved by the good we have done. We
are saved by Jesus. We are credited with the good He is and has done in our
stead and by His Words of Promise.
Nothing can
for sin atone: Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Naught of good that I have done:
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the
Mount of Olives.
Scholars tell us they likely sang Psalms 113-118. Psalm 116
is part of Divine Service Settings 1 and 2 in Lutheran Service Book. We rightly praise the Lord for hope, peace,
and righteousness in Jesus Christ!
This is all
my hope and peace: Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my
righteousness: Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
To summarize Dr. Luther: “Christ has achieved [the
forgiveness of sins] on the cross, it is true. But he has not distributed or
given it on the cross. He has not won it in the supper or sacrament. There he
has distributed and given it through the Word, as also in the gospel, where it
is preached. He has won it once for all on the cross….If now I seek the
forgiveness of sins, I do not run to the cross, for I will not find it given
there. Nor must I hold to the suffering of Christ…in knowledge or remembrance,
for I will not find it there either. But I will find in the sacrament or gospel
the word which distributes, presents, offers, and gives to me that forgiveness
which was won on the cross…”
Refrain: O precious is the flow That makes
me white as snow; No other fount I know; Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Amen.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
[1] Luther, M.
(1999). Vol. 40: Luther's works, vol. 40 : Church and Ministry II (J. J. Pelikan, H.
C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (213–214). Philadelphia:
Fortress Press.
