Question: 

What happened to the dead before Christ shed His blood?

Answer: 

In Luke 10:23-24 Jesus said, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” Though God foreshadowed and prophesied of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament, the prophets of old never enjoyed His presence. In Jesus, the longings of those “prophets and kings” became real.

Immediately following this statement, a lawyer asked the question, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life” (Luke 10:25)? Clearly, even before the blood of Christ was shed this lawyer desired and saw eternal life as obtainable. In the next verse, Jesus replied, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” At his reply Jesus says, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live” (10:28).

Jesus did not declare those who lived and died before His shed blood as being without hope. Instead, He commanded they be faithful to God in the law they were under at that time.

Now, it is true that “the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse one’s sins. However, Hebrews 9:16 declares, “He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” The Hebrew writer declares that the blood of Jesus covered the “called” even under “the first covenant.” A similar passage is found in Romans 3:25.

For this reason, Jesus could openly speak of poor Lazarus being comforted by Father Abraham in Luke 16:22. In addition, Jesus could declare to the thief on the cross, “Today, you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Yet, this is no excuse for Christians to not obey Christ’s commands for salvation today. Paul said, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).

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