Blood: December 11, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 11, 2012

BLOOD

DEFINITION:

The fluid that circulates in the arteries and veins and sustains life.

SCRIPTURE:

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is blood that makes atonement for the soul. Leviticus 17: 11.

The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7b  

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

There is the old hymn that we sang often in church years ago. The words of the song began with, “What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus?”

Just as the life we have in the flesh is in the blood we carry in our bodies, so the life of Christianity is in the atoning, life-giving blood of Jesus Christ. If the atoning blood of Jesus is rejected and the rejecter willfully rejects accepting eternal life through the blood of Jesus, there no longer remains a sacrifice for his or her sins.

The words of the old hymn above are the key to what has happened to one, who first of all, recognizes that he or she is a sinner and then confesses that sin and asks Jesus to forgive them and come into one’s heart. The reason that we can have that privilege is because of the blood of Jesus.

God sent His Son to this earth to be born as a babe in a manger, to teach us His plan of salvation and then die on the cross, and after three days, rise again. He is now in heaven preparing a place for us. It was His death on the cross and the shedding of His blood that paid the penalty for our sins once and for all.

Today, unfortunately, you do not hear many sermons in our churches about the shed blood of Jesus and why it is important for our salvation. Pastors seem to be fearful to preach this kind of sermon, but again as the old hymn stated: “Nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away our sins.    

The Hebrew word for blood, “dam”, is found 360 times in the Old Testament. Most of these references concern animal bloodshed in making a sacrifice for a person’s sins. A few of these references concern the violent shedding of blood in war or a crime.  In the Old Testament one needed to make a sacrifice of an animal for forgiveness of their sin. This was God’s temporary provision since He had not yet sent His Son to die for our sins. The shedding of the blood of the lamb (animal) represented the giving of one life for another. Jesus gave His life for ours.

In Deuteronomy 12:23 it reads that, “Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat.” This verse makes it clear that blood is a sacred fluid. It represents life itself. On the altar, shed blood pictures a substitute making the offerer right with God.

As we stated above, when Christ came and died on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins through the sacrifice of His blood. There is a crimson thread that begins in the Old Testament and runs through the New Testament. The New Testament focuses our attention on the “blood of Christ,” and does so in the context of Christ’s crucifixion at Calvary. The sacrifices of ancient time foreshadowed Christ’s self-sacrifice.

One of the happiest times in our lives was when our children, and now our grandchildren, made their personal decisions to ask Jesus into their hearts. This is the most significant life changing decision and experience that one can make in life. Now is the time for you to make that decision, if you have not already. Remember: “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” There is no other way!

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Isaiah 53:6.

All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, every one, to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

PRAYER:

Thank You dear God for sending Your Son to this world to pay the penalty of my sins through His shed blood. May my life be an example to those that do not know You and may my words and deeds exemplify Your love for them.