Blood
Blood |
The Bible makes hundreds of references to blood. For example, it teaches,
"You shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man." Genesis 9:4-6
There's a story of a time when this prohibition against eating blood was ignored out of desperation. Even though this was sinful, the Lord made a way for the people to be forgiven. (1 Samuel 14:31-35)
For the Israelites (under the Law of Moses), animals were sacrificed as payment for sins that people committed. That way, people didn't have to pay with their own lives to cleanse their souls. Also, animal blood was used to sanctify things and to seal covenants (agreements). So much so that the Bible says, "according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22) This was all just a temporary arrangement, though, because God knows that "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins."
That's why God sent Jesus, in human form, specifically to shed His blood as a payment for sins. If you've never read about crucifixion, you truly ought to do some research. Jesus went through scourging, first, which was a bloody torture (with some extra pain, like from a crown of thorns on His scalp thrown in for added pain and humiliation).
"If the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason 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 the eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:13-15)
Because Jesus' death paid the price for our sins – remember, He had no sins of His own for which to pay! – Jesus' blood is figurative for washing and cleansing:
Jesus "loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Revelation 1:5);
Elders oversee "the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28);
Referring to the Christians, the Revelation contains this dialogue: "...Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
Jesus shed HIS blood so that YOU don't have to!
Written by InkMan
Quotes are from the New King James Version
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