THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
Heb 9:11-28
"…and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (v.22).

IN THE PASSAGE, THE AUTHOR SUMS up as well as anticipates some of the great themes of the epistle. The high priestly ministry of Jesus is superior to that of all before Him (vv.11-14). What came before is only a shadowy copy of what Jesus brought and did (vv.23-24). What He did, He did it only once, and it is effective for ever (vv.25-28).

The one thing that stands inseparable from Jesus' work is the shedding of blood. Bloodshed is always associated with violent death. The Israelites were well aware of this as they witnessed the sudden and violent death of the animal sacrifices in the Temple. In order for sin to be forgiven, blood must be shed. i.e. someone must die (v.22). As the old covenant came about through blood (v.18), so the new covenant which promises the forgiveness of our sins was too sealed by blood.

But why this talk and obssession about blood? Doesn't it make our God a blood-thirsty God, and our faith primitive and revolting? Surely our faith should be associated with something tender and beautiful, tears for example. However, God has chosen to speak to man in the language of blood. Why? The answer is simple: though we shudder at the sight of it, blood is the most basic ingredient of life.

One medical doctor, Dr Paul Brand, puts it thus, "Each day we live at the mercy of organisms one-trillionth our size." He refers of course to the blood cell. Another doctor, Dr Ronald J. Glasser, adds, "No matter how we may wish to view ourselves, despite all our fantasies of grandeur and dominion, all our fragile human successes, the real struggle… has always been against bacteria and viruses, against adversaries never more than 7 microns wide." The battles of life and death take place every day in our blood stream.

Though we may not like to see it or talk about it, we cannot deny it is what keeps us alive. What is true in the medical world is also true in the spiritual realm. Without blood, without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin. There can be no spiritual life. When Jesus shed His blood, He gave us His most precious possession, His life. He poured it out in death. We need a fresh appreciation of how much that should mean to us. Let us not be put off by the Bible's pre-occupation with blood. Let us rather be grateful for what God has done.

Do I appreciate Jesus' most precious gift, His blood?