Nothing but the blood of Jesus
by Maria Rudolph
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It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed, but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18,19).
In worship, we are in the habit of singing about really outrageous things without batting an eyelid. In fact, we use words like blood, flesh, pain or slain as if we were singing about flowers, butterflies and the pretty countryside on a spring morning. Music is a powerful way for many to connect with the meaning of Scripture and feel close to God. But I do sometimes wonder if we domesticate the strong language in these songs a little bit too much.
Blood is a word we use surprisingly often as Christians. Even before Jesus comes on the scene, blood is a main feature through the Old Testament. Sacrificing animals to God as a sign of adoration happens with Abraham (who is even temporarily called to shed the blood of his own son). The exodus from Egypt goes hand in hand with the Passover feast, which centres on smearing lambs’ blood on doorframes. Then we have lengthy passages in the Book of Leviticus describing the sacrificial duties of the Levites concerning sprinkling large volumes of blood all over the altar in the tabernacle. We have stories of the Israelites straying from the Lord God and adapting pagan practices of sacrificing their own children, which again involves the shedding of blood.
As we live with Jesus as our King, we are used to Holy Communion, which is the transformation of wine into blood just as Jesus instituted it at the Last Supper. Teaching about the blood of Christ redeeming us literally oozes out of the Epistles. Finally, the Book of Revelation uses blood as a very vivid picture. Saints wash their robes in the stream of the Lamb’s blood, and they come out as white as snow.
Blood! A bit of an awkward thing to talk about normally, unless you regularly go to the blood bank or work in the medical profession. Yet we Christians seem to talk and sing about it all the time. Why? Could it be because it is so central to our faith, such a key feature of our identity? Have you ever pictured yourself covered with the blood of Christ? What reaction do you have to that thought? Once you get over the strangeness of it, can you see that it is immensely comforting – because Christ literally has you ‘covered’? He’s got you covered for everything you may face today or in the future. And you can make use of this special cover by praying the blood of Jesus over the people in your life. Jesus died for them, too, whether they know it or not. His blood covers them all the same. It is part of our role as God’s messengers to help others see this unusual reality. We are all covered with the blood of Jesus, and that is a cover more precious than silver or gold.
Dear Lord Jesus, I stand in awe of the sacrifice you have made for me, while I was still a sinner. Thank you for covering me with your blood and for redeeming me by giving up your very life. Help me to live a life worthy of the sacrifice you have made for me. Amen.
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