The Blood of Christ All of us who read this article have blood flowing through their veins.  We may not understand much more about human anatomy than did those of the generation of Jesus.  We do all know that we need blood to live.  We all know that without blood we are dead.  In war and in battles people fight and seek to take blood and life from their enemies. In the shadow covenant of old when the Passover was instituted the blood of a lamb whose life was taken was to be used as a sign for protection that was upon the children of God.  This blood was applied with a bunch of hyssop that was dipped in the blood and then placed upon the lintel and two door posts (Ex. 12:7, 13, 22).  Here they were to learn and we were to learn that there is somehow some protection provided by God through the shedding and application of a lamb’s blood.   The idea of blood of itself is to an idea that is to be handled with respect.  Today we have transfusions.  We know today of the different blood types and that tests can be made from blood to determine many health issues. God in Deuteronomy 12:23-24 wants us to understand that blood is the one part of our human anatomy that is uniquely the source of life itself.  That obviously makes blood very special.  Blood is not to be eaten as a food for that would be showing disrespect concerning the issues of life found in the blood.  God had to tell us this.  We intuitively would not know this.  We who love God be it in the old or new covenants want to honor God regarding this issue of blood.  In Acts 15 the Jerusalem meeting concluded that disciples are to abstain from blood (Ac.15:20).   The Old Covenant was to prepare a people to accept God’s perfect provision in the Lamb of God who could take away the sins of the world.  Christ the sinless God/man does function in the universe as the High Priest for all of God’ s children for all time.  He functions not with the shadow imagery of the (Continued on page 2) (Continued from page 1) blood of bulls and goats but rather with the blood sacrifice He made at the altar of the cross.  The anointed one of God (Christ) has now entered not some temporary temple in Jerusalem but into the eternal heaven itself the Most Holy Place once for all with His own perfect blood sacrifice as an offering for us given to His Father.  Christ’s sacrifice does purge us from the idea that we can earn our salvation.  Christ did the work at the cross and gave His life in shedding His blood to redeem and purchase sinners (Heb. 9:11-14).   Yes, we must express faith and do what our Father tells us to do.  But we remind ourselves that we are earning no points in doing what we are told to do.  We are still of ourselves unprofitable.  The things we do to express the real living faith are not any credit to ourselves.  The things we do now to express the living faith are not our works that we should boast but rather are the works of God being done in us.  Let Him receive any glory and honor for the things we say and do.  Keep the focus on the sacrifice of the life and the blood that was given for us. Redemption for the lost human race with its terminal problem of sin is found only and exclusively in the blood sacrifice that was made for you and me at the cross (Eph. 1:7).  Our confidence needs to be found nowhere else.  If that act were not provided for us by our Father and our God then we all would be without hope.  Obviously as we speak of this specific act and deed of Christ we focus upon the essentiality of having a relationship with our Lord.  Let us further remind ourselves of the basic fact, “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins” (Heb. 9:22).   Yes, Christians only are the people who are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Pet. 1:18-19). The blood sacrifice of the cross is God’s idea as to how He will deal with our sin problem where we can have a relationship with Him. Our God is fair, just, and truthful and he does and will fairly deal with sin.  Humanity will either let Him through the sacrifice of His son cleanse us of our sin where we can relate to Him, or we will not let Him have His way and on judgment day we will pay the consequences for our own sin.         Christians every first day of the week remind themselves that they are bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20).          Two elements are used to help us remember the body and blood sacrifice made by Christ for us.  Christians want to do all they can to maximize this idea.  God helps us by reminding us each first day of the week that we are participants in a blood covenant.  We take unleavened bread to remind us of the body that was given at the cross for us.  We take the fruit of the vine (the juice from the grape) to remind us that we are a New Covenant people (Mt. 26:28).  We examine ourselves and remember that if this blood had not been shed then there would be no remission of sins for you and me.  The Christian has an ongoing relationship of support with God because of the effectiveness and power of the blood which gives us life. The Revelation speaks of the significance of “the blood of the Lamb.”  In Rev. 7:14 we learn that Christians are the ones who overcome tribulation.  This is possible only because the application of blood to individual lives is made.   The accuser against you and me is cast down.  Saints overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and their own testimony (Rev. 12:10-11).