12/17/11
Greetings, The old saying, “There’s power in the blood,” is as relevant today as it was on the day that the blood dripped from the body of Jesus. Why is the blood powerful? In order to understand the power of the blood of Jesus we must understand the system of dealing with sin that God instituted. All sin had to be paid for, and the payment for sin has always been blood. The first sin—when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—was paid for with blood. This blood was shed when God killed an animal and used the skins to clothe Adam and Eve.
“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21)
This set up a pattern. This pattern followed into the sacrifices of Cain and Abel. God respected Abel’s sacrifice because it was a blood sacrifice. God did not respect Cain’s sacrifice because it was not a blood sacrifice.
“And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.” (Genesis 4:3-5)
Why does it have to be blood? This is a very relevant question, particularly from our cultural standpoint. Most would cringe at the thought of attending a blood sacrifice ritual. The matter comes down to the issue of life and death. The Bible is clear that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). When Adam and Eve sinned, death entered by that sin (Romans 5:12). Since sin brings death, this must be counterbalanced by life. Life is the opposite of death. Where is life to be found? Life is found in the blood.
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17:11)
Where ever there is sin, death is given entrance. When life is introduced, death is defeated. The blood sacrifice introduces life. The blood sacrifice releases the life that is necessary to make atonement for our souls. This is important because God’s goal is to redeem us from death. God calls death His enemy. In fact, God’s ultimate plan is to destroy death altogether.
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26)
In order to crush the problem of sin and overcome death God appointed a solution. A sacrifice was to be made whose blood contained enough life to destroy the power of sin forever. There was only one sacrifice that had the power to do this. God had to sacrifice His only begotten Son, because the blood that His Son carried contained the very life of God. By the shedding of this blood, Jesus would become the ultimate payment for the sins of mankind. The Greek word that refers to the life of God is the Word zoe, and this is the term that Jesus employs in the following verse.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life [zoe]: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:26)
Not only did this life abide in Jesus, but when it was poured out it gave us access to the very life of God. This life was passed down to us through the breaking of His body and the shedding of His blood. This is one of the reasons why communion is so powerful—the wine represents the blood that forever broke the power of sin and gave us access to the very life of God.
“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh [the communion bread], and drinketh my blood [the communion wine], hath eternal life [zoe]; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:53-54)
The word propitiation means to atone for; it can also be defined as an expiatory work. In plain English propitiation is the means by which man is reconciled to God. Jesus, by shedding His blood, became the means by which we were reconciled to God. This is why He is the only door (John 10:9) and why salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8).
“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)
As we begin to understand the power and purpose of the blood of Jesus, a lot of things begin to go deeper. This leads into the concept of the family of God. God is big on family. One thing that all families share is a common bloodline. When God set out to create a family, He decided that He was going to birth children into His own kingdom. This is why we are born again. We must be born into the kingdom of God, and this is a spiritual birth into the life of God. At this point we not only become members of God’s family, but also members of God’s blood line. The same blood that was in Jesus is the blood that works in us.
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Ephesians 3:14-15)
As Christians we are a family united by the bloodline of God. The same life force that redeemed us from sin literally runs in our spiritual veins fueling us with the life of God. This blood allows God to grant us eternal life! In light of this an important question must be asked. How is it that such a supernaturally strong force can be working in us, yet unity among the body of Christ remains a fleeting thought throughout much of Christendom? We truly are blood brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s tap into that.
Discussion
1. What are the wages of sin?
2. How does a blood sacrifice make atonement for sin?
3. What is the meaning of the word “propitiation”?
4. What kind of life abides in the blood of Jesus?
5. What is the role of the blood of Jesus is the family of God?
