Precious blood

I’ve just been having a nice, relaxing lie down.  I must admit, though, that it would have been more relaxing if I hadn’t had a partly inflated blood pressure cuff round my arm and a large needle in my vein.  And of course I had to keep opening and closing my hand, otherwise the blood flow would slow down, the buzzer would sound, and a nurse would come to make sure I hadn’t dozed off!  I have, as I’m sure you have realised, been donating blood.

The NHS Blood and Transplant people are always pleased when I make a donation because, as they remind me from time to time, my blood is special.  Isn’t everyone’s?  Yes, of course, but it so happens that O- blood like mine flows through the veins of only about 7% of the population, yet this is the only blood type which can be safely given to anyone regardless of their blood group.  First responder blood, as it were.  So I can lie and watch my blood flow out through a little tube into a little bag and wonder to which A and E department, or to which ambulance, it might go, and be glad to think that my blood can help save the life of absolutely anyone!

Yet there is blood which is infinitely more precious and efficacious than mine: the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, shed on Calvary, to pay the penalty for the sin of everyone who trusts in Him.

The word of the Lord came to me saying, “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul who sins shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4)

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”   (Leviticus 17:11)

So the Israelites were commanded to offer sacrifices, not because they could take away sin, but because they pointed forward to the One who would.

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins… But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.(Hebrews 10:4,12) 

As Horatius Bonar puts it:  The great blood-shedding has been accomplished: the better life has been presented, and the death of the Son of God has done what all the deaths of old could never do.  His one life was enough; his one dying paid the penalty; and God does not ask two lives, or two deaths, or two payments.

No blood, no altar now:

The sacrifice is o’er;

No flame, no smoke ascends on high,

The lamb is slain no more.

But richer blood has flowed from nobler veins,

To purge the soul from guilt and cleanse the reddest stains.

We thank Thee for the blood,

The blood of Christ, Thy Son;

The blood by which our peace is made,

The victory is won;

Great victory o’er hell and sin and woe,

That needs no second fight and leaves no second foe.

We thank Thee for the grace,

Descending from above,

That overflows our widest guilt -

The eternal Father’s love,

Love of the Father’s everlasting Son,

Love of the Holy Ghost – Jehovah, Three in One.

Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19