“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT
Have you ever heard someone shout ‘Blood of Jesus’ and looked only to see that it was a cockroach or another insect that warranted such a powerful response or maybe you know one or two people who often ‘cover’ things in the Blood of Jesus? In today’s devotion, we will learn the true purpose and proper use of the Blood of Jesus.
In the Old Testament days, the high priest of that time was required to perform certain significant rites on account of the sins of the Israelite community. In Leviticus chapter 16, we see that the high priest would present two goats; one was to be let go into the wilderness as a symbol of the Israelites’ sins being removed from them, while the other goat was to be sacrificed, with its blood offered on the altar of the temple to atone for the sins of all the people. This process was known as ‘atonement,’ and it was done once every year on a selected day.
A close study of the Old Testament in light of the New Testament will reveal types and shadows that point to Jesus and tell of all that He was to do. Just as Hebrews 10:1 says that the Mosaic Law was “a dim preview of the good things to come,” the offering of animals in Leviticus 16 was a figure of the redemptive and atoning work that Jesus Christ was coming to do for all of humanity.
Like the sacrificing of goats that was done under the old covenant, Jesus’ death was to cleanse us from sin and reconcile us to God! As our anchor text says, Jesus is that unblemished Lamb of God that was slain for our deliverance. His blood was poured out for the remission of our sins. (John 1:29, Ephesians 1:7)
It is recorded that Jesus did quite literally bleed on the cross, and in Scripture, “the blood of Jesus” is used to represent the sacrificial death and sufficient work of atonement that He performed on our behalf. Like the popular hymn says, “What can wash away our sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus,” it means that we’ve been made holy, righteous, clean, and new.
So, the blood of Jesus is not to be used as an invocation during prayer, a plea for divine protection, or as a line to shout when one is faced with fear. The blood of Jesus is the basis of the new covenant between humankind and God, and symbolises our forgiveness and the cleansing of our sins! Through Christ’s perfect sacrifice of love, we receive salvation and eternal life. Hallelujah!
Bible Reading Plan: Deuteronomy 10-12