Power in the Blood

September 2, 2017

Power in the Blood

Hebrews 13:20-21

“May God, who puts all things together, make all things whole,

Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus,

The sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant

Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd, up and alive from the dead,

Now put you together, provide you with everything you need to please him.

Make us into what gives him pleasure,

By means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah.

All glory to Jesus forever and always!

Oh, yes, yes, yes!”

Just one week after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas many organizations are looking for ways to help out. Just prior to the storm I was contacted by my local blood center saying that it was time to give blood again since it has been about 8 weeks since I gave last. They are always looking to take my blood, not just because they are a blood center but because I have a rare blood type that can be used in multiple applications.

Per my conversation with those at the blood center they told me that they would be giving me a tee shirt for giving blood. I don’t really pay much attention to what they give away as they have given me cooler bags and blankets before, but this particular shirt peaked my interest once they gave it to me.  As I read it, it took me back to an old hymn that I probably haven’t heard in decades, but remember my mom singing when I was a little boy. This is what the shirt read….

                “The Power to Heal is in My Blood.”

As I sat there with my blood flowing into a bag, pondering this saying, I could not help but think about that hymn my mother used to sing many years ago…

                “There is power, power wonder working power, in the blood of the Lamb.

                There is power, power wonder working power in the precious blood of the Lamb!”

It is easy to forget the calling and power of those things we do, but more importantly the things that God is doing through us and the importance of giving that to others.

As I happened to take all of this in I needed to ask the question “What is the true purpose of blood?” Now I know you cannot live without blood, but why?  What is so important about it? So I looked it up and found out why blood is so important to bringing life to our very being.

There are 3 main purposes of blood-

-          Blood allows for oxygen and nutrients to be carried throughout the body. Without the appropriate levels of oxygen or nutrients our bodies would start dying off.

-          Fascinating enough our body produces platelets, which are found in our blood, for the purpose of carrying off waste and bad cells that are throughout our bodies. It is a natural homeopathic remedy to heal our bodies.

-          The third purpose of blood is to create homeostasis. This means to bring life to our organs allowing them to function together in the environment and purpose they were created to function.

As I thought about this a little further my mind raced about many different things:

-          The importance of sacrifice in the Jewish faith and why the Passover was so important.

-          Just how important the sacrifice of Christ’s death was on the cross and His resurrection.

-          And how we can be like blood to those in our surroundings.

First let me expound on the Jewish faith of Passover. The very last plague God instituted against Egypt was the death of the firstborn. You see the first born was the lifeline to both the heritage and future of a family. Without the firstborn son the family would die off.

In order for the families of Israel to be protected they needed to kill a lamb and paint the entrance of their homes with the blood. Back  in those days blood too was consider very holy and depending upon the animal the blood was even more sacred than others simply because it meant life. In Exodus 12 though, scripture talks about the significance of taking the blood and putting it on the door frame for their protection.

Many may not understand the significance and symbolism of the door. Doors where the entrance to a given building but the frame was (and still is) comprised by three separate elements; two door jambs (one on either side) and a lintel or header which is used to protect the weight that is over your head. You see the header is there to give way to the path but the jamb is there to transmit the weight coming down on the header to the foundation so the opening is made without being crushed. Exodus 12 clearly talks both about the header and the 2-jambs or door posts being covered by the blood, we cannot understand the significance of the blood used for their protection. God spoken those very three components to show the Israelites that He was going to be their full protection; above them and beside them and as long as they move in obedience the blood would give them life, protection and direction.

Unless you understand this concept you cannot fully understand the second concept about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Although the church ties the two stories from the Old and New Testaments together very few may pick up on even the symbolism there. First you have a crown which was placed on his head causing blood to flow from above. Secondly you have two posts from the cross which one held his arms as the other held his body. Both posts were covered with His blood due to the severe beating He obtained. It is through the cross (the door) where He shed His blood that we have been redeemed and protected from the weight of sin and death.

All of this brings me to my final point of being like blood to those in our surroundings. It is through the blood that life, healing and oxygen are found. Likewise it was through the sacrifice that Christ did on the cross that we find life (through salvation), healing through His sacrifice (Isaiah 53:5-6) and our breath where He has made us whole.

As I pondered about this I remembered what Christ said before His ascension to His disciples….

-            “Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see- these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on  my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do. (John 14:12-14)

So if you align this with the power of the blood and our mission we need to realize that we are like blood. We are called to breathe life into people and their situations. We are called to bring healing in sickness and in brokenness. We are called to flow out of the abundance of our faith so we can grow and bring growth as God created us to be. When we do this through Christ and move in obedience, having the lintel over our heads painted with the blood of Christ to protect our minds and our ears and the posts (our right and our left) to guard our heart and those who stand by our side. We can then find ourselves in the center of what God designed us to be. We are called to bring life!

CAL