The offensive and objectionable blood of Christ - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 22:20,

"In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup
is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'"

This statement by Jesus at the "last supper" is a part of what he
inaugurated, that which became the basis for our celebration of
communion or the Eucharist. Paul quotes Jesus here in his famous
passage in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, "For I received from the Lord what
I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed,
took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This
is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the
same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new
covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance
of me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

It is the part about his blood, that which provides the basis for this
"new covenant" that captures my thoughts this morning. I have heard
from time to time over the years that any religion that focuses on
blood sacrifice is offensive and objectionable. However, throughout
the Scriptures we are told that without blood, there is no forgiveness
of sins. "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given
it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the
blood that makes atonement for one's life." Leviticus 17:11. We also
read in Hebrews 9:22, "without the shedding of blood there is no
forgiveness."

The reason for this is that God is not only a god of love, mercy and
kindness, he is also a god of justice. Sin must be paid for and this
is the horrific reality we are all born into: because we have all
sinned, we all face God's judgment and that judgment is found in a
fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 21:8. Because Jesus never
sinned, he was uniquely qualified to die in our stead. This is the
point the Scriptures teach us, right from the beginning in the
writings of Moses on through to the end of the New Testament. In
Revelation 5:9-10, we read about a song "the four living creatures and
the twenty-four elders" sang, "You are worthy to take the scroll and
to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you
purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and
nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our
God, and they will reign on the earth."

Jesus "purchased men" from God's judgment by shedding his blood on a
miserable cross for us! He paid the penalty for our sins and so his
blood becomes the basis for the new covenant. This new covenant God
has provided makes a way for us into his family, a place at his table:
eternal life! How wonderful the precious blood of Jesus Christ that he
poured out for you and me!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com