The Life Is In The Blood - January 16, 2011

Speaking about the blood of Christ, scripture says that “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7) and “you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).  What does this mean?

Biblically speaking, blood speaks of life and creation. Adam’s Hebrew name means “red like blood.”  “Eve”, Chavah in Hebrew, means “Live Giver.” Eve came forth from Adam’s bone, just as life bearing blood in our own bodies comes from the marrow of our bones.

Leviticus 17:11 confirms modern biology: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” Our blood carries the necessary oxygen of life to our body’s cells. The Scripture goes on to say: “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.”   The word atonement in Hebrew means to “cover” or “cancel”, as in covering or canceling a debt. In Greek, atonement means: to “reconcile” or “make like one.” Old English captured the idea directly: atonement means quite literally “At-One-Ment.”

Under Moses, the blood of sacrifice had the ability to cancel debts, reconcile the people with God and draw them closer to Him. Jesus taught these truths with His mortal body, giving up His own blood on the cross to cancel the debt of our sins, bring us near to God and make us like one with Him. Speaking about the resurrection of His immortal body, Jesus described the ultimate At-One-Ment: “Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.  (John 14:19-20).”

Jesus’ blood uniquely bore the fullness of the Holy Spirit (Colossians 2:9). Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:20), anointed by the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:10), filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), came into ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14), and literally “became a life-giving Spirit” (1 Cor 15:45-46).

“Holy Spirit” can be translated from the Hebrew as “pure breath.” Just as the blood of our flesh carries the life of oxygen to our bodies, so too the blood of Christ carries the life of God’s pure breath to our spirit selves. How do we learn to absorb the pure breath of God? Jesus said: “the words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life” (John 6: 64).

The word of God is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Words Jesus spoke penetrate into the innermost depths of who we are, to our marrow where our blood is created, and bring forth new life, even changing our physiology. We literally become new creatures in Christ when His blood – that is, the Spirit of God – penetrates and transforms us. We are made healthy and whole, and able to walk in the light as Jesus walked in the light. Like the Apostle Paul, “we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:11).

Abba, thank you for the blood of Christ, that is, the reviving life of Your Holy Spirit that fills us and transforms us to bring health to our bodies, wholeness to our lives, and hope to the future!