Joni was a boy who lived in the state of Georgia. Joni had only one sister, her name was Mary. Two years ago Joni suffered from a fatal disease but doctors worked hard and saved his life. Tragically, his sister Mary began to suffer symptoms of the same disease. Her condition suddenly took a most dangerous turn. She needed a blood transfusion. The blood had to be from someone who had survived this usually fatal disease. Because Joni was a survivor of this disease and was fully healed the doctors said that if Joni would agree to give his blood to his sister, her life could be saved. Because of his great love for Mary, Joni agreed to give his blood to her.
Joni and Mary were taken to the operation theatre and lay side by side on separate operating tables. Mary was very skinny, weak, and pale. Her color was just like mustard. There was no sign of life on her face. Contrary to this Joni was healthy, happy, his face was glowing, and he was full of vigor and energy.
The medical team went about completing all the necessary preparation then the blood started to flow directly from Joni’s body into the body of Mary. Life began to peep through the skinny and weak body of Mary; her pale face began to glow a healthy pink.
Joni broke the silence in the room, and with his shivering lips said, “Doctor! When will I die?” The little boy thought that by giving his blood to Mary he was actually giving his life to her.
There is no doubt that there is life in the blood.
Blood is a Universal Sign to be Faithful till Death.
In most of the flags of the world, the red color represents blood. In the countries of South America, Asia, Africa and Europe, we can see the red color in their national flags. It means that any person who is living under this flag is ready to give his life for this flag.
The Importance of Blood in Human Body:
1. In an average human body the blood circulates in thirty 30 seconds.
2. In our bodies the blood fights against all diseases.
3. Blood helps our body to excrete all the toxins from our body.
4. No part of our body can ever survive without blood.
5. An area the size of the head of a pin can hold 5.5 million living cells.
6. The life of a blood cell is 110-120 days.
7. Our body manufactures 2 million new living cells per second.
Our human bodies contain a great and complicated factory which works automatically. We must be thankful to God for it.
Let us observe the importance of blood in the Scriptures.
There are 460 references to life in the blood in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament, just in the books of Leviticus and Ezekiel, there are 362 references. In the New Testament, the books of Hebrews and Revelation, there are 98 references. In addition to direct references to blood there are many related references; for example, sacrifices, altars for making sacrifices—and these references are found 400 times in the Bible.
In Israel it was very essential to pour out the blood on the ground and then cover it with the dust of the ground.
“And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.”
Leviticus 17:13 KJV
“For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off”
Lev.17:14 KJV
There is life in the blood. Life is given back to God. To cover the blood with dust of the ground is the picture of burial.
In the Garden of Eden on the time of the creation God gave Adam His own breath.
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Genesis 2:7 KJV.
Then God, on the second occasion in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Cross through Jesus Christ gave His own blood.
“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground”
Luke 22:44 KJV
“But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water”.
John 19:34 KJV+
The breath and the blood both are the sign of life, in fact they are life.
It is written in the word of God:
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;”
1Peter 1:18 KJV+
“…But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”.
1Peter 1:19 KJV+
Jesus Christ, who was perfect God and perfect man, on the cross shed His precious blood for sinful man. He gave His life and His Spirit that so that through His shed blood and through the sacrifice of His own life we might believe in Him and have life eternal spiritually.
Through the blood of Jesus Christ we have peace.
Peace with God.
Through the shed blood of Christ and his death on the Cross, we have peace with God. He requires that we be reconciled to Himself in order to have peace with Him.
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven”.
Colossians 1:20 KJV+
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life”.
Romans 5:10 KJV+
We were separated by sin but now we can come close to God through his son Jesus.
“And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”.
Ephesians 2:17 KJV+
Now God wants this peace to exist between Himself and men.
Peace with man.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:14 KJV+
We can see in these days there is a great lack of peace between man and man. When man is reconciled with God through Jesus, then God wants the saved man to have peace with others. At the same time God is looking for peace within the man.
Peace within man.
There are some people who torture themselves a lot. In the end they come to such a point that they commit suicide. Through the shed blood of Christ on the Cross, man has peace with God and peace with other people. God also wants man to have peace within himself, that there may be peace, comfort, joy and serenity in his inner being.
In the jungles of Indonesia when certain tribes had a fight between tribes, they afterward would arrange a time of reconciliation and peace. When this peace deal took place, one tribe would give a little baby boy to the other tribe. It was done in remembrance of that peace treaty. This also served as an agreement between them. This child was called the “peace child.” The tribe who gave baby boy had the right, if the other tribe fought with them again or did not stand on its promise, to kill the baby boy. With the death of the child the peace accord or the treaty was then made null and void.
Jesus Christ is the peace Child of God. God sent His beloved Son into this world; He shed His precious blood, to save mankind and to make peace.
The blood of Jesus quenches the wrath of God.
The shedding of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross depicts the judgment and wrath of God.
The blood of Lord Jesus Christ quenched the wrath of God and saved mankind.
In 1999 I was at a meeting in Zimbabwe, Africa. There were in attendance servants of God from fifteen African nations. They had great responsibilities. Some of the leaders were overseeing as many as 250 churches. The late Rev. Ian North, former AFCI International Director, was also there to teach these servants of God. The Lord greatly used his servant Rev. Ian North to touch thousands of lives around the world.
One day we were both in downtown Harare for some shopping. We were talking about the wrath of God. Ian North shared a very beautiful story about the villages in Africa. He said,
“Often the jungles in Africa catch fire. Sometimes someone carelessly throws a burning match stick then this very weak fire or flame, with the help of strong wind, turns into a horrible fire. It burns all the trees and grass; it turns everything into a heap of ashes. Meanwhile there are some straw huts which are in the path of the fire—these are also completely destroyed. Fire does not respect any person. It also kills many animals.
Some elders and experienced people had wisely beforehand, with controlled fire, burned a space in the jungle around their huts and kept it clear. Only grass was allowed to grow back and that was burnt often. When the terrible jungle fire starts and consumes everything in its way, as it reaches the burned or cleared place, the fire automatically dies or is more easily quenched. Now this fire cannot move further; it can give no more harm to the straw hut.
Due to the first fire now the second fire can give no harm and the straw hut becomes safe and secure.”
In the same fashion, Jesus Christ took the wrath of God upon Himself and quenched it so that we may not be consumed.
Those people who accept the sacrifice and the blood of Jesus Christ, confess their sins, and give up trying to control their lives, have complete faith in Jesus Christ. They are saved from that eternal fire and the wrath of God. Due to the sacrifice of Jesus and His shed blood on the cross, our lives are protected from the wrath of God. The blood of Jesus quenches the wrath of God; we are protected from the divine wrath.
May our heavenly father grant us grace to know the worth of Jesus’ precious shed blood on the Cross because in blood lies the life eternal. Amen.
