Jesus took a cup, and after giving thanks
he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;
for this is my blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
— Matthew 26. 27-28
Pilate said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”
Then the people as a whole answered,
“His blood be on us and on our children!”
— Matthew 27. 24-25
We have been chosen and destined by God
and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ
and to be sprinkled with Christ’s blood.
—1 Peter 1.2
The blood of Jesus God’s Begotten cleanses us from all sin.
— 1 John 1.7
God does not demand blood. That’s our sickness.
Jesus’ blood does not make Jews guilty and Christians saved.
The power of the cross is not in the blood. It’s in the forgiveness.
Jesus’ blood—his life—that flows from his heart is his love,
that forgives us all. The blood of forgiveness
is splattered on the guards and their thorns
and the women and their tears,
sprinkled on the men and their hammers
and the disciples and their fear,
falls on the soldiers and their spears
and the onlookers and their deadly silence.
It’s a grisly scene, with blood everywhere,
the blood of forgiveness sprinkled on us all.
None are clean. All are washed.
None are without guilt. All are saved.
Behold the mystery of the cross, the blood of Christ.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
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