I well remember during my first University term being told that the blood transfusion service was in town the next day, to which I shuddered and decided it wasn’t for me. The next morning my friend said he was going and in the cold light of day it seemed weak-willed not to join him. All went well and I was none the worse for the experience. I gave blood the next time but then missed, for some reason, the next two years. By then I was married and my wife, my sister in law and I went one day to give blood. I felt faint as I lay there with my life’s blood draining out of me and so the nurse used smelling salts, which cleared my head instantly. I finished giving blood and had a rest, soon joined by my wife and then my sister in law, so I had a longer recovery time. We went for our tea and I realised I wasn’t going to make it. Embarrassingly I fainted, an ambulance was arranged to take me home with instructions for me to rest. Which I did!
Blood is important and the Bible says ‘the life is in the blood’. We are grateful to those who give blood to maintain the blood banks for the emergency cases. In Australia, James Harrison, was noted for giving blood and donated about 1,000 times doing so every two weeks for over fifty years. He had a rare blood compound which helped save the lives of babies from death through Rhesus disease. It is estimated that he helped save the lives of 2.2 million babies including his own grandson. He was generous, self-sacrificing and concerned for others and many are grateful in Australia for his willingness to give his blood so regularly.
The Lord Jesus was the supreme giver of blood. Upon the cross there was a flow of blood from the wounds inflicted by the crown of thorns, the whips which had ripped His back to shreds, the nails in His hands and feet, the spear that pierced His side. The death of Jesus was utterly horrendous, being a death of unimaginable pain and shame. The pain was excruciating and the shame was intense because in those days death by crucifixion was a terrible way to die and implied the curse of God.
Yet that death is the central truth of Christianity. Put simply “Christ died for our sins and shed His life’s blood that we might be cleansed from sin and be fit to dwell in the presence of God.” Jesus chose to die, refused to defend Himself from the false charges, refusing to argue, beg for mercy or plead His case before the Roman judge, even denying His followers the right to fight on His behalf. He came to earth not simply to be an example of holy living, or a great teacher, or a miracle worker, or a comforter to the sad and lonely, or to build up a band of dedicated followers but to be the Saviour.
This meant that Jesus shed His blood and died so that we through faith in Him might live eternally. As the hymn says, “I gave My life for thee, My precious blood I shed, That thou might ransomed be, and quickened from the dead”. It is worth giving thought to Jesus and His accomplishment upon the cross at Calvary.
Do you want to know more? Please contact us and we will gladly send you a Bible and other helpful literature. We will pray for you. Come back again for another Message of Hope.