… by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Summary: The importance of blood is well understood. Without it, we cannot live.
I hadn’t planned on making this passage into a multi-part series. Sometimes, though, the depth of God’s Word seems to bubble over with amazing insights.
To review our original list of Paul’s points:
• Jesus made peace.
• He made peace through his blood.
• He shed his blood on the cross. We have looked at the reason peace was needed and why Jesus wanted to make peace. Now, let’s look at how he did it.
Paul says that Jesus made peace “through his blood.”
What does that mean?
I suspect it means several things, most of which we will never fully understand in this life (Isaiah 55:9). Looking back through Scripture, three meanings associated with blood come to mind.
The first is God’s warning against eating blood. He says, “But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat” (Deuteronomy 12:23). He explains, “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)
Notice that God says, “the life … is in the blood.”
Second is the story about the origin of the Passover (Exodus 12).
Each family sets aside a lamb, and they slaughter them on the same day at the same time. (Based on the numbers given in Exodus 12:37, there would likely have been about half a million lambs slaughtered that night.) The blood of these lambs was placed on the doorframes of the Hebrew houses and protected them from the plague that killed every firstborn in Egypt.
The third meaning has to do with Jesus’ own blood.
After feeding thousands of people with only five small barley loaves and two small fish (John 6:9), the people wanted to make Jesus king by force (John 6:15). Jesus escaped them temporarily, but the next day they caught up with him (John 6:22-25). Knowing they had free food on their minds, Jesus tells them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53).
Under the Old Testament covenant, eating blood is forbidden. What Jesus says makes no sense to the people.
Later, at his last Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus explains. He says, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me,” and “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:19-20).
Application: Like the Israelites on the first Passover, we have to trust in the blood of Jesus.
Food for Thought: What did Jesus expect people to think when he told them they would have to eat his flesh and drink his blood? (John 6:53)
In that passage Jesus talked plainly about Him being the bread of life and made a comparison to the manna in the wilderness that came from God that sustained the people. He is clearly speaking metaphorically about people needed to partake of Him. He is meaning that we need Him to have spiritual life just like we need food to sustain us physically. But many misunderstood and still misunderstand today. I think He knew people would at least initially misunderstand. But for those seeking God and wanting more of God His words are life.
Thanks, Rich!
Your comment makes me think about the “good soil” Jesus talks about in Matthew 13:1-9. For soil to be “good” it has to be prepared. Farmers till the soil, remove the weeds, stumps and rocks, and then plant the seeds. If our minds are the soil, then they have to be prepared for the gospel. Getting people to question things is a way of preparing the soil.
What did Jesus expect people to think when he told them they would have to eat his flesh and drink his blood? (John 6:53)
He knew the response He would receive from each and every person He spoke to.
Romans 8:29, For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
John 6:60, Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”
John 6:66, At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.
John 6:67, Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”
Jesus knew they would not understand immediately, and later in John 16:1-4, He teaches, His words would become clear later.
John 16:5-11, Jesus explains, as He leaves, the Holy Spirit will come and all would receive conviction of sin, righteousness and coming Judgement.
John 16:12-15, When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide them into all truth.
Today, we continue to receive understanding of the truth’s of Gods word as they are revealed to us for our maturing and ministry to others as determined by God.
Ron,
I like your response! Jesus knew what he was doing!!
We can learn a lot from him! 🙂
Blessings.
Chapter of John 6 is amazing. When you read it in it’s entirety you can see Jesus is the Good Shepard. I mean no disrespect, but there is an almost comical air in the fixation that the people have on physical bread. Jesus is trying to get them to understand that God has provided for us for eternity just as He provides for us here on Earth. And the people are like “ok, ok, but when do we get the bread?”
Then they grumbled because they realized they weren’t getting any bread.
I get the definite impression that they were looking for rescue from their circumstance. Jesus offered them rescue from their condition.
I find a similar thought in Acts 3:6:
6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
I think Jesus expected them to think about where life comes from, and where life is going to. To move their thinking from “the now.” His words were meant to resonate in them long after physical hunger could be satisfied. To get them to think about the hunger in their soul, and that God sent Jesus to satisfy that hunger. To begin to think about their condition, why they sought bread, and to understand that He was the very bread they were seeking. That through His blood, He could change their condition, if they received Him.
Chris, Thank you!
I like the way you contrast “circumstance” and “condition.”
I also agree that there is a measure of humor that is part of life. I hope that when God looks down on my life he chuckles while he is saving me from myself.