At the beginning of this week, one of the television news items called for people to donate blood, especially if they were type O since there was a shortage, due to staff shortages and changes in people’s behaviour since the pandemic. Blood has a limited shelf life and supplies were getting dangerously low. In this country, people freely give blood and are encouraged to do so regularly. Type O is especially in demand as it is universally acceptable whatever one’s blood group.
This call became very real once the horrific stabbings in Southport hit the media. Loss of blood is seriously life threatening and very messy. I’ve never been very good with blood, especially my own. I couldn’t be a vampire – I hate the taste.
Although I understood the imagery, I never liked hymns that talked about fountains of blood and being washed in the blood of the Lord. The visual pictures conjured up, to me are horrific – like scenes from a stabbing or battlefield.
All this talk of blood reminded me about Jesus shedding His precious blood for me. Sometimes we see sanitised artist’s paintings of the crucifixion with gentle trickles of blood dripping from tiny pinprick like wounds on the Saviour’s hands and ankles. I’m sure that the reality was much messier and jagged than that. Roman soldiers weren’t known for their gentleness or sensitivity. The whole idea behind crucifixion was that it was to deter people from law breaking so the nastier it looked, the better from their point of view.
And we as Christians are called on by Jesus to remember this act by drinking red wine as a symbol of His shed blood. It all sounds very grisly.
It is and was but through the shedding of the blood – that ultimate symbol of life – we can live forever reunited with God. Just as a transfusion of blood can save our natural life, the shedding of Jesus’ blood saves our souls forever. Jesus’ blood is the equivalent of Group O blood – universally accepted – free salvation for all. However, the difference is there is no limit to when it can be used and never a shortage.
Hebrews 9: 22b “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”