The Blood & The Cross

Do you remember this song? "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus, What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus."

It's one of my favorites and it always brings me to tears. The image of Jesus on the Cross fills my mind and it breaks my heart. Here is God Almighty, who came to earth in the flesh for one reason: to save us from a fate worse than death - an eternity in hell. He was beaten and nailed to a tree when He could've called angels to rescue Him.

The Bible says He became sin for us. But have you ever considered what that really means? Jesus, the perfect human, Jesus, the sinless among a world full of sin took on our sins. He never murdered anyone, yet while on the Cross, He became fully aware of what goes on in the mind of a murderer. He saw, felt and tasted the bitterness of taking a human life out of anger, spite, & jealousy. He took on each and every single sin the same way. He became a thief, an adulterer, a liar, a drunkard, a gambler, an abuser, and felt, saw, and tasted each and every single sin we've ever committed.

But He also took on the human condition - hatred, bitterness, gossip, loneliness, despair, anger, and every other negative emotion we ever experience.

It was during this time that God could not watch because God cannot look upon sin. The sky went dark for three hours (Mark 15), it took three hours for our sins to be piled on Jesus. One by one, Jesus was crushed by our sin. Look at the world around us, do you see the sins going on daily? Rape, murder, shootings, drug addiction, terrorism, homosexuality, abortion, divorce, living together without marriage, lawlessness, cops being shot, arson, bank robbery, drug smuggling, human trafficking, child abuse, pedophilia, and so much more. Things that make us angry, feel helpless to stop, and make us cringe at the thought.

Jesus took them all on, in His mind, heart, soul & body. And while He did, the world went dark.

He did that for you, for me, for all of humankind for all time. For every race, creed, and color. Jesus Christ became sin for us. His blood on the Cross is the only way we could ever be reconciled with God. Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb whose blood was required by God in order to save a lost world.

Look at the Cross. Look at Jesus. Remember the blood that ran down the Cross, the single drop that fell on you, that fell on me, that continues to fall on every sinner who calls out to Jesus in the realization that apart from Him, our lives are useless.

God has always required blood sacrifices and Jesus is the final sacrifice. The ultimate sacrifice for this world. His life was required by God to save us from sin  and death. One day your life will be required by God, but it won't be to save anyone. It will be to stand before the Almighty and answer one question - Did you accept Christ as your Savior and let His blood redeem you?

Father, I come to you in Jesus’ name and I apply the blood of Jesus to my life, to all that belongs to me, to everything you have given me to steward. I put the blood of Jesus on my mind, my body, my emotions and my will. I put the blood on my family, my co-workers and my friends. Thank you for protecting me with your blood. Thank you for the drop of blood that fell from Calvary and landed on me. Lord, let everyone who reads this know and understand the power in the saving blood if Jesus. In the Name of Christ our Savior, I pray. Amen.