Devotion Booklets for Seasons of the Church Year Lent 2019 | Page 47

Saturday, April 13, 2019
By His Blood
Hebrews 9:22
What are some things you enjoy about being in church on a Sunday morning? Sermons that touch your heart
and teach you God’s truths? Music that lifts you up and leaves you inspired? Bible studies where you grow in
knowledge and understanding? The water, wafer, and wine, through which the Spirit works? The
encouragement and fellowship of a Christian church community? And all that blood. Wait…what? Blood?!
We would be more than a little shocked to have the sight and stench of blood welcoming us to church some
Sunday. For Old Testament believers, though, blood was an essential part of worship. As animals were
slaughtered in sacrifice each day, there was no escaping the blood – flowing from the animal’s side, sprinkled on
the altar, or dripping from the hands of the priest. By including sacrifice for sin as a part of worship, God
reminded his people over and over again “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 blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Leviticus
17:11). Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
Yet it wasn’t the blood of those animals that forgave sins “because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and
goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Those thousands of bloody sacrifices were but a shadow of the one
bloody sacrifice on the altar of Calvary’s cross. The blood of Jesus – flowing from his side, dripping from his
head and hands and feet – purifies us from all sin. This once-for-all sacrifice for sins is an act of amazing love
that only God could initiate and only Christ could accomplish. Sin’s burden has been lifted forever.
Now freely forgiven, once and for all by the blood of Jesus, we dedicate our lives to him in praise and
worship. Part of that worship includes being in church on Sunday morning. Hearing sermons that touch your
heart and teach you God’s truths. Listening to music that lifts you up and leaves you inspired. Growing in
knowledge and understanding as you study the Bible. Experiencing the blessing of fellowship with a Christian
church community. Witnessing the work of the Spirit through wafer and wine, body and blood. And in it all,
looking to the cross where all that blood was shed to forgive your sins.
PRAYER: Dearest Lord, forgive me for my sins which put your Son on the cross. Thank you for his perfect
sacrifice of blood by which all my sins were forgiven forever. Let me never stop looking to the blood of Jesus in
my life of worship. Amen.
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