When a person or an animal is bleeding, you know that the person or animal will die if the bleeding is not stopped. It’s as if life is draining away. That’s why the Israelites regarded blood as life.

Sin drains life from you. Sin kills. Sin brings destruction and to get rid of the punishment for sin, blood had to flow. The Bible says the penalty for sin is death. That’s it.

Fortunately, God’s people didn’t have to be killed. If they drained blood from something else, like an ox or a goat or a bird, it was enough for a while to get rid of the penalty for all their sins.

But the blood was somewhat skimpy and the ritual had to be repeated again and again. It’s as if the blood was not strong enough to make it to the end and therefore, it wasn’t successful.

That’s why God made another plan. ¹¹In the old system, the animals are killed and the bodies disposed of outside the camp. The blood is then brought inside to the altar as a sacrifice for sin. ¹²It’s the same with Jesus. He was crucified outside the city gates—that is where he poured out the sacrificial blood that was brought to God’s altar to cleanse his people.

Jesus’ blood is royal blood. It’s blue blood. No, it’s more than that: it’s Godly blood. Completely different from the animal blood and even human blood that were too weak.

The Godly blood is more than enough and is the only blood that’s good enough to bear the penalty for the sin of all humankind. It’s the only blood that can make us sinful people acceptable to God.

Jesus’ blood had to drain away. His life had to drain away. He had to die, for you and me, so that we can live. You see, it’s the sin we do that kills us, that drains life from us. The net effect is death.

Figuratively speaking, Jesus came to give us a blood transfusion. We can live again as a result of Jesus’ blood draining out of Him. In a way, it is this blood that makes us alive again and good in God’s eyes.

Jesus was taken outside the city like a criminal. No criminal was hanged inside the walls of Jerusalem. There He had to hang on a wooden cross so that His blood could spill, so that the hourglass of His life could run out, so that God could look at us again.

Then we cannot help but worship Jesus. Then I cannot help but follow Him. Because He gives life. He donates blood so that I can really live.

Therefore: ¹³So let’s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus.

Let’s do it easily with the new blood!

Scripture
Hebrews 13:9-16

Reflection
What does Jesus’ blood mean to you?
What does it do to you?
Can you take the mocking?

Prayer
Jesus, how can one ever say thank you for such an enormous act? How can one say thank you for Your blood that flowed for my sin? I want to live it! Yes, I want to show the world what it means to me that Jesus’ blood has made me acceptable in God’s eyes. Amen.