There is a lot of talk about blood in this reading. Personally, I’m not a fan of blood. I’ve never actually passed out, but I do get queasy. I would not make a very good nurse. But the focus here is not on injury or gore, but on purification and sacrifice. For us to be worthy of God’s presence, we need to be pure and holy. How do we get that way? It’s nothing we can accomplish on our own. We need Jesus, our perfect sacrifice.
As I’ve said before, the book of Hebrews was originally written to help the new Jewish Christians understand the immensity of what had happened thanks to the blood of Jesus. He writes, “For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” Wait a minute, can’t there be forgiveness between humans without bloodshed? I think the statement is a bit over the top. Suffice it to say, however, that our forgiveness from God is dependent on Jesus’ sacrifice for us. The new covenant came with a price. Jesus paid that price.
Jesus has gone on ahead to the Father. He only had to die once, just as we only die once. What happens after we die? Many fear death because of the uncertainty. It probably comes down to a lack of trust. It may be due to fear. We know we are sinners, and what will happen when we “meet our Maker?” That can certainly elicit fear in the hearts of those who are not totally devoted to Jesus.
When we walk closely with our Savior, spending time in the Word and in prayer, we can have the assurance of what happens next. What eternity looks like in detail, we don’t need to know. We simply put our trust in Jesus to lead us home. Our destiny is to stand before God. His judgment will come.
Have we prepared well? Have we lived our lives pleasing him? Because of what Jesus has done for me, I want only to live a life that pleases God, striving to be more and more like Jesus every day, living with a servant’s heart, knowing without a doubt that Jesus is my truth and way. On that day when I stand boldly before God, I will have Jesus by my side and be overflowing with the gratefulness. He will welcome me home.
When will Jesus come again to take us home? I don’t know. But I know he will. He said so.
Let’s pray. Lord thank you for the blood you shed for me. May I never take for granted the great sacrifice you made. It is because of you that I will be able to live forever with you in your kingdom. What a glorious day that will be when I am reunited with you. You have placed me here to serve you, to love, to be like you, and to tell others about you. Continue your work in me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
We talk about how Jesus is man and God. It’s not that he is “part man” and “part God.” He is fully human and fully God. This is one of those examples where our limited brains cannot conceive the depth of this truth. Either you are one or the other, how can you be both?
Jesus is born. It’s a story we’ve heard many times. I want you to read it again and pretend this is the first time you read the story. There are many people walking around this planet who do not know Jesus, much less how he came to earth. These first few chapters of Luke are pivotal. There is so much wisdom that points to God’s perfect plan to save the world.
