#159: The Power in the Blood of Jesus

John Wesley was an evangelist who was used by God mightily in the 1700’s.  One night he returned home from a service and was surprised to find an intruder in his home. The thief, however, found his victim to have only a little bit of money and some Christian literature. As the robber was leaving, Wesley called out, "Stop! I have something more to give you." The surprised robber paused. "My friend," said Wesley, "you may live to regret this sort of life. If you ever do, here's something to remember: 'The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!'" The thief hurried away, and Wesley prayed that his words might bear fruit.

Years later, Wesley was greeting people after a Sunday service when he was approached by a stranger. What a surprise to learn that this visitor, now a believer in Christ as a successful businessman, was the one who had robbed him years before! "I owe it all to you," said the transformed man. "Oh no, my friend," Wesley exclaimed, "not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin!"  

Hebrews 9:22 tells us…”without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

When I was attending church as a child we would often sing about the blood of Jesus. I realize it might have sounded strange to an unbeliever at first that a group of Christians would gather and sing about blood. But it was not just any blood, and it was what the blood was capable of that we sang about. We sang, “There is power in the blood” and “Are you washed in the blood?” We sang, “What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus” and “The blood will never lose it’s power.” 

Interestingly, we are not seeing the blood of Jesus mentioned as much today, but there is a truth here we need to understand and believe.

The New Testament epistle to the Hebrews builds the bridge from the Old Testament sacrificial system (and its blood) to the new covenant and Jesus’s once-for-all sacrifice for our sins.

The Bible teaches us that the sacrifices in the Old Testament did not have the power to save men from their sins. The blood came from "goats and calves" and other animals. This was not sufficient to redeem lost man. But before the foundation of the world God had a plan to redeem mankind. God knew that we would need a perfect sacrifice. So He provided a Lamb in the person of His only Son. When the time came and Jesus shed His blood for us. His blood was innocent, pure, sinless blood.

Ephesians 1:7 says that, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”  Because of Christ’s shed blood, God is able to forgive us for our sins and give the punishment that we deserved to Christ.

This truth is expressed beautifully in the hymn, “Nothing But the Blood”:

What can wash away my sin?Nothing but the blood of Jesus;What can make me whole again?Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! Precious is the flowThat makes me white as snow;No other fount I know,Nothing but the blood of Jesus…

God himself, in the person of his own Son, takes on human flesh and blood and offers himself in the place of sinful people, to receive the just wrath of God and pay our penalty in his death, all that we might live. His very life blood was shed for you and I. Jesus died so that we could live.

Not only does this blood wash our sins away, it also gives us access to a personal relationship with God. Ephesians 2:13 says “now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

John Bunyan - “There is “more worth and merit in one drop of Christ’s blood to save you, than in all the sins of the world to condemn you.”

Today’s Challenge: Recognize what a precious gift Jesus has given to us. Let’s trust the blood of Jesus, and not our good deeds, to wash our sins away. Let’s worship God and rejoice in his power to forgive our sins.