Blood of the Cross

A policeman curbed a speeding car. “The speed limit on this road is 30 miles an hour” he said roughly. “According to our radar, you were traveling 50 miles an hour. I am going to give you a $75 ticket. Now, you can pay this fine at city hall or give a pint of blood at one of the local blood banks.”

The offender decided to give a pint of blood instead of paying the fine. Then he went to the city hall, and presented a slip of paper which showed that he had made the blood donation. Without question, the clerk wrote with red ink across the ticket which had been issued by the traffic cop, “Paid with blood”.

Today, man’s debt of sin is paid with the blood of the cross. Why? Because “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Sin is a violation of God’s nature, man’s nature, and of man’s relationship with God, it must be punished because God is Just. Romans 3:23 tells us “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Once a man sins only life could be offered for sin. Literal punishment of the sinner would kill him. Since the life is in the blood a blood sacrifice must be substituted for the life of the sinner. God said in Hebrews 9:22, “…without the shedding of blood their is no forgiveness”. Under the Old Law God allowed the blood of animals to be sacrificed for man’s sins. But according to Hebrews 10:4 these were inadequate. “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Man must have an adequate substitute offering of blood to be made for his sins. God provided man with such through the offering of His Sinless Son Jesus Christ.

Peter said, we are “redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ” (I Pet. 1:18,19). Why is it so precious? Circumstances make things precious. Extreme hunger makes bread precious, a great drought makes water precious. The Blood of the cross is the most precious thing in the world, because it is the only way sin laden man can pay the wages of sin.

The crucifixion of Jesus on the cross wasn’t the mere shedding of an innocent man’s blood. The crucifixion was God’s payment with His Son’s Blood for the sins of all men. No other blood could have been the atonement for the sins of the world (Hebrews 10:4).

How precious is the blood of the Cross to you? Would you be willing to obey the gospel so that you can realize the full benefits of His saving blood? As Christians, His blood will continue to cleanse us if we are willing to repent and confess our sins (1 John 1:7f).

– Daniel R. Vess

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