Bought with Blood
It’s pretty easy to buy presents for people these days. “One click” on Amazon or Target or Macy’s and the present’s bought, wrapped, shipped and paid for.
But I want you to stop for a minute and visualize something. Use your imagination. It won’t leave a mark…or maybe it will.
Imagine you’re about to buy a present for someone, but imagine the only way you can pay for the present is to sell some of your own blood! Pretend there’s no other way…your regular money and your credit cards are no good. Only by selling a pint of your blood can you get this present. It’s a needle stick, a half-hour on the table, a plastic bag filled with deep red blood drained from your veins, and a cotton ball taped to the pit of your elbow. That’s the deal.
That person and that gift would mean a lot to you, wouldn’t it? You’d only pay that kind of price for someone you love a whole lot, right?
Now turn it around the other way. Think how you’d feel if you received a gift from someone knowing they’d given their own blood to pay for your present! There would be a real gravity about a present bought with blood wouldn’t there?
Blood is a big deal.
Now let’s be really extreme. What if the gift cost 12 pints of blood? Since that’s how much blood’s in your body, the gift is going to cost your life. Imagine laying down on a table, watching the needle go in your arm, and watching as the blood starts to run out. Literally giving your life to buy a gift for someone you love.
Now flip it over. Imagine receiving a gift knowing the person who sent it actually laid down on a table and purchased the present with his lifeblood. You’d be in shock. Stunned. No way to even start expressing gratitude. You’d be freaked out. That gift would be your most treasured possession. Forever.
This is EXACTLY what Jesus did. Of his own volition, under no duress, motivated only by love, He gave all of his blood to purchase a gift for us. We think the Romans and/or the Jews killed him, but his friend John heard him say “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily…”(John 10:18). A gift, given out of inexplicable love for you and me. It’s hard for me to comprehend that God loves me that much. But he does.
And what’s in the box?
Forgiveness…for every single sin. Past, present and future. Forgiveness that puts us in a ‘right-standing’ with God, both for the rest of our earthly life AND for the life that comes after we die. (That means we go to heaven)
We don’t sing much about ‘the blood’ any more. It’s too gruesome and raises too many controversial theological questions. But don’t let the polite, political correctness of today’s church take away the vivid reality of the Son of God giving his 12 pints of blood to buy the gift of forgiveness for you. Jesus horrific death isn’t a fairy tale. It really happened.
Grace is not cheap. It was purchased with blood.
Question: Will you stop for a few minutes today and meditate on the fact that Jesus voluntarily gave his life so we could live? Share your thoughts here.
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Responses (6)
an awesome price for an enemy, a ‘sinner such as me.” Thank you Lord. may I never need reminding of the cost of my salvation!
Amazing that Jesus did this, not just for us but for the people who were actually killing him. What love!
powerful and humbling reminder–thank you
Thanks for the encouragement
Reggie,
Great visual of the price of the cross. Thanks for your work
Doug
Your welcome Doug. Thanks for reading.