The blood of Jesus - 3

I have been writing about the blood of Jesus from the past 2 posts. I urge you to read the earlier posts before you read this one.

There is a lot of superstition and idolatry being propagated about the blood of Jesus in the name of Christianity. For example, in Belgium there is a festival called the feast of the Holy blood, where a cloth that is believed to have the blood of Jesus, is carried around the city in a procession. When the procession passes by, people fall prostate in the mud before the blood and worship it. Then, they walk around the town with that mud all over their forehead, as a sign that they worshiped the blood today. (Mark 7:13) (Matthew 15:7-9) Now this is only because people do not understand what the bible says about the blood of Jesus.

If that is not all, there is a church in Jerusalem where they claim the cross of Jesus stood. In that church there is a hole, where they say the blood of Jesus fell and from there went to grave of Adam and cleansed original sin. Now, the bible clearly says that Jesus was crucified outside the city, so that church definitely is not the place where Jesus was crucified. And the whole thing about the blood going to the grave of Adam and cleansing original sin is just foolishness. It just makes a good tour package. Now people do not know these things because they do not know the bible. They have Christian names but they have absolutely no idea what the bible says about the blood of Jesus.

We are not preaching idolatry or foolishness regarding the blood of Jesus. There are a lot of churches where people believe that when the cup is raised during communion, it miraculously changes into the blood of Jesus and they all take a bow at it.  Jesus did speak about how we need to eat his flesh and drink his blood and a lot of his disciples did not like it. (John 6:53). That is because they taught Jesus was preaching cannibalism, when in fact He was speaking about Spiritual things. That is why Jesus says in a later verse: It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. (John 6:63). What Jesus was saying is this, if you eat my flesh and drink my blood it will do you no good. What I am saying is spiritual and is not be taken literally. 

I do not bow when I see the cup of wine raised because that would amount to idolatry. (Exodus 20:4-6). I simply partake of communion and I know very well what it stands for. The bread stands for the body of Christ that was broken for me. The wine stands for the blood of Jesus that was shed for me on the cross. When I partake in communion I remember the sacrifice of Christ and all that it has done for me. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

So what do we believe about the blood of Jesus? 

To begin with the blood of Jesus is in heaven. Jesus deposited his blood in heaven after his resurrection as evidence that the sins of the whole world have been paid for. (Hebrews 12:22-24). Secondly, it is the blood that cleanses us and there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. (Leviticus 17:11) (Hebrews 9:22).

The bible also says the blood of Jesus in heaven speaks better things than the blood of Abel. The blood of Abel speaks for revenge but the blood of Jesus in heaven speaks for mercy for all the people of the world. The following scriptures should make things clearer:

Hebrews 12:22-24

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Hebrews 9:21-28

Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.