AMC, Maundy Thursday
Theme: Blood of Jesus
Text: Matthew 26:20-30
Greetings: The Lord is good and his love endures forever.
On this day, I would like to bring out the IMPORTANCE OF BLOOD in human life. Blood is Life, Blood is a sign of redemption, and Blood is an instrument of Victory.
1. Blood is life
Blood is sent around the body by the heart, and it carries oxygen and important substances to organs and tissue, and removes waste products. Blood has four main components: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. There are 8 most common blood types (A+, A-, B+, B-, O+, O-, AB+, and AB-). There is no substitute for blood, and it cannot be manufactured in a lab. The only source for patients in need of a transfusion is volunteer blood donations.
Jacob prophesied the connectivity of Judah with grapes and blood. Wine, from its red colour, is called "the blood of the grape". The juice of the grapes is called the blood of grapes. (Genesis 49:11). Deuteronomy 32:14 says to the Israelites that they ate the pure blood of the grapes.
For the first time Bible mentions the word Blood as the Blood of Abel cries to me after the death, after departed from the flesh (Genesis 4:10, & Hebrews 11:4, Matthew 23:35, Luke 11:50-51 Deuteronomy 19:10 - innocent blood). Job cries “o earth, cover not thou my blood, and let not my cry have no place.”(Job 16:18).
Since blood is life, don’t eat the blood. Whether it is the blood of animals, or the blood of the birds (Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 3:17, 7:26-27, 17:14, Deuteronomy 12:23 - God hates such a person who eats Leviticus 17:10, 17:12). ). It was commanded that they had to Pour the blood upon the earth (Deuteronomy 12:16), and Close it with dust and mud (Leviticus 17:13).
God requires the blood for blood, He revenges to do (Genesis 9:5-6, Numbers 35:19, 21). Hebrews 9:18, 10:29, 13:12, 20 - a covenant was dedicated by blood.
2. Blood is a sign of redemption
Moses gave the instructions to the Exodus community while they were in Egypt to ‘Mark the blood of the lamb on the two sides of the door posts’ (Exodus 12:7, 22-23). It was a sign of the redemption from the first-born killing and a Sign of Passover (Exodus 12:13).
Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people (Exodus 24:8) as a sign of hedge around the people as a mark of redemption.
The blood was applied on the tip of the ears, tip of the thump of the right hand, right toe of Aaron and the sons of Aaron to show that they were slaves to God (Exodus 29:20, Leviticus 8:30, 14:14,17,25). The Blood hollows the body, garments and entire life (Exodus 29:21). Blood is the atonement for the souls (Leviticus 17:11).
Hebrews 9:20 recalls the demonstrative act of Jesus which is in Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:30, 44; John 6:53-56, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:25-27. It is the blood of new covenant.
The blood is the source of forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:7,12-14,) and source of righteousness (1 John 1:9, Revelation 1:5, 5:9, 7:1), it is source of healing, and source of eternal life.
Acts 20:28 says that we are purchased by his own blood (Colossians 1:14, 20). Justified by blood (Romans 5:9). 1 Peter 1:2, 19- sanctification through the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 9:22 without bloodshed no remission of sins.
So, have Faith in his blood (Romans 3:25).
3. Blood is an instrument of victory
Your blood is so precious, your life is so precious, and you are so precious to God. “God will avenge the blood of his servants” (Deuteronomy 32:43). Psalm 79:10 says that the blood of the saints is powerful. God will recompenses the wicked for the blood of the innocent. The innocent may be rich, poor, royal or peasant, great or small, white or black.
Psalm 58:10 says that God will retaliate for the righteous blood. Their blood is precious in the sight of the Lord (Psalm 72:14), for the blood of the poor (Jeremiah 2:34).
We have many examples in the bible:
Concealing the blood is a sin and such shall be cut off from his people (Genesis 37:26, Leviticus 17:14).
- Cain killed innocent Abel.
- Joab killed righteous Abner and Amasa for that he was killed in God’s own time (1 Kings 2:32-33).
- King Manasseh shed innocent blood very much in the Land of Judah (2 kings 21:16, 24:4).
- Luke 13:1 blood of the Galileans Pilate had mingled them.
- Stephen was the martyr for Jesus (Acts 22:20).
Around the world so many innocent are killed day after day. Will the rulers, escape from the bloodshed of the innocent, and saints? No God would take revenge. It is an abomination to the Lord. Hands that shed innocent blood (Proverbs 6:16-19). It’s a curse to shed the innocent blood (Deuteronomy 27:25). Prophet Jeremiah warned King Jehoash “…Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place” (Jeremiah 22:2–3). Ezekiel 9:9 narrates that the land is full of blood.
The blood of the just shall bring famine, defeat and devastation to the nations and countries (Lamentation 4:13, Micah 3:10, Nahum 3:1, Habakkuk 2:8,12, 2:17, Matthew 27:25, Acts 5:28, Revelation 16:6, 17:6, 18:24,19:2). David was forbidden to build the temple because he shed blood of many through wars, great wars (1 chronicles 22:8, 28:3). David cries to God deliver me from blood guiltiness (Psalm 51:14). Gilead was a land of blood (Hosea 6:8). Egypt shed the innocent blood (Joel 3:19, 3:21).
They Overcame with the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:11).
Conclusion:
“Woe, to me if I do not preach the Gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:16) Not preaching the gospel is a blood stains - Acts 20:26.
