A Guest Article
Craig Henderson
Medicine defines the blood as a vehicle
for transporting nutrients, cellular wastes, hormones, electrolytes
and other substances throughout the body. The blood is a stream
for feeding and cleansing each cell in the body. It also acts
as a post office, carrying special biochemical messengers to special
destinations in the body.
Scripture says that the life is in the blood (Lev 17:11). When
the blood is drained from a body there is no more life left in
it. The believer knows that the Blood of Christ has special meaning
and life. It washes us from our sins (I John 1:9), it redeems
us (Eph. 1:7), it gives us the new covenant (Luke 22:20), it gives
us eternal life (John 6:54), it is the payment of the penalty
of our sins (Rom. 3:25), it is our justification (Rom 5:9), it
has brought us near to God (Eph 2:13), and it is the power to
overcome (Rev 12:11).
Human blood never rests. It never stops cleansing and feeding
each cell in the body from the moment we are born until we die.
Each cell is bathed in this cleansing stream throughout its entire
life span, and owes its moment-to-moment existence to this never
ending supply stream.
This simple truth applies also in the Body of Christ. No cell
in the Body can pull back from this nourishing stream and hope
to survive. Every individual cell in the human body is dependent
upon the bloodstream for its nourishment and life. This is also
true in the Body of Christ. God has designed His Body so that
all of us are forever dependent upon His Blood for our spiritual
life.
Divine Blood also never rests. It is ready and available to provide
all of our needs at all time. Since we as individual believers
are all cells in the Body of Christ, we need to be washed and
fed by the Blood moment-to-moment just like the cells are in the
human body. There is no other method of provision for our existence
than through the Blood. However, there is one important difference
between the physical cells and our spiritual existence. We can
exercise our free will and pull back from the Blood if we choose.
We can choose to be independent of its influence. Tragically,
many who start with the Blood fall away because of deception,
pride, self interest, lust, money and other distractions. Such
separation is just as deadly spiritually as is a loss of blood
supply in the physical body.
In the human body, when the blood supply fails to feed any tissue,
whether it is a microscopically small area or a much larger area,
that area immediately undergoes cell death. This is what happens
in the case of a stroke or a heart attack. In the stroke, a blood
clot in the blood stream plugs up an artery in the brain. All
the brain tissue that was depending upon this artery to feed it
suffers immediate death from lack of oxygen. If it is a small
stroke it won't affect brain function much, but if it is a large
clot, then more brain tissue dies. Massive strokes can lead to
death. In the heart, the clot causes death of heart muscle. Again,
a small clot causes a small area of damage, and larger clots produce
larger areas of damage. Likewise, massive clots in the heart cause
massive heart attacks which can be fatal.
From these examples it should be obvious that the human body has
no back-up system to use if the bloodstream fails. Death is the
inescapable result. So should it be obvious that any believer
that separates himself from the Blood will find spiritual death
just as inescapable. Any preacher or teacher who says that the
Blood is not relevant any more is talking foolishness. Without
the Blood there is no life in Christ. And there is no alternative
therapy that can substitute for the Blood. If you have based your
salvation on anything but the Blood you are in danger of spiritual
death.
NOURISHMENT THROUGH THE BLOOD
Now let's see just how the blood
provides nourishment for the entire body. Scripture says that
first comes the physical, then the spiritual (I Cor 15:46). In
the physical body the blood uses a process of exchange to accomplish
its work. It goes like this: a red blood cell travels through
the lungs until it reaches a very thin membrane which separates
the blood from the air moving through the lung. This membrane
is so thin that the red blood cell can absorb oxygen from the
air through it. The hemoglobin in the red blood cell latches on
to the oxygen and holds it for the long journey to the various
parts of the body. At this same time the red blood cell is releasing
its load of carbon dioxide through the membrane out into the lung
to be exhaled. The red blood cell never stops during this process.
This process happens while it is moving through the very small
vessels in the lung, being pushed along by the force of contraction
of the heart beat. The Creator made sure that there would be enough
time for all the red blood cells to complete their exchange before
they leave the lungs.
Once they leave the lungs, they travel to every organ, tissue
and system in the body, making sure that each cell has its needs
met at all times. The path that the red blood cell takes after
it leaves the lungs appears to be random, but each red blood cell
is guided by the Creator so that each cell in the body can receive
its full nourishment of oxygen and can also release its load of
carbon dioxide to the red blood cell, so it can be transported
back to the lungs to be exhaled. If this nourishing stream ever
stops, then the level of carbon dioxide quickly builds up to poisonous
levels in the cells.
Now, let me pose what sounds like a silly question. What would
happen if the body tissues wanted to hang on to their carbon dioxide
and not go through the process of exchange with the blood.? The
answer to this question is so obvious that it appears absurd.
The body tissues would die and death of the entire body would
soon follow. It is obvious what would happen in the human body
if any of the body parts refused to allow this exchange through
the blood. Now let me ask the same question of the Body of Christ.
What happens when a believer refuses to give up his sin to the
cleansing power of the Blood? What would happen if he stubbornly
refused to release his sin and let the Blood cleanse and renew
him? He would loose the only provision God has made for cleansing
from sin. Nothing else in the world can substitute for the cleansing
power of the Blood of Christ. If a sinner refuses to release his
sin and be cleansed by the Blood then he stays in spiritual death.
In the human blood each cell must release its toxins to the cleansing
power of the blood. In the Body of Christ each believer must release
his or her own personal sin to the cleansing power of Christ's
Blood. In return, he receives not just cleansing, but eternal
life, deeper sanctification, and the very presence of Jesus within.
Who would not want such an exchange? Anyone foolish enough to
want to retain his sin and refuse the exchange of the Blood is
a fool indeed.
The sad truth about human nature is that people are so deceived
that they would rather keep their sins and shut Jesus out. All
the saving power of God can be brought to a complete stop by a
simple exertion of the human will against what God wants to do
for the soul. Just as human blood will never force its life giving
nutrients upon any cell, so He will not force Himself into the
life of anyone. It is up to each individual cell to partake of
this life giving stream, both in the human body and in the Body
of Christ. It remains with each of us and our free will to partake
of the riches He has for us.
CELLS IN THE BLOOD
In order to do this it takes a vast number of red blood cells,
all committed to doing the same job. Where do they come from?
The answer to this question reveals one of the most awesome displays
of the Creator's genius in the entire human body.
Red blood cells are made in the bone marrow. There are usually
5-6 million red blood cells per cubic milliliter of blood in the
man and 4-5 million in the woman. They last about 120 days before
they wear out. Inside the bone marrow there are untold millions
of cells that are constantly reproducing new red blood cells.
In fact, the average size adult human body is turning out around
3,000 new red blood cells per second!
In each of these cells is the hemoglobin mentioned earlier. Each
hemoglobin molecule contains over 600 amino acids which have to
be laid out according to a precise blueprint. If even one of the
amino acids is placed out of sequence a fatal blood disease can
result. This is how sickle cell anemia originates. In sickle cell
there is only one amino acid out of its proper sequence, but this
small change can cause sickness and even death to the body.
From this amazing example it should be obvious that there are
no unimportant cells in the bone marrow. Each microscopic cell
is needed to accomplish the job of making enough red blood cells
to nourish the entire body. If even a few of these bone marrow
cells malfunction then the whole body can become quite ill. This
is where leukemia starts. When the bone marrow cells start making
too many cells or make cells that are malformed and unable to
do their job correctly, then the whole body suffers from leukemia.
Medical science is full of such examples of whole body sickness
caused by malfunction of one small part of the body.
COOPERATION HELPS ALL OF US
One simple truth that is seen over
and over in the study of human physiology is that of interdependence
and cooperation between body parts. When seeing the many parallels
between cooperation in the human body and God's plan for cooperation
in the Body of Christ, it is easy to conclude that many, many
believers are dependent upon a few cells for their maintenance
and nourishment. In fact this could be made personal by saying
that many believers are dependent upon your proper function in
the body for their spiritual nourishment. You do not have to be
a famous evangelist to have a vital role in the Body. Nor do you
have to have direct contact with believers to have a life giving
role in their lives. Simple, loving obedience to the Head in your
own personal life will have profound, far reaching effects for
good in the Body of Christ.
The idea behind all human physiology is cooperation, and this
should be the overriding idea behind all function in the Body
of Christ. This example of how the blood is made in the bone marrow
should serve to reinforce this idea. I know that this concept
is hard to grasp at first, because each of us will say, "But
I have such a small part in the Body." That is true. You
do have a small part, but it is a life giving part. How can we
have a body without blood? And how can we have blood without these
bone marrow cells to make the blood cells for us? The bone marrow
cells do not see the full fruit of their obedience. They will
never have the vision to fully appreciate the glorious importance
of their work. This is how it should be. We are not supposed to
see the whole picture now. We are supposed to do our 'small' job
and leave the final results to the Head.
I hope that by now you are beginning to see how important it is
that each cell in the Body of Christ performs its pre-ordained
role for the good of the whole body. Jesus has deliberately built
into the human body such microscopic precision and interdependence
as a model for the cooperation of all believers. He will not be
completely satisfied until there is just as high a degree of precise
performance and cooperation in His Body. The minutest details
of your life and walk with Him are important to Him because He
knows how your walk of faith and obedience will add to this overall
harmony. From the example of the bone marrow it can be argued
that there is no such thing as a small sin to Jesus. The small
things become very important when they are withheld from the Body.
EXCHANGE THROUGH THE BLOOD
The blood is constantly active in the process of exchange already
mentioned. Not only are the red blood cells exchanging oxygen
for carbon dioxide in the lungs, but other parts of the blood
are exchanging waste products for nutrients in each cell. This
process is quite complex in its entirety, but lets look at just
a few parts of this life sustaining process.
When you exercise a muscle to the point of fatigue often you feel
a burning in the muscle. This is caused by the buildup of lactic
acid in the muscle. Lactic acid is a by-product of normal muscle
contraction, and when it accumulates it can be mildly toxic to
the muscle. Fortunately, when it builds up during intense contractions,
it is quickly swept away by the bloodstream and transported to
the liver where it can be changed and used for fuel. Without this
constant cleansing of the muscles even simple muscle movements
would be nearly impossible because of pain. The blood is constantly
exchanging the lactic acid for nutrients that the muscles can
use for further activity. This principle of exchange is seen in
everything the blood does for the body.
Have you ever considered how many exchanges were made by the Cross
and the Blood of Christ? We are going to explore this idea, but
first let me say that I wish to thank Derek Prince for first introducing
me to this idea of the exchange that occurred at the cross. When
I first heard this teaching on one of his tapes it really helped
me to see more of the fullness of Christ's work for me. If you
wish to have a complete study of the exchange at the cross please
contact him at Derek Prince Ministries, Box 300 Fort Lauderdale,
Fl. 33302. These are some of the exchanges that took place on
the cross:
1. 2 Cor 8:9 says he became poor so that we might become rich.
2. Eph 2:6 states, "He has exchanged our residence on earth for eternal residence in heaven in Christ," and verse 13 states that He has traded our distance from God for His nearness.
3. Col. 1:13 says, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love."
4. Rom 6:6,8 says, "Our old man was crucified that the new man (Christ) could come to life in us," also v 14, we are moved out from under the law and into grace.
5. Phil 2:6-11 states, "Jesus exchanged His place of rulership in heaven for a life with us on earth."
6. Isaiah 53:5 says, Jesus received the punishment that was due to us. He suffered in our place.
There are many more examples of this principle of exchange through the blood of Christ. I would invite you to make your own personal list. Such a study will strengthen your faith in Christ and His Blood. Keep in mind that human blood was designed and created for this principle of exchange and so is the blood of Christ. First the natural exchange, then the spiritual.
WHAT THE BLOOD IS DOING FOR YOU
Now let us consider the blood from another perspective. The blood has many other roles besides the nutrient exchange already mentioned. It is capable of doing many things at the same time. At any one time your bloodstream is doing all of these:
1. Feeding your leg muscles with the proteins they need to contract, as you work throughout the day.
2. Delivering hormones to the digestive organs to trigger the release of digestive enzymes.
3. Fighting infections in the lung from pollen, smoke and air pollution.
4. Feeding the brain exactly the right amount of blood sugar for mental activity.
5. Transporting toxins from your food out of the digestive tract to the liver.
6. Carrying white blood cells to areas of inflammation. This could be a small area of tenderness in your gums, or a major insult like a sprained ankle.
7. Providing enough blood pressure to the brain to maintain consciousness.
8. Carrying thyroxin hormone from the thyroid gland to each cell to set proper body temperature.
This list could go on and on. Thousands
of special, unique functions are occurring simultaneously in the
human bloodstream. There is only one bloodstream but each of these
thousands of functions are occurring at the same time under the
control of the head.
This same principle is true of the Blood of Christ. It is capable
of meeting unique, personal needs all over the globe at the same
time. These needs are all different in different parts of the
world. Different churches, nationalities, economic environments,
and levels of political freedom require different ministries from
the Blood. But the blood is so diverse, so all nourishing, so
complete for each believer that not one single need in one single
church anywhere goes unmet. The Blood of Christ is all sufficient
for all believers of all time. Just as your blood is always nourishing
each of your cells, so is the Blood of Christ nourishing each
believer throughout the world.
The divine Blood of Christ is doing all these functions at the
same time:
1. Salvation of young people in Puerto Rico
2. Sanctification of teenagers in Montreal
3. Spiritual warfare to defend elderly believers in China
4. Giving the power to overcome to pastors in Mexico City
5. Delivering from pornography in Denver
6. Defeating Muslim principalities and powers over the former Russian empire.
7. Healing Aids victims in Africa
8. Providing protection from fear to a child in New York
Do you begin to see the marvelous
ongoing parallel that exists now between the human blood and the
divine blood? Just as the human blood is busy doing countless
numbers of jobs, to meet all the body's needs all at the same
time, so is the divine blood, the Blood of Christ, constantly
at work providing for the spiritual needs of all believers all
over the earth.
This nourishment is different for each individual cell in the
body. No two will receive exactly the same sustenance. Each has
slightly different needs so each receives a slightly different
nourishment from the blood. What is nourishing and essential for
one group of cells is cast off as unimportant by other groups
of cells. For example, the lactic acid mentioned earlier that
results from muscle contraction is mildly toxic to muscles but
can be metabolized as fuel by the liver and heart.
All cells need the basic nourishment of protein, fats, carbohydrates
and water from the diet, but beyond these basics each cell has
the unique and God given ability to receive special nutrients
from the blood that will be especially important to them. Science
still does not know exactly how each cell does this.
Throughout the course of it's life each organ has differing needs
for proteins, fats, and sugars. If one organ needs more sugar
than others it can easily obtain this from the ever present blood
stream. God has already put those nutrients at it's doorstep.
God has seen the need beforehand and has already provided it in
the blood. This is a good example of how God is Jehovah-Jireh,
the one who supplies all of our needs.
What is true in the natural is also true in the spiritual. God
knew before the foundation of the world that His children would
have differing needs for spiritual food, and He provided for all
these needs in His Blood.
If one believer needs more mercy than others, it is already available
in the Blood. If another believer needs more purification than
others, it is already available to him in the Blood. All these
believers have to do is to open up and receive the perfect recipe
for perfection that has been prepared for them in the Blood. What
they actually receive from the blood will be different but the
end result is the same: the Blood is abundantly able to feed and
nurture both of them to perfection.
THE SMALL AND THE GREAT
The hormone system produces chemical messengers that are released
into the blood, but only affects a few organs. The other organs
ignore these chemicals. How do the cells know which ones to receive
and which to ignore? Science does not know. But we do know that
each cell does have this innate ability to receive what is especially
intended for it from the bloodstream. Likewise, each believer
should know how to receive his special personal needs from the
Blood by believing that God has already put them there for him.
Just as Jesus put an innate ability into each cell to take and
receive from the blood what it needs, so will He give to you the
ability to receive exactly what you need at each moment in your
spiritual life.
Perhaps the Blood of Christ is ministering a different message
to you than to others in your church. Are you wrong? Are they
wrong? Probably not. While we all share the basics of salvation,
the Blood could be doing a personal and unique work in you that
perhaps you don't see in fellow believers around you.
When you see this happen, don't thing that you are being led astray.
No, rather, you are being fed with special food from the Blood
for a special work. Others may ignore this special nourishment
but you cannot because it is doing a special life giving work
in you that God has called you to. Praise God! He always provides
the tools and resources needed for each believers special work.
As long as a believer is receiving his life and food from the
Blood he will be completely nourished, even though it may appear
that he is growing spiritually in a manner different from others.
Just as many different body parts are all nourished for growth
by the blood, so is Jesus feeding and raising up many different
kinds of believers for many different roles in His Body.
No cell can dare be ignored lest the body become sick, and no
believer will ever be ignored by the Savior and His Blood. Jesus
has promised us that He will always take care of us and His provision
is always through His blood.
IMMUNITY, HUMAN AND DIVINE
One more very important function
of the blood is to provide immunity against infections. The blood
carries in its life giving stream many specialized proteins and
other substances that provide a protection against infection for
all other cells in the body. This is a defensive function that
is designed to keep infection from gaining a foothold in any of
the tissues or systems of the body. Anywhere the blood goes it
carries with it this protective feature.
How does immunity occur? It happens through a blood reaction after
first exposure. Let's take the common example of the measles.
Measles is a relatively harmless disease of childhood, which most
children will be exposed to before they grow up. During this first
exposure the virus will enter the bloodstream triggering a full
response by the white blood cells. This response is similar to
the riot squad arriving on the scene of an urban conflict. These
white blood cells have an aggressive, militant attitude about
any invader they find. They do not come just to talk. They come
to neutralize and kill.
The white blood cells will analyze the shape and character of
the proteins on the outside of the virus and will figure out a
way to neutralize them so that they cannot cause any damage to
tissues in the body. Once this process is completed the child
will not only be able to fight off the present infection of measles,
but also has become immunized against further measles attacks.
This immune memory in the white blood cells will last for the
rest of the child's life. Should he be exposed to the measles
virus at any time after this initial exposure, his immune system
will mount such an effective counterattack that he will probably
not even feel sick.
How does this relate to the Blood of Christ? Heb 2:17-18 says:
"Therefore in all things He had to be made like His brethren,
that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things
pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able
to aid those who are tempted."
When Jesus was made like us and was born of a woman into a physical
body, this was His first exposure. He made contact with all forms
of sin and temptation but yielded to none of them. The important
difference here is that Jesus was exposed not just to physical
disease, but to all the effects of sin in a fallen world so that
He could bring the remedy for each one to us through His Blood.
While on earth Jesus knew hunger, thirst, poverty, loneliness,
betrayal by a friend, political persecution, desert heat, temptation,
disappointments by those closest to Him, harassment by religious
people and finally intense physical pain culminating in His death.
You may be assured that whatever sin or life problem you are facing,
Jesus has faced it already and has the perfect remedy in His Blood.
There is no human need of any kind that does not find its provision
in the Savior's blood. Through it we have been given all that
pertains to life and godliness (II Peter 1:3).
Remember that Jesus was tempted in all points just as we are,
yet He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15) and we have His Blood, therefore
we have the perfect remedy for sin. When Jesus lived on earth
He made contact with all forms of sin and every curse from the
fall.
Remember also that Jesus became 100% man. He did not ignore the
smallest details of humanness in His life on earth, so that His
provision for us could be 100% perfect. He embraced the entirety
of man's fall when He came to earth. All the darkness, loss, and
evil that resulted from Adam's fall fell squarely on His shoulders.
The New Age is looking for a teacher or Master that will come
from heaven to earth and will be ultraspiritual. They want a savior
that is all heaven and no earth. But Scripture was careful to
say that Jesus had to be made like His brethren so He could have
compassion that was produced by His own personal experiences on
earth.
When I was a young believer, Bible teachers would tell me how
human Jesus was. I would think, "So what. I am human, too,
and I don't like it one bit. Tell me about His divinity and His
sinless perfection." But now I see that if He had not become
100% man, then we could not identify with Him as a fellow human
being who knows and understands what our problems are. "He
can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray,
since He Himself is also beset by weakness" (Heb 5:2).
What does it mean to be immune? One thing it does not mean is
that you will never have to be exposed to an infectious agent
again. Someone who is immunized does not say, "I am so strong
that they would not dare attack me." That is foolish and
proud. What you can say is, "I have been exposed to that
before and if it attacks me again my body knows how to fight it
and will certainly prevail against it so I won't have to suffer
again."
The believer has an even better response: "I have never faced
this sin or problem before, but I am in Christ and He has faced
it before and my defense is found in His Blood. In His Blood I
will find all provision and defense that I need because His Blood
is perfect and perfect blood provides perfect immunity."
Having spiritual immunity does not mean we will never be attacked.
What it does mean is that we have abundant weapons to prevail
in a fight (II Cor 10:4). As long as any believer is in this world,
he will be subject to attack from the world, the flesh and the
devil. But he may have every confidence that the Blood of Christ
can make him so strong that he will prevail in all these battles
and will emerge as "more than a conqueror" (Rom 8:37).
Craig Henderson, D.C., drcraigh@embarqmail.com
Dr. Henderson was born and raised in Glenwood Springs, Colorado and graduated from Colorado Mountain College there in 1975. He attended Palmer College of Chiropractic from 1975 to 1978, graduating Cum Laude with the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic. He practiced in Paonia, a small coal mining town in western Colorado for 7 years, then moved to Williston, Florida in September of 1985. Dr. Henderson been in private practice here for 17 years. His work involves a wide spectrum of spinal complaints including headaches, low back pain, car accidents and horse falls.This region of Florida has almost as many horses as is found in Kentucky, so he treats a wide variety of horse related injuries. He also likes to use nutritional formulas to hasten the healing process. He became a Christian when he was 19 years old. His mother was an alcoholic, drug addict and chain smoker. He was not looking for God but He sure did pursue and find him. He has now known the Lord Jesus for 34 years. Lately he and his wife have been deeply blessed to discover the Jewish roots of our faith. This has started him on a study that is truly challenging and exciting. Your email to Dr. Henderson is welcome.
Addendum:
BLOOD [Hebrew: dam. prob. < adam "be red"; Greek: haima]. Blood in the OT is the life principle, both animal (Lev. 17:11) and vegetable (Dt. 32:14, the blood" oft the grape) Its atoning power in the OT sacrifices foreshadows the ultimate atonement by the blood of Christ. The word ha a figurative sense in both the OT and NT for bloodshed or murder (Gen. 37:26, Hos. 4:2, Rev. 16:6).
I. Primitive Ideas: Although the real function of th blood in the human system was not fully known until the fact of its circulation was established by William Harvey in 1615, nevertheless from the earliest times a singular mystery has been attached to it by all peoples. Blood rites, blood ceremonies, and blood feuds are common among primitive tribes. It came to be recognized a the life principle long before its function was scientifically proved. Naturally a feeling of fear, awe, and reverent would be attached to the shedding of blood. With man uncivilized peoples scarification of the body until bloc flows is practiced. Blood brotherhood or blood friendship is established by African tribes by the mutual shedding (blood and either drinking it or rubbing it on one another bodies. Thus and by the intertransfusion of blood by other means it was thought that a community of life and interest could he established.
II. Hebrew and OT Customs: Notwithstanding the ignorance and superstition surrounding this suggestively beautiful idea, it grew to have more than a merely hums significance and application. For this crude practice intertransference of human blood there came to be symbolic substitution of animal blood in sprinkling or anointing. The first reference in the OT to blood (Gen. 4:10) is figurative, but highly illustrative of the reverential fear manifested upon the shedding of blood, and the first teaching regarding it. The rite of circumcision is an OT form of blood ceremony. Apart from the probable sanitary importance of the act is the deeper meaning in the establishment of a bond of friendship between the one upon whom the act is performed and the Lord Himself. In order that Abraham might become "the friend of God" he was commanded that he should he circumcised as a token of the covenant between him and God (Gen. 17:10ff).
It is significant that eating blood was prohibited in earliest Bible times (Gen. 9:4). The custom probably prevalent among heathen nations as a religious rite (Cf. Ps 16:4). This and its unhygienic influence together doubtless led to its becoming taboo. The same prohibition was made under the Mosaic code (Lev. 7:26).
Blood was commanded to he used also for purification or for ceremonial cleansing (Lev. 4:5-7, 51ff, Nu. 19:4) provided, however, that it he taken from a clean animal. In all probability there is no trace of the superstitious use of blood in the OT, except perhaps in I K. 22:38 but everywhere it is vested with cleansing, expiatory and reverently symbolic qualities.
III. NT Teachings: As in the transition from ancient
to Hebrew practice, so from the OT to the NT we see at exaltation
of the conception of blood and blood ceremonies. In Abraham's
covenant his own blood had to be shed. Later an expiatory animal
was to shed blood. (Lev. 5:6), but there must always be a shedding
of blood. "Without the shedding of blood then is no forgiveness
of sins" (He. 9:22). The exaltation of this idea finds its
highest development then in the vicarious shedding of blood by
Christ Himself (1 John 1:7) As in the OT "blood" was
used also to signify the juice of grapes; the most natural substitute
for drinking blood would be the use of wine. Jesus takes advantage
of this and introduces the beautiful and significant custom (Mt
26:28) of drinking wine and eating bread as symbolic a the primitive
intertransfusion of blood and flesh in a pledge of eternal friendship
(cf. Ex. 24:6ff, Jn. 6:53-56). This is the climactic observance
of blood rites recorded in the Bible. (International Standard
Bible Encyclopedia)
Posted 3/21/03