Covered by the Blood
According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. – Hebrews 9:22
The entire Passover story hinges on one critical detail: the blood of the lamb. In Exodus 12, God instructed each Jewish family to sacrifice a lamb and smear its blood on the doorposts of their home. When the angel of death passed through Egypt, if he saw the blood, he would pass over that house and spare everyone inside.
The blood was the difference between life and death. It was not about ethnicity, morality, or intention. It was about whether the blood had been applied.
Fast forward one thousand years to the upper room. Jesus reclined at the table with His disciples during the Passover meal. Every detail of that night pointed backward to Egypt. The lamb. The meal. The memory of deliverance. But then Jesus did something unexpected. He redefined the meaning of the blood.
He took the cup and said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” With those words, Jesus declared that He was the ultimate Passover Lamb. What the blood of lambs accomplished temporarily, His blood would accomplish eternally.
This was radical. Jewish law strictly forbade drinking blood because life was believed to be in the blood. So when Jesus told them to drink the cup, He was not being symbolic in a casual way. He was making a profound theological statement. Life would now be found in Him. Forgiveness would come through His sacrifice.
Hebrews tells us plainly that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Jesus did not come to offer advice or inspiration. He came to offer Himself. His blood would cover sin. His blood would protect from judgment. His blood would secure salvation.
A story from World War II captures this truth powerfully. A soldier received communion from a chaplain before going into battle. Later, he wrote home and said that as bullets flew past him, he was not afraid. He knew Christ’s body had been broken for him and His blood shed for him. Whatever happened, he belonged to Jesus.
That is what it means to be covered by the blood. Fear does not get the final word. Death does not get the final word. Jesus does.
The entire Passover story hinges on one critical detail: the blood of the lamb. In Exodus 12, God instructed each Jewish family to sacrifice a lamb and smear its blood on the doorposts of their home. When the angel of death passed through Egypt, if he saw the blood, he would pass over that house and spare everyone inside.
The blood was the difference between life and death. It was not about ethnicity, morality, or intention. It was about whether the blood had been applied.
Fast forward one thousand years to the upper room. Jesus reclined at the table with His disciples during the Passover meal. Every detail of that night pointed backward to Egypt. The lamb. The meal. The memory of deliverance. But then Jesus did something unexpected. He redefined the meaning of the blood.
He took the cup and said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” With those words, Jesus declared that He was the ultimate Passover Lamb. What the blood of lambs accomplished temporarily, His blood would accomplish eternally.
This was radical. Jewish law strictly forbade drinking blood because life was believed to be in the blood. So when Jesus told them to drink the cup, He was not being symbolic in a casual way. He was making a profound theological statement. Life would now be found in Him. Forgiveness would come through His sacrifice.
Hebrews tells us plainly that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Jesus did not come to offer advice or inspiration. He came to offer Himself. His blood would cover sin. His blood would protect from judgment. His blood would secure salvation.
A story from World War II captures this truth powerfully. A soldier received communion from a chaplain before going into battle. Later, he wrote home and said that as bullets flew past him, he was not afraid. He knew Christ’s body had been broken for him and His blood shed for him. Whatever happened, he belonged to Jesus.
That is what it means to be covered by the blood. Fear does not get the final word. Death does not get the final word. Jesus does.
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