| Recently, a friend of mine told about observing | | | | and through their high priest. And he could enter into |
| someone praying to God "by the blood of Jesus" that | | | | the holy of holies in the temple only once a year, and |
| a fight between two people would be stopped. I | | | | then with the blood of animals for the remission of sins |
| understand that praying this way for any number of | | | | for himself and the people. Now, by the blood of Jesus, |
| things is a common practice among some people. This | | | | that is, after His death, we all, both Jews and Gentiles, |
| set me to question the justification, rationale, and basis | | | | can have direct access to God. |
| for using the blood of Jesus this way. And so the | | | | The blood of Christ has redeemed us from sin and |
| purpose of this article is to examine the legitimacy, | | | | given us access to God. We can thank God that we |
| according to the Bible, for the use of this term when | | | | have access to Him through or by the blood of Christ, |
| praying to God for something. | | | | but our prayers should be made in His Name, and not |
| Leviticus 17:11 teaches "For the life of the flesh is in the | | | | by His blood (Eph. 5:20). |
| blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make | | | | THE MISUSE OF GOD'S WORD |
| atonement for the soul." The blood that was spilled | | | | The Word of God becomes distorted if terms and |
| upon the altar signified death and thus made | | | | expressions from it are misunderstood and misused. |
| atonement. | | | | This causes confusion among God's people and takes |
| BLOOD, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT | | | | their minds from the truth. The plan of Satan has |
| There are many passages that refer to blood in the | | | | always been to twist God's Word and make it mean |
| New Testament and a review of each such passage | | | | something it does not in an attempt to make people |
| reveals that, in general, when we see blood it stands | | | | stray from the truth. We see this in his first recorded |
| for death. For example, in Matthew 23:30,31 Jesus told | | | | contact with mankind in Genesis 3:1-5. There we read |
| the scribes and Pharisees that they were hypocrites | | | | that Satan approached Eve. She told him what she |
| because they say "if we had been in the days of our | | | | heard from Adam; what God had said about eating |
| fathers, we would not have been partakers with them | | | | the fruit of a particular tree in the garden. This had |
| in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be | | | | been God's Word to Eve at the time, which she was |
| witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of | | | | to have taken by faith. |
| them that killed the prophets." | | | | Satan did not deny outright what God said. Instead, he |
| In Matthew 26:26-28, we read, that as they were | | | | brought into question the interpretation of God's Word. |
| eating, "Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, | | | | He told her she would be as gods, knowing good and |
| and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is | | | | evil, if she ate of the fruit that God had forbidden. And |
| my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and | | | | so it has been ever since that people have followed |
| gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my | | | | Satan's lead and have misused the Word of God for |
| blood of the New Testament, which is shed for the | | | | their own purposes. |
| remission of sins." | | | | Whereas at the very beginning of the Bible we |
| Pilate is recorded as having washed his hands, saying | | | | observe the misuse and abuse of God's Word by |
| "I am innocent of the blood of this just person," | | | | Satan, it is interesting that at the end of the Bible we |
| referring to the fact that he was not responsible for | | | | find a clear message as to the penalty for such |
| the death of Christ. Then, all the people answered | | | | misuse and abuse. God has let us know His will |
| Pilate, "His blood be on us, and on our children," | | | | regarding how His Word is to be used many places in |
| referring to their gladly taking responsibility for the | | | | the Bible. But, through the Apostle John in Revelation |
| death of Christ (Matt. 27:24,25). These are but a few | | | | 22:18,19 He reveals: "If any man shall add unto these |
| examples of how blood refers to death in the New | | | | things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are |
| Testament. | | | | written in this book: And if any man shall take away |
| JESUS CHRIST'S BLOOD BOUGHT OUR | | | | from the words of the book of this prophecy, God |
| REDEMPTION | | | | shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out |
| When someone invokes "the blood of Jesus" in their | | | | of the holy city, and from the things which are written |
| prayers for something they believe should be done, | | | | in this book." |
| they are actually invoking the sacrificial death of our | | | | These words may be written directly in reference to |
| Lord for their purposes. However, a review of the | | | | the Book of Revelation, but their application cannot help |
| references to the blood of Jesus in the New | | | | but extend to the entire Word of God. At any rate, |
| Testament reveals that the death of Christ has no | | | | they remind us to be very careful of how we use His |
| relation to supplications for such things. And so, to | | | | Word, how we interpret it, and how we teach it. |
| what does the blood of Jesus refer? | | | | CONCLUSION |
| First of all, the blood of Jesus, that is, His death, opened | | | | From Moses we learn the lesson that Jesus Christ |
| to us the way of salvation from our sins. His blood | | | | was to be struck but once, that is, He was to suffer |
| redeemed, or purchased, our salvation. Romans | | | | and die once. In Exodus 17:6, Moses was instructed by |
| 3:24,25 tells us "Being justified freely by His grace | | | | God to strike the rock in Horeb and as a result |
| through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom | | | | life-giving water would come out for the children of |
| God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in | | | | Israel to drink. The rock was a type of Christ in that |
| His blood, to declare His righteousness for the | | | | Christ was to be struck only once. "But this Man, after |
| remission of sins that are past." | | | | He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat |
| Ephesians 1:7 tells us, "In Whom we have redemption | | | | down on the right hand of God" (Heb. 10:12). Moses |
| through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to | | | | sinned, as recorded in Numbers 20:8-12, when he |
| the riches of His grace." Romans 5:9 informs us, "Much | | | | disobeyed God by striking the rock a second time, |
| more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be | | | | instead of speaking to it as commanded. As a result, |
| saved from wrath through Him." I John 1:7 says, "But if | | | | Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. |
| we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have | | | | Nowhere in the Bible are we instructed to pray for |
| fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus | | | | things by the blood of Jesus. To do so is a misuse of |
| Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." See also I | | | | a wonderful truth. Jesus, the perfect man (For in Him |
| Peter 1:19 and Hebrews 2:14. | | | | dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, Col. 2:9), |
| Paul teaches that we share with other believers the | | | | died on the Cross carrying all our sins on Himself. The |
| remembrance of Christ's death until He comes for us | | | | work of that death and His blood was carried out then |
| when we partake of communion (I Cor. 11:23-25). It | | | | and we are forever grateful for what His precious |
| was our Lord Jesus Christ's shed blood, His death, that | | | | blood did for us. It redeemed us from our sins and so |
| saved us from sin and gave us eternal life with Him. | | | | bought our salvation, and it allowed us to have access |
| JESUS CHRIST'S BLOOD GIVES US ACCESS TO | | | | to Almighty God. |
| GOD | | | | But, thank God, our Lord Jesus Christ is dead no |
| Secondly, His blood, that is, His death, has provided us | | | | longer. He is risen triumphant and He sits at the right |
| an access to God that mankind never had before. | | | | hand of God making intercession for us at this present |
| Ephesians 2:12,13 teaches, "That at that time ye were | | | | time (Rom. 8:34). In fact, it is through Him that we have |
| without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of | | | | access by one Spirit unto the Father (Eph. 2:18). He is |
| Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, | | | | the Head over all things and we believers are His |
| having no hope, and without God in the world: But now | | | | Body (Eph. 1:15-23; 3:14-19). We are to pray directly to |
| in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are | | | | God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| made nigh by the blood of Christ." Hebrews 10:19 | | | | We don't, as Moses did, strike the rock the second |
| reads, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter | | | | time by praying to God by the blood of Jesus that long |
| into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." | | | | ago completed its wonderful work. We pray to God in |
| Before Christ's death, Gentiles had no hope of access | | | | the name of the risen Lord Jesus Christ Himself. |
| to God. The Jews did have access, but then only by | | | | |