This coming Monday, when you go to work, or school, or out with some friends, and they ask you what you did on the weekend, What do you think would happen if you told them you went to church and drank blood.
What will their reaction be?
You know, even if you clarified that it wasn’t actual blood you drank, but dark grape juice that just symbolized blood, it’s still rather disturbing - simulating the drinking of blood.
Even more disturbing will be mentioning it represents the blood of a guy you admire.
And to make it worse again, you’re drinking it with feelings
of thankfulness that this innocent guy was executed.
But perhaps the most disturbing thing about the whole exercise, is that this
blood represents the killing of a perfect, immortal son of God, who has
infinite love for the universe, more than we can comprehend. He came to earth, lived amongst his creations
- and we strung him up and killed him.
That is disturbing.
It's true that we were not there. It’s true that we were not
one of the religious leaders who organized the crucifixion, nor the Romans who cruelly
facilitated it. But it was us who put him there.
Us and our heritage.
Because of our self-centered desires, we accidentally lured the infinite loving son of God to come down and die in our place, so that we may live.
Jesus came - and fixed everything – through his perfect life, then death and resurrection.
So, while we don’t believe this is the actual blood of
Jesus, we do believe in its symbolism.
By accepting this symbol of Jesus blood, and drinking it, we are recognizing
that Jesus died for us, so that we may live. And we are thankful for this, and
will be grateful, for literally eternally.
Let’s pray:
Our loving father in heaven. We
thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. We are not even close to
worthy of such an incomprehensibly momentous gesture, It’s only because of your
infinite love for us. May all those partaking of this symbol of your blood be
cleansed by it, may it help each of us connect closer to you and comprehend
more how much you love each of us, and remind us of how your death is linked to
your promise to come back and restore us. Thank you, Jesus.
We pray these things is in Jesus self-sacrificing, saving name.
If you’re already grateful. Or maybe for the first time you want to be part of Jesus saved family, where all are welcome, no matter what you’ve done, then, as Jesus said: “Drink, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins.” Amen.
Presentation: Castle Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church - June 15, 2024