by Mr. Francis D'Souza
We speak on this subject for two reasons :
One because on 13.6.04 we celebrated the Feast of the Body & Blood of Christ and the second reason is because we pray the prayer of protection through the precious blood of Jesus and a background of the same would be of great help.
The Church Calendar :
11-4-04 : Easter Sunday
23-5-04 : Ascension Sunday
30-5-04 : Pentecost Sunday
06-06-04 : Holy Trinity Sunday
13-06-04 : Corpus Christi (Feast of the Body & Blood of Christ)
Genesis 3:21 – Coats of skin. Just as the blood of animals covered the shame and nakedness of Adam & Eve; so does the blood of Jesus covers our shame as sin strips us of our self-respect.
Exodus 12 : The people of God were protected from the tenth plague by the blood of the lamb. We too will be protected from the attacks of the evil forces by applying the blood of the lamb of God – Jesus.
Leviticus 16 : The Jews even to this day observe the day of atonement which is called Yom Kippur. Every year and only on this day and only the High Priest is allowed to enter the Holy of Holies carrying with him the blood of bulls and goats for his sins and the sins of the community. He has to carry out all the steps in a prescribed manner.
The Jewish High Priest continues to do so even to this day but for us the reality is that Jesus the sinless Son of God has offered the perfect sacrifice and having met the righteous demands of all the law and is seated at the right hand of God. The curtain hanging in the temple has been broken into two and so we have a free access into the Holy of Holies not as an annual feature but as often as we need.
Jesus in the New Testament in John.6:53 says the following about his blood :
(a) without it we have no life
(b) without it we have no eternal life
(c) it is the real drink
(d) with it we live in him and he lives in us.
1 John.1:7 – The blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin.
Revelation 12:11 – We have victory over the devil by the blood of the lamb.
All that happened in the Old Testament in Genesis 3:21, Exodus 12, Leviticus 16 is only a shadow and a promise. The reality and the fulfillment is in Jesus.
The blood that came from the wounds of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, unrighteousness and diseases.
(a) The blood that came from the head anoints our thoughts.
(b) The blood that came from the hands anoints our work.
(c) The blood that came from the feet anoints our walk
(d) The blood that came from his side gives us new birth since because of sins we have died – Romans 6:23.
(e) The blood that came from the back restores our health as Isaiah prophesized 700 years before it happened in Isaiah 53:5 – By his stripes we are healed.
Hence, we have complete protection in the blood of Jesus, both for this life and the life to come.
Nothing should frighten us – sickness, witchcraft, curses, spells.
Just as the blood of animals protected the Israelites of the Old Testament, so the blood of Jesus which is superior, protects us and atones our sins in the New Testament.