Why the Blood of Jesus is Precious
Blood has a very short life span.
The average person has about ten pints of blood in his or her body.
Over half of it is liquid, called plasma and most of the rest of it is made up of red cells, which die after 120 days and are constantly being replaced. In contrast, the most durable thing on earth is probably gold. Not even salt water affects it – even if it lies in it for centuries.
These facts make a comment by Peter, the leading Christian apostle, seem very strange:
“It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed … but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19, NIV)
Gold is not perishable whereas blood certainly is. But Peter knew what he was talking about, and meant to startle us into seeing a tremendous truth. The world thinks money is everything, but Peter intended us to see that it has no spiritual value whatever. There are no spiritual cash payment bargains. In real terms only the blood of Jesus has lasting value. When heaven and earth vanish, the redeeming power of Christ’s blood will continue.
Some talk of “precious metals” such as silver and gold, but Peter would rather talk about “the precious blood of Christ.” It does what money cannot do – it cleanses sinners.
The greatest sin is to say we have no sin. That is plain self-deception. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
The first Christian witnesses all talked about Christ’s blood as unique and vital.
Blood has a very short life span.
The average person has about ten pints of blood in his or her body.
Over half of it is liquid, called plasma and most of the rest of it is made up of red cells, which die after 120 days and are constantly being replaced. In contrast, the most durable thing on earth is probably gold. Not even salt water affects it – even if it lies in it for centuries.
These facts make a comment by Peter, the leading Christian apostle, seem very strange:
“It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed … but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19, NIV)
Gold is not perishable whereas blood certainly is. But Peter knew what he was talking about, and meant to startle us into seeing a tremendous truth. The world thinks money is everything, but Peter intended us to see that it has no spiritual value whatever. There are no spiritual cash payment bargains. In real terms only the blood of Jesus has lasting value. When heaven and earth vanish, the redeeming power of Christ’s blood will continue.
Some talk of “precious metals” such as silver and gold, but Peter would rather talk about “the precious blood of Christ.” It does what money cannot do – it cleanses sinners.
The greatest sin is to say we have no sin. That is plain self-deception. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
The first Christian witnesses all talked about Christ’s blood as unique and vital.
