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If you have ever went to the doctor for a checkup and had a blood test done, likely you received a report that showed many results. Now, I remember from science class many moons ago that the blood delivers nutrients and oxygen to the body’s cells. But our blood carries so much more than that. It’s amazing what all our blood can reveal. For example, if you look at your blood test results, you may see such familiar categories as glucose, sodium, potassium, calcium, and protein. You may even see categories that you have no idea what they are but your doctor knows that are important to check, like creatinine, albumin, globulin, bilirubin, and alanine transaminase. Truly the importance of blood cannot be underestimated. It carries many life-sustaining substances.
Humans have not always known the importance of blood. Many people died in the olden days due to barbaric bloodletting processes that were designed to get the “bad blood” out of a person’s system. In fact, this is how George Washington died. No, people have not always known of the importance of blood, but they should have. All they had to do was read their Bibles. In Genesis 9, God gave Noah and family some important instructions concerning matters in the new world after the flood. One of these instructions was, “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood” (Gen. 9:3-4). And the Lord spoke to Moses to deliver to the people the reason that blood sacrifices were required, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul…for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life” (Lev. 17:11,14).
Yes, through modem medical research, we now know more than ever that blood is very important. God, of course, knew this all along, since He created us and knows how our bodies function. Without a doubt blood equals life. Also, this is a great reminder of how Christ’s blood equals eternal life (Matt. 26:28; John 6:53-56; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 1:5). Knowing how important it truly is, are you sure that you have truly contacted Christ’s life-giving blood? See Rom. 6:3-5.
Edd Sterchi
Broadway Church of Christ
Campbellsville, KY