Growing up during my teen years I had a friend who tried to annoy me by singing as loud as possible the old gospel tune There is Power in the Blood.
It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in Jesus and in the crucifixion that washed away our sin through his sacrifice, but to my young sensibilities the picture was crude and violent and offensive. I preferred the picture of Jesus as the good shepherd caring for his sheep or as gentle Jesus meek and mild. I didn’t know why we needed to emphasize the act of a man nearly beaten to death, stripped, humiliated and whipped until he was almost not able to stand, and the final inward pain of being mocked and ridiculed in front of his mother and his friends and accused of evil doing and blasphemy.
Mel Gibson portrays this graphically in his classic movie The Passion of the Christ, which also offended many by its violence and its vulgar depiction of the wounding and killing of the Messiah, whom even his enemies acknowledged was a righteous man.
But the crucifixion with all it’s violence is central to the Christian faith. Without it there is no gospel. It shows the full extent of God’s love for us revealed in Jesus’ self giving. That is why the symbol of Christianity is not first of all water representing cleansing nor is it even an empty tomb as amazing and miraculous as that is representing the victory of life over death, but the cross.
This truth is repeated in many hymns and songs like the ones below…
Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus by Carrie Underwood
What can wash away my sin
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me
whole again
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Oh, precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
Oh, no other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Ooh, ooh
For my cleansing, this I see
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
For my pardon this my plea
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
The Old Rugged Cross
by Alan Jackson
On a hill far away stood
an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering
and shame
And I love that old cross
where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners
was slain
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
To the old rugged cross
I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach
gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me
someday to my home far away,
Where His glory
forever I’ll share.
And finally, my friend’s favourite which I have come to value for the reminder of the full gospel it brings to me.
There’s Power in the Blood
by Marty Robbins
Would you be free
from your burden of sin
There’s power in the blood power in the blood
Would you o’er evil
a victory win
There’s wonderfull
power in the blood
There is power power wonder working power in the blood
of the lamb
There is power power
wonder working power
in the precious blood of lamb
Would you be whiter
much wither than snow
There’s power in the blood power in the blood
Sin’s stains are lost
and it’s life giving flow
There’s one flicker power in the blood There is power power wonder working power in the precious blood of lamb.
As I reflect on the words I am moved and the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection goes deep into my spirit and His love explodes with thanksgiving in my innermost being.
Here are scripture verses that also open the door to knowing Jesus better and revealing his true love for us. This Good Friday I invite you to join me in singing the hymns and meditating on the bible verses below so we see the offence of the gospel become the joy in Jesus love.
1 John 1:7 ESV /
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Hebrews 9:22 ESV / Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 26:28 ESV / 25 helpful votes For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Ephesians 1:7 ESV /
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
Hebrews 9:14 ESV /
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.