Beyond The Basics

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/No other fount I know/Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

If you’ve spent much time in a church you’ve probably heard those lyrics. Written by Robert Lowry in 1876, Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus has become one of the most popular worship songs of all time in the western church. It’s been sung in traditional and contemporary services alike and covered by countless artists. It is a beautiful reminder of the power that Jesus’ blood has to cleanse us and purify us.

The apostle Peter makes an important point about Jesus’ blood that can very easily be dismissed as a side note. He says in his first letter:

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion… according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood… (1 Peter 1:1-2)

That’s a lot of confusing commas for one sentence. Didn’t anyone teach you how to use proper grammar, Peter?!?

If you’re like me and you read that and think to yourself, “smeondsjnvaojdnvkdmhcjio…” you’re not alone. Allow me to interpret:

Peter is writing to exiles of the Dispersion. The Dispersion began during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem when they deported many of the Jews to Babylon. Many other Jews fled to Egypt at that time. Several centuries later, Antiochus III moved thousands of Jews to new settlements in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Later Jewish settlements were formed throughout the Roman Empire as Jews were captured as slaves or made a living as merchants overseas.

Peter goes on to say these exiles are there for a reason. He says God knew ahead of time they would be exiled and He allowed it to happen for the purpose of their sanctification so they would be brought into a greater level of obedience to Jesus through the sprinkling of His blood.

It’s really easy to just keep on reading from there without stopping to think about what Peter is saying. Why did he use that phrase, “sprinkling of His blood”? Well, I’m glad you asked.

I didn’t ask that.

Too bad. I’m going to tell you anyway.

There are three times in the Old Testament that blood was sprinkled on a human being:

1. At the establishment of the Old Covenant at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:5-8).
2. At the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests (Exodus 29:21).
3. At the cleansing ceremony for a healed leper (Leviticus 14:6-7).

I think it’s clear Peter is trying to draw a connection to these events that we can learn from. We are, in our own day, exiles in a foreign land waiting for the establishment of our eternal home here on earth, the New Jerusalem. This is by the Father’s design for our own sanctification so we can attain greater depths of obedience to Jesus in advance of His arrival. The Father has sprinkled us with Jesus’ blood in order to establish the New Covenant with us, to ordain us as priests, and to cleanse us from what is common and impure.

Jesus established His covenant with us through His blood. Most covenants in those days, at least in the Bible, were sealed with blood. These covenants would establish the terms of the covenant by which each party would abide or face the consequences. Often, the blood would be a chilling symbol of the potential consequences if a person didn’t abide by the terms of the covenant. Of course, Jesus shed His blood already, meaning He both established and fulfilled the terms of the covenant. If we receive the covenant and obey His commands we can enjoy the benefits of the covenant.

Jesus’ blood ordains us as priests to the Most High God. Just like Aaron, we are to function as ministers to the Lord with Jesus as our High Priest. We are a kingdom of priests, just like Israel was a nation of priests, with our primary calling being to minister to the Lord as we become a light to all nations. We have unhindered access to the holy of holies, the very presence of God dwelling among us. His presence dwells inside of us until the day comes when the New Eden descends to earth and God dwells with His people forever; when there will be an entire city solely dedicated to worshipping God and teaching the nations.

Jesus cleanses us from impurity through His blood. Our flesh is diseased and sickly and Jesus’ blood washes us clean from all that we might desire that is common or worldly and impure or destructive. This is more than just healing physical disease; this is about the healing of the heart which is wicked and deceptive.

Next time you sing about Jesus’ blood, remember what He has done for us. He has brought us into the New Covenant, made us priests, and cleansed us from impurity. Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow!