Life is in the Blood
As we approach the Easter Weekend with all the colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, and endless baskets of candies, I wanted to take a moment to focus your thoughts on the true meaning of the holiday. Misperceptions of Easter have been propagated even since the recognition of the Christian Church. For centuries, people looked at Christ's day of crucifixion as a tragic event as if it served no purpose as it was called "Black Friday". Many misguided groups, throughout history, have even tried to label others as "Christ killers" thereby propagating a gospel of hate rather than love.
As a physician, when I have treated the most simple to the most critical of illness, I give medications that ultimately need access to the blood. For simple illness, I might give oral medications or sub-lingual medications that will be absorbed into the blood stream through the blood vessels in the mouth or the stomach. For more severe illness I might prescribe medications to be given through an IV or a central line. In the critical illness state, in newborns, we use umbilical "IV" lines. For young children, we might use "PICC" lines or femoral "IV" lines to infuse medications. Finally, for the adult we might use subclavian "IV" lines to give us access and monitor the central blood flow. Not to mention, in the emergency situation, we might use intraosseous access or even a semi operative "cut down" to gain access when others cannot be found.
All of these efforts are to gain direct and effective access to the blood so we can treat illness, restore perfusion, give blood and medications...so we can save lives. Without access to the blood we cannot treat most illness, especially those that may be critical. Why? The blood is the soul communicating substance that reaches every part of the body.
The point? The only way we can have access to God is through the blood of Christ. And it was the cross that was the instrument that gave us access to His blood. Jesus told us that no one took His life, that he freely laid it down. Ephesians 2:12-13 says, "remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (ESV)."
Today, with this knowledge, we call it "Good Friday" in the confidence that there is a "Resurrection Sunday" just a day away. Remember, it's all about access. All life is in the blood.
As a physician, when I have treated the most simple to the most critical of illness, I give medications that ultimately need access to the blood. For simple illness, I might give oral medications or sub-lingual medications that will be absorbed into the blood stream through the blood vessels in the mouth or the stomach. For more severe illness I might prescribe medications to be given through an IV or a central line. In the critical illness state, in newborns, we use umbilical "IV" lines. For young children, we might use "PICC" lines or femoral "IV" lines to infuse medications. Finally, for the adult we might use subclavian "IV" lines to give us access and monitor the central blood flow. Not to mention, in the emergency situation, we might use intraosseous access or even a semi operative "cut down" to gain access when others cannot be found.
All of these efforts are to gain direct and effective access to the blood so we can treat illness, restore perfusion, give blood and medications...so we can save lives. Without access to the blood we cannot treat most illness, especially those that may be critical. Why? The blood is the soul communicating substance that reaches every part of the body.
The point? The only way we can have access to God is through the blood of Christ. And it was the cross that was the instrument that gave us access to His blood. Jesus told us that no one took His life, that he freely laid it down. Ephesians 2:12-13 says, "remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (ESV)."
Today, with this knowledge, we call it "Good Friday" in the confidence that there is a "Resurrection Sunday" just a day away. Remember, it's all about access. All life is in the blood.
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