Elements of the Passion - Number 5: Blood

On Good Friday I led a Good Friday Meditation at one of my churches called Elements of the Passion. During the meditation I looked at seven elements that are present in the Passion story and explored them in turn. (I'm not a scientist so I'm sure that some of my seven are not strictly elements so please humour me!)

I thought that I would share them with you here over the next seven days so here's the fifth which is on blood.

The Soldiers Pierce Jesus’ Side

Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the Sabbath, especially because that Sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.         (John 19:31-34)

Strange stuff blood. It can be a sign of life, a doctor will take our pulse and when they feel that blood pulsing through our veins they know that we are alive. And yet when we see lots of blood next to a person in a crime drama we know that they are probably dead, the life has gone out of them.

In Jesus’ time blood was sometimes a sign of shame and exclusion. The women who had been suffering from haemorrhages for many years knew all about that. Because of the blood she was ritually unclean for a good part of her life. Because of the blood she was excluded and rejected. In her case Jesus stopping the blood replaced shame with acceptance.

Blood could also be a sign of guilt. In the reading that we started our meditation with Pilate was keen to absolve himself of the guilt for Jesus’ death. He said to the crowd;

“I am innocent of this man’s blood”

And yet the crowd replied to Pilate;

“His blood be on us and on our children”

What a terrible thing it is that the crowd does. They reject Jesus and are happy to accept the guilt for his death, they shout “Let his blood be on us”.

And, as we’ve just heard, blood could also be a symbol of a covenant. As we just heard at the Last Supper Jesus had said;

“this is my blood of the new covenant”

The covenant that Jesus had set up between God and humanity was one that would open salvation up to all who believed in him and it was covenant that was sealed with Christ’s blood. 

As Jesus says in John’s gospel;

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.”

Blood could also be a sign of suffering. Luke’s gospel tells us that when Jesus was praying on the Mount of Olives on the night before he died he was in such anguish that his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. And when we see artists pictures of the crucifixion there is always blood there. There is blood running from his head onto which that cruel crown of thorns had been thrust down. There is blood on his back where he has been mercilessly scourged. There is blood on his hands and his feet where those cruel nails have been driven. Yes blood is truly a symbol of suffering.

Chapter 17 of Leviticus says: 

'For the LIFE of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls"

The cross was that altar on which Christ made atonement for our souls. The blood of Christ gave life to us. That blood shed on the cross gives us eternal life.