Friday, April 10, 2009

May his blood be upon us and our children: a prayer

This morning, Good Friday morning, part of my devotional reading was that place in Matthew where the Jewish people, gathered before Pilate, said, "His blood shall be on us and our children." As I read that I thought of how through the centuries some have tried to see that as a curse on the Jewish people.

And yet God takes such words and uses them as prayer and prophecy. Isn't that our prayer as Christians that his blood will be upon us and our children. That we will be made clean, whole and new because of that blood he shed on the cross.

We hardly notice Pilate's statement which seems to be the opposite of the Hebrews. Pilate pleads innocent of the blood of Jesus and washes his hands. But none of us are innocent. Pilate was guilty of the death of Christ. And so are we all.

4 comments:

Sara said...

It is interesting to look at the "blood" from different perspectives. We all have blood on our hands, speaking for myself, without the promise of grace, I'm lost. To cleanse us we have the blood of the "the Lamb". The Israelites had the blood over the door to protect them during the Passover. How much of these stories are literal,I don't know, but the authors of the Bible are trying to tell us something about guilt and grace and sacrifice and protection. Tomorrow, I will be contemplating Easter and Grace and blood.

Viola Larson said...

Sam,
According to the N.T. Jesus is the Lamb of God so as Calvin and others understand it the blood on the door posts looks forward to the shed blood of the lamb of God.

I will also be contemplating Easter, grace and blood. Blessings on you for the rest of this Holy Week.

Unknown said...

The Jews meant it the first way, but you make a good point. Christ's blood is upon us as surely as the Passover blood was on the doors of Israel.

Kevin Carroll
Macon, MS

Viola Larson said...

Yeah, Kevin I know they meant it differently--I'm just saying God takes the words we speak and uses them in a different way. Like the high priest who prophesied that one man would die for all the people that year. He meant one thing God meant the truth.