Easter Reflections

From a journal entry:

Lately I have been seeing something new – a glimpse of Jesus in his “passion” covered in blood, with his hands outstretched low, like you hold them if they were injured.  Like a horribly beaten and maimed man rather than the stylized religious version of Him on the cross. I can see more details of his wounds, but feel like He said he wouldn’t show me more because it would be too painful for me to take.  It has given me pause about praying the blood of Jesus; it’s not just a phrase.  It is something that I need a deep understanding of.

Last night praying I was understanding that there is power in the blood because it is pure love – shed by our living God out of His love for each person.  An animal sacrifice had an unwilling victim, but Jesus’ sacrifice was a willing sacrifice out of His great love.  Since this love is the very antithesis of Satan’s realm, it has the power to disarm the kingdom of darkness. So when we “plead the blood” we are claiming the benefit of that love over our lives.  We are claiming a love so powerful that it disarms all the hatred and vengeance that the enemy has for us.  Against love there is no law. 

I’ve known that the blood of Jesus is the most powerful thing in the universe – the life blood of the living God, working throughout time and space to redeem and heal.  I’ve seen Jesus hanging on the cross, like a butterfly pinned on display, at the very nexus of the universe, the crux of time and space, eternally offering himself as our sacrifice. 

Thank you my Lord Jesus for showing me another aspect of your Sacrifice, your love covering us like a soldier falling on a grenade and absorbing all the damage, so that we would not be harmed.