John 19:31-37Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced." As the song says, “There is power in the Blood”. The horror of Jesus death on the Cross is made all the more tragic for our Lord with each humiliation heaped upon Him. Attacking His person in mind, body and spirit. This is godless man believing that He can destroy every trace of what he cannot comprehend. The ‘power in the Blood’ is to be eradicated, and make man’s way paramount. Except that it cannot be done, and human arrogance always leads to a mighty downfall, while God’s way endures — eternally. As believers, we surely know this to be the case, but do we allow that knowledge to become who we are? There is no shame in understanding that we oft-times do not grasp the fullness of the message of the Cross of Christ. We were created as reasoning beings, but reason does not explain the ‘power in the Blood’. That is why Scripture reveals prophetic words again and again. Prophecy is not reason, it shows the workings of the unseen, and awakens the heavenly realms buried deep within us; it produces faith and belief in life in the Spirit, by offering proof to our reasoning mind that there is more to life than reason, as we learn from these verses. Everything in The Bible speaks of Christ and His life touching ours. Here is what commentator Matthew Henry says of these verses… “A trial was made whether Jesus was dead. He died in less time than persons crucified commonly did. It showed that he had laid down his life of himself. The spear broke up the very fountains of life; no human body could survive such a wound. But its being so solemnly attested, shows there was something peculiar in it. The blood and water that flowed out, signified those two great benefits which all believers partake of through Christ, justification and sanctification; blood for atonement, water for purification. They both flow from the pierced side of our Redeemer. To Christ crucified we owe merit for our justification, and Spirit and grace for our sanctification. Let this silence the fears of weak Christians, and encourage their hopes; there came both water and blood out of Jesus’ pierced side, both to justify and sanctify them. The Scripture was fulfilled, in Pilate’s not allowing his legs to be broken.” MEDITATE ON THESE THINGSZECHARIAH 12:10-11 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. PSALM 22:16-17 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD — Acapeldridge LOVE with all your STRENGTHNEITHER NATURAL LOVE nor Divine love will remain unless it is cultivated. We must form the habit of love until it is the practice of our lives. [from ‘Our Brilliant Heritage’ by Oswald Chambers] LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION BY CLICKING ON ‘DOWNLOAD FILE’ BELOW
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