Friday 1 July 2011

Linking Leviticus 17:11 and John 6:53

If you've not come across Bibledex yet then you are missing out.



Lev 17: 10-11
"I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off from the people. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life."

John 6: 53 "Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

I'd never come across this specific link before although it seems really obvious. The idea of blood as necessary for atonement is drilled into us from early on in our faith but this particular link, I've missed. A few thoughts on the video though:

"Jews, and actually Christians as well according to Acts 15, are not supposed to eat blood"
Is this not an issue over unity in the body of Christ, especially in relation to the acceptance of Gentiles, rather then an absolute commandment? It seems to make most sense to me read in light of Peter's interaction with Cornelius and the vision in Acts 10 and Paul's understanding of eating food sacrificed to idols and how that relates to other believers in 1 Corinthians 8?

"The temple would have actually have smelled like a slaughter house"
Perhaps this makes sense of the importance on incense in temple worship!

"You must drink the blood in order to have life in you"
It emphasises the necessity of drinking Jesus' blood both in the symbolic sense and also in the sacrament. If we are to have [true] life in us then we must partake of Jesus' life given up for us.

Till Next Time!

H/T: Zwinglius Redivivus

No comments:

Post a Comment