The Undeath
Part 2 of the Spotlight series "Forgiveness is Passing"
Icebreaker:
What's a movie or book (other than the Bible) where forgiveness played a key role and left an impact on you?
What's a movie or book (other than the Bible) where forgiveness played a key role and left an impact on you?
Once you've broken the ice, read this Spotlight's focus:
Forgiveness is important, but it is also temporary. It exists as a way to deal a problem. At its worst, the problem forgiveness fixes is the separation caused by sin. That separation is often felt, noticed, and frightening in death. For this reason, forgiveness is often associated with death. From practices of ritual sacrifice to the idea of last rites to Jesus on the cross, forgiveness has long served as the death’s foil.
Forgiveness is important, but it is also temporary. It exists as a way to deal a problem. At its worst, the problem forgiveness fixes is the separation caused by sin. That separation is often felt, noticed, and frightening in death. For this reason, forgiveness is often associated with death. From practices of ritual sacrifice to the idea of last rites to Jesus on the cross, forgiveness has long served as the death’s foil.
(And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)
Resurrection of Jesus
By Aatmica Ojha
Here’s a question: Why does it have to be blood?
When you any amount of looking into the Bible on the topic of forgiveness, you run into blood. At first, it is odd. There are verses in the Old Testament (that are even quoted in the New Testament) that say that “where there is forgiveness there must be the shedding of blood.” And this statement is closely connected to another statement: the life of an animal is in the blood. Interestingly, this is something that comes straight from the mouth of God to the Israelite people. The life of an animal is in the blood.
So…why blood?
The concept of blood, in many cultures and traditions, has always been synonymous with life itself. It's the vital fluid that sustains us, that keeps our hearts beating and our bodies alive. But in the context of forgiveness, especially in biblical terms, blood takes on a deeper, more symbolic meaning.
When we think of forgiveness, we often imagine it as a simple act of letting go, a gesture of the heart. But the Bible paints a more profound picture. It suggests that true forgiveness comes at a cost because that which must be forgiven (sin) is more than a slight. It’s serious and consequential, and undoing it is, too.
The shedding of blood in rituals and sacrifices wasn't just a random act. It was a necessary counter-action, atoning for sins and fixing the gap that sin created between man and the Divine. It was a way to show that if sin takes life, the price of forgiveness was the very essence of life.
This adds to the significance of Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice. His shedding of blood wasn't just an act of atonement; it was a declaration of ultimate forgiveness. Jesus' blood symbolized the purest form of life given for us, showing that forgiveness wasn't just about letting go of the past, but about embracing a new life, a new beginning. It is the "Undeath," a transition from the old to the new, from sin to salvation.
So, when we ask, "Why blood?" we're really asking about the depth, the gravity, and the magnitude of forgiveness. It's a reminder that forgiveness isn't just a word or a feeling; it's a transformative act, powerful enough to change the course of history and the fate of humanity.
When you any amount of looking into the Bible on the topic of forgiveness, you run into blood. At first, it is odd. There are verses in the Old Testament (that are even quoted in the New Testament) that say that “where there is forgiveness there must be the shedding of blood.” And this statement is closely connected to another statement: the life of an animal is in the blood. Interestingly, this is something that comes straight from the mouth of God to the Israelite people. The life of an animal is in the blood.
So…why blood?
The concept of blood, in many cultures and traditions, has always been synonymous with life itself. It's the vital fluid that sustains us, that keeps our hearts beating and our bodies alive. But in the context of forgiveness, especially in biblical terms, blood takes on a deeper, more symbolic meaning.
When we think of forgiveness, we often imagine it as a simple act of letting go, a gesture of the heart. But the Bible paints a more profound picture. It suggests that true forgiveness comes at a cost because that which must be forgiven (sin) is more than a slight. It’s serious and consequential, and undoing it is, too.
The shedding of blood in rituals and sacrifices wasn't just a random act. It was a necessary counter-action, atoning for sins and fixing the gap that sin created between man and the Divine. It was a way to show that if sin takes life, the price of forgiveness was the very essence of life.
This adds to the significance of Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice. His shedding of blood wasn't just an act of atonement; it was a declaration of ultimate forgiveness. Jesus' blood symbolized the purest form of life given for us, showing that forgiveness wasn't just about letting go of the past, but about embracing a new life, a new beginning. It is the "Undeath," a transition from the old to the new, from sin to salvation.
So, when we ask, "Why blood?" we're really asking about the depth, the gravity, and the magnitude of forgiveness. It's a reminder that forgiveness isn't just a word or a feeling; it's a transformative act, powerful enough to change the course of history and the fate of humanity.
Hopefully that makes enough sense to get you started.
Pray this prayer to get into it:
Lord,
Sin is serious. Death is serious. Therefore, forgiveness is serious.
Thank you for undoing death through the shedding of blood;
help us as we seek to comprehend this gift.
Pray this prayer to get into it:
Lord,
Sin is serious. Death is serious. Therefore, forgiveness is serious.
Thank you for undoing death through the shedding of blood;
help us as we seek to comprehend this gift.
Amen.
Let's pause and breathe for a moment. No matter what topic, no matter what day, no matter what: God is holding you. Before we talk about it or spring into action on it, let's just celebrate that our God is a God of forgiveness.
Read these verses from Hebrews 9:
(First Reader)
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Placeonce for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
(Second Reader)
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciencesfrom acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
(Third Reader)
16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves,together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
(Fourth Reader)
23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one;he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Pause for silent prayer and reflection on the text before having someone read the next paragraphs.
This is interesting language, and when it was first written it was part of what gave Christians an odd reputation. Some people thought Christians were too morbid, too obsessed with blood, and were an odd cult. While we hope we aren’t odd, it’s undeniable that blood and earth matter to Christians. It was the death and resurrection of Jesus that started this movement, after all.
Listen to this medley of hymns about blood, which was performed at a concert in Africa. Note how the hundreds of thousands gathered know these songs. Blood is part of Christianity.
Read these verses from Hebrews 9:
(First Reader)
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Placeonce for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
(Second Reader)
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciencesfrom acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
(Third Reader)
16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves,together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
(Fourth Reader)
23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one;he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Pause for silent prayer and reflection on the text before having someone read the next paragraphs.
This is interesting language, and when it was first written it was part of what gave Christians an odd reputation. Some people thought Christians were too morbid, too obsessed with blood, and were an odd cult. While we hope we aren’t odd, it’s undeniable that blood and earth matter to Christians. It was the death and resurrection of Jesus that started this movement, after all.
Listen to this medley of hymns about blood, which was performed at a concert in Africa. Note how the hundreds of thousands gathered know these songs. Blood is part of Christianity.
With that in mind, respond to the picture below. It’s from a church in Mexico, and it is called “The Precious Blood of Jesus.”
- What do you like about it? That is, how does it help you appreciate Jesus?
- What does align for you? What about the picture do you find doesn’t serve you?
Pray this prayer together:
Jesus,
My blood is important to me.
Your word says it is where my life is.
Your blood, it seems, is the same.
Thank you for not being selfish with your blood,
and for offering it to me.
Father,
The blood of your Son
has removed the power of death from the world.
You have accepted his death, his blood, and his life
for me.
Thank you.
Amen.
Jesus,
My blood is important to me.
Your word says it is where my life is.
Your blood, it seems, is the same.
Thank you for not being selfish with your blood,
and for offering it to me.
Father,
The blood of your Son
has removed the power of death from the world.
You have accepted his death, his blood, and his life
for me.
Thank you.
Amen.
Forgiveness is illustrated and effected in sacrifice
Consider this instruction around sacrifice from the Old Testament.
Leviticus 1:4-5 | He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Reflect on the “he” in these verses.
Read this to take the discussion further.
To take life--regardless of species--is an unnatural thing. The hands of all but perhaps the most hardened of butchers or game hunters would shudder as they held knife to throat. There's revulsion in opening flesh and killing because it goes against the nature that God has embedded within human souls. He created life for life, not for death. Death only ever happens as a result of sin and when a father would slaughter his sheep in sacrifice, he was the death-bringer. But really, his sin was. The sacrifice was a visceral admission that his sin is causing death. (Hebrews 10:3 | “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins…”) His sin cannot go unpunished--blood will need to be shed for it. And by the mercy and grace of God, that blood doesn't need to be his. That death doesn't need to be his.
So, was the animal an acceptable substitute for the life of the human? Not really. It was only worthwhile because God had set it up to be. But its atoning power wasn't in the animal. Every sacrifice pointed to another sacrifice. Hebrews 9 and 10 very explicitly link the Old Testament sacrifices to the self-sacrifice that Jesus offered in his own death.
As Jesus was led bleeding, bruised, and humiliated to the place of his execution, he was the lamb being taken to sacrifice (Is. 53:7 - "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."). And when his blood was poured out and he gave up his life (Matthew 27:50 - "50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit."), his sacrifice fulfilled and made effective the thousands--perhaps millions--of sacrifices int he Old Testament that God's people had performed to claim forgiveness. And with his sacrifice, no more sacrifice is necessary. It was perfect, ultimate, and comprehensive. Jesus' death--the death of God and the blood of the Holy One--satisfied the cost of all sin of all people of all time--even of all of creation. No more sacrifice is needed. Forgiveness is open to all.
Finish this section by listening to (and singing along with if you’re comfortable) the hymn ”A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth.”
Consider this instruction around sacrifice from the Old Testament.
Leviticus 1:4-5 | He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Reflect on the “he” in these verses.
- Though the priests arranged and offered the sacrifices, it was the role of the head of the house to select, bring, and slaughter the animal. He couldn't just drop it off like a library book in the drop of slot by the due date, pay his due, and be on his way. Perhaps with his wife and children looking on he had to restrain this animal - a bull or a sheep - and lay his own hands on the head of the animal to symbolize his sins and those of his family being placed on this animal. Then with his own knife, he had to trace his blade along the exposed neck of the animal with enough pressure to cut through the hide, the jugular, and the trachea. He had to watch the neck of this animal open and the blood that he caused to come out pour over his blade and his hand. He had to watch the eyes of the animal looking at him change from fear to emptiness. He had to watch the death that he caused, and then he'd know the cost his sin. The cost of forgiveness. Blood. Hebrews 9:22 - " without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
- This is a graphic description of the sacrificial process. It’s not designed to be enjoyable or comfortable. What is valuable about feeling that discomfort?
- The sacrificial system that the people of Israel used was a gift of God, but it was part of an arrangement that required their action. In fact, most conversations about forgiveness are going to focus on the action you need to take. How is that different from the grace of God?
Read this to take the discussion further.
To take life--regardless of species--is an unnatural thing. The hands of all but perhaps the most hardened of butchers or game hunters would shudder as they held knife to throat. There's revulsion in opening flesh and killing because it goes against the nature that God has embedded within human souls. He created life for life, not for death. Death only ever happens as a result of sin and when a father would slaughter his sheep in sacrifice, he was the death-bringer. But really, his sin was. The sacrifice was a visceral admission that his sin is causing death. (Hebrews 10:3 | “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins…”) His sin cannot go unpunished--blood will need to be shed for it. And by the mercy and grace of God, that blood doesn't need to be his. That death doesn't need to be his.
So, was the animal an acceptable substitute for the life of the human? Not really. It was only worthwhile because God had set it up to be. But its atoning power wasn't in the animal. Every sacrifice pointed to another sacrifice. Hebrews 9 and 10 very explicitly link the Old Testament sacrifices to the self-sacrifice that Jesus offered in his own death.
- Hebrews 9:11-14 | But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
- Hebrews 10:4-7 | 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God.’”
- Hebrews 10:11-12 | 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
- Hebrews 10:18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
- Which of these passages from Hebrews helps you most as you consider the power of Jesus’ sacrifice?
- What else, if anything, is jumping out for you?
As Jesus was led bleeding, bruised, and humiliated to the place of his execution, he was the lamb being taken to sacrifice (Is. 53:7 - "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."). And when his blood was poured out and he gave up his life (Matthew 27:50 - "50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit."), his sacrifice fulfilled and made effective the thousands--perhaps millions--of sacrifices int he Old Testament that God's people had performed to claim forgiveness. And with his sacrifice, no more sacrifice is necessary. It was perfect, ultimate, and comprehensive. Jesus' death--the death of God and the blood of the Holy One--satisfied the cost of all sin of all people of all time--even of all of creation. No more sacrifice is needed. Forgiveness is open to all.
Finish this section by listening to (and singing along with if you’re comfortable) the hymn ”A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth.”
Joining (and Enhancing) the Conversation
We’re exploring the modern, secular, often workplace oriented discussion of forgiveness. Today, you’ll compare a ”Forgiveness and Acceptance” worksheet’s approach with what you’ve thought about so far in the series.
Quick Individual Review (3 minutes)
We’re exploring the modern, secular, often workplace oriented discussion of forgiveness. Today, you’ll compare a ”Forgiveness and Acceptance” worksheet’s approach with what you’ve thought about so far in the series.
Quick Individual Review (3 minutes)
- Skim through the Forgiveness and Acceptance Worksheet.
- Note any immediate reactions or standout points.
- Share one key takeaway or question from the worksheet.
- Discuss the worksheet's primary approach to forgiveness.
- Discuss similarities and differences between the worksheet's approach and the biblical verses.
- Share one insight or revelation from this comparison.
Close with this song:
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