I am very excited at the prospect of us having a full schedule for our blood drive this coming Monday. I had desired for some time to make a blood donation myself but was not willing to go to New Brunswick to do so. So, when the suggestion came up that we host a blood drive I was one of the first to get on board with that idea. As Christians, we hold a very high view of blood that has been given for the benefit of others. In the Old Testament, it was the blood of the sacrificial lambs that covered sin. In the book of Exodus (Ex.12) it was the blood of the sacrificial lambs that were applied to the doorpost so that the Death Angel would pass over the Israelite families who applied the blood to the doorpost of their homes. This began the great tradition that is still being practiced today in Judaism some 35 centuries later of Passover. When Jesus first appeared in John 1 it was John the Baptist who declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, (John 1:29). Red Cross informs us that by donating our blood we are saving people’s lives. As Christians, we believe Jesus shed His blood to save humanity. So truly we see the giving of blood as a precious gift.
In the book of Romans Paul informs us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Rom.5:8,9 NIV). The book of Revelation is introduced with this important statement where John writes, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood; and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen,” (Rev.1:5,6 NIV). So once again we see how important shed blood of the Lamb of God is to our lives and to eternal life. From the beginning of the Bible to the end of the Bible we see blood is a very important factor in our salvation. If Jesus was willing to shed his blood for us should we not also be willing to donate our blood so that others may have a chance at physical life. Of course, Jesus’s sacrifice purchased our spiritual salvation, which is truly a greater gift. I also believe that the longer people live the greater chance they have of coming to place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. So even the gift of donating blood could ultimately lead to a person having another chance to give their heart to Jesus Christ.
We are most thankful for those who willingly donate their blood to the Red Cross blood drive, and we hope our endeavors will help to save lives in our community. We are already exploring the possibility of hosting another blood drive as the Lord gives us the opportunity to do so sometime in the future. In the meantime, let us continue to seek to serve and love one another and follow Jesus’s instruction when He tells us, “A new commandment I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciple if you love one another”, (John 13:34,35 NIV).
All for God’s Glory,
Pastor Rich Sivo
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