"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" ( John 1:29).

Ancestral beliefs had a high premium on blood. The ultimate sacrifice involved blood sacrifices starting with fowls up to human trophy heads. This practice is still common and if you doubt you can check out why children are ritually sacrificed in dark shrines. It is their blood being saught after.

Originally blood sacrifices featured among the Hebrews. Abraham was commanded by God to take out his only son Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice. "Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son" ( Gen 22:10). But in place of Isaac Abraham was offered a "ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son" ( vv 13).

When Christ came and offered his life for our salvation he became the ultimate sacrifice, for "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" ( Hebrews 10:4). As a believer in Christ you no longer have to be burdened with slaughtering any fowl, bull, or worst of all human, as some of the many lost still do! This is because Christ has paid the full price. "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all"   ( Hebrews 10:10).

Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, I thank you for your blood which takes away all my sins and protects me from any attack of the evil one, for the blood of the lamb covers me, this I pray in Jesus' name.