In the last two weeks we have added another “ologist” to our team, a hematologist.  Hematologists are specialists in dealing with everything related to blood.  Our medical vocabulary has grown once again, this time to incorporate words like Hematocrit, Ferritin, and Venofer.  It turns out that blood is even more complicated than I had ever imagined.  If something is missing or deficient in your blood it can cause all kinds of problems.

Michelle has been diagnosed with severe anemia, a lack of iron in her blood.  Her face and lips have been the same shade of ghostly pale for a couple of weeks, like the life has been drained out of her.  Blood has a very important function.  It supplies oxygen to cells and tissues, provides essential nutrients to cells, removes waste materials, and protects the body from infection and foreign bodies through the white blood cells (thank you Google for getting me up to speed!) Blood is life giving, without it we would be in serious trouble.

To rectify Michelle’s current situation, the doctors are going to give her an infusion of a medication that contains iron directly into her blood stream.  We are very excited for this treatment because it gives us hope that Michelle will regain the energy to keep fighting, that life would start to return to her body and some color would return to her beautiful face.

Blood gives hope and life……

There are some other words in my vocabulary that come to mind when I think of blood, words like redemption, forgiveness and atonement.  The bible is full of scriptures that pertain to blood.  In the Old Testament God gave Moses a prescription (not unlike Michelle’s prescription for her lack of iron) to rectify our lack of unity with God.  Sin separates us from God and blood is the only remedy.  The shedding of blood was symbolic and the Israelites had to do it over and over to atone for their sins.  The Israelites were also instructed not to eat the blood of animals.  Leviticus 17:11 “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.”  It seems to me that blood has had a critical role since the beginning of time!

The New Testament perfected this prescription once and for all.  This prescription holds far more hope and life than any iron infusion ever could!  Jesus came to this world to be the ultimate offering, the last shedding of blood that would ever be needed, which is good because anyone who watches the news could presume that there is not enough blood in the world to atone for the evil happening every day. Hebrews 9:12 “He (Jesus) 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.”  Eternal Redemption, all through the shedding of blood.

The hope of eternity is found in Jesus’ blood.  We are no longer separated from God because of our sin.  Just like our blood removes the waste materials from our bodies, the blood of Jesus cleanses us of the sin in our lives.  Our blood carries oxygen and to our cells and tissues to keep us alive and Jesus’ blood ensures that we will have eternal life!  The very words of Jesus found in the bible feed our souls the same way our blood provides nutrients to our bodies.  The parallels are endless.

Are you, like Michelle, in need of an infusion today?  Do you need hope? Has life left you feeling weak and pale?  I would like to suggest that Jesus may just be the prescription you need.  After all, it sounds like he may have been the very first hematologist!