Last weekend as we celebrated Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I had one of those experiences with our kids that is a physical reminder of spiritual truths. John and Hannah were enjoying some time with Daddy by helping him paint the new turkey pen he had just built. Of course, before they began we put on their old clothes and gave them instructions that they should try not to get the paint on themselves. At first, they just enjoyed being little helpers and feeling like they were doing grown-up things, but at some point along the way they thought it would be fun to do more painting of themselves than of the turkey pen. Reflection #1: Many times sin comes when we decide that our own way will be more “fun” than following God’s way.
They both ended up with a lot of black paint all over themselves, and Hannah even had some in her hair. They came inside thinking it would be funny, only to find out that this paint does not wash off with water. Instead, it would have to be rubbed off with a rag dipped in gasoline. In other words, it would be a bit painful to get it off. This led to some tears shed by both of them at the thought of going through some pain. Reflection #2: The consequences of sin are always painful.
I told them to sit outside while I finished up some things so I could wash them off. As they were sitting outside, I heard John say to Hannah, “Come over here to this water. If we put it on the paint, it will make it not hurt so bad when it comes off.” I had to explain to him that water does not help at all to take this paint off or to make it less painful in coming off. Reflection #3: In dealing with our sin, we try to find our own way to take it away only to find that our own way still does not do anything to help us become clean.
Finally, they sat down and went through the somewhat painful process of becoming clean. After washing with gasoline and then taking a good bath, they came out looking like normal kids again. I had to think of the hymn that we have been learning together, “Nothing But the Blood.” This whole process reminded me of the truths portrayed in its simple words along with the verses we have been memorizing from Ephesians 2.
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught for good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
O, precious is the flow,
That makes me white as snow!
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
“Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air...You were born with an evil nature and you were under God’s anger just like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy and who loved us so very much, even when we were dead because of our sins, gave us life when He raised Christ Jesus from the dead.” (Ephesians 2:1-4, NLT)
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