David's Blood

“ When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. ”

There is a thread the color of red that runs down from the dawn of time, from our first parents, a lineage, a legacy of both triumph and ruin. Promises and curses, covenants and tales of forgotten people raised up into glory: the story of our human race is ever full of interest. That red thread is the bloodline, a high and wonderful heritage that ties together the most wonderful people the world has ever known.

Adam , earth's first human inhabitant, out of whose side was the first woman made, gave life to sons and daughters and the family of man. His own blood became the bloodline of us all. Even genetic scientists concede that the entire human race seems to have come from one pair of human parents by the blood. Their blood became polluted with sin, and their children were a fallen race.

In time, God called a man of faith to a land he'd never seen and built a great family upon the man's faith. Abraham became the father of the Hebrews, and incidentally also of the Arabs by an Egyptian slave girl. Abraham's bloodline became one of promise, a seed of restoration for mankind. All the families on earth would be blessed through Abraham's blood.

The tale goes on through Jacob and Joseph, Moses and Joshua, Samuel and the second king of Israel. King Saul had fallen from God's favor, and by God's leading, Samuel anointed another king, from descendants of Judah and Tamar, of Ruth and Boaz, the son of Jesse. This youngest son, keeper of the sheep, was brave enough to kill both a bear and a lion. In time he would defeat the giant Goliath, play wonderful music for the mad king, and be hunted by the royal guard as an outlaw. Finally, at the death of king Saul, David was acknowledged to be the rightful king of Israel and he conquered Jerusalem, setting up his throne and bringing the Ark of Yahweh to that city, now called the City of David. His six-pointed star became the symbol of the Jewish people from that day to this.

David became the model for all kings to follow. A later descendant, Josiah , was commended in the Scriptures in that “ he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.” 2 Kings 22:2 David was called the man of God, and a Covenant was made with him through Nathan the prophet for David's seed: “He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son… my mercy shall not depart away from him… And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” 2 Samuel 7:13-16

David's heir, Solomon , failed of the trust to keep Israel for God alone, and built temples for the foreign gods of all his wives. Further heirs fell to evil ways, and the kingdom was divided. The promise of David's bloodline seemed to have failed, but ever the Jews sought a king in David's line who would restore the promise and bring God's favor to them again. Isaiah prophesied regarding Messiah, a king in David's line, that “ Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.” Isaiah 9:7

But David's line did fail. Evil kings in time caused God to reject the lineage of the Davidic kings. At the Babylonian captivity, God cut off the line with a curse on its seed. But with that came also a promise of its restoration. Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, and Zechariah wrote of a future branch that would grow from the stump of Jesse's tree, thought dead and gone, but now greater even than David . “ And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.” Ezekiel 37:24-25 “ Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.” Hosea 3:5 “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.” Amos 9:11 “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” Zech. 12:10

It was imperative that the Messiah be born of the blood of David. Mary was of that blood, and Jesus Christ had the blood of David running through his veins. The first verse of the New Testament states: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Matthew 1:1 Then His bloodline is given. Jesus knew that the Jewish people were looking for that son of David to restore their dashed hopes. He knew also, of course, that He was so much greater than David. He challenged them with their presumptions, asking them: “David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?” Luke 20:42-44 And to John in a vision, Jesus declared: “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” Rev. 22:16 The people called him “Son of David” when they asked for healing, and at His triumphant entry into Jerusalem to start the fateful week, they cried out: “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” Matthew 21:9

God established proof: Jesus was verifiably David's heir. The Jews of that time had the records. They tried to denounce Him in every other way, but they never challenged the claim He had in being an heir of the greatest King of Israel. His blood was the blood of David. He was the fulfillment of prophecy.

Pilate cried out from his chair: “ What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. Pilate said, “Why, what evil hath he done?” The mob answered, “Let him be crucified.” Pilate took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.” The people said, “His blood be on us, and on our children.”

His blood be on us. His blood is for them, and for them does He shed His most precious blood. They tie Him to a post and whip Him almost to death with rods and scourges, breaking ribs and causing that Blood, David's blood, to soak the ground. In perhaps the most heart-rending scene from the movie, The Passion of the Christ , when Jesus has finally been dragged away from the whipping post, His mother Mary is given linen cloths by Pilate's wife and with them she carefully wipes up His blood from the flagstones.

A crown of thorns again pierces Jesus' skin and more of the precious blood runs down His face. Finally, He carries His cross to Golgatha and there His hands and feet are pierced with huge nails and His blood again runs out on this earth. They hail Him mockingly, King of the Jews. The crime for which He is executed is written above His head, “King of the Jews.” The priests of the Temple call to Him up there, “If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.”

As He gives up the ghost, the soldiers test whether He is dead or just fainted, thrusting a spear up between His ribs, into His heart. The last blood from His precious Body runs down with clear serum, a broken heart, the precious blood of David, the last drop of His sacrifice made by a dead king.

His blood be on us and on our children. God forbid. God did better. Holding the chalice of wine before His amazed disciples, Jesus pronounced it: “This is my Blood of the New Covenant which is shed for you and for many others, for the forgiveness of your sins. Do this as often as you drink it, to remember me.” The blood of David, the precious Blood of our Savior, has not all been lost. It is ours today. We partake of it. We become one with Him and one with each other, one Blood, one family, the family of The King. His blood be in us and in our children. Son of David, make us sons and daughters in You. By your sacrifice, shed Your blood for us, and make us clean. May Your blood purify us. May Your loss be our gain. May Your suffering be for us a healing. May our lives lived before You show forth the power of the red thread, the thread of blood from Adam to Abraham to David to Jesus, and now to us. This blood makes us all one, one with God the Son, one with the Son of Mary, one in the Son of David. David's Blood be in us now.

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