'Nothing but the Blood of Jesus': Carrie Underwood Celebrates Her Birthday With New Song, and It's Exactly What We Need
COMMENTARY
Country and pop music superstar Carrie Underwood turned 38 on Wednesday. To celebrate her birthday, she says she wanted to give a gift to her fans, the release of a song from her upcoming album, "My Savior." It's an old standard loaded with Biblical truth: "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus."
Underwood announced the release on Instagram, where she also shared some of the behind-the-scenes thinking about how to approach the old hymn:
"'Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus' is my birthday gift to YOU! Thanks to Bear Rinehart of NEED TO BREATHE for harmonizing with me!"
It's a simple rendition, like she said in her post, with an updated touch, but one that still echoes the eternal truth that's stirred the hearts of Christians for 2,000 years. It's the confidence that we have that the blood Jesus shed for us all on the cross, will cover our sins and cleanse us from all that is not pleasing to God. It's part of Holy Communion, where the wine represents that blood, shed in Messiah Jesus' sacrificial death, and that beckons us to remember just what happened there.
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Could there be a better time to remember? Has there ever been a better, even more urgent time to know that the blood of Jesus covers ALL our sins?
When our country and world seem bent on destruction; when even Christians are divided and angry and shouting at each other. The blood of Jesus is the answer:
"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." - Colossians 1:20, KJV
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
When politicians and activists normalize and celebrate the destruction of unborn children to the point where you wonder if the stain on our collective conscience is beyond help; when violence and murder shatter our cities. The blood of Jesus is the answer:
"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
When confusion about who we are, and ridicule of the very essence of how God created us are flooding the culture; when the enemy blasts our children and grandchildren with lies and deceit to plunge them into darkness, the blood of Jesus overcomes. And when the emptiness and ache of soul is so irredeemably deep, and the need for forgiveness weighs us down, there really is redemption and power in the blood of Jesus:
"In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."
"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
So it's a really good gift Carrie has given us for her birthday. A song to remind us that there really is hope in this old, aching world. His Name is Jesus, and His blood really does clean us up. We just have to bow before Him and repent of our sins.
Carrie Underwood's new album, "My Savior," which includes this song, will be released on March 26th, just in time to help us celebrate Resurrection Day.
