Dirk Willems was waiting in prison to die.
He had not — would not — deny his crimes, and the authorities did not — would not — show mercy. Not only had Willems been baptized as an adult, he had helped baptize several others, and in the Netherlands in 1569, the state church couldn’t forgive such dissension.
Willems didn’t resist when they arrested him in the village of Asperen, but while awaiting his execution, he did escape. He somehow squeezed out a window and climbed down a rope of knotted rags.
Some say Willems then climbed down onto a frozen moat; others believe he fled across a frozen river.
Regardless, Willems didn’t break through the ice.
The person pursuing him, however, did.
And when Willems heard the drowning man cry for help, he ran back and pulled the drenched, shivering pursuer out.
Authorities then rewarded Willems by reimprisoning him — and burning him at the stake.
And on that day, Willems won.
Like martyrs before him and after him, Willems conquered because His Savior conquered death — though the victory cost Him His life.
And this Savior also died and rose three days later for the ones who killed Willems. Jesus’ blood pleads with rebels to repent of their hard hearts that resist God and His will.
“You who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ,” the Apostle Paul tells the Ephesians. “For He himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.”
Through the blood, Paul told the Colossians, sinners can escape the power of sin and its dominion over their hearts.
“(Jesus) has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
(Though the New King James Version uses forgiveness, the Greek word means freedom from bondage and is also translated as remission).
And through the blood, as well as the resurrection, repentant, redeemed sinners can live righteously.
“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” the author of Hebrews promises.
And through the blood, John the revelator declares, Christians will win, even if they die. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
Praise God for the blood.
Verse 1
Weary soldier, lonely pilgrim
Hold fast to our faith in Christ our King
Keep the faith, run the race
For He died so we could rise in victory
Chorus:
Through the blood
Through the blood
We are more than overcomers through the blood
Death and Hell can’t prevail
Through the risen King of love and through the blood
Verse 2:
Helpless sinner, doomed and dying
The blood breaks the chains wrapped ‘round your heart
Through its cleansing, flows the blessing
Of true life and righteousness in Jesus’ name
Chorus:
Through the blood
Through the blood
We are more than overcomers through the blood
Death and Hell can’t prevail
Through the risen King of love and through the blood
Bridge:
Who can separate the faithful
From the love of Jesus Christ
As the martyrs gone before us testify
Chorus:
Through the blood
Through the blood
We are more than overcomers through the blood
Death and Hell can’t prevail
Through the risen King of love and through the blood
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