We all need to have blood to live. Blood in our arteries carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells of our body. If we have an injury and all of our blood drains out of our body, we die. As a result, blood has come to stand for life. We first learn of the importance of blood when Cain killed his brother Abel and spilled His blood on the ground. Genesis 4:8-10 “Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ He said, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?’ And He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.’”
Blood is equated with life. The Lord told Moses in Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” Under the first covenant, the sacrificial animal was killed and its blood was taken. The animal’s blood represented the life of that animal. Instead of the people dying because of their sin, the animal died and gave up its blood to make atonement before God.
Blood was very important to the Israelite people. During the first Passover, each family was to kill a lamb. Exodus 12:7 “And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.” When God saw the blood on the doorway, He passed over the household and the firstborn of the people were saved from death. When the priests dedicated the first covenant, they used blood. Hebrews 9:18-22 “Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.’ Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” The remission or forgiveness of sin required the shedding of blood. In a similar manner, Jesus had to shed His blood for the new covenant. He spoke about this during the Last Supper. Matthew 26:28 “Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’” Our sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus.
Jesus gave His blood when he was nailed to the cross. But don’t forget, Jesus was first scourged. The scourging of Jesus was a brutal form of punishment inflicted upon Him before the crucifixion. It was a standard Roman practice used to weaken a prisoner before execution. Jesus was flogged with a flagrum, a whip with leather thongs embedded with sharp pieces of bone or metal. This instrument tore into His flesh, causing deep wounds and significant blood loss. Jesus was likely stripped, tied to a post, and whipped repeatedly by Roman soldiers. The lashes would have caused severe bruising, lacerations, and muscle damage, leaving His body in a state of extreme pain and shock. Jesus lost a lot of blood during the scourging. Jesus was also pierced with a spear after He died. John 19:33-34 “But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” Jesus gave His blood for us.
Here are some scriptures that describe the power of the blood of Jesus upon us as Christians today. We are justified by His blood. Romans 5:8-9 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” We have redemption and forgiveness of sins through His blood. Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” We have peace with God through the blood of Jesus. Colossians 1:20 “And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” We are cleansed from all sin. 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” We are purchased to God with His blood. Acts 20:28 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” His blood cleanses our consciences. Hebrews 9:13-14 “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?”
God forbade the Israelites from eating blood. Leviticus 17:12 “Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.” That prohibition was been passed down to Christians today. The council of Jerusalem in the first century was considering if Gentiles should be required to keep the Law of Moses. They decided on only a few restrictions. Acts 15:20 “But that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.” Animals strangled would still have blood in them, so the restriction was from eating blood. However, we should not forget that spiritually we drink the blood of Jesus when we drink the cup in the Lord’s Supper. 1 Corinthians 10:16 “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”
The blood of Jesus gives us justification, redemption, forgiveness of our sins, peace and reconciliation with God. We have been purchased to God with His blood. Give glory to God.