There are a plethora of hymns and worship songs that talk about the blood of Jesus. Some of my favorites include:
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
What is the power of the blood of Jesus and why do we sing about it so much? If you think about the meaning of the blood of Jesus in Christianity - it is everything. In Hebrews 9:22 we are reminded that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. If Jesus did not die on the cross and shed his blood for our sins then we have no hope of forgiveness. That means that this blood that Jesus shed has power first and foremost to wash away sins and that should mean everything to a Christian.
The Blood of Jesus Is Life-Giving
Leviticus 17:11 teaches us, “For the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.”
Whenever someone donates blood they are literally giving a part of their life so that another might live. The sacrifice a person makes of temporary pain and loss provides a greater gain of another. If a person has no blood running through their veins, the person has no life. Jesus Himself knew that His blood would be given in a greater way than a blood drive. Rather than giving life to one or a few other people, His blood gives life to all who accept Him.
We see from the beginning that the consequence of sin is death. Since life is in the blood, from the beginning we see God Himself teach humanity to sacrifice animals to cover their sins. (Genesis 3:21) The lives of sacrificed animals were the temporary offerings over the sins of the people performed by the high priests. Hebrews 5:1 says, “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.”
We see that Abraham’s faith made him well. It wasn’t so much the sacrifice of sins but the obedience out of a heart of faith that the Messiah was coming. BibleStudyTools shares Bible verses that tell us that Jesus’ blood gives us new life and redemption.
- Ephesians 1:17 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
- Hebrews 9:14 “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!”
- Hebrews 13:12 “And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.”
The Blood of Jesus Was Necessary
Pure, perfect blood was a requirement to reconcile us back to God. We often do not like to think about our sins and the devastation of separation that they have caused us from the Creator, but in reality, we are under the punishment of sin which is death. As we read of blood sacrifices paid on behalf of the sins of the people of God, we are even more aware of what would have been required of us had Jesus not come. We are significantly blessed to be on this side of the cross. Jesus’ blood covered all sins in one divine moment of death, He brought us eternal life.
- Colossians 1:20, “And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
- Hebrews 9:22, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
- Matthew 26:28, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
I even ponder the time when the angel of death was going to take the first born sons in Egypt during the time of Moses. This was the final plague on Egypt because Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go. (Exodus 12:23) Blood from a pure animal was the necessary action to protect the first borns from death. This was a foreshadowing of the blood that Christ would one day shed on the cross to protect us all who accept Him from eternal death.
The Blood of Jesus Gives Freedom
Revelations 1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.”
We all have had a death sentence. We have been trapped by the deception and luring of our sinful ways. Jesus’ blood sets us free from the punishment of sin. We no longer have to live under the bondage and condemnation of sin. Because Jesus has the victory, those who follow Him share in His victory. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
We do not need to be fearful of the punishment of eternal death and separation from God. We have been justified by Jesus’ blood and saved from the wrath of God. According to Webster’s Dictionary, justified means, “Having or shown to have a just, right, or reasonable basis.” This means that we have been made right by the blood of Jesus. What sins made wrong that caused us to be guilty, Jesus’ blood took care of on our behalf.
Imagine being sentenced to prison and then death. The gut-wrenching moment of realizing that you were guilty and you could not pay your way, smooth talk your way, or argue your way out of it. Then, steps in a Man with a perfect track record who never did anything wrong. He says that he would like to take your place. So the guards bind him in chains that were meant to be yours, mock him, beat him, and ultimately kill him instead of you. This is what Jesus did for us through His bloody death. We no longer have to hold the weight of punishment from sins, but it is by His great love that we have been set free.
Romans 5:9 “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”
The Blood of Jesus Was Perfect
In order for Jesus’ blood to make a difference, He needed to be perfect. Jesus’ perfection was a result of Him being fully God and fully man. Whenever a sacrifice was made prior to Jesus, they were always “a male without defect.” The Hebrew word tamiym meaning, to be complete is from the root word tamam which means to be finished. Sinful people needed a sinless Savior. Jesus purified us whiter than snow with His perfect blood.
1 Peter 1:18-19 “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.”
Maybe you are not feeling valuable or seen today? Perhaps you feel that you are too dirty for Jesus. I encourage you to take heart and believe His words that His sacrifice took care of every sin.
John 1:29 says, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” His blood gives life, it was necessary, it gives us freedom, and it was perfect. Because of His great love to lay down His life, we can believe in Him and now have eternal hope that we have been covered by the Lamb of the world.
Prayer of Thankfulness for the Blood of Jesus
Jesus, thank You for leaving heaven and coming to earth to die on the cross for me. Thank You for shedding Your blood so I could begin each day in the joy of being cleansed and forgiven. Thank You for being the Lamb of God, my perfect Savior from sin!
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/RomoloTavani
This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!
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