The Blood of Jesus

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 9:6-28

“And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22

Our hymnal is full of songs about the blood of Jesus and its significance for our Christian life: There Is Power in the Blood; Nothing But the Blood; Are You Washed in the Blood?; There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood; Jesus, Thy Blood And Righteousness … just to name a few. Why do we sing about the blood of Jesus?

It’s because in the Bible the blood of Jesus speaks of His death on the cross for our sins. There is a scarlet thread of the blood sacrifice that runs through the Bible.

The first shedding of blood occurs after Adam and Eve sin. For the first time they see their nakedness and feel shame. So what do they do? They try to cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together (Gen 3:7), but it does not fool God. The point is clear. We cannot cover our sin by our own efforts. So God comes and covers them with clothes made of animal skins (Gen. 3:21). Blood had to be shed to make a covering for sin.

The shedding of blood is central in many Old Testament ceremonies. Let me just mention two:

The Passover: This feast commemorated when God passed over the sons of Israel saving them from the plague of the death of the firstborn, delivering them from their slavery in Egypt. Each family would select an unblemished lamb to be slaughtered. Then father would spread the blood of the lamb on the top and sides of the door … foreshadowing the cross. You can read about the Passover in Exodus 11-12. In 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul writes, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” The Passover lamb pointed to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice to save us from sin and death.

The Day of Atonement: In Leviticus 16 God gives instructions about the once-a-year sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people of Israel. Only on this day would the high priest enter the holy of holies and “not without with blood,” (Heb. 9:7). The High Priest would first offer a young bull for his own sins. Then, he would cast lots over two goats. One would be the sacrifice and one would be the scapegoat that would carry the sins of the people away. The High Priest would then enter into the holy of holies with the blood of the sacrifice. “Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel,” (Leviticus 16:19). Hebrews 9 shows this is a picture of Christ who as our High Priest (Heb. 9:11), “… has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” (Heb. 9:26).

John the Baptist shows that these two sacrifices come together in Jesus with his words in John 1:29, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

The blood of Jesus, glorious theme!
Proclaim it o’er and o’er
The blood of Jesus saves us now,
And saves us evermore. (Fanny Crosby)

Prayerfully read through Hebrews 9 and marvel at the all-sufficient blood of Jesus Christ.