Why All the Blood?
Maybe you've thought that God's demand for blood is harsh or outdated or just crazy. Couldn't God have chosen a less severe way to deal with sin?
A good place to start thinking about this might be Romans 6:23:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the crux of the matter.”
The fundamental reason God demands blood is that sin results in death. The need for blood isn't arbitrary. It's the inevitable consequences of sin. Death isn't something God randomly assigns to sin. Romans 6:23 tells us it's what sin earns, what it deserves, what it is.
Before Adam and Eve rebelled in the garden, God had warned them, “In the day you eat of it, you shall surely die.” Sin broke the relationship between creature and creator.
They severed their lifeline to God and brought death into the world. The cost of sin is life itself. The penalty for sin is death. The demand for blood is not arbitrary. It's the consequences of sin. There is going to be blood. Either we pay the penalty or someone else must pay it for us.
If death is the consequence of our sin, why do people turn this around with anger toward God as if He is the problem? This is who we are. Without the work of the Holy Spirit revealing the truth, we will not see ourselves as sinners. We are always shaking our fist at God as if we're the victims and He's old and crotchety and arbitrary.
And the Bible makes it clear that nothing we do, no amount of good works or religious rituals can erase what has been done. Blood will be shed. That's why in the Old Testament, God required animal sacrifices. But those sacrifices were only temporary, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His shed blood on the cross is the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice so we could be forgiven. As John Owen said, “There is no death of sin without the death of Jesus.”
Jesus taking our place means that we don't have to live in fear or guilt. Jesus paid the full price for our sin. When we trust Him, we're forgiven and free. We don't need to try to earn God's favor. Jesus' blood has already secured it. When we stumble, we can come to Him, confessing our sin, knowing that His sacrifice is enough.
But sometimes, even knowing this, we can still struggle with shame or doubt.
So, remember, the blood of Jesus speaks a better word over your life. You are not defined by your failures but by His finished work. The penalty for your sin has been paid in full, not by your efforts but by Jesus' precious blood. Trust Him, rest in His kindness, and walk in the freedom He has given you.
Jesus, You alone are worthy of all praise. I confess that my sin deserves death, and I have no hope apart from Your mercy. Thank You for coming and paying the debt I could never pay. Please cause me to trust more deeply in Your finished work and to walk each day in the freedom of Your forgiveness.
Song: There Is a Fountan