Tracing the Blood

Hebrews 9:22 “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

There are 97 references to the Blood in the NT; about 30 dealing with the blood of Jesus

All made by Paul, Peter, John and the author of Hebrews; seen in varying contexts specific or alluding to...

...blood of Jesus Christ

...blood of Jesus

...blood of Christ

...blood of the Lord

The theological significance of these references extends beyond mere frequency. References to the “blood of Christ” always mean the sacrificial and substitutionary gift of Jesus on the Cross, pouring out His life unto death—a meaning that remains consistent whether the reference appears in a gospel narrative, epistle, or apocalyptic vision. The Hayford Bible Handbook 

Much ink has been spilled on the matter of the blood—too many books to mention

There are numerous hymns of the faith which bring the blood of Jesus into focus

Nothing but the Blood

Are You Washed in the Blood?

Power in the Blood

Saved by the Blood

Just as I Am Without One Plea, but that Thy Blood Was Shed for Me!

Many others reference it by metaphor, though not exact words

Where Do We Begin?

Caution: This is distinctly NOT the same as the “Trail of Blood” as proposed in a book by that title which promotes the concept of Baptist churches having been around since shortly after the time of Christ—while it has some merits, it seeks to prove an non-essential set of premises...which, in the extreme, seems to make it impossible to be a Christian without being a Baptist

This is tracing the blood from Genesis onward and discussing the significance, and the NECESSITY, of the blood of Jesus

We begin tracing here:

We Start with Scripture

We begin at the fall: Genesis 3:21 “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”

Some, even many, scholars interpret this as the first mention of blood, which leads to the sacrificial system

It is surely a picture—foreshadowing—of what would come, but that’s only clear after reviewing what did come

Next mention is with Cain and Abel: Genesis 4:3–5 “In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.”

Again, some scholars take this as “proving” the acceptability of Cain’s blood sacrifice, but not Abel’s vegan sacrifice

However Genesis 4:6–7 does NOT state that: “The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.””

(Heb. 11:4 clarifies that Abel’s sacrifice was made in faith—that was the defining difference...not blood!)

We can most assuredly take these event as allusions to the coming blood sacrifice

Though we can acknowledge foreshadowing, it’s a stretch to prove the connection on the face of it

Interestingly, the very first mention of blood occurs in Genesis 4:10 “And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.”

Moving Forward

Noah’s sacrifice in Genesis 8:20–22 “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.””

We fast-forward from there to Hebrews 11:39–40. drawing a line between his obedience—which included the sacrifice to his reward “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Even that was deemed to looking forward to the final sacrifice of Jesus.

It is still not clear, that the blood was the effective element...but we’re starting to see the pattern emerge

Next up: Abraham: we would have trouble making the case for a blood sacrifice here as it was a test of his obedience and faith—not specifically related to sin

We fast-forward to Moses and the Passover Exodus 12:21–23 “Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.”

...and Sinai...the building of and establishing worship at the tabernacle...the blood takes on a specific role refer again to Hebrews 9:22 “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

Specifically, there is a link between the blood and atonement—making right the relationship between Holy God and sinful man Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”

The crucial theological concept here involves substitution. The blood of the sacrificial victim makes atonement for the worshiper because the victim’s blood (life) is being offered in the worshiper’s place, making substitution foundational to Israel’s sacrificial system. The focus is specifically on blood that is shed, which symbolizes death—particularly the death of an individual who dies in place of another, involving suffering. (Mark F. Rooker, Leviticus, The New American Commentary)

We discussed this some months ago, in a lesson on Penal Substitutionary Atonement

To the New Testament

Here we build the bridge between the Passover lamb and the Lamb of God—and begin to see all the foreshadowing coming into focus

We’ll start with John’s declaration of John 1 29

John 1:29 ESV

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

We note a change here: the blood of the temple sacrifices covered sin

The the blood of the Lamb of God would take away our sin

A change from black and white to Technicolor!

Through the lens of the completed canon of Scripture, it’s visible quite easily; in the eyes of those who first heard the statement, it may have been missed

What Does the Blood Accomplish for Us?

Three statements

Romans 5:9 ESV

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Ephesians 1:7 ESV

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace....

1 John 1:7 ESV

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Fuller treatment in an AI generated listing in handout

The Last Supper and the New Covenant

Jesus established the significance of His blood during the Passover meal, linking it to a new agreement between God and humanity.

Matthew 26:28: "For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

Mark 14:24: "And he said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.'"

Luke 22:20: "And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.'"

1 Corinthians 11:25: "In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'"

Redemption and Forgiveness

These verses highlight the "purchase" of believers and the washing away of sins through Christ's sacrifice.

Acts 20:28: "...to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood."

Ephesians 1:7: "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses..."

Colossians 1:14: "In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Often associated with the blood context in Col 1:20).

1 Peter 1:18–19: "...you were ransomed... with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."

1 John 1:7: "...the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

Revelation 1:5: "...To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood."

Justification and Reconciliation

The blood is described as the mechanism that makes believers "right" with God and brings peace.

Romans 3:25: "...whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."

Romans 5:9: "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God."

Ephesians 2:13: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

Colossians 1:20: "...making peace by the blood of his cross."

The Book of Hebrews (Atonement and Priesthood)

Hebrews contains the most concentrated teaching on the blood, comparing Christ's sacrifice to Old Testament animal sacrifices.

Hebrews 9:12: "He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood..."

Hebrews 9:14: "...how much more will the blood of Christ... purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

Hebrews 10:19: "...we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus."

Hebrews 10:29: "...and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified..."

Hebrews 12:24: "...and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

Hebrews 13:12: "So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood."

Hebrews 13:20: "...the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant..."

Victory and Worship in Revelation

Revelation 5:9: "...for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God..."

Revelation 7:14: "...They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Revelation 12:11: "And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony..."

Other Notable Mentions

John 6:53–56: "So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you...'"

1 Corinthians 10:16: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?"

1 Corinthians 11:27: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord."

1 Peter 1:2: "...for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood..."

1 John 5:6–8: "This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ... The Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree."