Why Is the Blood of Jesus so Powerful?
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If you grew up in church, perhaps you’re familiar with the terminology that Jesus’ blood cleanses us. But why is the blood of Jesus so powerful? And have we truly grasped the weight of Jesus’ sacrifice and the immense privilege we have to be washed by the blood of the Lamb?
What Does the Bible Say about the Blood of Jesus?
In the Old Testament, it was only through the shedding of blood in animal sacrifices that man could be cleansed from sins, because “it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Leviticus 17:11).
But animal’s blood is not powerful enough to bring redemption from the curse upon mankind. This restoration could only be made in the shedding of blood from God’s own heavenly bloodline.
Any other type of blood would have been too contaminated.
Look at what Hebrews 9:12-14 says about Jesus’ blood: “With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.”
This was the perfect sacrifice that God purchased with a “high price” (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23). He wanted to redeem mankind back to Himself so that we could have access to His presence once again and receive a remission for our sins—without having to perform sacrifices and rituals.
Jesus’ blood is our ticket to boldly enter God’s presence. Hebrews 10:19-22 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
It wasn’t just because of Jesus’ love for His Father that He went along with the plan. It was His love and compassion toward us. He witnessed, firsthand, the curse of evil that had spread throughout humankind, and He longed for us to be purged of that wickedness, knowing it was only His blood that contained the necessary healing and purification properties.
Jesus wanted us to receive the power that His blood contained. He knew, if we accepted our new life in Him, then we, too, would receive…
Peace with God:
“And through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross” Colossians 1:20.
“And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation” Romans 5:9
Freedom and redemption:
“He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins” Ephesians 1:7.
“All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us” Revelation 1:5.
Cleansing of our sins:
“…the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” 1 John 1:7b.
Holiness:
“So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood”Hebrews 13:12.
Redemption:
“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” 1 Peter 1:18-19.
A new covenant that brings us into right standing with God:
“After supper he took another cup of wine and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you” Luke 20:22.
And a perfect restoration of fellowship with our Heavenly Father:
“But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ” Ephesians 2:13.
What Is the Purpose of the Blood of Jesus?
The fall in the Garden of Eden created a division between mankind and God. From that point on, our sin separated us from our Creator—and the only way we could be made right in His eyes was through the shedding of blood as used in animal sacrifices. This blood would serve as an atonement, a covering, of our sins.
We are reminded of this in Hebrews 9:22: “In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”
When God accepts a blood sacrifice, it’s because the life that is within that sacrifice has the power to purge the evil—the death—that flows through our own veins. It’s the “life of the flesh” that is “in the blood,” according to Leviticus 17:11. The actual blood of the animal wasn’t powerful within itself; rather, it was God’s accepting of it that gave it that power.
The animal became a substitute, dying in place of man.
God, however, was “not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin” (Hebrews 10:6). Jesus agreed to do His Father’s will because He knew it would be the only sacrifice that “cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect” (Hebrews 10:9).
Blood is a life-giving substance, as it carries within it the life of the body. This explains why, if we bleed to death, then our life becomes emptied out as well.
It’s the life found within the blood that makes atonement for sins by infusing life into death.
The blood of animals, however, was not potent enough. It was only in the blood inherited from the Divine—pure blood that did not contain a trace of death’s contamination—that could forever purge us of our sins.
So, when we accept Christ into our life, our Heavenly Father imparts Jesus’ life-giving blood into our veins. Our faith allows us to receive a “blood transfusion,” except this type of blood carries eternal life. And it’s this eternal life that forever expels the contamination of Adam’s sin that was once polluted our bloodstream.
Amazing, isn’t it?
As a result, this “blood transfusion” causes us to become a new person, according to 2 Corinthians 5:17: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
How Does Jesus' Blood Protect Believers?
If Jesus’ blood courses through our veins, then we are protected from the attacks of the enemy. How? Because Satan is nicknamed “Lord of the flies” (which comes from Baal-zebub). So, when we become covered by the blood of the Lamb, then Satan must flee, because the enemy is only attracted to death.
There’s a reason why Jesus was sacrificed at the time of the Feast of the Passover. This was a day when the Jews would remember when God protected the children of Israel from destructive plagues. How were they protected? Because of their obedience in covering their doorframes with the blood of unblemished lambs.
Exodus 12:13 says, “But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.”
This was a foreshadow of what was to come in Jesus. Those of us who, by faith, remain beneath the covering of the blood of the Lamb, will be protected from the enemy and his demons. This blood protects us, providing us with an exodus, from the penalty of our sins.
Jesus volunteered Himself to be our Passover.
Why Should All Christians Know about This?
Romans 3:25a says, “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”
This faith must be consistently active and displayed through obedience because faith without obedience is dead (James 2:17, James 2:22 and 24). We cannot claim to be covered by Jesus’ blood if we, in rebellion and lack of faith, walk out from beneath its covering.
Peter says, in 1 Peter 1:2, that we are elect according to “obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Christ.” He then tells us that we, as a holy priesthood, are “to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:5).
In “The Power of the Blood,” H.A. Maxwell Whyte says, “As the priests offered up daily blood sacrifices on behalf of the people in Old Testament times, so also today in New Testament times we offer the Blood of Jesus Christ to God as our plea on behalf of ourselves, our children, our loved ones…”
As we know, the old rules of worship and sacrifices are an “illustration pointing to the present time” (Hebrews 9:9). The earthly tabernacle was based on the heavenly one. Once a year, the High Priest went within the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the animal blood along the mercy seat. God’s glory was only evident when the blood was used. This was the only way in which the Priest could come before God’s throne.
Likewise, we, too, can only approach God’s throne by the sprinkling of Christ’s blood.
Hebrews 10:22 tells us to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
This, again, is an active form of sprinkling.
The mention of the sprinkling of blood in Hebrews 12:24 refers to a present-tense experience as well. We are to come to the blood of sprinkling and pray through the blood of Jesus. Not just yesterday, when we received salvation in Christ, but today. Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” His blood continues to sanctify us; if that were not the case, then we would never need to repent for our sins ever again.
The covenant of protection made to the Israelites, saving them from the plague, could only be fulfilled by their obedience. If they were to walk out of from beneath covering, they would have been destroyed. Again, this is a foreshadowing, an illustration, of the protection we receive when we are covered by the blood of the Lamb.
It’s this blood that grants us access to the shelter of God’s presence.
And it’s there where our victory is found, according to Revelation 12:9, which reminds us that we can only overcome by the “blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.”
Victory blood courses through our veins. We receive it straight from God’s throne room, and it brings forth transformation. Cleansing. Deliverance. Healing. Breakthrough. Salvation. So why should we still act lifeless, like the world does—void of hope and freedom?
If a dying man were to receive a blood transfusion that pulled him out of death and restored life back into his body, do you think he’d choose to remain bedridden? Absolutely not! He’d spend the rest of his days rejoicing over this second chance at life.
Yet that’s what we do when we Christians act like we’re still on the verge of death. What a disgrace this must be to Jesus after the price He paid for our freedom!
Since we have received the most powerful “blood transfusion,” it’s time we stop acting like dead men, arise from our hospital beds, and rejoice in our new life in Christ.
A life granted to us by the power of the blood of the Lamb.
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