The person of Christ speaks of who He is, whereas the blood of Christ speaks of His work. The blood is the foundation upon which we receive all grace and blessing; therefore, it occupies an important position in the Bible. According to the Bible, the blood of Christ functions in at least twelve ways in relation to the believers.
1. “This is My blood of the covenant”; “The new covenant established in My blood” (Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20).
Establishing a covenant is the same as making a contract that explains and guarantees the actions of two parties. God made a covenant with us so that we could be graced in Him. Through His covenant He not only explained but also guaranteed His grace to us. We are sinners, and God’s righteousness places demands upon sinners. In order for the righteous God to grace us, He had to satisfy the demands of His righteousness. The redemption of Christ accomplished this on our behalf. Christ received God’s punishment on our behalf and satisfied the righteous requirement that God placed on us as sinners. The blood shed through the death of Christ paid the price required by God’s righteousness; consequently, God can legally and righteously grace us. He established the new covenant with us by the blood of Christ, just as He established the old covenant with the children of Israel by the blood of calves and goats (Heb. 9:18-20). The blood of Christ is the foundation of the new covenant that God established with us, and it is eternally effective. Under the new covenant God must grace us and keep His word of promise to us.
2. “The blood of the covenant”; “The blood of an eternal covenant” (Heb. 10:29; 13:20).
The blood of the Lord not only redeems us from our sins, but it also establishes a covenant with us that requires God to forgive our sins, grace us, and accomplish all His promises to us. Thus, the blood of the Lord is not only redeeming blood but also the blood of the covenant. The Lord’s blood established a new covenant for us, an eternal covenant. Therefore, this blood is called the blood of an eternal covenant. The new covenant cannot be annulled because the Lord’s blood is eternally efficacious; it is not a temporary covenant established by the blood of calves and goats, which was effective only in type for a time.
All the grace and blessings given to us by God are included in the new covenant and are given to us in the execution of the new covenant. This new covenant has been established and is efficacious because the Lord shed His blood through death, fully satisfying God’s righteous requirement. This means that God must grace us. Thus, the Lord’s blood established a new covenant for us and made this new covenant efficacious.
1. “In whom we have redemption through His blood”; “You were redeemed...with precious blood...the blood of Christ” (Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
We were under the law of God because of sin. However, the Lord died for us according to God’s righteousness and satisfied the requirement of God’s law. Consequently, the blood that He shed for us has redeemed us out from under the condemnation of the law. Therefore, we have been redeemed before God by the Lord’s blood. The Lord’s blood is so efficacious, so valuable, that the Bible calls His blood “precious blood.” The Lord’s precious blood was the price paid for our redemption.
2. “The church of God, which He obtained through His own blood”; “You...have purchased for God by Your blood men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Acts 20:28; Rev. 5:9; see also 1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23).
The Lord’s blood redeemed us, that is, purchased us back, to God. The Lord’s blood is precious blood. God used this precious blood to purchase us back to Him as His important treasure, the church.
1. “Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22).
The righteousness of God does not tolerate sin. It cannot leave sin unpunished nor forgive sin without satisfying His requirement for punishment. If the requirement of God’s righteousness is not satisfied, sin cannot be forgiven. Therefore, there must be an offering to bear the punishment associated with God’s righteousness so that sinners can receive forgiveness according to God’s righteousness. If blood is not shed, sins cannot be forgiven. When the Lord was crucified on our behalf, shedding His blood, He bore the righteous punishment of God and satisfied God’s righteous requirement. Through the shedding of His blood, our sins have been forgiven by God.
2. “This is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins”; “Redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses” (Matt. 26:28; Eph. 1:7).
The Lord’s shed blood causes our sins and offenses to be forgiven. Therefore, it is the foundation upon which we receive forgiveness of sins. Only the Lord’s blood can cause our sins and offenses to be forgiven.