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The following blog is a summary of a message preached by Pastor Doc Shell.

Watch the Sermon HERE!

Understanding who Jesus is and what He has done for us is foundational to living a confident, fruitful life with God. One of the most powerful and often misunderstood truths in all of Scripture is the significance of the blood of Jesus Christ. Far from being a grim or outdated concept, the blood of Jesus is eternally honored in heaven and deeply relevant to every believer today.

Why Does the Blood of Jesus Even Matter?

Some people are uncomfortable with the idea of blood in a spiritual context. Certain churches have even removed hymns about the blood of Jesus from their worship. But the blood of Christ is not something to shy away from. It is the very means by which God reconciled a broken world to Himself.

Every human being shares a common origin. As Paul declared in Acts 17:26, "He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings." God has a plan for nations and for individuals. He determined when you were born, where you were born, and to whom you were born.

But there is a problem that runs through all of humanity, and it starts with blood.

What Is the Sin Problem and Why Does It Involve Blood?

When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, a curse was unleashed on all of creation. Romans 5:12 explains it plainly: "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned."

Adam's sin was passed down through his bloodline to every human being. We sin because we are sinners by nature. That is our inheritance from Adam. But Scripture also tells us that Jesus is called the last Adam. Where the first Adam brought sin and death, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, brings salvation and life.

The core issue is this: our blood is tainted by sin. His was not.

What Makes the Blood of Jesus Different?

Jesus was born of a virgin. God placed His own seed into the womb of Mary, and Jesus was born fully God and fully man. He was tempted in every way that we are, yet He never sinned. His blood was undefiled and perfect, making Him the only qualified substitute for our sin.

This is not a new idea invented in the New Testament. It was woven into the fabric of Scripture from the very beginning.

How Was the Blood of Jesus Prophesied Throughout the Old Testament?

Long before Jesus walked the earth, God was preparing His people to understand why blood mattered and what it pointed toward. Here is a brief look at how this theme runs through the Old Testament:

  • The Garden of Eden: After Adam and Eve sinned, God made tunics of animal skin to clothe them. An animal had to die. This was the first picture of substitutionary atonement, one life given in place of another. Genesis 3:21 records, "For Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them."
  • Abel's Offering: Abel brought a blood offering from his flock, and God accepted it. Cain brought fruit, and it was rejected. God had already established that blood was required.
  • Noah's Ark: The ark was covered in pitch, a dark protective coating that kept the floodwaters of judgment out. It is a picture of how the blood of Jesus shields believers from the wrath of God.
  • Abraham and Isaac: God tested Abraham by asking Him to sacrifice His son Isaac. Abraham obeyed in faith, believing God could raise Isaac from the dead. At the last moment, God provided a ram. On the cross, God did what He did not require of Abraham. He gave His own Son.
  • The Passover: God instructed the Israelites to apply the blood of a lamb to their doorposts. When the death angel passed through Egypt, he passed over every home covered by blood. This is a direct picture of how the wrath of God passes over those who are covered by the blood of Jesus.
  • The Levitical Sacrificial System: Leviticus 17:11 states, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." Every offering in the Old Testament pointed forward to Christ.
  • Rahab's Scarlet Cord: When the spies promised to protect Rahab, they told her to hang a scarlet cord from her window. When Jericho fell, her household was saved. It is a picture of how everything built by human effort will eventually collapse, but those under the blood will be saved.
  • Isaiah 53: The prophet wrote centuries before the crucifixion, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."

All of these were shadows and previews pointing to one moment in history when John the Baptist would point at Jesus of Nazareth and declare, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

What Does the Blood of Jesus Actually Do for Us?

It Speaks Better Things Than Condemnation

In Genesis 4, after Cain murdered Abel, God said the voice of Abel's blood was crying out from the ground. It was a cry for justice and retribution. But Hebrews 12:24 tells us that Jesus is "the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel."

Abel's blood cried out for judgment. The blood of Jesus cries out for pardon, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and peace. When the enemy whispers that you are not good enough, not faithful enough, or too far gone, that is a lie. If you are saved by the blood of Jesus, that blood speaks better things over your life.

It Establishes a New Covenant

At the Last Supper, Jesus held up the cup and said, "This is the covenant in my blood which is shed for you." A new covenant means the old one is no longer in effect. The old covenant had its purpose. It trained people to understand why blood was necessary. But what the blood of bulls and goats could never fully accomplish, Jesus accomplished in one offering, once and for all.

It Grants Us Bold Access to God

Hebrews 10 tells us we have boldness to enter the holiest place, not because of our performance or religious effort, but because of the blood of Jesus. Our access to God is not earned. It is granted through what Christ has done on our behalf.

Think of it this way. A beggar knocking timidly at the back door of a palace, hoping for a scrap of food, is a picture of what religion does to people. It keeps them focused on their shame and unworthiness. But a son walks right through the front door, past the guards, and into the throne room calling out, "Abba, Father." That is the access the blood of Jesus gives every believer.

It Overcomes the Enemy

Revelation 12 tells us that believers "overcame him by the blood of the Lamb." The blood of Jesus is not just a historical event. It is a present spiritual weapon. Understanding what the blood has accomplished is part of how we stand against the strategies of the enemy.

Its Effects Are Permanent

Hebrews 10:14 says, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." One offering. One time. The effects are ongoing and eternal. Jesus does not need to be sacrificed again. What He did on the cross was complete, and its power does not diminish.

At the same time, the Holy Spirit continues to work in believers, shaping them and making them more like Jesus. Salvation is settled. Sanctification is ongoing. Both are gifts of God's grace.

What Does This Mean for How You See Yourself?

So many believers have never fully settled this truth in their hearts. They live as if they are still beggars at the back door, unsure whether God will hear them, unsure whether they qualify, unsure whether they are truly forgiven.

But the blood of Jesus says you are complete in Him. You are righteous because of His blood. You are worthy because of His blood. You have access because of His blood. You are adopted into God's forever family because of His blood.

Everything you need, you already have access to through Christ.

Life Application

This week, make a deliberate decision to stop approaching God as a beggar and start approaching Him as a child. When condemnation rises up, when the enemy reminds you of your failures, respond with the truth: the blood of Jesus speaks better things. You are not defined by your past or your performance. You are defined by what Christ has done for you.

Practically, when you pray this week, begin by thanking God for the access you have through the blood of Jesus before you bring any request. Let that truth anchor your prayer life and your identity.

Ask yourself these questions:

  • Am I living as someone who is truly forgiven and complete in Christ, or am I still carrying guilt and shame that the blood of Jesus has already covered?
  • When the enemy accuses me, do I know how to respond with the truth of what the blood of Jesus has accomplished?
  • Do I approach God with boldness and confidence as a child, or with timidity as if I am not sure He will receive me?
  • Am I resting in the finished work of Christ, or am I trying to earn my standing with God through my own effort and performance?

The blood of Jesus is enough. More than enough. He has perfected forever those who come to Him. That includes you.