Since we don’t have animal sacrifices in the New Covenant, we can forget the significance of blood.
Only by the shedding of blood is there atonement for sin, (Heb 9:22), a principle established in the sacrificial system, but fulfilled in a special way by Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
It is not that Jesus’ blood gives energizing life however. His blood is shed and ‘poured out on the earth’ (Deut 12:16). His life is in evidence by his human blood, but when it was spilled like a lamb’s it was intended “for you on the the altar to make atonement for your souls” (Lev 17:11).
Jesus blood was shed so as to be a propitiation. He did this as the unblemished Lamb slain (Rom 3:25; Heb 2:17; 1 John 2:2, 4:10; 1 Cor 5:7; 1 Peter 1:19; Rev 5:6,12, 7:14). In other words, it is the life, slain in death that is effective.
Penalty
Only in death can the cost of sin be accounted. Only in death does the expenditure of punishment against sin come to an end. Justice is paid out and spent upon sin and when paid in full, there is death. So “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). This is the great penalty requiring payment.
Substitution
So the Son was sent to propitiate the wrath of God for us (1 John 4:10), serving as a “faithful high priest in the service of God” (Heb 2:17), yet being himself the propitiation by his blood (Rom 3:25). He is both offerer and offering, sinless yet substituting for sinners. He is not merely our representative, like a corporate salesmen at a tradeshow. He is our substitute, standing in our place and recieving every blow that we are due.
Atonement
This blood atonement is the distinctive of the Christian faith. It is why even in the Lord’s Supper, the eucharist is celebrated, as Paul tells us, with the promise that “you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor 11:26). His righteous resurrected life is confessed and anticipated in his return. But the Lord’s death, that is, his atoning death, is the only ground a sinner may have to stand upon when the Lord returns.
So sinners become a flock and a flock, a church which he obtained “with his own blood” (Acts 20:28, cf. Heb 9:12,14; Eph 1:7; 1 John 1:7 ).
As forgiven sinners, to the surprise of many, we get teary not queazy at the sight of blood.
