Why Blood?

A classmate of Billy Sunday, hymn writer Lewis Jones (1865–1936) attended Moody Bible Institute. Upon graduation, he worked for the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), and at a camp meeting in Maryland he wrote the words to the hymn, “There Is Power in the Blood.”

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Jones was writing about the power in Christ’s blood, offered on our behalf, as we read in our text today. The writer of the book of Hebrews draws heavily on the book of Leviticus, and Leviticus 17:11 provides some helpful context for this passage: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” Why did God require the presentation of the animal’s blood in the sacrifices of the Mosaic Law? Because it represented the unblemished life that atoned for the people’s sins (vv. 7, 13).

In the book of Hebrews, Jesus is described as our high priest who entered God’s presence with the perfect offering of His blood. He was the only human who lived a sinless life before God. He was resurrected from the dead with a body that defeated death and decay. He was the only One who could come into the heavenly Most Holy Place, into the presence of God the Father, and bring a sacrifice of perfect life and obedience (vv. 24–28).

And He did this for us! Jesus makes this sacrifice so that we can have forgiveness from our sins and fellowship with God. Our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ Himself, which offers “eternal redemption” (v. 12).

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Collin Lambert, vice president of Moody Radio, welcomes your prayers for our radio ministry. We’d like to lift up to God all our radio listeners who pray and donate to Moody Radio and to praise the Lord for His provision through our faithful friends.

BY Jamie Janosz

Jamie Janosz serves as a content development manager for Moody Bible Institute. She writes monthly devotionals for Today in the Word and has published non-fiction essays with Christianity Today’s Her.meneutics blog. Recently Jamie wrote a book titled When Others Shuddered: Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up (Moody Publishers). Jamie studied theology and writing at Moody Bible Institute, Columbia College, and Illinois State University. She lives on the Atlantic coast of Florida with her husband, Milt, and daughter, Sabrina.