The Blood Work of Jesus Christ
Blood tests can measure cells, chemicals, proteins and other substances in the blood to check organ function, screen for genetic conditions, and check treatment success. Other important uses for blood include DNA testing in solving crimes, paternity testing, and blood transfusions to save lives. Human blood is an important resource in the physical realm as it is essential in managing overall health, saving lives, solving crimes, and finding answers to complex genetic questions.
As important as human blood is, it does not compare to the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross paid the penalty for the sins of humankind, and his blood purchased the redemption of humankind from eternal death. In this article we will discuss the blood work of Jesus Christ in ensuring the salvation of all that believe in him.
In the Old Testament law the blood of sacrificial animals were used to atone for sins. It was impossible for the blood of animals to permanently take away sins, as the priests had to offer the same sacrifices every year for the sins of the people. (Heb. 10:1-4). However, the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross was the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of humankind permanently. The Bible says, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:12).
Jesus is the Propitiation for Our Sins Through His Blood
Propitiation is the means of appeasing the wrath of God and being reconciled to him. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul writes, “Whom God hath set forth to be propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Rom. 3:25). Strong’s translates “propitiation” as G2435; hilastērion, which means: a means of appeasing or expiating; having appeasing or expiating force; an atoning victim (Blue Letter Bible). The penalty for the sins of humankind is satisfied through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross, and those that accept him as their savior are reconciled to God.
We are Justified by His Blood
It is God that declares that one who believes in Christ is righteous because of their faith in Christ (Rom. 5:1). We are justified through the blood of Christ alone, and cannot earn it based on our works. Paul writes, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:9). Strongs translates “justified” as G1344, dikaioō, which means: to render just or innocent; free, justify, be righteous (Blue Letter Bible). “Justification is made possible in the sacrificial death of Christ; it is based on the shed blood of Christ” (Got Questions).
Through Jesus’ Blood We Have Victory Over Sin, Death, and the Grave
The foundation of the gospel message is the Messiah’s victory over death. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have victory over the sting of death. Paul writes, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57). The death of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin, and his resurrection defeated the power of death over believers. Jesus Christ was the firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29). Just as Jesus was resurrected on the third day, believers will be resurrected to eternal life.
We Have Fellowship With God Through His Blood
Through union and fellowship with Jesus, those who were distant from God spiritually and geographically are reconciled to God by the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13). Those who had formerly had no knowledge of, or communion with God are reconciled to God and are heirs to his covenant promises by the atonement of sins that was purchased by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. We have power “to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19).
We Are Reconciled to God by His Blood
Believers have a restored relationship with God through the blood of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul writes, “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Eph. 2:16). The Outline of Biblical Usage is: To reconcile completely; to reconcile back again; and bring back to a former state of harmony (Blue Letter Bible). The relationship between God and mankind that was severed because of sin is restored by the blood of Jesus Christ.
We Have Redemption Through His Blood
Jesus paid the price with his blood for our release from sin and its required punishment. Paul writes, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:14). Strong’s translates “redemption” as G629; apolytrōsis, which means: a releasing effected by payment of ransom (Blue Letter Bible). The ransom paid by Christ for us purchased eternal life; the forgiveness of sins; righteousness; freedom from the curse of the Law; adoption into the family of God; deliverance from the bondage of sin; peace with God; and the indwelling Spirit of the Holy Ghost.
We Have Peace Through His Blood
The blood that Jesus shed on the cross made peace between God and those who hoped in the coming Messiah that are already gathered in heaven, and those who believe on him in the earth now and in the future. Paul writes, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” (Col. 1:20). The blood of Jesus Christ restored the peace that existed between God and mankind before Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden.
We Have Salvation Through the Blood of Christ
Through the sufferings and death of Christ, all who obey him have eternal salvation. Paul says, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb. 5:9). Jesus Christ perfected the work of redemption through suffering, dying, rising again, and his ascension into heaven to become the author (cause) of our salvation. Some of the benefits of eternal salvation include: adoption into God’s family; glorification into the image of Jesus Christ; propitiation for sins; regeneration from spiritual death to spiritual life; and sanctification into the image of God.
We Are Made Clean Through His Blood
The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from the penalty and the power of sin in our lives. Through his blood our conscience is cleansed from the bondage of performing useless works of the flesh to obtain salvation, and we are freed to serve the living God. Paul writes, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:14)? The blood of Jesus accomplished what the Old Testament requirements of the continual sacrifices of the blood of bulls and goats could not. The blood of Jesus Christ completed the work of redemption and cleansed us from sin to serve the living God.
The New Testament is Ratified by the Blood of Jesus Christ
A testament can only be ratified upon the death of the testator. The blood of Jesus Christ is the means by which the New Testament was ratified. Paul writes, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” (Heb. 9:15). The sacrifice of Jesus Christ paid the ransom for the sins of the world, and also ratified the New Covenant, effecting the promises of eternal inheritance.
Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant Through His Blood
In the shedding of his blood, Jesus Christ exchanged the sins of mankind for his righteousness, making him the “one mediator between God and men” (1 Tim. 2:5). The Bible says, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Heb. 12:24). The Jaimeson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary states, “But it is called “the blood of sprinkling,” on account also of its continued use in heaven, and in the consciences of the saints on earth (Heb. 9:14; 10:22; Isa. 52:15)” (Bible Hub).
Through His Blood We Have an Everlasting Covenant
Jesus Christ became the great shepherd of the sheep having shed his blood to ratify the everlasting covenant. Paul writes, “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Heb. 13:20). In Acts 20:28 Christ is said to have purchased the church of God with his own blood.
Jesus Christ is the Sacrificial Lamb of God
The Israelites put the blood of a sacrificial lamb on the side posts and the upper door post of their houses so that they would be spared during the plague of the first-born in Egypt (Exod. 12:7, 13). Jesus Christ is the lamb of God and believers apply the blood of Jesus to their hearts to escape the condemnation of eternal death. The Apostle Peter writes, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:19). In shedding his own blood Jesus Christ, our sacrificial lamb secured for us an eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12).
We are Healed Through the Blood of Jesus
Because Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, we were healed spiritually from the guilt and power of sin, which translates into healing in every area of our lives including physical healing. It is recorded in Isaiah 53:5, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisment of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Forgiveness of sins and divine healing are benefits of the gospel of Jesus Christ. David writes of the Lord in Psalm 103:3, "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." Jesus instructed his twelve disciples, "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:7-8).
On several occasions during Jesus' ministry, he demonstrated that forgiveness of sins and divine healing are connected. For example, Jesus told the man that was sick of the palsy, ". . . Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee" (Matt. 9:2). After the Pharisees questioned his authority to forgive sins, Jesus commanded the man to rise up and walk (Matt. 9:5). Jesus said to the woman with the alabaster box of ointment, ". . . Thy sins are forgiven" (Lk. 7:48). When those in attendance began to question within themselves his authority to forgive sins, Jesus said to the woman, ". . . Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace" (Lk. 7:50).
Where there is forgiveness of sins, there is divine healing, and where there is divine healing, there is forgiveness of sins. It is recorded in Isaiah's prophesy of the coming reign of righteousness, "And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity" (Isa. 33:24).
Because forgiveness of sins and divine healing are connected, it does not mean that sickness is a result of sin. In the case of the blind man who was healed after Jesus instructed him to wash in the pool of Siloam, Jesus' disciples asked him who sinned to cause the man to be born blind. It is recorded in John 9:3, "Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." Therefore, some sicknesses exist so that God will get the glory from them. However, God does not put sickness on us. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and Jesus came that we might have life more abundantly (John 10:10).
We are Kings and Priests of God Through the Blood of Jesus
It is through the blood of Jesus that believers are born-again of God and are therefore heirs to the kingdom of God. John the Revelator writes, “. . . Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father . . .” (Rev. 1:5-6). The Apostle Peter writes, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Although Peter wrote this Epistle to Jewish believers, it applies to Jew and Gentile believers alike. The Bible says that all who believe in Jesus Christ are Abraham’s seed and heirs to the promises of God (Gal. 3:29).
We Have Victory Over Satan by the Blood of Christ
The Church gained victory over Satan by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ, by their faith, and the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. John writes, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev. 12:11). Just as the martyrs of faith laid down their lives unto death, many in the church of Jesus Christ lose their lives for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ without suffering a martyrs death. Jesus says, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mk. 8:35).
This list of the blood work of Jesus Christ is not a complete list of the benefits of his blood in securing the salvation of humankind. There are many treasures that God has prepared for his saints that will only be made manifest when we see him face-to-face. The Apostle Paul writes, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).
If you would like to have a personal relationship with Jesus, you must be born-again according to Acts 2:38 which reads, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Please share your comments and questions in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
Diane Margo Penny is an author, content creator, social media specialist, and Web Designer.
Works Cited:
The Holy Bible, King James Version. Giant Print Reference ed. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Publishers, 1990.
[BibleHub.com]
[BlueLetterBible.org]
[GotQuestions.org]
Image Citation:
cross-211992_1920. Geralt. Pixabay.com. Web. 16 Jul. 2024.
It is through the blood of Jesus that believers are born-again of God and are therefore heirs to the kingdom of God. John the Revelator writes, “. . . Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father . . .” (Rev. 1:5-6). The Apostle Peter writes, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Although Peter wrote this Epistle to Jewish believers, it applies to Jew and Gentile believers alike. The Bible says that all who believe in Jesus Christ are Abraham’s seed and heirs to the promises of God (Gal. 3:29).
We Have Victory Over Satan by the Blood of Christ
The Church gained victory over Satan by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ, by their faith, and the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. John writes, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev. 12:11). Just as the martyrs of faith laid down their lives unto death, many in the church of Jesus Christ lose their lives for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ without suffering a martyrs death. Jesus says, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mk. 8:35).
This list of the blood work of Jesus Christ is not a complete list of the benefits of his blood in securing the salvation of humankind. There are many treasures that God has prepared for his saints that will only be made manifest when we see him face-to-face. The Apostle Paul writes, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).
If you would like to have a personal relationship with Jesus, you must be born-again according to Acts 2:38 which reads, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Please share your comments and questions in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
Diane Margo Penny is an author, content creator, social media specialist, and Web Designer.
Works Cited:
The Holy Bible, King James Version. Giant Print Reference ed. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Publishers, 1990.
[BibleHub.com]
[BlueLetterBible.org]
[GotQuestions.org]
Image Citation:
cross-211992_1920. Geralt. Pixabay.com. Web. 16 Jul. 2024.
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