Nothing but the Blood (Leviticus 17:11)
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
—Leviticus 17:11
This is a very important verse when we consider the whole book of Leviticus—its sacrifices and the prominence of blood. This is not the first time we have seen this theme in Scripture. Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus all present images of sacrifice and emphasize the centrality of blood.
Why is this so important? When we examine it closely, we realize that there is no life in a body without blood. Blood, in a very real sense, represents physical life. Therefore, when we see that the punishment for sin is death—consider Romans 6:23, a basic gospel truth: “the wages of sin is death”—blood becomes a picture of life being taken, poured out, and given as it is shed.
When we understand that the payment for sin is death, we see that there is hardly a more powerful image than blood being shed to demonstrate that the price of death has been paid. This sets the stage for what we see throughout the New Testament: Jesus’ blood shed for us covers our sins and makes a way for us to have life.
This is why Christians sing songs that, at first glance, may seem unusual:
“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow.”
Without this background, one might wonder why Christians sing so often about blood. Yet what a powerful picture it is. Blood is precious when it represents Jesus’ blood shed on the cross—his life given, his death endured—so that we might escape eternal death and receive eternal life. This is what his blood symbolizes and ultimately makes possible.
This is also why, when we gather for worship, the cup representing Jesus’ blood is such a central element. In the Lord’s Supper, we celebrate Jesus giving his body and shedding his blood. We are commanded to remember this continually: his life was given so that we might have life, and his blood was shed to atone for all our sins.
So we pray continually and praise God:
O God, all glory be to your name for sending your Son to shed his blood, to sacrifice his life, and to cover our sin. We confess anew that we deserve death. Our blood deserves to be shed. We deserve the full payment for sin—physical death, spiritual death, and eternal separation from you. This is what we deserve.
Yet we praise you that we have life with you. Lord Jesus, we praise you. Every time we take the Lord’s Supper, we are reminded that even our communion with you is possible only because of your blood. Yes, it is precious. What can wash away our sins? Nothing but your blood. What can make us whole again? Nothing but your blood—shed for us.
And not for us only—you love the world. As John 3:16 says, you gave your one and only Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
So, God, we pray for the spread of this good news through our lives. Help us to share with others the good news of Jesus’ blood, which covers sin—his death, so that we might live.
A Prayer for the Mahamid People
We pray also for the peoples of the world to know the power of your blood. We lift up the Mahamid people of Niger and Chad—300,000 Muslims, none of whom, as far as we know, have come to know you. O God, please change that. Cause the good news of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice to reach them, that they may join us in giving you glory for the blood shed for our sins.
Jesus, in your name we pray. And by your blood we live today. Amen.
