The meaning of the blood

In Japan, most people know their blood types.  A common question that people ask each other is, “What’s your blood type?”

For years, people would ask me, “What’s your blood type,” and I would say, “I don’t know.”  And they seemed shocked I didn’t know.

They would always ask, “But what if you’re in the hospital and you need a blood transfusion, and the doctor asks you your blood type.”

I always answered, “If I’m in that bad shape, I might not be conscious to answer the question anyway.”

I finally found out my blood type about 5 years ago or so.  (I’m “A” for what it’s worth.)

Anyway, people here tend to associate blood type with certain characteristics.

For example, type A people are usually responsible, but stubborn.

Type B people are active but can be irresponsible.

Type O people are sociable, but indecisive.

And type AB people are sociable, but jealous.

Who knew you could find out so much about a person by their blood type?

Anyway, God associated a totally different meaning to a person’s or animal’s blood.

In this passage, he gave a short and succinct reason for all the sacrifices and why they were necessary.

In verse 11, he said,

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. (Leviticus 17:11)

Basically, God associated life with blood.

The idea was that since sin must be punished with death, in order for a sinful people to be forgiven, someone else who was innocent of any wrongdoing must take their punishment.

His blood, that is, his life must be given for ours.

In the Old Testament, it was an animal’s life that was taken in place of the peoples’.

But that was only a picture of the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus’ death on the cross.

And now because Jesus has died for us, there is no longer any need for animal sacrifices.  Jesus’ was the final sacrifice.

The writer of Hebrews put it this way,

Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness…

But now [Jesus] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.  (Hebrews 9:22, 26-28.)

As the old song goes,

It’s your blood that cleanses me.
It’s your blood that gives me life.

It’s your blood that took my sin
In redeeming sacrifice.

And washes me whiter than the snow.
My Jesus, God’s precious sacrifice.