In 1628, British physician William Harvey discovered the circulation of blood. The first known blood transfusion was tried not long after this, but it wasn’t until 1818 that a successful human to human blood transfusion took place when British obstetrician James Blundell saved a postpartum patient who had hemorrhaged using blood taken from her husband’s arm. More than another hundred years went by before blood transfusions took hold in earnest during World War II.

Today blood transfusions are being used in the battle against Ebola.

They call it golden blood. Antibodies in the blood of an Ebola survivor may fight off the infection in someone stricken by the deadly virus. It’s the best chance an Ebola patient has right now. Dr. Kent Brantly, who himself received golden blood from an 14 year old Ebola survivor, has made three plasma donations so far to Ebola stricken patients in the U.S.. All of these patients are still alive.

Yet, long before doctors made blood discoveries, the Bible stated, “For the life of a creature is in its 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. 

The first mention of blood in the Bible happens in Genesis 4:10, “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” Nearly 20 references about blood come after this verse until we see, “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” Exodus 12:12-13.

Hundreds of scriptures about the significance of blood fill the Old Testament until we reach the New Testament where Jesus himself says, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many” Mark 14:24. 

I realize the majority of people today don’t care what the Bible says about blood or anything else for that matter, but for those who do care, the Bible clearly and repeatedly states: eternal life comes from the shed blood of Christ.

This is because the God of the Bible demands blood sacrifice for sin. Before Jesus was born, God accepted the blood of bulls and goats and sheep for peoples’ transgressions, but after Jesus, the only blood that could cover sin was the blood of God’s own Son.

We cannot escape the fact that physical life is in our blood. Without blood we die. Without golden blood Ebola patients may die. This got me thinking about the value of blood. I typed in “blood” on Pinterest searching for a picture for this blog. Big mistake. Some of those bloody photos are now seared on my brain. Apparently evil relishes blood as well, and Pinterest isn’t afraid to post these awful photos.

I’d rather focus on life and the Lord Jesus, thank you very much.

Why is blood so important to God and to us? If you have Ebola, you will need that golden blood to fight the virus in your body. If you have sinned, you will need Christ’s blood to wipe out the sin in you. Not only is physical life in the blood, eternal life’s in the blood, too.

“We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23. The Bible makes it clear that nobody is good. Not one. The only way to make peace with God is through the blood of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to be saved.