Frequency of Jesus' Blood Shedding on the Cross
The shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross occurred as a singular, historical event, marking his crucifixion as a unique sacrifice [3, 10]. The crucifixion itself was a common form of punishment in ancient heathen nations, though likely not among the ancient Jews, whose capital punishments included the sword, strangling, fire, and stoning [2]. To a Jew, crucifixion would have been particularly horrific due to the curse associated with hanging on a tree in Deuteronomy 21:23 [2].
Jesus' death on the cross is consistently presented in the New Testament as a singular, atoning act. The phrase "blood of Christ" refers to his sacrificial death, which atones for sins [3]. This understanding draws from Old Testament imagery, where blood is a shorthand for violent death, particularly one that atones for sins, as seen in Leviticus 17:11 [3]. For instance, the sprinkling of the blood of the Passover lamb in Exodus 12:7 is understood as a clear emblem of the sacrifice and atonement made by Jesus' death [4].
The historical event of Jesus' crucifixion took place at a specific time and location. Mark records it as occurring around the third hour, or nine o'clock in the morning [5]. The location was Golgotha, a common place of execution, which some ancient traditions linked to the burial place of Adam, suggesting a congruity between Adam's death and Christ's crucifixion [6]. During the crucifixion, a Roman soldier pierced Jesus' side with a spear to confirm his death, from which blood and water flowed [8]. This event is interpreted on multiple levels: medically, as the puncturing of the pericardium; symbolically, as fulfilling Passover symbolism where the lamb's blood must flow; and theologically, reminding readers of Jesus' earlier teachings about "living water" [8].
The New Testament consistently refers to the cross as the instrument of Christ's crucifixion and uses it metaphorically to denote severe affliction or trial [1]. Jesus himself predicted his death multiple times, indicating that his fate was governed by the Father [7]. The timing of his death, around the ninth hour (3 PM), coincided with the time of the daily sacrifice and the killing of the Passover lamb, both of which were types of Christ [9]. This singular act of blood shedding on the cross is presented as the definitive means by which believers are saved from God's condemnation [3].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Cross — In the New Testament the instrument of crucifixion, and hence used for the crucifixion of Christ itself (Eph. 2:16; Heb. 12:2; 1 Cor. 1:17, 18; Gal. 5:11; 6:12, 14; Phil. 3:18). The word is also used to denote any severe affliction or trial (Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; 10:21). The forms in which the cross is represented are these: 1. The crux simplex (I), a "single piece without transom." 2. The crux decussata (X), or St. Andrew's cross. 3. The crux commissa (T), or St. Anthony's cross. 4. The crux immissa (t), or Latin cross, which was the kind of cross o”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Crucifixion — A common mode of punishment among heathen nations in early times. It is not certain whether it was known among the ancient Jews; probably it was not. The modes of capital punishment according to the Mosaic law were, by the sword (Ex. 21), strangling, fire (Lev. 20), and stoning (Deut. 21). This was regarded as the most horrible form of death, and to a Jew it would acquire greater horror from the curse in Deut. 21:23. This punishment began by subjecting the sufferer to scourging. In the case of our Lord, however, his scourging was rather before the sente”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 5:9: 5:9 The blood of Christ refers to Jesus’ sacrificial death (3:25). In the Scriptures, blood is shorthand for a violent death (Lev 17:11), especially when that death atones for sins. • he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation: Paul frequently speaks of salvation as the final deliverance of believers from God’s wrath and the tribulations of this life (see Rom 13:11).”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 12:7: Take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts - This was to be done by dipping a bunch of hyssop into the blood, and thus sprinkling it upon the posts, etc.; see Exo 12:22. That this sprinkling of the blood of the paschal lamb was an emblem of the sacrifice and atonement made by the death of Jesus Christ, is most clearly intimated in the sacred writings, Pe1 1:2; Heb 9:13, Heb 9:14; Heb 8:10. It is remarkable that no blood was to be sprinkled on the threshold, to teach, as Mr. Ainsworth properly observes, a reverent regard for the blood of Christ, that men ”
- Mark (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Mark 15:25: 15:25 Mark records Jesus’ crucifixion as occurring at the third hour, or nine o’clock in the morning. John 19:14 gives the time as around the sixth hour, or noon. These are rough estimates of time, and events in the later morning were typically described as occurring around either the third (Matt 20:3; Acts 2:15) or sixth hour (Mark 15:33; Matt 20:5; 27:45; Luke 23:44; John 4:6; 19:14; Acts 10:9).”
- Mark (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Mark 15:22: We have here the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus. I. The place where he was crucified; it was called Golgotha - the place of a scull: some think, because of the heads of malefactors that were there cut off: it was the common place of execution, as Tyburn, for he was in all respects numbered with the transgressors. I know not how to give any credit to it, but divers of the ancients mention it as a current tradition, that in this place our first father Adam was buried, and they think it highly congruous that there Christ should be crucified; for as in Adam all die, so ”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 8:28: 8:28 The synoptic Gospels describe Jesus as predicting his death three times (e.g., Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). John parallels this (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:33-34), showing that the Father governs his Son’s fate.”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 19:34: 19:34 To confirm that Jesus was dead, a Roman soldier pierced his side with a spear. • blood and water flowed out: This has several levels of meaning: (1) The spear probably punctured Jesus’ pericardium, the sac around the heart, releasing these fluids. (2) John might have been thinking of more Passover symbolism. The Passover lamb’s blood had to flow as it died. (3) The water flowing from Jesus’ side reminds readers of the language of living water that Jesus had used earlier (see 4:10-14; 7:37-39).”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 27:45: And about the ninth hour,.... Or three o'clock in the afternoon, which was about the time of the slaying and offering of the daily sacrifice, which was an eminent type of Christ. The Jews say (i), that "every day the daily sacrifice was slain at eight and a half, and was offered up at nine and a half: about which time also the passover was killed, which was another type of Christ; and as they say (k), "was offered first, and then the daily sacrifice." Though the account they elsewhere (l) give of these things, is this, "the daily sacrifice was slain at eight and”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 13:14: 13:14-15 Jesus’ acts of service, such as washing feet and dying on the cross, provided an example of personal sacrifice to follow. • wash each other’s feet: Foot washing was so commonplace that Jesus might have intended a literal repetition of his act, or he might have seen it as symbolic. Either way, Jesus wants similar servanthood and sacrifice to characterize his followers.”