My brother recommended your web site and I have found comfort in your responses. My question has to do with why does God require innocent blood to be shed? Thank you in advance for any thoughts you share on this topic.
The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). Right from the beginning, God has required the life of an innocent being to pay for the sins of the guilty. At first it was an animal, but that only made things right temporarily. Eventually it was His Son, the only sinless man ever born, who had to die for us. No one knows why He requires this. Some have said it’s the only way He can demonstrate how repulsive sin is to Him. Others think it’s the only way He could express the true nature of His love for us. I think it’s both. His righteousness requires that sins be punished, and His justice requires the death penalty. But His love requires that sins be forgiven. His death on our behalf was the only way to reconcile this conflict and make peace with us. (Colossians 1:19-20) Now all we need to do is ask in order to receive His forgiveness (Matt. 7:7-8).