The Times Jesus Shed His Blood

When we think of Jesus shedding His blood for us, we generally think of it as occurring at a single moment during His crucifixion. A closer look at Scripture reveals otherwise. In fact, Jesus shed His blood on two different instances during the crucifixion account alone. In the Scriptures, we can find seven different times Jesus shed His blood for us. Why seven times? Seven is the number of completion. All seven of these times are during the lead up to or during His crucifixion. All seven are encapsulated in Jesus' one sacrifice for all time. Make no mistake about it, Jesus didn't make seven sacrifices; He made one sacrifice, but He did shed His blood seven times during the lead up to or during that one sacrifice. Jesus made one sacrifice for all time, but what happened during the lead up to or during that one sacrifice?

Let's look at the seven times Jesus shed His blood for us:

1. Sweating Blood

The night forr have been even more agonizing for Jesus than actually being crucified. The act of deciding to accept the harrowing torture that would end in death—with full foreknowledge of what it would entail—was so grueling that blood actually exuded from the pores of Jesus's forehead: "He was in such agony of spirit that he broke into a sweat of blood, with great drops falling to the ground as he prayed more and more earnestly" (Luke 22:44). This is the initial blood-shedding of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Struck and Beaten

Jesus was arrested in the middle of the night and taken forcibly from Gethsemane to the house of the high priest, Caiaphas, where the scribes and elders had assembled. There He was questioned and handled roughly:

"'Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?' They answered, 'He deserves death!' Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists [or with rods]; and others slapped Him" (Matthew 26:65b-67).

Surely, this beating drew blood, although it was nothing like the scourging that was to follow.

3. Beard Plucked Out

In biblical times, if you wanted to express utter abhorrence and dishonor toward a man, you would not only beat him and slap his face, but you would also spit in his face and tear out his beard. This would get ugly, undoubtedly, because as each chunk of beard was ripped out, it would take a piece of the flesh of the man's cheek or chin with it. We believe that this form of dishonor happened to Jesus because the prophet Isaiah foretold it: "I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting" (Isa. 50:6).

No wonder Isaiah spoke of the Messiah's appearance as being "marred" (Isa. 52:14), or "disfigured" beyond recognition.

4. Back Scourged

To be scourged under the Roman system was a brutal punishment, sometimes resulting in the death of the one who had been whipped: "The punishment of scourging was common among the Jews.... Under the Roman method the culprit was stripped, stretched with cords or thongs on a frame and beaten with rods" or with metal attached to leather thongs.
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Do you get the picture? Not only would Jesus's face no longer have been recognizable, but also, His back would have been plowed open. I do not want to imagine this scene! For love's sake, our Lord Jesus endured this fourth blood-shedding.

5. Head Pierced with Crown of Thorns

Jesus's precious blood was shed in a fifth way when the Roman soldiers plaited a mock crown from thorny branches and pressed it into His scalp, causing the blood to run down over His face: "And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him" (Matt. 27:28-29). The thorns pierced His skin like sharp needles, penetrating down to the bone of His skull.

6. Crucified

Bleeding profusely, Jesus was forced to carry His own cross through the streets to the site of crucifixion. There, spikes were driven into His wrists and feet to attach Him to the rough wood of the cross (see Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:22-2; Luke 23:32-33, 24:38-40; John 19:18.) This was at least the sixth time that Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, willingly spilled His blood.

Suffering the cruel death of crucifixion, this one sinless Man was penalized by being executed like a criminal.

7. Side Pierced

Even after His death, Jesus's blood was shed one more time: "One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out" (John 19:34).

Seven times, the innocent blood of the Lamb of God was shed so that you and I could be freed from our slavery to sin and everlasting death. Thankfully, Jesus loved us so passionately that He would endure all this bloodshed.  Hallelujah!   

Thanks to JG for original asourcing.