DISCLAIMER : :
All opinions expressed here and or in other gists are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the church as individuals or the church as an organization or institution.
Key Scriptural Principle:
Hebrews teaches that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness) of sins.” This connects Old and New Testament theology: the Levitical sacrificial system prefigured Christ’s sacrifice, and the New Covenant is established in His blood.
This principle itself traces back to Genesis, where Scripture first establishes blood as representing life and as morally significant before God. In Genesis 4:10, after Cain murders Abel, God declares, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground,” demonstrating that shed blood testifies before God and demands justice.
- Leviticus 17:11 — “the life of the flesh is in the blood… it is the blood that makes atonement…” This establishes blood as symbolic of life and the means of atonement.
- Hebrews 9:22 — states that the Law required the shedding of blood for forgiveness, and the same truth is fulfilled in Christ’s sacrifice.
The blood isn’t an accidental detail; it represents Christ’s life poured out for sinners (Matthew 26:28, Romans 5:8). This is central to the gospel message.
It communicates theological truth, not spectacle.
A Passion depiction that downplays the reality of blood sacrifice risks diminishing the gravity of what was at stake — God’s own Son truly suffered and truly died as a ransom for sinners. The gospel writers emphasize His suffering (see Isaiah 53 and the Passion narratives).
Portraying the visible reality of the crucifixion signals to the audience that:
- Christ truly died, not merely appeared to die (1 Corinthians 15).
- Forgiveness of sins cost God something real, not a sanitized gesture.
- The audience is confronted with the seriousness of sin and the cost of redemption.
Many Christians consider visual realism in this context not sensationalistic, but catechetical — teaching truth through what actually took place.
At the Last Supper, Jesus said:
“Take, eat… This is my body… This cup is the new covenant in my blood… Do this in remembrance of me.”
This command to remember Him through the bread and cup emphasizes His body given and His blood shed for humanity (Words of Institution).
Paul writes:
“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)
Communion isn’t merely remembering with the mind — it proclaims Christ’s death to the world, just as a Passion play visually proclaims what Christ endured.
No. Believers do not physically eat Christ’s historical flesh or drink His historical blood. Communion uses symbols (bread and cup representing Christ’s body and blood) to help believers remember, proclaim, and internalize the reality of His sacrifice. This symbolic participation echoes Jesus’ command and the theological point that we celebrate His life and death together with faith.
Everything God created is purposeful and reflects His glory:
- The human body bleeds because life is in the blood. God could have designed life to function in any number of ways, yet He chose mechanisms (like blood and a protected head) that allow life to be sustained yet visually demonstrate life lost when blood is shed. This physical reality aligns with Scripture’s teaching that life is in the blood and that blood shedding depicts life surrendered.
- The shedding of Christ’s blood was not incidental — it was God’s ordained means of fulfilling the atonement required for forgiveness. His own body and blood were given to meet the requirements of justice and to inaugurate the New Covenant.
- God works through actual physical realities (blood, sacrifice, covenant meals) to communicate deep spiritual truths. Communion and the depiction of Christ’s crucifixion both use physical means to point to spiritual reality.
- Scripture affirms the centrality of Christ’s blood for forgiveness (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22).
- Jesus commands believers to remember His death through Communion, which proclaims His sacrifice until He returns.
- Believers honor reality, not fantasy — symbolizing what actually happened teaches truth.
- God uses physical realities to teach spiritual truths, so portraying the crucifixion with theological intent reflects the depth of what God has revealed.
The Bible teaches both:
- The necessity of Christ’s blood for atonement and forgiveness.
- The mandate to remember and proclaim His death through Communion.
If Communion — a commanded practice — uses symbolic representations of Christ’s body and blood to teach and proclaim gospel truth, then sharing the gospel - also a commanded practice- a respectful, theologically accurate depiction of Christ’s crucifixion that includes the shedding of blood can likewise help an audience grasp the seriousness of sin, the cost of redemption, and the reality of Christ’s sacrifice.