It's the Blood of Jesus!
Yup it's the blood of Jesus Christ! It's that blood that was so precious that saves from sin and it's the literal blood of Jesus Christ that saves. Many modernistic preachers have gone as far as to even say that the blood of Jesus was totally unnecessary. Their Bibles eat them up! What does the Bible say? It's best not to wait until Lent to discuss a topic like this. Besides, the blood of Jesus shed for sins is a show of Jesus' greatest love- shedding His blood so sins will be forgiven and His death pay for it. No bloodshed, no remission (Hebrews 9:22).
Hebrews 9:12-22 would be what I would use on the precious blood of Jesus which I can sing, "Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow, no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus" which it really was shed and it was by this blood that sins are washed away and it had to be applied. If it were just symbolic, then the Bible would not talk about the blood of Jesus. However I'll tackle more on the blood verses to show that the blood was needed.
Hebrews 9:12 says, "Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood He entered in ONCE into the Holy Place having obtained eternal redemption for us." This verse talks about the literal blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross for the sins of mankind. When His side was pierced, all the blood flowed out from His dead body as a human, which was the last drop of blood to make sure it was paid in whole. Hebrews 9:14 reveals the power of His blood by saying, "How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" which is again, the blood has to be applied in order to be effective. Death was accompanied by blood.
Hebrews 9:22 says, "And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission." True and clear. If you read the Old Testament, blood sacrifices were done but they could not take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). The high priest descended from the line of Aaron the brother of Moses was merely symbolic while Jesus is the real High Priest. It was for that reason Jesus shed His blood on the cross- for the forgiveness of sins. Romans 3:25 says, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God;" and in Romans 5:9 says, "Much more then being now justified by His blood we shall be saved from wrath through Him." If it was just a symbolic, how can it wash away sins? It washes away sins no doubt (Revelation 1:5).
Also, it would be best to consider this fact- the blood did not stay at the cross nor was it taken into Heaven prematurely to become a fountain of blood. Why? Logically speaking, Jesus' body was complete during His resurrection. He was wounded beyond belief yet when He appeared, He appeared whole save the nail prints as the evidence that He was crucified, a reminder of His sacrifice being complete. In John 20:17, Jesus told Mary Magdalene saying, "Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not; for I Am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." That is, nothing must defile Him. So obviously, His blood had to be back into His body. He was to ascend to His Father to literally apply the blood into the Mercy Seat.
Also the Bible warns in Hebrews 10:29 saying, "Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who had trodden under the foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith He was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace?" Sadly many people still continue to reject the blood of Jesus in every way, still relying on their religion, good works, whatever and still continue doing it THEIR WAY instead of God's Way. Why? They are either sin loving (John 3:20) or they try to establish their own righteousness (Romans 10:4). Jesus offered Himself ONLY ONCE (Hebrews 10:12). That is Jesus did not offer Himself YEARLY or even DAILY like how the Mass is taught and portrayed to repeat the same blood sacrifice when it is finished. No it does not. Or another- Jesus does not die every Lenten season and rise up every Easter, no He only did it once. That means there will be NO MORE sacrifices for sins (Hebrews 10:26-29).
Final point- it would do no good if Jesus only bled or if He only died and not shed His blood- He did both to fulfill the Law. He shed ALL His blood in order to PURCHASE anybody who comes unto Him for salvation. If He just died without bleeding, that would not fulfill the sin sacrifices required by the Old Testament ceremonial law that the unblemished lamb had to be slaughtered in a bloody manner before its blood was applied on the altar by the high priest. It would also have done no good if the passover lamb was just killed or it bled without dying, it had to be slaughtered and all its blood out from it, and the blood applied on the doorposts- both had to come together. Likewise, He too became the Lamb of God sacrificed in a bloody manner as to it is not just one drop, not just half but He shed ALL His blood in order to pay it all.