I recently saw the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Without any spoilers I can reveal a common plot device, particularly for Asian-culture martial arts movies: family honor demands revenge. The Iron Gang attacked Shang-Chi’s family, and his father wanted to massacre them in return and sent his son to assassinate their leader. He taught Shang-Chi, “A blood debt has to be paid by blood.”

Unfortunately, we all owe a blood debt against members of God’s family. All human beings—including mean, nasty, violent ones—are under the protection of God and any harm done against them is an injustice that God will repay. None of us can claim, “It wasn’t me. I didn’t do anything,” because Jesus taught that even anyone angry at someone else suffers the same judgment as a murderer (Matthew 5:21–22). According to Shang-Chi’s father, God not only could but should use his Ten Rings power to wipe us out.

God agrees that “a blood debt has to be paid by blood,” but he does not want to wipe us out. So he allows substitution. In the Old Testament, he allowed the blood of bulls and goats and other animals to substitute for the offender’s blood. And in the New Testament, that picture of blood substitution found its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Unlike Shang-Chi’s father in the movie, God did not send his Son to carry out revenge for attacks against his family, but to pay our blood debt with his own blood. And because his blood is the blood of the infinite God, it has infinite value to be a sufficient payment for all debts.

“A blood debt has to be paid by blood” is the Bible truth! But thank God it doesn’t have to be accomplished the way humans do it in the movies (or real life).