Sacrifice

An examination of sacrifice, especially the contrast between the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, with the final sacrifice of Jesus on the cross in the New Testament, informs us in a fresh way that our salvation in Christ is complete, permanent, and final.

In Leviticus, we read:

When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned and, as a penalty for the sin he has committed, he must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin. (Leviticus 5:5-6)

Then, the author of Hebrews informs us:

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming– not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am– it is written about me in the scroll– I have come to do your will, O God.'”

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made).
Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second.
And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all….

Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. (Hebrews 10:1-10, 17-18)

According to the author of Hebrews, salvation in Christ is a permanent state. There is nothing left for God to do. There is nothing more for us to do. Under the old covenant, when someone became aware of a sin in their lives, they were to confess it and then offer a sacrifice for the forgiveness of that sin. Now, according to the author of Hebrews, Jesus has sacrificed for our sins, once for all.

That sin you just committed? Already taken care of. The sacrifice was made for it nearly two thousand years ago. So you’ve got nothing to worry about: it’s covered. God put it on his tab. The sin you’ll do tomorrow? Next year? Likewise covered. You’re free, your debts are paid, your credit is unlimited and all your bills are already paid, forever. Go about your business.

This is good news. Fabulous news.

But hard to wrap our brains around.

Odd, how people want to imagine that they still have to feel guilty or do something about their sins. Somehow, we feel like what Jesus did so long ago doesn’t have much to do with the bad thing I just did today. I need to feel guilty, I need to beat myself up, I need to do penance. We need to find a goat and slit its throat. Then I’ll feel forgiven. After I do a bunch of good stuff to make up for the bad thing I just did. Maybe if I do ten good deeds, like the ten commandments? Yeah, ten is a good number….

Of course we know in our heads this is all silly. We know in our heads that Jesus died for our sins—for all of them—and that we stand forgiven and perfect in Him. But our emotions betray us constantly and we keep thinking we need to do something. When instead, all we have to do is live in joy, knowing that everything really is okay, and grateful that through the indwelling Spirit we are being transformed every day to acting more and more like Him.

We want to think that we have control over our relationship with God; that it isn’t as good as it could be, and that instead there is something I need to do, some book to read, some preacher to hear, some special prayer to learn, maybe a secret handshake—and then I’ll get the blessings God is currently withholding from my life because I haven’t quite achieved that level.

Bunk. Peter wrote: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3).

That doesn’t leave us much room for doing anything, does it?

And yet we still sometimes feel like we need to be punished, forgetting that Jesus has already been punished for all that stuff you did. You think you need to get beaten for how you hurt someone you love? Jesus was already beaten for it. You think you need to be embarrassed, made fun of? Jesus already got embarrassed and made fun of for you. Not fair, not just. But that’s the point. Fair would be you going to Hell forever. Jesus decided to spare you because he loved you.

Something to be grateful for. Something to rejoice in. Your guilt is gone. Even the guilt you might feel because someone else took your rap for you.