The Greatest Sacrifice

Leviticus isn’t the easiest read. We wonder, “Why does this book spend so much time on minute rules about animal sacrifices? Isn’t the whole Bible supposed to be about Jesus?” These are good questions. It turns out these sacrifices paint an important picture of why we need Jesus and what He has done for us. In the beginning, Adam and Eve, the first humans, lived in perfect community with God and each other. But Adam and Eve rejected God by choosing sin— bringing death and brokenness into the world. Sin twists everything; it separates us from God, the source of life and definition of goodness. But here’s the good news: even in our sin, God loves us and wants us to be with Him instead of perishing in our sins. From the beginning, God had a master plan to defeat sin. God is good, so He is just, so He cannot let sin go unpunished. That’s where sacrifices came in. Before Jesus came, instead of God simply destroying sin and giving us what we deserve and therefore wiping out humans, the blood of an animal would atone for or “cover” someone’s sin. Regular purifying sacrifices took place throughout the year, culminating in the annual Day of Atonement, when a priest made special sacrifices for the whole community (Leviticus 16). But animals on the altar can’t compare to Christ on the cross. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. Unlike the repeated offerings of the Old Testament, Jesus doesn’t have to re-die when we sin again. Jesus also did something no sacrifice had done before: He rose from the dead three days after being crucified. Jesus was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. The curtain was torn, the law was fulfilled, and the power of sin and death were broken. Through faith in Christ— wrapped in His righteousness (or sinlessness)—we may now walk with God, secure and forgiven in Jesus’ sacrifice, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and a part of a family of believers who are awaiting the day when Jesus will raise us to a new life free from the presence of sin. • L. M. • In Christ, the ultimate sacrifice, can anything separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:31-39)? • How is God living in us through the Holy Spirit different from Him living in a tabernacle or temple like He did during the time of animal sacrifices? He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. 1 John 2:2 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Mark 15:33-38; Luke 24:44-47; Hebrews 10:1-18