Compiled By: Lisa K Gonzales
From: The Life Application Study Bible
26 “He is the kind of high priest we need because He is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has now been set apart from sinners, and He has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. 27 He does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when He sacrificed Himself on the cross. 28 Those who were high priests under the law of Moses were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, GOD appointed HIS Son with an oath, and HIS Son has been made perfect forever.” ~Hebrews 7:26-28
In Old Testament times when animals were sacrificed, they were cut into pieces, the parts were washed, the fat was burned, the blood was sprinkled, and the meat was boiled. Blood was demanded as atonement for sin, and GOD accepted animal blood to cover the sins of the people. – 10 “And I will turn against anyone, whether an Israelite or a foreigner living among you, who eats or drinks blood in any form. I will cut off such a person from the community, 11 for the life of any creature is in its blood. I have given you the blood so you can make atonement for your sins. It is the blood, representing life, that brings you atonement.” – Leviticus 17:10-11 – Blood atones for sin when it is offered with the right attitude, the sacrifice and the blood shed from it made forgiveness of sin possible. On the one hand, blood represented the sinner’s life, infected by his sin and headed for death. On the other hand, the blood represented the innocent life of the animal that was sacrificed in place of the guilty person making the offering. The death of the animal (of which the blood was proof) fulfilled the penalty of death. GOD therefore granted forgiveness to the sinner. It is GOD who forgives based on the faith of the person doing the sacrificing.
Because of the sacrificial system, the Israelites were generally aware that sin costs someone something and that they themselves were sinful. Many people take Christ’s work on the cross for granted. They do not realize how costly it was for Jesus to secure our forgiveness – it cost Him His life and painful, temporary separation from His Father. – “At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, ‘My GOD, My GOD, why have you forsaken Me?’” – Matthew 27:46 – Jesus was not questioning GOD; He was quoting the first line of Psalm 22 – a deep expression of the anguish He felt when He took on the sins of the world, which caused Him to be separated from His Father. This was what Jesus dreaded as He prayed to GOD in the garden to take the cup from Him. – “He went a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want YOUR will, not mine.” – Matthew 26:39 – The physical agony was horrible, but even worse was the period of spiritual separation from GOD. Jesus suffered this double death so that we would never have to experience eternal separation from GOD.
Because Jesus died once for all, He brought the sacrificial system to an end. He forgave sins – past, present, and future. The Jews did not need to go back to the old system because Christ, the perfect sacrifice, completed the work of redemption. We do not have to look for another way to have our sins forgiven – Christ was the final sacrifice for us.
Jesus, we thank You for Your unselfish and loving sacrifice. We can not imagine what physical and emotional pain You went through for us – for our sins. Because of You our sins are forgiven – past, present and future – for all time. Thank You for Your perfect sacrifice and completing the work of redemption – we know we do not have to look for another way to have our sins forgiven – You, Lord Jesus – were the final sacrifice for us.
Photo: Pigeon Forge (Tennessee)
Photo By: Lisa K Gonzales
Click on the photo to enlarge
