JC Blog

“But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” ( Hebrews 10:3-4 )

One thing about the law was that it was great about building anticipation to the time of Christ. I imagine that every time a bull or goat was brought as a sacrifice, the people would stop and think about the promised Messiah, longing for Him to come; knowing that when He came there would no longer be the need for these endless sacrifices.

The previous verses state the entire sacrificial system was a foreshadowing to the good things that were coming ( Hebrews 10:1-2 ). They couldn’t clear the conscience of the worshipper but rather served as a reminder of sin. This is why these sacrifices were brought time and time again. The blood of these animals only served as a covering for the body and could never cleanse the entire person. In other words, the blood of bulls and goats were powerless to take away sin.

The Messiah on the other hand would be able to cleanse the entirety of mankind by the sacrifice of Himself. This is why the endless sacrifices served to bring a fresh remembrance of sin. It would prepare the people for Christ. In contrast to the blood of bulls and goats, His blood would take away sin.

When Jesus appeared, He did away with sin by the sacrifice of himself ( Hebrews 9:26 ). His blood was more than enough to cleanse the worshipper and bring each one into perfect fellowship with God the Father ( Hebrews 10:19-22 ). This was what the sacrificial system under the law portrayed and looked forward to in Christ. Now that it is here, there is no longer a need for any other type of atonement. Jesus’ blood worked to cleanse us of sin, the first and only time it was given.

Just as the Israelites looked forward to Christ in anticipation, we can look to Christ, trusting in the perfect redemption He provided. We can rest assured that we are forgiven and accepted through Him alone and that His blood was more than enough to justify us in God’s eyes. Just as the blood of bulls and goats was an annual reminder of sin, the blood of Jesus reminds us that we are forgiven and free through faith in Him. What an amazing truth!

“The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” ( Hebrews 9:13-14 )

Jesus came to give life. This is an amazing truth. We once were dead, but Christ came to give us life and the life He gives is abundant.

If the blood of bulls and goats sanctified the Israelites for the purification of the body just think how much more surely the blood of Christ cleanses us. The Israelites only experienced a momentary cleansing and this was only for the outside of the body. However, Jesus’ blood works from the inside out. It purifies the heart of man, eliminating the eternal effects of sin and purging the conscience of the guilt and shame that results from sin.

This was possible because Jesus’ blood was unblemished by sin. He was perfect and sinless. He fulfilled the letter of the Law which qualified Him for being the perfect sacrifice. He became our sin so that we could have His righteousness ( II Corinthians 5:21 ). This is the best trade ever recorded in history!

The result for us is that we are able to serve the living God. We have been cleansed and our consciences have been purified from dead works. We stand before the Lord holy, righteous and completely justified. We are not like the Israelites who serve at an altar and continually adhere to lifeless observances and rituals. We come before the Most High God, changed and accepted. Cleansed and purified from within.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” ( Hebrews 10:19-23 ).

I have heard many people say, that the God of the Old Testament was a God of wrath and anger, vastly different then the God portrayed in the New Testament. However this is not true and this passage of scripture supports that. God dealt with the people who lived before Christ in restraint, patience and tolerance looking forward to the time when Jesus would do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

God presented Jesus as the propitiation for our sins. Another way to put that is that God showed His mercy to the sinner by atoning for our sins with His blood shed on the cross. The Jew was familiar with the sacrificial system because the Law required that nearly everything be cleansed in blood. ( Hebrews 9:22 ) But the reality was, that the blood of animals was never able to take away sin. ( Hebrews 10:4 )

Why was there a need for a different sacrifice other than animals? First because the sacrifices prescribed in the Law was a type and a shadow of the things to come ( Colossians 2:17 ). One way to look at this is like writing a check to pay for groceries. The check itself isn't worth anything, but when the amount is filled out and the check is signed, then the check is the promise of payment. The check can be cashed in for the value assigned to it. However, it is only good if there is money in the bank to cover it. In the same way, the sacrificial system was like the check in this example. It was only as valuable as the reality was to back it up. Jesus was that reality and the real sacrifice for sin. The blood of the bulls and goats served as a token for the real sacrifice that Jesus would pay. It was the type and shadow and vague representation of what was to come.

If the blood of animals wasn't able to pay for sin, why was Jesus' blood able to do it? First because Jesus was sinless His blood was able to justify us ( Romans 5:9 ). Justified means, just as if I'd never sinned. So Jesus' blood restores us to a state before sin corrupted it. Secondly because Jesus' blood made peace between us and God ( Colossians 1:20 ). By His blood He reconciled all things back to Himself thus making peace. And lastly, Jesus' blood brings about the forgiveness of sin ( Hebrews 10:18 ). So since there was peace between us and God, we were restored to a state before sin corrupted us and we were completely forgiven once for all, The blood literally appeased God and reconciled us to Him through Faith. Animal blood was never able to do this.

By sending Jesus as our sacrifice of atonement or propitiation for sin, God demonstrated his justice and righteousness. Because by His forbearance he left the sins committed before Jesus' sacrifice unpunished. There was complete remission of sin for all of those people who lived before Christ. The Greek work for remission is 'aphesis' which literally means, deliverance, freedom; liberty; release from bondage; forgiveness; pardon of sins, letting them go as if they had not been committed; remission of penalty. So even though these sins were an offense to Him, in his restraint and in the face of provocation he completely passed over and ignored these sins without punishment looking forward to the time when Jesus would pay for them.

To me, this sounds exactly like the God written about in the New Testament. Forgiving, loving, patient and willing to do whatever it takes to bridge the gap between us. Today I praise God that He sent Jesus to be my Savior. I thank God for the Bible, so we have the means to read, understand and know Him. And I thank Him for redeeming me fully, completely and eternally!