I am reading the old testament, to be specific, right now I
am reading Leviticus. A lot Leviticus is
setting up laws and rules for the Israelites now that they are no longer under
Egyptian rule and now that they have a covenant with God to go to the promised
land. While reading this, though I find
it all very interesting (God thinks of everything!), I also find it
exhausting. There is so much for Moses
and the priests to remember! There are sacrifices for almost every sin, and then
the sacrifices are done a different way depending on who committed the sin,
what the sacrifice is, and then of course how bad the sin was. It's no wonder they wrote it all down, I mean
remembering that all of that would be crazy.
While I'm reading all of this, thinking how many different
ways you can make a sacrifice and how many rituals they had to remember, I
realized the amazing truth, that Jesus did all of that for us. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice so that we
would not have to go out and find the perfect goat or bird or lamb every time
we lied (could you even imagine what that would be like today, I mean health
code regulators would have a field day).
He was the perfect lamb of God. He was the ultimate and perfect sacrifice, so
much so that we no longer have to remember what sacrifice goes with what sin,
we just have to realize and remember His sacrifice and then ask Him for
forgiveness. That's amazing! What a loving, wise and wonderful Father,
that He would provide one perfect way for us to be completely forgiven.
John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Hebrews 10:1-10
10 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’”
8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
