SACRIFICE

Sacrifice

The first reference to a sacrifice is Gen 3:21,

"Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them."

Follow the disobedience of Adam and Eve God supplied clothing for them, "coats of skins" having obviously come from animals being killed as a result of their disobedience and sin.

"And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: "

The different response by God to Abel’s and Cain’s offering is explained in Heb 11:4.

"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. "

Abel’s righteousness was the result of his sacrifice, not of his character.

Before the law was given to Moses and the Israelites, the head of the family was normally the family religious leader or "priest," but when God gave the law to Moses He introduced and created an order of priests, they were the only people who could offer sacrifices. According to the law, these sacrifices were "shadows,"(a faint representation) of the future sacrifice of Christ. By God producing the Law and His standard it introduced the knowledge of guilt to Mankind, God had set a standard that He expected them to live by, but Mankind was unable to reach the standard set by God. This meant that there was a need by the person, who was guilty of failing the standard set by God, to either be punished or make a payment for the sin by making an offering(payment by the shedding of blood, a death) to God for their disobedience and sin.

What are the important points about the crucifixion of Jesus.

1) The sacrifice of Christ is used as a place of punishment: Gal 3:13;

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: "

2 Cor. 5. 21

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

"And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. "

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. "

2 Cor 5:21;

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. "

3) Done by free choice: Genesis 22:9,10;

"And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son."

John 10:18

"No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."

4) Deliverance from sin through the incarnation and death of Christ: Gal 3:13;

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: "

" In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; "

"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."

5) Make a payment (propitiatory): Rom 3:25

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; "

6) Reconciling: 2 Cor 5:18,19;

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. "

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreproveable in his sight: "

7) Produces the required result:John 12:32,33;

"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

2 Cor 5:21;

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Eph 2:13;

" But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."

Heb 9:11,12, 26;

"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. "

Heb 10:10-17;.

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

1 John 1:7;

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. "

Rev 1:5.

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, "

8) Revelatory: John 3:16,17;

1 John 4:9,10.

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."