Jesus, the Perfect Sacrifice

In Hebrews chapter 10, the writer is telling us that Jesus Christ is better than any animal sacrifice and that only Jesus Christ’s sacrifice can take away sin.  This would have been very encouraging news to the Jewish reader of Hebrews.  They grew up with the sacrificial system, where animals were sacrificed for forgiveness of sin.  But what they didn’t realize then, is that God accepted these animal sacrifices only because He knew of the ultimate sacrifice that His Son would make.  The animal sacrifices were of value only because of what Jesus was going to do.  Hebrews makes it clear that the animal sacrifice could not take away sin:  ⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.  It is only through Jesus Christ that sins could be forgiven.  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.  Jesus Christ’s offering of Himself takes away sin “once for all”.  Jesus, because He is perfect God, is the perfect sacrifice.

Now, how does this apply to us today?  After all, we’re not offering animals on the altar.  Though we might be barbecuing them on the grill, it’s not the same 🙂  Yet many people have the same attitude regarding “good works”.  They think that by doing good things, or by not doing too many bad things, God will forgive their sin.  But it doesn’t work that way.  Over and over again, the word of God says that our good effort and deeds will not remove our guilt from our sin.  We need to have the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ applied to our lives.  There is no other way.

Finally, think of it this way.  Most of us have watched a crime show where the police go into what appears to be a clean room and they shine their little black light or whatever kind of light it is and you can clearly see the traces of blood on the floor or walls.  To the human eye with normal light, everything looks clean but the other light reveals the blood.  Our works and effort, like the Old Testament sacrificial system, is an attempt to clean the sin off of our lives.  And we can do a pretty good job to the naked, human eye.  But when God shines His light on our lives, the stain of sin is clearly evident.  However, when a person has receives Jesus Christ and His perfect sacrifice, the sin is removed forever.  Don’t wait…trust in Jesus, the Perfect Sacrifice.