Blood sacrifice

April 2, 2021 (Good Friday)

 

This is it. “Good Friday” is *almost* an oxymoron. That’s a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself. Really, what is “good” about Jesus death? I am so glad you asked.

 

We read in Hebrews 9:22, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” [ESV] In occidental cultures we like to build past precedent to proof the correctness of our ideas. In other words, we base our New Testament theology on what we understand in the Old Testament.

 

The Old Testament law used blood to purify “almost everything.” On top of that use, blood was always used as a sacrifice for sin. How are we to be purified if blood is not shed? From the Garden of Eden, Adam was shown the cost of sin when God slaughtered animals for their skin to make clothing to cover up the shame of their nakedness.

 

The first murder was over a religious feud. “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” [Hebrews 11:4 ESV] Able offered God a blood sacrifice, the best of his flocks and herds. Cain offered a grain offering, presumably in a wrong attitude. This became the proverbial snowball rolling downhill. Cain became jealous, hatched a plan, and then killed Able.

 

The Law established the need for a blood sacrifice for “unintentional” sin. For instance, “If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock…” [Leviticus 5:15a ESV] Now we are stuck. How do we deal with INTENTIONAL sin?

 

Hebrews 10:8 tells us, “When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law)” [ESV] Those Old Testament sacrifices only had the power to remind us of our sin. They never solved the problem of willful sin (see Hebrews 10:11).

 

Enter: the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 10: 12 continues, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” [ESV] I one action, Jesus shed His blood to clean up the mess caused by sin. Yes, one sacrifice for every sin… including those willful sins.

 

It’s still not alright to sin that sin that’s been clinging to you. You see life and this world has an expiration date. “In the same way, Christ was also offered once to take on himself the sins of many people. He will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” [Hebrews 9:28 CEB]

 

Easter is a time of renewal. Jesus died on Friday, but Sunday is coming. Are you ready?