“Moses said to Aaron, ‘Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded.’” (Leviticus 9:7 NIV)
In the Old Testament, God required a system of sacrifice to erase the guilt of sin. Priests used lambs, bulls, and other animals in ceremonies of slaughter. Imagine the stench and noise surrounding the sacrifices—the smell and sound of death impossible to ignore. The aim of each sacrifice was to secure atonement for those who sinned. When blood was shed on the altar, adhering to prescribed ways, God would favor the people by counting their sin as covered.
The cross of Christ is treasured by those who love and follow him. Yet let us remember that it was bloody and tortuous—an effective device for killing. God enlisted this tool of punishment as an altar for the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin. Jesus died on the cross as the fulfilment of his mission. Christ’s death satisfied God’s wrath, erased the guilt of sin, and secured free pardon for all who would believe in his name.
The Easter season reminds us that our sin had a cost—the life of the precious Son of God. Our salvation is free to us through faith, but it was paid for by the innocent Messiah. Each time you see a cross—the altar that ended the system of sacrifices—be thankful that your sins are covered. They have been paid for by Jesus. This is the love of God in action. He did for us, what we could never do for ourselves.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am humbled that you would respond to my rebellion with grace. Thank you for giving your Son to pay what I owed. I remember today that sin is not small or inconsequential. I will run from it—I do not want to embrace that which required my Savior’s death. Thank you that no more sacrifices for sin are required. I will live this day in the freedom and peace and joy you purchased for me on the cross.
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