Switching the Sacrifice || Ephesians 1:7 || Manna for the Mind #38

Welcome to Day 38 of my “Manna for the Mind” devotional series! This series takes a passage of scripture (typically 1-3 verses) and builds its understanding through its context and connecting scripture. Doing this helps us understand what the Bible truly teaches us.

Ephesians 1:7

7             He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Sons and forgave our sins.

To speak of Jesus’ blood is an essential way of speaking about his death. I’ve experienced churches leaning away from speaking about the blood because of its cultural context and connections. We see bloodshed on the news and social media constantly, so why would we want to continue speaking of that in church. We get so focused on the literal that we need to remember the imagery and spirituality of what his blood represents to our Christian walk today. My goal is to keep our focus on the imagery of Jesus’ blood. We should think of it metaphysically so that we can understand deeply what the sacrifice of Jesus represented.

His death provided two tremendous benefits to us: redemption and forgiveness. What are those two things? Redemption is the price paid to gain freedom for an enslaved person. A more modern-day understanding of redemption is trading arcade tickets for different prizes at the prize counter. The value is shown in the transactions of goods. Through his death, Jesus paid the price to release us from slavery to sin. Jesus redeemed us from sin’s prize counter. We’re no longer eligible to be traded for different sinful actions. Still, we remain free from sin’s bondage through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Forgiveness was granted in the Old Testament based on the shedding of animals’ blood. Look through the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy to see the complexity of the sacrificial system the Israelites had. I feel God had seen the Israelites give up on the meaning and impact of the sacrificial system. Hence, God needed an ultimate sacrifice that would act as sacrificial forgiveness. We have been freed from every restraint to live the whole life and become all he intended us to be.

The author of Hebrews says this about the Old Testament sacrificial system in Hebrews 9:13-14.

Hebrews 9:13-14

13           Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity.

14           Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

When the people sacrificed animals, God made them ceremonially acceptable according to the Old Testament law. Think about how much more Christ’s sacrifice transforms our hearts and makes us pure from the sin on the side. His sacrifice far exceeds what animal sacrifices did. No sins or shortcomings on our part will stifle his complete and total forgiveness.

What was the sacrificial system was like? Here is what the animal sacrifice system was for the guilt offering (making a payment for sins against God and others) in Leviticus 7:2-5.

Leviticus 7:25

2             The animal sacrificed as a guilt offering must be slaughtered at the place where the burnt offerings are slaughtered, and its blood must be splattered against all sides of the altar.

3             The priest will then offer all its fat on the altar, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs,

4             the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. These are to be removed with the kidneys,

5             and the priests will burn them on the altar as a special gift presented to the Lord. This is the guilt offering.

Imagine the impact of doing this over and over again when you had to make your payment for sins against God and those affected by your sin. For me, it would get routine and mundane. The more I did it, the more it would lose its routine, and I believe that God saw that. God saw that, and he lost his pleasantries for the animal sacrifice.

Jeremiah 6:20

20           There’s no use offering me sweet frankincense from Sheba. Keep your fragrant calamus imported from distant lands! I will not accept your burnt offerings. Your sacrifices have no pleasing aroma for me.”

I believe God was getting fed up with the continual animal sacrifice. It was time for a change. It was time to execute the plan to send Jesus. To end the animal sacrificial system, begin the almighty sacrificial service. The sacrifice Jesus made absorbs the five different types of sacrifices needed. Jesus died for our sins in general (the burnt offering.) Jesus died so that we could be made right with God to honor and respect him in the best way offering (the grain offering.) Jesus died for us to express our thankfulness for being put in that place (the peace offering.) Jesus died to pay for our unintentional sins of impurity, neglect, and thoughtlessness (the sin offering.)  Jesus died to make the payment (the redemption) of our sins against God and others. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice made to God, and the injured person was repaid or compensated.

Father God, we thank you for redeeming our lives through Jesus’ sacrifice. We thank you that Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice, allowing us to go directly to you boldly and confidently. Please help us to continue going to you in all things. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.