Hebrews

Chapter 10:5-14 (ESV) - Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
    but a body have you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you have taken no pleasure.

Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
    as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

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), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Question to consider: What does God value above sacrifices and offerings?

Luke 2:22-24 says, “And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons.’” Leviticus 12 demands that a year-old lamb be offered in the purification and dedication of a child, but for those who could not afford the lamb, it was acceptable to offer a pair of turtle doves or pigeons, one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering. Even then, the sacrifice was done for the purification of the mother and not for the sin of the child. It is kind of wild to think that Jesus never had to offer a sacrifice for Himself for His entire life.

The truth is, God did not desire sacrifice. He accepted them because of the sinful heart of man, but He took no pleasure in it. What pleases God is obedience. Jesus came to do God’s will as it was written in the Law. This He did for His entire life, and once He’d fulfilled the Law, He took our sin upon Himself and died on a tree like someone who was cursed by God. Paul says in Colossians 2:13-14, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

So Christ left our sins nailed to the cross, and then sat down at the right hand of God. Thus, by His perfect offering, He has perfected us who belong to Him. Imagine you lived during the time in which priests made animal sacrifices in the temple. Ask yourself whether you would have been able to go your entire life without ever having to offer a sacrifice. If the answer is no, you need to ask Jesus to clothe you in His righteousness.

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, help us to see our need for the righteousness of Christ. All the blood of all the goats and bulls would never be enough to take away our sins so we are thankful that Jesus did the work we were not able to do on our own. Change us from the inside out that we may learn about You and grow in our faith and desire to do the things that please You. Amen.