We have all sinned and stand guilty before God, who requires us to be perfect as He is perfect. And God has declared that we must die as a result of our moral debt that we cannot repay. But God is also a merciful and loving God. So, He graciously provided a perfect sacrifice for us, One who would suffer and die for the punishment that we deserve. This substitute was none other than God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. By faith in Him and what He did for us, we have God’s forgiveness for all our sins and the promise of eternal life.
A substitutionary atonement is necessary to save sinners
All have sinned against God
The Bible makes clear that we are all guilty of sin, even from our birth. (See Romans 3:23 Galatians 3:22, Psalm 58:3, Proverbs 22:15) As a result of Adam’s sin, all of his descendants would inherit a sin nature.
We are not sinners because we commit sins, rather we commit sins because we are sinners by nature. As evidence of this, sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Yet, all died after Adam and before the law was given because they were guilty by their very sinful nature, regardless of any individual sins they may have committed. (See Romans 5:12-14.)
The penalty for sin
As sinners, we have a penalty to pay. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). This verse appears to be speaking not only about physical death but also spiritual death (separation from God) and eternal death (a never-ending separation from God’s blessings).
We will all live forever. What matters the most is where and in what condition will we live. Those who refuse to be saved in this life will live in hell forever. Jesus knew about the reality of hell and taught a great deal about it. He warned that hell is a place of eternal torment prepared for the devil and his fallen angels. In addition, human beings who rebel against God will also have a place in hell. It’s a place of unquenchable fire. It is full of darkness, suffering, and terrible pains. (See Luke 16:23, Matthew 5:22, 8:12, 10:28, 11:20-24, 25:41, 25:46.)
The remedy for sinners
The verdict for sin is death. God requires that a life must be given, and its blood be shed. However, God has also graciously allowed a substitute to die in the place of the sinner under certain circumstances. “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life (Leviticus 17:11).
The good news is that sinners don’t have to go to hell when they die. There is One who has suffered and died in the place of those who are willing to repent of their sins and believe in God’s promise of forgiveness. That Person is God’s own Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. We’ll see how Jesus’ one act of sacrifice could benefit so many people who would ever believe in Him and what He did for them.
The sacrifices required to cover sins before Jesus Christ came
Early signs that animals would be sacrificed for man’s benefit
Before the fall of Adam, he and his wife Eve were both naked, and they felt no shame (Genesis 2:25). But after they had sinned, then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves (Genesis 3:7). And after God pronounced His curses for their disobedience, the LORD made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them (Genesis 3:21). This was the first time a sacrifice of animals for the sake of humankind is recorded in Scripture.
Eve gave birth to Cain and then to Abel. They both brought offerings to the LORD. Since Cain worked the soil, he brought some fruits of the soil as his offering. But Abel kept flocks, so he brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD was pleased with Abel’s offering, but He did not look with favor on Cain’s offering. Apparently, the sacrifice of the best of the flock was well-pleasing to the LORD, but the offering produced by the work of Cain’s own hands were not.
From the time of Adam until the flood, man did not eat meat. “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food'” (Genesis 1:29). But after the flood, God blessed Noah and his sons. He told them, “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything” (Genesis 9:3). For the first time, man was allowed to kill animals for food.
The blood of the Passover Lamb spared the firstborn males of the Israelites
After Joseph brought his father’s and brothers’ families, seventy in all, to Egypt, the Israelites greatly multiplied. Eventually, a new king, who didn’t know about Joseph, came to power and became threatened by the Israelites due to their numbers. So, he enslaved them and put slave masters in charge of the them. The oppression became so great that they cried out to the LORD for relief. He heard their cries and then appointed Moses to lead them out of Egypt into the promised land.
Through Moses, the LORD afflicted Egypt with ten plagues so that His wonders would be multiplied in Egypt. After each of the first nine plagues, the king refused Moses’ request to leave Egypt. But the tenth plague would be so devastating to the Egyptians that the king would finally consent to Moses’ demand. The LORD planned to go throughout Egypt at midnight and strike down the firstborn male of every household, including the firstborn of all the livestock.
But the LORD would make a distinction between Egypt and Israel. He told Moses and Aaron to tell the whole community of Israel to slaughter a lamb for each household and place its blood on the doorframe. When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the doorframe and will pass over that doorway. He will not let the destroyer enter into the house and strike down their firstborn. This act of deliverance by the LORD is a day that God ordained would be commemorated by the Jews every year.
God establishes a system of sacrifices for the Israelites
God condescended to use the sacrifice of animals to cover the sins of His people until the perfect sacrifice could be made. God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, is the only Person who could qualify to make the sacrifice since He alone was sinless. (Had He sinned just once, His death would have only been for Himself.) These sacrifices were a picture and foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice that was yet to come. We’re saved the same way in both the Old and New Testament–the righteous shall live by faith.
When God gave Moses the ten commandments at Mt. Sinai, He also instituted various sacrifices to be made at various times and for various reasons. There were mandatory and voluntary sacrifices. Some sacrifices required the blood of an animal, and some involved the fruit of the land (e.g., grain, wine, oil). There were sacrifices that were split into two or three portions–God’s portion, the portion for the Levites or priests, and possibly a portion for the person offering the sacrifice. In some cases, the whole animal sacrifice, including the meat and bones and organs, belonged only to God and was totally burnt.
The following table describes the basic characteristics of the prescribed individual sacrifices.
Types of Old Testament Sacrifices for Individuals
| Name | Purpose(s) | Offering | Portion(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnt offering (Voluntary) | An act of devotion and commitment to God | Male cattle, male sheep, male goats, doves, pigeons | Blood, flesh, and fat poured and placed on the main altar for God to be burnt |
| Grain offering, accompanied by a drink offering (Voluntary) | Express thanksgiving in recognition of God’s provision and unmerited good will | A cake or baked bread made with grain, fine flour, and oil and salt; about a quart of wine | All was placed or poured into the fire on the altar |
| Fellowship offering or “peace” offerings, including vow offerings, thanksgiving offerings & freewill offerings (Voluntary) | A sacrifice of thanksgiving and fellowship, followed by a shared meal | Any unblemished animal from the worshiper’s herd, and/or various grains or breads. | Fat, kidneys, lobe of liver burnt for God; breast to high priest; right foreleg to priest; remainder to participants |
| Sin offering (Mandatory) | Atone for sin and cleanse from defilement. | A young bull, male goat, female goat, dove/pigeon, or 1/10 ephah of fine flour, depending on the identity & financial status of the giver | Fatty portions & lobe of the liver & kidneys were given to God (burnt); the rest was either totally burned or eaten within the tabernacle court. |
| Guilt offering (Mandatory) | Atonement for unintentional sins that required reimbursement to an offended party. Also, cleansing from defiling sins or physical maladies. | Normally a ram from the flock | Fatty portions & lobe of the liver & kidneys were given to God (burnt); the rest had to be eaten within the tabernacle court. |
The perfect sacrifice willingly offered by Jesus Christ
While God forgave the sins of those, who by faith, offered their bloody sacrifices as the law demanded, the sacrifices themselves were inferior to the ultimate one to come. When Christ came into the world, He said, “… Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:8-10).
Before the cross of Christ, it may have seemed that God was being lenient in overlooking the sins of those who were saved. But Paul insists that was not the case. The Lord knew that Christ would make full expiation (removal) of their sins, and so He saved them on that basis. (See Romans 3:25.) So, the Old Testament period was a time of forbearance, as He held back His judgment of their sin. Then, when it came time for Christ to be crucified, God unleashed the full fury of His righteous wrath on the Son He loved.
The writer of Hebrews explains how the Person and priestly ministry of Jesus Christ was far superior to that which proceeded it. The following table illustrates some of the key differences.
Comparison of the Old Testament sacrificial system to Jesus Christ’s sacrifice
| Jesus Christ Superior in His Person | Jesus Christ Superior as Our Priest | Jesus Christ Superior for Life |
|---|---|---|
| The Father has chosen His Son to minister. (Hebrews 1:1-3) | Jesus, the High Priest is better than Aaron, the first high priest. (Hebrews 5:1-10) | Faith to believe God (Hebrews 10:19-39) |
| Christ is superior to the angels. (Hebrews 1:4-14) | Jesus is our Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 7:1-28) | Hope to endure trials by faith (Hebrews 11:1-40) |
| Jesus is compared to Moses and is declared to be greater than Moses. (Hebrews 3:1-6) | The New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant. (Hebrews 8:5-13) | Encouragement and God’s discipline to live a godly life (Hebrews 12:1-29) |
| The heavenly sanctuary and its sacrifice of God’s own Son is better than the earthly sanctuary and its animal sacrifices. (Hebrews 8:1-2, 9:1-28, 10:1-18) |
How the benefits of Jesus’ sacrifice are received
Though Jesus sacrifice is sufficient to save all people, it is only efficient (effective) for those who meet God’s condition. To receive forgiveness, we must believe in the Jesus who is revealed in the Bible and in His work of atonement for us. The apostle John wrote, “Then they [the crowd] asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’” (John 6:28-29).
Our works play no part in earning God’s acceptance. We are saved solely by grace, a totally unearned gift of God. Jesus told Nicodemus, the Pharisee, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3). He later told the disciples, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away… For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:37, 40)
To believe in Christ is not only a belief in the facts about Jesus Christ, it is also a deep trust and reliance on what He has done for you personally. It is a commitment that you humbly make to follow Him as Lord of your life. When you believe in Christ, you honor the Father who sent Him! If you know and believe this to be true, surrender your life to him this very day, and settle your eternal destiny once and for all.
Come to the wellspring of life
Ask yourself two very important questions. First, are you sure that you’ll go to heaven when you die? Secondly, are you certain why God should let you into heaven? If you don’t know for sure, you can settle that matter today. Visit my post, How to Begin Your Life Over Again and you’ll know where and how you’ll spend eternity.
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