Better Than Sacrifice, Yielding Our Heart to GodSample

The Real Solution – Christ’s sacrifice

The blood of animals couldn’t actually cleanse anyone from sin, they just looked ahead to the real solution: the sinless Lord, Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, becoming sin for us. Romans 3:25, “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.' Ephesians 5:2 says it this way, “...walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

We couldn’t die for our own sins, because as Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In the most amazing love ever conceived, our Triune God decided to send Jesus Christ, the Word of God, to earth as a man. Jesus never once sinned in any way, and that perfection made Him pure enough to die for our sins. God the Father allowed Jesus to be tortured mercilessly, and then die the cruelest death by crucifixion. During that death, Jesus took on the sins of the whole world – past, present and future; your sins and mine. And when He became sin for us, Father God had to look away; the most heart-breaking separation in the history of the universe. But that wasn’t the end!

Three days later, Jesus Christ rose from the dead in a triumphant display of power and love. Romans 3:26 explains this, “he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” This was the most incredible act of love, mercy and grace ever, and all history is changed because of it.

Jesus did ascend back into heaven 40 days later; He is forever a God-man, and He will forever carry the scars in his hands and His feet and His side. Plus, as Hebrews 9:28 expresses with so much encouragement – Jesus is coming back!“...so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Reflection: We’ll never be able to comprehend such amazing love! But how beautiful when we let His love and sacrifice transform our lives!