TEACHING NOTES Introduction Anyone familiar with the Bible knows that it talks about sacrifice in almost every book. For modern people, the idea of making sacrifices is foreign and strange. But the work of Christ on the cross is also described as a sacrifice. Therefore, we must try to understand sacrifice to fully understand what Jesus has done for us. We must understand what sacrifice is, what it is for, and what it accomplished. ‌ Ephesians 5:2 ESV 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ‌ 1 John 4:10 NET 2nd ed. 10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. ‌ Sacrifice = Hebrew קָרְבָּן (qorban) - a gift, offering. Refers to anything devoted to God as a gift for Him. A sacrifice displayed a desire for relationship. ‌ In the pagan religions, sacrifice was used to appease angry or irritated gods. Pagan gods were annoyed by humans. They also needed humans to feed them. So, pagan sacrifice was for propitiation (appeasing anger) and feeding the gods. ‌ In the Bible, God commands the Israelites to be totally different from pagans. Israel’s sacrifices were for worship and relationship. Whereas pagan sacrifices were rooted in their gods’ anger, Israel’s sacrifices were rooted in God’s love. ‌ At-one-ment = Hebrew כפר (kippur) - to remove, wipe away, purify, make amends, pardon, release, forgive. In Greek ἱλασμός (hilasmos) - sacrifice that brings mercy/forgiveness. Atonement is all about relational reconciliation. ‌ Forgiveness = Hebrew נָשָׂא (nā·śā) - to carry away, take away, lift up. In Greek ἄφεσις (aphesis) - to pardon, send away, liberate, release. To be forgiven is to have sin sent away and to be released from slavery to sin. ‌ Sacrifice in the Old Testament Sacrifice occurs very early in the Old Testament storyline. The first hint at sacrifice is in Gen. 3:21 where God makes clothing of animal skins for Adam and Eve to cover their shame after they sinned. Cain and Abel offered sacrifices at the door of the garden (Gen. 4). Noah offers a sacrifice after the flood to thank God for His salvation (Gen. 9:20-22). Abraham and his descendants also offered sacrifices on various occasions (Gen. 12:7; 15:9-10; 22:1-14; 31:54; 35:14; 46:1). ‌ However, the most detailed information about sacrifices is in Leviticus, which was the instructions for Israel’s worship. Leviticus describes how God’s people could approach God’s presence and stay in fellowship with Him. ‌ Leviticus 1:1–2 ESV 1 The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. ‌ Offering = Heb. qorban - a gift. While we normally think of a sacrifice as simply the killing of an animal, the Bible describes it as a gift to God. A sacrifice was seen as offering God a gift of something you have devoted to Him. In the ancient world, gift-giving was reciprocal. One would give a gift to another to communicate their desire for relationship. Then the other person would give a gift in return to show that they also desire a relationship. This would continue as a cycle of back-and-forth gift giving as long as both parties desired to continue the relationship. ‌ Illustration: In the south, there was a similar tradition. A family would move into a new neighborhood or town. The neighbors would make a dish or dessert in their own dish and take it to the home of the new family. This gesture showed that the neighbor desired a good relationship with the new family. In return, the new family would return the neighbor’s dish by making a dessert in the same container. The dessert and dish was a symbol that communicated a desire for a relationship. If an issue rises between the families, the process would be repeated to show forgiveness and a desire to reconcile. ‌ Leviticus 1:3 ESV 3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. ‌ Burnt offering = Literally, a “whole burnt gift.” This specific sacrifice included offering the entire animal to God. Other offerings in Leviticus included offering part of the animal to God and the rest would enjoyed as a meal for the priests and the family who gave the animal. Most sacrifices were a meal that cooked on the altar (like a grill) and enjoyed by the people in the presence of God. Think of it as having a cookout at God’s house. ‌ Without blemish = An offering to God had to be pure and without blemish. We would never offer a flawed gift to someone we love. In the same way, we bring God a valuable gift that is the best we have to offer. Also, this gift is meant to represent yourself. It is a symbol of offering yourself as an unblemished gift to God. ‌ Giving an unblemished animal displayed a desire to be unblemished. An unblemished gift said to God, “I want to be unblemished like this animal.” In other words, it is a desire to be forgiven and pure. ‌ The entrance of the tent of meeting = The offering of a gift is for the purpose of meeting with God in His house. In modern terms, think of going to have a meal at a close friend’s home. You would bring a gift or a prepared dish to be part of the meal. The outer court of the tabernacle was like the kitchen where the meal is prepared. The purpose of the tent of meeting in is the title. It is God’s house and He wants His people to spend time with Him. ‌ That he may be accepted = The act of offering God a gift makes you acceptable to God or invites you into His home. The gift shows a desire to be with God and that desire is pleasing to God. God enjoys being with His people. ‌ Leviticus 1:4 ESV 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. ‌ Lay his hand on the head of the offering = Many people think that this gesture symbolized a transfer of our sins to the animal. That is incorrect. There is only one occasion where sin is transferred to an animal and that is on the once-a-year Day of Atonement. And that goat would not be given to God, but sent away into the wilderness. Sin is never offered to God. The laying on of one hand on the animal is a way of saying, “This animal is a symbol of myself. I offer myself to God.” ‌ It shall be accepted for him = In verse 3, we’re told that presenting of the gift made the person accepted before God. Once the hand is placed on the animal’s head, the animal becomes a symbol of the person. Now “it shall be accepted for him” or in his place. The animal is being offered in our place as if we are offering ourselves to God. ‌ To make atonement for him = This entire act is said to make us at-one with God. The desire to meet with God by offering ourselves as a gift reconciles us with God. Therefore, the animal is given on our behalf. God accepts the gift and reciprocates by giving us forgiveness and reconciliation. ‌ Leviticus goes on to describe the various types of sacrifices/gifts that the people could offer to God as a sign of their faithfulness to Him. This entire system assumed that the people would sin and provided ways to repent and stay in relationship and fellowship with God. ‌ Three Categories of Sacrifices: ‌1. Whole Burnt Offering: This symbolized that the worshiper is offering their whole self and life to God. ‌2. Sin Offering: This symbolized repentance and desire to be pure. ‌3. Peace Offering: This symbolized thankfulness. ‌ Sacrifice (gift-giving) is a physical display of our faithfulness to God and His desire to be faithful to us. We give back something God gave to us and He responds with forgiveness and reconciliation. ‌ The Problem: External sacrifices could not solve the internal problem. The sacrificial system in the Torah was good and intended by God to keep His people in a reciprocal relationship with Him. However, the people continued to allow sin to rule them. Their worship became corrupt and the prophets show us God’s opinion of their sacrifices. ‌ Isaiah 1:11 ESV 11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. ‌ Isaiah 1:12–13 ESV 12 “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? 13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. ‌ Isaiah 1:14–15 ESV 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. ‌ Isaiah 1:16–17 ESV 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. ‌ Isaiah 1:18 ESV 18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. ‌ What was needed was something that could provide an internal transformation. ‌Hebrews tells us that the something we needed has been provided by Christ. ‌ Hebrews describes the problem with the sacrificial system in Heb. 9:9 “According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper” ‌ Hebrews 9:11–12 ESV 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. ‌ Hebrews 9:13–14 ESV 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. ‌ Hebrews 10:11 ESV 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ‌ Hebrews 10:12–14 ESV 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. ‌ Hebrews 10:19–22 ESV 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ‌ Conclusion ‌Today, we can enter into God’s presence and be filled with His Spirit to commune with Him because Jesus offered Himself and us as a gift to God. God accepted this gift and welcomes us into His household as sons and daughters. Therefore, we celebrate this truth with repentance, worship, and Communion.