The Meaning of the Cross, part 5

Welcome to our fifth day of our “40 Days of the Cross” series.

Each day we are taking just a few minutes to look at a word which will help us better understand the meaning of the cross. Today’s word is sacrifice. We are far removed from the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant established in the Law of Moses. Sacrifice doesn’t quite mean the same thing to us today as it would have meant to the 1st century Christians who read the words of the New Testament. When Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, he described Jesus’ work on the cross as a sacrifice. Ephesians 5:2 says, “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” The church in Ephesus would have recognized sacrifice as something very specific. The background of most of the Ephesians was pagan idolatry, although there were some Jewish Christians in the church as well. But in either case, sacrifice in the form of a burnt offering was the common practice. Offering animals to be slaughtered and burned, or even offering fruits of their harvest, was common practice amongst the pagans and the Jews. 

On the cross, Jesus did away with the sacrificial system. There was no longer a need to try to appease God, or an idol, by a burnt offering. Jesus became that burnt offering. As we studied in the book of Revelation, Jesus’ appearance before the throne of the Father is first as the sacrificial Lamb. The cross has become the new sacrificial altar. And instead of a repeated sacrifice for sin, Jesus has become the sacrifice, paying the price for our sin once and for all.
 

Hebrews 9:28 says, “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many…” It is done. As He hung on the cross Jesus declared, “It is finished.” Not just His life, not just His suffering, the SACRIFICE was complete. As we saw yesterday, justice had been satisfied. Our sins were paid for on the cross. New life is now available to those who will follow Him. The old sacrificial system was just a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice which was to come. We’ll be talking more about the foreshadowing of the sacrificial system next week.
 

After we close in prayer, I encourage you to spend a little time in meditation, thinking about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
 

Heavenly Father, You sent your Son to be the sacrifice for our sins on the cross. Our debt is paid and the way to the Kingdom is available because of that sacrifice. May our understanding of the cost of Your sacrifice on the cross increase as we grow closer to You. In the name of Your Son Jesus, amen.