CHRIST, THE PERFECT SACRIFICE

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9:12 KJV)

The fall of Adam was colossal, for mankind and creation. Beyond the physical disruption to Adam and Eve living in Eden, which represented God’s perfect system for man and all of creation to exist in harmony, the fall also caused a disruption in the spiritual order and hierarchy. Man, created in the image and likeness of God to exert dominion over all of God’s creation, now found himself, at the mercy of the same creation he was to rule over. This spans beyond the animals and all of nature, to also include the devil, the fallen angels and demonic spirits. Man had lost his place of authority.

Man had become enslaved, both to sin and to Satan, being the father of sin. If this were a movie, I’m sure you’d be wondering what the next phase of the plot would entail. “Did God see this coming? What solutions does He have to counter what Adam and Eve did? What will deliver mankind from sin’s enslavement?” These are just some of the many questions an enthused movie spectator would ask, as the plot unfolds.

Beloved, the God that you and I serve is Omniscient, and cannot be caught unawares; nothing takes Him by surprise. Ever before creation and man’s fall, God already knew, and initiated a plan for the salvation of mankind and restoration of the divine, spiritual order that He instituted. However, this plan would entail the shedding of blood and the establishment of a sacrificial system, albeit temporary. Which is why in response to what Adam and Eve had done, God killed an animal – shed its blood, and also clothed them with outfits made from the animal’s skin, as a pointer to what was to come in the flesh, which had already been perfected before the world began (1 Peter 1:19-20).

This system lasted over the next 4,000 years with the offering of rams, goats, bulls, and other animals as God proscribed, for the covering of man’s sins, until Jesus – the perfect Lamb of God, offered once and for all time, His life at Calvary, for the eternal redemption of mankind, and restoration of God’s spiritual order. This is the essence of Good Friday – mankind is eternally redeemed and restored through Christ, the perfect sacrifice.

Further Reading: Ephesians 1:3-23; Hebrews 9:1-28; 1 Peter 1:13-21
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- 2 Samuel 3-5; Evening- Luke 14:25-35