Leviticus 14:13
(13) And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest’s, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:
Hebrews 10:12
(12) But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Hebrews 10:14
(14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Our text today includes three verses, one from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. Today, the author would like to explain the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.
If we take a look at the verse from Leviticus, we see that the Bible refers to the “sin offering”. First, what is a sin offering?
Let’s take a look back at Exodus for a moment:
Exodus 29:14
But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.
The word “bullock” here is referring to a young bullock without blemish (or without any sort of disease, deformity, or other problem). The Bible says that the flesh, skin, and dung of the bull was to be burned with fire for a sin offering. This establishes the principle found in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. The young bullock had to die as an atonement for sin.
Now, let’s take a look at Leviticus.
Leviticus 5:1-6
(1) And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
(2) Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.
(3) Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.
(4) Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.
(5) And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:
(6) And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.
The Bible says in Leviticus that “if a soul sin…he shall bear his iniquity.” This once again confirms the principle found in Romans 6:23 that sin has a penalty, a wage, or an earning. That earning is death as we saw in Exodus 29:14. In Leviticus, the Bible also says that a trespass offering needed to be offered unto the Lord for “his sin which he hath sinned.” The Bible said that this animal needed to be a female from the flock, a lamb, or a kid of the goats for a sin offering. The priest then was to make an atonement (or a temporary covering) concerning his sin.But, death is not the only penalty for sin. Listen to the next part of God’s commandment concerning the sin offering:
Leviticus 5:8-9
8, And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder:
9, And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering.
The Bible says that the blood of the lamb was to be sprinkled on the side of the altar and that the rest of the blood was to be wrung out at the bottom of the altar as a sin offering. Thus, both death AND the shedding of blood was necessary to atone, or pay, for sin.
You may be asking by this point: where is the author going with all this? What the author is trying to get at is that Jesus’ death on the Cross was the fulfillment of all these sacrifices and sin offerings that are recorded in the Old Testament. How so?
1. Leviticus 5:1 establishes the fact that the soul that sinned must “bear his iniquity.” This means that there is a penalty for sin. However, the Bible states that Jesus Christ has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows and that the iniquity of us all was laid on him. In other words, Jesus Christ himself paid the penalty for all our sins so we wouldn’t have to!
Isaiah 53:4, 6
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
The Bible says that God the Father laid on Jesus Christ (his Son) the iniquity of us all. The penalty for sin rested solely on Jesus Christ.
2. Exodus 29:14 establishes the fact that death is the penalty for sin, which is restated in Romans 6:23. Jesus died a cruel death on an old, rugged Cross so we could be saved from our sin, and live eternally with Him.
3. Leviticus 5:8-10 establishes the fact that blood must be shed in order to pay for sin. This is confirmed again in 1 John 1:7b:
“…and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
Finally, in John 1, John the Baptist identified Jesus as the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God that paid the sin offering for our sin: he bore our iniquity on the Cross by dying for our sins; he shed his blood on the Cross and through his beatings, and Jesus Christ was a sinless Lamb of God, which made Jesus Christ the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for all our sin. Praise God. This is why Hebrews declares:
Hebrews 10:12
(12) But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Hebrews 10:14
(14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Jesus’ one offering for sins on the Cross 2,000 years ago paid for all sins: past, present, and future. The only thing you have to do is simply accept Jesus’ sacrifice via his gift of salvation by believing in Christ through faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Friend, you cannot earn your salvation through good works or through the killing of lambs or goats. Jesus Christ was and is the perfect propitiation (satisfying sacrifice) for our sin. Our good works will not amount to anything, nor will any animal sacrifices. If you still believe that your good works can get you to Heaven, consider the following verses:
Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
The above verses clearly state that even our “good deeds” cannot get us to Heaven. Only the Blood of Christ can pay for our sin.
Hebrews 9:22b “…without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Friend, if you desire to accept Jesus’ sacrifice today through His free gift of salvation, please do not hesitate to click here. May God bless you as you desire to trust Him as your Lord and Savior.
