One day as a teen-ager I was wasting time with a friend of mine, the two of us playing pool and talking. While we were “hanging out” he took a chain and heated it in the flame of a candle (I know it doesn’t make sense! We were teen-agers!) When the chain was good and hot my friend pressed it down on my hand. It hurt – and it left a scar.
To this day, about thirty-five years later, I can still see the marks of that chain. No amount of time, washing or lotions will take away the mark and the reminder.
The author of Hebrews spends some time discussing the rituals and practices of sacrifices among the Jewish people. What does he say about such things as burnt offerings and wave offerings? What is the comment on their effectiveness? How was Jesus different?
While it may be important to remember the reasons behind the offerings called for in Leviticus, and while it may be interesting to know how these offerings were given, we need to remember that they have no point at this time. These sacrifices, although well-intentioned, have no ability to remove sin. In fact, they serve as a scar – a reminder, a recollection that wrong has been done.
In their place we have a true and perfect sacrifice that has removed our sin. Christ himself came, not to give a burnt offering, but to have a mortal body that would itself become the sacrifice.
Sometimes in our faith we can fall into the mistaken thinking that if we do something long enough and good enough we can be acceptable to God. If we keep saying our prayers the right way, if we attend worship enough, if we give enough money, we can have our sins washed away. But there is nothing we can do on our own to achieve salvation. Only the sacrifice of Christ – and that is the accepted sacrifice of Christ – can save us.
DAILY CHALLENGE: What can wash away your sin?
No comments:
Post a Comment