Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 1-064 (Theology)

Living Words of the New Testament, by Rev Dr Leon Morris

SACRIFICE

Leviticus begins with a treatment of animal sacrifices which is so detailed and so far away from the world in which we live that many of us become confused and discouraged. It may help if we notice that in the four great animal sacrifices (burnt, peace, sin and guilt offerings) there were six stages.

1. The worshipper brought his animal to the altar.

2. He laid his hands on its head, probably as a means of identifying it as his animal and as transferring his sins to it.

3. He, not the priest, killed it; symbolically he acknowledged that his sin deserved death.

4. The priest sprinkled the blood in the prescribed manner.

5. Parts of the animal, mostly the internal fat, were burned on the altar; if it was a burnt offering the whole was burnt.

6. The rest of the animal was disposed of. If a peace offering, it was eaten by the worshippers, if sin or guilt, by the priest.

This solemn ritual impressed on people that sin was a serious matter and that it could be forgiven only when blood was shed. Of course, the blood of animals cannot put away sins (Heb 10:4), but sacrifices can point the way. Sacrifices are a reminder of sins (Heb 10:3; these words refer especially to the Day of Atonement sacrifices made once a year, but they apply in a measure to all sacrifices). They bring about some kind of ceremonial purification (Heb 9:13), but the blood of Jesus really puts away sins (Heb 9:14).

This old way of dealing with sins is used in the New Testament as a way of referring to what Christ has done in dying for us. The cross, viewed from one angle, is the perfect sacrifice. It means the offering of that one perfect victim who really removes sins. The animals were physically perfect (Lev 1:3,10 etc.), but Christ was really without fault of any kind and his sacrifice is to be understood accordingly (1 Peter 1:19). Now and then the New Testament refers to one of the sacrifices (1 Cor 5:7), but mostly it uses general terms (Eph 5:2). All such references remind us that our salvation was costly.

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Rev Dr Leon Morris is an internationally recognised New Testament scholar, theologian and author, from Melbourne Australia.

This feature series of ‘Living Words of the New Testament’ appeared in ‘Daily Notes’, published by Scripture Union.